BajaNomad - For all of you fisherman & other thrill seekers

For all of you fisherman & other thrill seekers

Baja Bernie - 2-7-2008 at 08:34 AM

February 6, 2008

Environment News

The Sharks of Ecotourism

In Baja California and other Mexican coastal states, ecotourism is
promoted as an answer to declining resource-based economies and old school
sun and surf-style visitation packages. Within the ecotourism sector,
extreme sports activities are one variation of attractions designed to
lure the dollars of affluent foreigners and Mexicans. But one form of
extreme ecotourism, cage diving with sharks, is raising questions about
the management of Mexico's natural resources as well as the safety and
integrity of both humans and animals.

A remote chunk of land off the Pacific Coast of Baja California, Guadalupe
Island is a hot spot for shark cage diving. Every year, one hundred of
more great white sharks gather near the island, likely drawn by
Guadalupe's tasty seals. In April 2005, Guadalupe Island was declared a
protected biosphere by the federal Mexican government. However, the
reserve lacks governmental or medical facilities.

Guadalupe Island's lack of infrastructure hasn't stopped several San
Diego-based tour operators from offering adrenaline-spiked encounters with
the magnificent if potentially deadly great white sharks. Running
expeditions from the port of Ensenada, Baja California, tour boats ferry
as many as 22 people on shark-seeing adventures. Advertised on the
Internet, five or seven-day Guadalupe Island packages range from $2,750 to
$4,295 in price. Once near the island, tourists don diving gear and are
then put into cages from where they observe great whites swimming near the
enclosures. The circling sharks are attracted by bait, usually tuna,
dangled from a line.

According to Mexican environmentalist and columnist Ivan Restrepo, a
November 4 trip crossed the line in keeping sharks and people at safe
distances. Restrepo reported in a recent column that a great white shark
snagged itself on a cage which contained two tourists, ripping apart an
entire section of the "barrier." Luckily, the two thrill-seeking
tourists, who presumably got their money's worth, escaped harm.

Restrepo said a previous pilot study conducted by Dr. Jose L. Castillo
Geniz, a researcher with Mexico's Regional Fisheries Research Center of
Ensenada, resulted in recommendations to tour operators about where to
place the bait and how to keep a prudent distance from the sharks.

"(Tour operators) promised to do it, but nothing more," Restrepo charged.
"The lives of tourists and sharks continue being at risk."

The incident reported by Restrepo once again raised questions about the
possible impacts of ecotourism on wild animals. Whale-watching, for
instance, is an economic plus for coastal residents in the Baja, Banderas
Bay and other areas, but the popular activity poses important questions.
When does the number of boats viewing animals reach a saturation level?
How close is a safe distance from an animal? How do human-animal
interactions alter the natural breeding, migratory and other patterns of
wild species?

According to Restrepo, Guadalupe Island's shark tourism brings in about $3
million per year for the tour operators, who pay nominal permit fees to
Mexico's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

"The business of taking tourists to watch white sharks on Guadalupe Island
is an excellent one for a small group from the neighboring country,"
Restrepo wrote, "but not for the natural reserve, which lacks resources to
establish a management plan, sponsor research or pay its personnel
better.."

On the other hand, tour operators maintain that their Guadalupe Island
excursions help shield protected great white sharks from poachers, who
hunt the endangered creatures for the lucrative global fin market. Recent
reports estimate that the worldwide population of great white sharks has
declined by as much as 70-90 percent. A group of San Diego shark-watching
tour operators has established the non-profit Guadalupe Island
Conservation Fund to raise money for the preservation of the local shark
population.

"Great whites are listed as endangered in Mexico; however there are no
resources to dispatch park rangers in small enforcement vessels to protect
them," said a statement from the Fund posted on its website.

Experts regard closer US-Mexico collaboration as essential for preserving
the great white shark, which is an international traveler of excellence.
After tagging a male great white shark with an electronic tracking device
in early 2007, a cross-border team of researchers released the young
predator into the ocean from the privately-owned Monterey Bay Aquarium in
north-central California. Months later, the shark surfaced off the
southern coast of Baja California near Cabo San Lucas.

"It clearly shows that like many migratory animals, sharks don't recognize
international boundaries," said Dr. Salvador Jorgensen, a researcher with
the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Hopkins Marine Station. "It underscores how
important it is to work closely with our Mexican colleagues to make sure
we have adequate protection for the species," Jorgensen told a California
newspaper.

Sources: La Jornada, February 4, 2008. Article by Ivan Restrepo.
Monterey County Herald (California), May 23, 2007. Article by
Kevin Howe. Guadalupefund.org

Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin
American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
:lol:

pappy - 2-7-2008 at 10:26 AM

there is an episode on the national geographic channel where they do some research and cage diving there. it reportedly has some of the biggest, if not biggest, great whites known...(and plenty of them!)

motoged - 2-7-2008 at 01:16 PM

Ah, that's for weenies

If somebody wants a thrill ride, why doesn't somebody get a Hummer, a trailer with a few new dirt-bikes or a dune buggy, and put a cage on the trailer.

Then....charge for the adrenaline junkie to get in the cage, tape $500 P notes to his clothes and drive from Tijuana to Maneadero and see how many sharks take the bait.

Now THAT would be exciting :lol:

Halboo - 2-7-2008 at 01:18 PM

There is no way I would get out of the boat at 'lupe.

I have seen sharks there that look just like the one in JAWS.

This is a small one............

55steve - 2-7-2008 at 06:08 PM

If things keep going the way they are it's only a matter of time before someone gets munched.
A friend of mine takes folks on these thrill charters to 'Lupe from San Diego on his 90' boat - some folks want to dive with the sharks WITHOUT the cage!

