Isla Guadalupe Shark Diving in TROUBLE

[Oside Jimc]

That Island is uninhabited by humans and divers are the only people protecting the sharks from the fishermen who want to kill them, hang them up and take their picture.

Guad is NOT uninhabitated, the mexican fisherman live on the island as well as the Mexican navy base on the south end of the island. There has neven been a case of a fisherman taking a GWS at Guad, yes we take YFT, they are a migrating species that is not resident to Guad, since divers are not there all the time it is adsurd to state that the noble divers are the only force protecting the GWS at guad.

The fishermen would also be catching them, smoking a cigar, slapping each other on the back and calling the taxidermist as soon as they are in cel phone range.
You are a fisherman right ?.....come on you want one of those big monsters on your wall too right ? Think of how hard he would fight.

WOW, sounds like you need to get your medication changed.....

If fishermen wanted to harm the GWS at guad there would have been none there for the dive trips to ever get started. I have fished Guad for alomst 30 years, plenty of time to wipe out the GWs before divers even discivered the place. We have been there protecting Guad from the REAL threat which is commercial fishing. The quantity of fish taken by sport fishing in minute. It's commercial fishing that strip mines the ocean. We have fought to prevent seiners, gill netters, and long liners from wiping out the ecosystem at Guad. So you oew fishermen a debt or gratiture for even having a chance to see a GWS at Guad.

 

[patric]

We have been blogging about this issue for a while and it's a thorny one. Here's how we see it:

The Guadalupe situation will break two ways. Since last weeks MX Navy boarding of both Solmar V and Horizon complete with an official "chum ban notice" the local fishermen have shown up with cameras to document what we are doing out there. This is new, these guys typically do not have two cents to rub together. We have often supplied them with enough food and water to make it through a stormy week at this remote site-so we're wondering where all the new cameras have came from.

Scenario One:

Someone within MX Tourism will realize that this nascent 3.1 million dollar industry is good for Mexico. The result will be round table discussions with the various agencies and solid proposals for both adding to the Bio Sphere in terms of hard dollars from operations and expanded support for MX lead shark research. The end result in 5 years is Guadalupe becomes the crown jewel of the Mexico's Bio-Sphere system where sustainable tourism is the engine that supports the parks growth.

Chances of this happening are slim to none since Mexico shows little sign of wanting to work with operators and the various agencies are alternately broken or do not want to work cohesively. Additionally the various shark operators themselves could not agree if it was a "sunny day" or not, and most show little sign of even wanting to recognize this chum ban officially or the broader implications this ban has to a worldwide shark diving industry.

Scenario Two:

The MX Navy shuts the island down based on unsubstantiated reports of two dead ab divers from last season and a host of complaints that we are either killing seals on site for sport or that our chum (tuna oil and blood) contains pathogens that will kill the wildlife. Even though each and every operation submitted an "Enviro Impact Study" in 2007 with some serious science behind these studies showing no issues with chum on site.

The ban is really a cover for the outright harvesting of these sharks in 2009-2010. The estimated value to fishermen for white shark fins and jaws here is about $500,000 USD. Up until recently these fishermen had no idea of the value of these sharks and in Pangas were mostly unaware of these animals. We introduced them to the extent of seeing 10 at once at the back of a vessel over the past 6 seasons out there.

I propose this scenario after seeing the fallout from the Socorro’s take this spring with several Mantas and 2.5 tons of sharks fin at that Bio-Sphere. Add to that an attempted take in front of our vessel in 2005 and it's not too far off an assumption.

Will there be some sort of creamy center to this? Probably not, I am a realist. It makes little sense that Mexico's Navy would move a vessel to this fly spec island to enforce a ban on eco tourism unless there was something much bigger in the mix.

The last scenario is this is a cover for a ban on US vessels to make this site a for Mexico only site. Either way looking at this in a global perspective you have to wonder what the anti-shark diving lobby in places like Australia and South Africa will say if Mexico pulls the trigger on this site and we see a ban in 2009 on shark diving activities here.

Let us hope that cooler heads and someone with a much higher paygrade in Mexico than any of us comes forward with solutions that we can all start working on....soon.

 

[trogloxene]

A recap of my recent trip to Isla Guadalupe

August 17, 2008

I got off the airplane in San Diego and for the first time in my life I stepped foot onto California soil. I was quickly greeted by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and a mild ocean breeze. California was not my destination, but merely a stepping stone to a place I have dreamed about. A place that boasts of crystal clear water with 100 foot visibility, a place where great white sharks are known to congregate in the Fall. A place known as Isla Guadalupe.

