Galapagos - Ecuadorean Presidential Decree

[John Gulliver]

LOL. Blimey - you must have some wide angle lens to get that shot of a whale shark from two metres (a meter is something you measure with )!

Well, Lou, my Sea & Sea 12mm fisheye lens should enable me to get a nice shot of any whaleshark we see with my Nikonos V from two metres.

 

[cowjazz]

In case you are interested, and since we have a hard time believing any good news out of Ecuador, here is my translation of the motions and voting that has line aboard dive trips operating until December 31st, 2007.

 

[onderwaterfoto]

Thankx cowjazz for this update! If I read your document, is the second part about fishing decree 210? I mean the thing that if they catch a shark they can fin it?

 

[cowjazz]

Thankx cowjazz for this update! If I read your document, is the second part about fishing decree 210? I mean the thing that if they catch a shark they can fin it?

No, it does not address the shark finning issue.

I think the second motion was made by the fishing sector after the moratorium was granted on the diving ban. The vote is saying that the yachts that are now permitted to conduct diving tours under the moratorium until December 31st cannot use this permission to claim an "acquired right" to conduct a combination of diving and land tours after December 31st. This is the vote that has people speculating that after December 31st, tours will be either diving or land, but not a combination of both.

That's my interpretation, but I could be wrong. Here is the original version of the motions and votes in Spanish if someone else wants to take a shot at it.

 

[onderwaterfoto]

Today,

I received the official statement from my Dutch Tour Operator. They received an official letter from Quasar Nautica (operator of the boats: Lammerlaw and Mistral). See attachment for more info...

 

[cowjazz]

The latest Aggressor trip report made something in my pants move:

http://www.aggressor.com/capt_log.php?log_id=1203

I also understand that last week the Deep Blue spotted an albino whale shark, and there was a breaching humpback whale.

11 days and counting. Please Mother Nature, keep the action going.

 

[onderwaterfoto]

Wow! 29 Whale Sharks!

31 days and counting...

 

[ChrisM]

Sitting in Quito, just in from the Galapagos. 10-12 whale sharks over 7 dives, but the first dive at darwin was the best, with 5 or of those sightings. Two close swim bys, including one at 19 feet during a safety stop. also a mama and babe swimming around. no albine unfortunately.

hammer action was good. not quite as good as last time, but still a great trip. mantas, eagle rays, cownose rays, slkies, galapagos sharks, sea lions, the works

good to go now, there's big changes in the works, starting now. accdg to our boat, they are only allownig one boat per day at wolf or darwin, staggered. not sure how this is going to work, but maybe it'll keep an eye on the fishermen. As of 2008, as we've heard, no land tours. but also a rumor that all diving will have to be completed by noon in the central islands. not sure how accurate that is

Off to the amazon region for a few days.

 

[LouUK]

good to go now, there's big changes in the works, starting now. accdg to our boat, they are only allownig one boat per day at wolf or darwin, staggered. not sure how this is going to work, but maybe it'll keep an eye on the fishermen. .

Will be very interested to see how this tallies with the statement that they will honour all itineraries between now and December - it seems to contradict that.

I hope you told those whale sharks to hang around a few more weeks Enjoy the Amazon!

 

[EnronX]

Chris, are you back in Cali? I'd be curious to hear more about your trip...you were on the Deep Blue, correct?