[Edited on 2-8-2008 by 55steve]

elgatoloco - 2-7-2008 at 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
If things keep going the way they are it's only a matter of time before someone gets munched........... some folks want to dive with the sharks WITHOUT the cage!

[Edited on 2-8-2008 by 55steve]

Natural selection :biggrin:

Gadget - 2-7-2008 at 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged
Ah, that's for weenies

baitcast - 2-8-2008 at 05:35 AM

Mr K Bondy can tell you all about this first hand

4baja - 2-8-2008 at 07:37 AM

thats why the captains of the san diego fishing fleet say once they arrive there and drop the anchore ite like ringing the dinner bell for whites. half the time you catch a tuna you come up with just a head.

baitcast - 2-8-2008 at 08:26 AM

I spent 4 days at the island aug. of 63 and never saw one,I caught the only shark of the trip a very small mako,these visits by the bad boys must have started later.

I wish Ken would inlighten us a bit more.
BAITCAST

Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy :biggrin:

Ben Franklin

Skeet/Loreto - 2-8-2008 at 10:25 AM

38 years on the Sea Of Cortez-My take.

If People want to put themselves in Danger, and Freedome!! then under the "New Culture" of "If it feels Good, Just do it" prevails under their "Right" of Free Speech.

On the Wall in my Home stands the Mouth and Teeth of an 800Lb Shark I caught one Day at Isla Delelfonzo off of San Nicholas.
On other days with my Friend Enrique, we have brought 2,000 Lbs of Shark, caught from a Panga on a 125 Lb. Line with a 6 0 Reel.

On several occasions I have been diving at the Isla and encontered Hammerheads, whereby I very quietly returned to my Panga.

Now, knowing that the Multilpe layers of Sharp Teeh are blessed with the Nature of having one torn loose and the next one ready to Chew in 7 minutes , I, as an Adult of some Education, have no desire to have my Body "Torn Asunder" by that Shark.

I have also on Occasion watched a Groupe of Sharks tearing to Pieces large Dolphins, had two large Sharks come clean out of the Water after a very Large Dorado next to my Panga.

So, A Thrill?, I think not ! Give me an Airplane, one Parachute to jump out of over Lake Elisnore, A Glider ride over the Sierras, a Mustang that needs Broke., A WhipStorm in the Middle of the Cortez, better that I enjoy a Beautifull Lady of one of the Brothells of Nevada!!

Excellent Article.

Skeet/Loreto

motoged - 2-8-2008 at 12:11 PM

Skeet,
I finally get it....the CAPITALS Do HAVE significance.

It's like Reading a Dr. Bronners Bottle

ElFaro - 2-8-2008 at 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baja Bernie
According to Restrepo, Guadalupe Island's shark tourism brings in about $3 million per year for the tour operators, who pay nominal permit fees toMexico's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.
:lol:

Based on this quote I have a question / observation maybe 4Baja, Halboo, or 55Steve could answer...

The multi-day long range sportfishing trips out of San Diego to Guadalupe Isl., Thetis Bank, Socorro, Hurricane Bank, et. al. cost about $250 - $300 per day. My ? is.. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TRIP COST PER PERSON IS FEES TO THE MEXICAN GOVT.? I believe the Mexican portion is very small...I maybe wrong. If so, what will happen when the Mexicans wake up and start charging fees more inline with the resource they are providing to the gringo fishing fleet? After all...it's their resource. I don't think they take in that much $s from the sportfishing fleet in exchange for what they provide. I'm waiting for the day when they suddenly demand 10%, 20%, or even 30 % of the $250 - $300 daily fee. And what are the sportfishing owners going to do ?...if they want to fish and stay solvent they will probably pass the cost to the ind. fisherman like they do the fuel cost surcharge. Your thoughts...

woody with a view - 2-8-2008 at 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ElFaro

Quote:

that will be a sad day. just ask Pemex....... maybe mexico could reimburse the U.S. for all of the education being provided to the children of their (mexico's) expatriots!!!!!! :lol:

just a thought...

DENNIS - 2-8-2008 at 05:55 PM

That's a pretty picture, Halboo.
I used to commercial fish on a net boat out of Dana Point. We had deep water nets which would usualy hold a fair amount of soup-fin shark....little else. That's what we were after.
One day our nets were empty till we got to the end of a pull and large color came to the surface. A ten foot White Shark, caught by the nose in our net.
We got it into the boat 'cause I wanted the jaws. There was no market for Great White meat at the time.

We went to our next net and had the same problem. It was empty till the end of the pull when it again showed a White stuck in the mesh by the snout. We kept the net rolling up the spool and the shark fell out, sinking like a rock.

The interesting point which I make is that the number one predator has no fight, no reason to resist. It hits an obsticle in it's never ending forward motion and quits. No resistance.

The soupfin will tie your net into an unbelievable knot, trying to survive. The Great White wont. They're just killers, not fighters.

I forget why I put this up but, it's kinda interesting.

Dennis

Baja Bernie - 2-9-2008 at 09:09 AM

Most interesting AND positive!!!!

Halboo - 2-9-2008 at 01:24 PM

El Faro
Interesting you bring that up, especially in the wake of the recent decision to eliminate boat permits for private boaters..
I believe the fee is currently $15 per person, per day for the permits on the long range trips but don't quote me....
I recently heard some noise about them closing Guadalupe in the way they closed the Revilla's a while back....

The long range guys just found new seamounts etc with fish on 'em or fished the birds and meter marks.

here's another good one of one of the smaller 12'-15' models :biggrin:

[Edited on 2-9-2008 by Halboo]