August 18, 2008

I boarded the MV Horizon, a vessel which was to be home for the next 5 days. A short 22 hour boat ride and 214 miles of Pacific Ocean is all that separated me from my destination. 11 hours into the journey I found my bunk and I eagerly turned in for the night. I knew when I awoke that Isla Guadalupe would be there to greet me.

August 19, 2008

I awoke at 6:30 AM and Isla Guadalupe was still two hours in the distance. The sun was shining on her Eastern face. The boat made her way to the Northeast corner of the island and dropped anchor.

The shark cages were deployed and the 15 shark divers made preparations to enter the cages. I anxiously donned a 7 mil wetsuit and 44 pounds of lead and patiently waited for my rotation in the cage. It was now my turn to enter the cage. The adrenalin was flowing and I was slightly nervous. I put on my mask and gripped the cage handrail and climbed halfway down the ladder into the port cage. I put the regulator in my mouth and took a deep breath. I was handed my camera and I was overtaken by the 70 degree water as I settled into the bottom of the cage.

The visibility was gin clear and I could see the anchor line coming off the front of the boat over 100 feet away. Several minutes later the first great white came into view and gracefully floated by the cage. It was the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed. The day kept getting better - during my 3 cage dives that day there were 11 different individual great white sharks identified!

My favorite shark was identified as Harvey. He was easily recognizable because of the white scar he had on the tip of his nose. I did 8 more cage dives over the course of the next 2 days and I took countless photos of Harvey and the other sharks.

Harvey:

Conclusion

The cage diving experience was very relaxing and I just sat in the cage and was in total awe of the magnificent creatures that were surrounding me. On the trip home I found myself overtaken with a heightened sense of awareness because of what I witnessed during the preceding 3 days. Unfortunately, the trip was over before it began and now I sit here back at home and wonder if I really was there.

My fear is that if the shark divers leave, then the shark finners will arrive and sharks such as Harvey will be harvested for his fins and jaw.

I hope an agreement can be reached with the shark divers, abalone divers and fisherman that will benefit all and keep the waters of Isla Guadalupe open for others to enjoy.


Sean

 

[patric]

From Shark Divers Blog:

We have been keeping track of the chumming ban at Isla Guadalupe and as we have been reporting the situation this year is extremely fluid.

Recently one of the operations on site sent out an ill timed newsletter talking at great length about their continued chumming efforts at the island. This was a complete disconnect from everything we had been told, both from MX City and from Ensenada.

The newsletter came after the MX Navy had boarded all vessels on site in August and had clarified that "no chumming" was in effect. The L.A Times ran with that newsletter this weekend and this morning the Solmar V was boarded by a team from SEMARNAT "Mexico City" and the MX Navy.

Here is an except from an internal email we got this morning:

Sent: Sep 8, 2008 1:15 PM
Subject: guadalupe island boarding

hello:
i just got word that the Solmar got boarded today. the navy with CONANP reps ("from mexico city") came aboard and specifically asked to see the enviromental impact report. somewhere it indicates that the report needs to be renewed annually. those in the boarding party stated that NO BOATS in our fleet have renewed it, so apparently they are gunning for that particular element that hasn't been attended to. (or that was the view of the chartermaster anyway) the boat had to remove the hang baits and chum and get everyone out of the cages, and are now doing panga rides along the shore...

this is now third-hand information, but our charter master (xxx, who is on the solmar right now) is concerned about future trips with us obviously.

Editors Note: We'll keep you updated by the minute as things develop. All vessels are effected at this site at this time. Feel free to call us if you have any questions.

 

[ronski101]

Sorry but I didn't read all the posts but I bet if the Mexican government got a big chunk of the money paid by the divers who go to see the sharks the problems would all magically be solved.

 

[Bill Fisher]

I have been keeping up with these posts concerning Guadalupe in regards to the ban on "chumming".

I will again be heading out to Guadalupe this year. The shark diving is going strong as we can read on some of the trip reports from many of the reputable operators out there. I myself have spoken to several operators and the sharks are out in full force. Everyone seems to be having a good year, despite the presence of the MX Navy Frigate.

I'm not sure about this excitement over the "no chumming" though.
Last year I was aboard the SEARCHER with Great White Adventures, whom I highly recommend, it was late in the season and we were the only boat out there.

We did not chum, we didn't have too.
Hang baits are not the issue here, they can still be used.

The only place I seem to find posts concerning the chum ban are here (SB) and :

Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks

This site seems to be a cross between Underwater Times and a supermarket tabloid?

