vseasport
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Whale sharks arrive at Pulmo on Que
This week several days in a row 2 whale sharks were sighted by divers at Cabo Pulmo. Last year at this same date renowned under water photographer
and marine biologist Bill Boyce came out to dive with us for a day. Above is one of the images he captured. That is me (Mark Rayor) on the left.
Below is a piece he wrote about this encounter for an Australian sport fishing magazine.
Marine Parks… Keep Em ??? Or “Bleep” Em…???
In the last several years, many “green” groups have rallied long hours to place pristine marine environments into jurisdiction as Marine Parks or
Marine Sanctuaries. Though these efforts seem gallant to many, to others they represent nothing but un-justified restrictions. We as anglers, and
people who cherish the fish we pursue, need to take a serious look into such management legislation, to see if it warrants retaining such protection.
I am versed in the protection under which these premises have been intended in Australian waters and we in California are facing similar, if not more
restrictive rules
in areas where some of our finest inshore fishing takes place along our coast. I have been a strong advocate to denounce these areas, and feel it is
the commercial industry that has done the most serious damage to our fish stocks. Thinking they are the ones that should be facing thoughtful, well
researched management schemes…… That is until last month.
I was in the middle of a photo shoot for the Van Wormer Resorts in East Cape, Baja Mexico when the need to fulfill some underwater image requirements
came to be. Having dove the area many times in the last 15 years, my favorite dive site in all of Baja is the Cabo Pulmo Reef (the only living coral
reef in the Sea of Cortez). My favorite dive charter operator is Mark Rayor of Vista Sea Sport in Buena Vista, www.vistaseasport.com . Not only is Mark a first class fisherman / dive master with an acute knowledge of the reef and it’s up to the minute
conditions. He is also a friggin’ “Lucky Charm” when it comes to seeing some awesome stuff in a timely manner. This trip was to be no exception. In
the last 15 years on the reef, its National Park status has made a virtual underwater zoo of epic proportions. Every year I dive it, it truly gets
better and better. No only in the quantity of fish and the diversity of species, but also the overall size of the critters that call the Pulmo Reef
their home.
Years ago it was the impressive schools of horse eyed jacks that would mesmerize me to a trance. Then a few years ago it was the new found aggregation
of groupers which had me spellbound. In fact, my last dive there two years ago, Mark and I dropped in and were immediately surrounded by huge shoals
of sardines being pushed past us at furious speeds by dozens of 5 – 15kg groupers corralling them into a frenzy. Not a bad way to start a dive !!!
Well this May, the action made this pale in comparison. First, you don’t have to meter the reef to find it. You simply look for the breezer of jacks
and the dark, amoeboid mass that they create. Once in their vicinity it is merely a quick flip or two to get below them, and you are instantly in a
dark world. One where the bright rays of the sun search hard just to penetrate the depths below. In waters only 15 – 20 meters, the column of fish
that school here are well represented in layers. On top, as mentioned, the horse eyed jacks, impossible to count but my estimation of these fish from
years of diving tuna schools on the purse seiners, I would guess-timate to be around 40 -50 tons..!!! Below them near the bottom, huge schools of
yellow tailed grunts, porgies, and Jordan snappers. Numbers that literally carpet the rocky outcropping of the reef. But between these two layers is
what really blew my mind, groupers, groupers, and more groupers. Leopard groupers in spectacular numbers that went from 5 – 15 kgs, broomtail groupers
from 10 – 30 kgs., and gulf grouper that easily scaled 50 kg. All swimming so close, you could pet them. Roving the reef at this same level, as though
on patrol, were the “mean machines”, dog toothed snappers to 30 kg. All over the reef were tropical aquarium species, moray eels, and vibrant
outcroppings of hard and soft coral patches. I found it difficult to even focus on finding worthy photo compositions, because basically any direction
you pointed the camera, was an amazing image to capture. I have had the blessing of diving all over the world and seeing some of the most pristine
fisheries known to man, but this dive site, gave me a new pinnacle to achieve in the pursuit of the ultimate dive location. If that wasn’t enough to
convince me of such hype, the whale shark we dove with for 10 minutes on the second dive surely did.. !!!
If any of you are falling asleep while reading this essay, then you are brain dead.. !!! The whole point of my explaining this phenomenon is this. If
the area wasn’t protected in this manner, it would be a biological desert, over fished, and then over looked. Any logical mind can argue that a
congregation of fish density as found here, surely involves reproductive activity. Thus one can only assume their larvae and offspring are finding
themselves in surrounding areas which are in fact open to sport fishing. And the local economy benefits by having a diving adventure of this caliber
for all to enjoy. It is basically a fish hatchery, without the hassle of human personnel to maintain it, except to patrol it.