There seems to be many questionable posts, along with some that seem very positive towards shark conservation, but I definitely get mixed signals from this site.
Especially the back-log of posts concerning the shark diving death in the Bahamas in Feb 2008. I'm not sure why, but there are numerous posts stating that this happened at Tiger Beach? This is simply not true. The location is inaccurate, and it wasn't a Tiger shark. False information if I do say so myself.

I digress...

Back to Guadalupe.
Here's a quote from the above mentioned site...

The overall implications are very grim. If the MX Navy is successful in essentially banning chumming at this site, the eco tour vessels that act as "shark sentries" here will be gone-opening this robust population up to illegal fishermen who will come to this island for both it's proximity to the mainland of Mexico and ease of animal acquisitions.


Chumming was banned in the state of California in 2003, I believe.
Great White shark cage diving is still happening there 5 years later.
You need permits, etc, and it is monitored by the state, as it should be, it's not a free-for-all.

For sharkdivers/blogspot to say that if the Mexican government bans "chumming" at Guadalupe, the shark diving vessels will be gone ? ? ?

That seems a bit extreme.
Only time will tell, and hopefully it will bode well for the sharks.

Like I said earlier, when I was there last year we did not chum.
We had at least 10 -12 different sharks over 3 days.

In my opinion, it seems like scare tactics to possibly sell a few more spots this year ....before the park closes forever ! ! ! !

We all know money talks, and hopefully the Mexican government will keep Guadalupe open for all of us shark lovers. Last year the park fee was $12. Not much to pay for such a great experience. Let's see how things play out. Hopefully all the reputable operators can unite and keep showing the world the beloved Great White Sharks of Guadalupe.

Bill

 

[shark People]

I was on the trip with Great White Adventures and the Solmar 5 when the mexican Navy boarded us and stopped us from chumming. It was the first day there and we only got one dive in before we were boarded. We stopped chuming right away and the sharks continued to investagate us for three days. The shark dives were great. There were sharks swimming around the boat the whole time. I saw some incredible photos and film taken by the shark lovers. The Navy men that boarded the boat were even fascinated by the sharks as they stood around and watched the sharks swim by the cages. I quickly noticed as they were pionting at the sharks, the same excitment in our eyes was now in there eyes. What an incredible animal ! I know some of the people left our trip wanting to book again for next year, but I hope to make it back this year before the season is over. Great White Adventures had an awesome trip despite the set back. I hope all shark lovers and shark diving operators work together to ensure that these amazing animals are protected. The sharks are extremely vulnerable to fisherman if shark divers are not present at Guadalupe Island.

 

[Bill Fisher]

Thanks for the post.

Were you still able to use hangbaits ?

Were there any comments from the folks at Great White Adventures on how this might play out ?

 

[patric]

"Hang baits are not the issue here, they can still be used."

Unfortunately that is not the case. I would suggest you and everyone who is unsure about the current status dig deep and call the following agencies for clarification:

CONANP
PROFEPA
MX Navy

It is obvious that you are getting your information from one source. It is also obvious that you have been pushing for that same source for many years on this list. May we suggest you do you homework and stop adding information to this thread until you have made those calls. Divers who have booked this season are interested in knowing what is going on as it directly impacts them.

On the bigger picture this is unprecendented, fleet wide and has global implications. "Scare tactics" are hardly the point. It is obvious to everyone who operates here that much larger interests are now involved at I.G. as evident by both Mexico's Green Parties chumming allegations this spring:

An Open Letter to Mexico's Congress on Shark Ecotourism

and now the MX Navy "no chumming ban":

Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks: Mexico: Chumming banned at Isla Guadalupe

Both these situations go back to early 2008 and are well documented by actual links back to the original sources. All you have to do is read and become involved as we have done since the beginning. The good news is that there are sharks and we continue to see them even without chum. But let's be serious about why we chum as well.

What we have here will require more than quick posts designed to cast doubt with second hand information that is incorrect.Become informed, and then by all means post and let's use this thread to discuss the manner in which people, divers and shark fans can get involved.

 

[spt29970]

I just got back from a trip to Guadalupe Island aboard the Nautilus Explorer. The NE did no chumming or wrangling, but had a couple of small hang baits under the cage. I am happy to report that the GWS were still there and still curious about the divers. This was my first trip to Guadalupe so I don't know what is usual, but we had a lot of action a number of close approaches to the cages. Of course this might have been due to the fact that the Solmar V was a couple hundred yards away and was merrily chumming away as if no ban had been enacted. Although we actually had better action after the Solmar left. Perhaps the resident population was no longer splitting their time between the boats. In any case, I loved the 40ft submersible cage!



There are more at Guadalupe Shark Diving - a set on Flickr