Am I saying “let’s go out and create a huge chain of marine parks ??” Hell no.. !! What I am saying is that we do need to look into the positive
attributes of such areas and find a happy medium with the groups that advocate ONLY the establishment of these areas. If we can get together with them
with a common goal in mind, to create MORE fish in surrounding areas, then we may find more rational compromise thru communication.
Bill Boyce
[Edited on 5-13-2009 by vseasport]
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Paulclark
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Take pictures and leave footprints -- but unfortunitely greed and avarice come along so we end up over regulating instead of promoting the sharing of
a wonderful resourse. I live just outside the park and still see gillnets every spring and no response when they are reported.
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fishbuck
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I live in SoCal and the fishing here is pitiful. Everyday the party fishing boats take every legal fish they catch. A legal calico bass is pretty
small.
I have had the oportunity to dive at Catalina in the USC cove. The animals in there are amazing. The has been no fishing in there for many years.
Imagine if the whole island was like that. These animals need these sanctuaries to breed and grow without fishing pressure.
I've seen some calicos in there that might be 15lbs. They look like groupers. I seen a few lobsters that are scary big.
But I won't waste my time and money fishing here anymore. And if that happens in Baja I won't fish there either.
I truly belive in marine sanctuaries!
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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coho
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Marine sanctuaries are the only way to promulgate the sea life so valuable to our existence. Hats off to the USC cove effort. Whale sharks have been
present here in Bahia Concepcion Mulege for over 3 weeks....amazing creatures.
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Ken Bondy
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That's an interesting article Mark, but I wish he wouldn't have perpetuated the myth that Pulmo is "...the only living coral reef in the Sea of
Cortez." That is so obviously untrue. There are living patch reefs all up and down the east cape from San Jose del Cabo all the way up to Bahia de
Los Muertos, and several large living systems such as the one off of Punta Pescadero.
carpe diem!
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vseasport
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Ken, I have scratched my head and agree with what you are saying. Seems like for some reason Pulmo meets the criteria marine biologists are looking
for to call it a "living reef" and apparently the other areas do not. El Cardonal has a reef with gorgeous coral. Anyhow, Boyce visits every year or
two and his take is since the formation and protection of the park the place just keeps getting better. I have to agree. At the risk of getting riff
from other Nomads, day in and day out I'll put Pulmo up against any reef in the Sea of Cortez for masses and diversity of sea life.
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Ken Bondy
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Mark, I agree that Pulmo is magnificent, a real marine treasure. But it is not the only living coral reef in the Sea of Cortez.
carpe diem!
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vseasport
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Ken, it is not my intention to get into a debate but you inspired me to do a little research on living coral reefs and learn information I'm
embarrassed to say I didn't already know. Now I believe Cabo Pulmo is in fact the only living coral reef in the Sea of Cortez and the most northern
in the eastern Pacific. Pulmo reef is estimated to be more than 20,000 years old and meets all the criteria. That is why the Mexican government
declared it a national park and is making some effort to protect it. Other areas like Punta Pescadero or El Cardonal are reefs with beautiful living
coral but are in fact not "living coral reefs". Loads of info on living coral reefs can be found on the Internet. I am not equipped or knowledgeable
enough to give an entire explanation but a couple of many definitions and explanations I found are :http://www.solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef
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Ken Bondy
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Mark, I am certainly open to a scientific explanation of why Pulmo is a living coral reef and somehow Punta Pescadero and El Cardonal are not. I have
dived Pulmo and Pescadero many times (don't think I know El Cardonal) and in terms of living things, corals and animals, they look pretty much the
same to me. Both magnificent. I also have considerable experience in diving on living coral reefs in other parts of the world, so I am not
unfamiliar with them although that familiarity is not scientific. And I also don't want to get in any kind of debate or argument with you about
things that both of us obviously care about. I will look at your sources.
carpe diem!
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Ken Bondy
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Mark, I looked at the two sources you cited. They are both loaded with valuable information about what living coral reefs are, but I didn't see
anything in either source that would suggest that Punta Pescadero is not a living coral reef.
I probably shouldn't unleash this, but I have a perception that, in many cases, when someone calls Pulmo the "...only living coral reef in [fill in
the blank]..." there has been a slight taste of commercialism in the statement. In other words, those claiming that Pulmo is the only living coral
reef in the SOC often seem to have a vested commercial interest in convincing the public that Pulmo is unique. That doesn't mean that the claim is
not true, but it has influenced my opinions about such claims.
carpe diem!
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