The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 11, ISSUE 37 SPRING/SUMMER 2021 $6.95
M A G A Z I N E
The Social Responsibility of Protecting Manatees 1 | www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com
Saving Coral The national effort to preserve Florida’s reef tract
Fleeting Concern
Shark tag, you’re it
China’s fishing fleet draws global concern
Track sharks all over the world online
VANTAGE
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CONTENTS
SPRING/SUMMER 2021
DEPARTMENTS
8 Guy’s
Editorial
The days of COVID-19 gave Dr. Harvey time to reflect — and to write. BY GUY HARVEY
10 The Bite
Want to explore the ocean without a wetsuit? Virtual reality field trips might be just the ticket.
58 & Return
A team of professionals at SeaWorld Orlando are ever-ready to help some of the planet’s most threatened species. BY FRED GARTH
42 Reef to Refuge
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums and affiliated conservation efforts are giving hope to Florida’s coral reef. BY BETH FIRCHAU
46 Ocean Therapy
“Blue space” is the new green space when it comes to mental health. When times get tough — as they did in 2020 — the oceans helped soothe the mind. BY LOUISA SAX
54 COVID’s
Silver Lining
Like every other industry, 4 | GuyHarvey.com
16 Shopping Guide
fishing took a hit during the pandemic. But there were some silver linings among the clouds. BY NICK HONACHEFSKY
58 Photo Portfolio — Bill Boyce
Photographer Bill Boyce takes us on a panoramic tour of three of his favorites spots: Panama, Tahiti and Seychelles. BY BILL BOYCE
68 Land of the
Striped Marlin
In this excerpt from the book Guy Harvey’s Underwater World, Dr. Harvey recounts an adventure searching for one of the world’s most distinctive billfish. BY GUY HARVEY
74 Assault on Galápagos
The fleet of Chinese fishing vessels near the Galápagos
has drawn global concern over their action in — and out — of the spotlight. BY SID DOBRIN
80 S hark Culling
With shark population in the spotlight, let’s take a look at the numbers when it comes to the ocean’s most famous predator.
Bring home Dr. Guy Harvey’s art with these gifts, keepsakes and apparel.
96 Last Cast
How a photo expedition revealed a new way to raise funds for research and conservation. BY FRED GARTH
BY STEFANIE BRENDL
86 Making Tracks
If you like long-form stories, this highly interactive shark tracking website is ready to spin quite the tale. BY GEORGE SCHELLENGER
92 Saving
Striped Bass
Once nearly extinct before a profound rebound, are we again approaching a crisis with striped bass? BY NICK HONACHEFSKY
ON THE COVER:
“Manatee Journey” by Dr. Guy Harvey
PHOTOS BY BILL BOYCE (BOAT) AND SHANSCHE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (EDUCATION)
32 Rescue, Rehab
BY EMILY RODEN
18 Education Update
Read about our efforts to aid teachers so that they can reach the next generation. BY FRED GARTH
20 Teacher Committee Profiles
Get to know the standout teachers that help guide our Guy Harvey STEAM Education program.
22 Women in Ocean Science
Learn about this community, whose goal is to celebrate women, strive for equality and diversity, tackle sexual harassment in the workforce and create resources and opportunities for women in ocean science. BY STEPHANIE MACDONALD
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GUY HARVEY OCEAN FOUNDATION
Education Rundown
Marine Science Teacher of the Year
Fort Lauderdale’s Katherine O’Fallon has been trying to share and pass on her love of marine science for more than a decade. BY VALERIE GAYNOR
28 Conservation X Labs
Earth’s man-made problems will likely require manmade solutions. Here’s how technology can help conservation. BY LOUISA SAX GHOF.org | 5
GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE OFFICES PENSACOLA, FLORIDA Fred Garth, Editor-in-Chief
DAVIE, FLORIDA Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
GRAND CAYMAN Guy Harvey
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA Brian Rowland, Publishing Director
CREDITS TO Publisher
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Editor-in-Chief Fred D. Garth
ATTENTION
Publishing Director Brian Rowland Associate Publisher McKenzie Burleigh
TEACHERS!
Director of New Business Development, Western Division Dan Parker
Get more copies of Guy Harvey Magazine.
Senior Publication Designer Sarah Burger
Director of New Business Development, Eastern Division Dan Parisi Vice President of Production and Technology Daniel Vitter Creative Director Jennifer Ekrut
Graphic Designer Sierra Thomas Custom Publishing Manager Sara Goldfarb Managing Editor Jeff Price Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation President Patxi Pastor Executive Director Greg Jacoski Executive Producer George Schellenger Education Director Valerie Gaynor Webmaster Russ Kyff Director of Development Amanda Martin Social Media Director Alex Harvey Social Media Developers Matt Raine and Brent Shavnore Editorial Steering Committee Fred Gar th, Valerie Gaynor, Guy Harvey, Jessica Harvey, Greg Jacoski, Patxi Pastor, Steve Roden, Louisa Sax, George Schellenger Contributors Bill Boyce, Stefanie Brendl, Sid Dobrin, Beth Firchau, Valerie Gaynor, Nick Honachefsky, Stephanie Macdonald, Matthew Sanford, Louisa Sax, George C. Schellenger
Publishing Services Provided by:
WE’RE GREEN: Finding an environmentally friendly printer is important to
us. That’s why we choose LSC Communications in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky. LSC recycles more than 50 million pounds of paper products per year, which saves 10 million gallons of oil, 14 gallons of water and 35,000 trees. LSC also recycles more than 300,000 pounds of aluminum printing plates annually, and no hazardous wastes are ever sent to a landfill — instead they are recycled and reused. Additionally, they recycle 217 tons of plastic each year and have set aside 550 of the 700 acres they own to be used for conservation and recreation.
It’s easy... Visit GHOF.org to subscribe today. Interested in having a mag for the entire classroom? Call for special pricing...800.288.1227.
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GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE (ISSN 2162111X) is published four times per year (quarterly) by Rowland Publishing, Inc., 1932 Miccosukee Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Periodicals postage paid at Pensacola, Florida, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Guy Harvey Magazine, 10408 W State Rd 84 # 104, Davie, FL 33324. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without express written permission from Rowland Publishing, Inc. Occasionally, we may make all or part of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and/or services that may interest you. To subscribe to Guy Harvey Magazine, call our toll-free subscription number, 800-288-1227.
CONTRIBUTORS
Valerie Gaynor Raised in Chatham, Illinois, Valerie Gaynor started mostly unfamiliar with the ocean. Besides occasional family vacations to the coast, she had little knowledge of the waters. This helped grow her lifelong fascination with the sea and her dreams to teach others about all that it had to offer. Gaynor attended Southeast Missouri State University for her undergraduate degree in unified science (middle/K–12) and graduate degree in MNS ichthyology–biology of fishes and business. She continued her education with an educational leadership degree from the American College of Education. After her lengthy educational career inside a classroom, Gaynor decided to learn firsthand — on the water. Valerie currently works as the Director of Education for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, where her projects include coordination of STEAMposium, development of GHOF dive bags, Marine Science 101 curriculum development, and a partnership with
FDOE for the development of Guy Harvey STEAM Collections. She also works as the Environmental Studies Center Coordinator in Jensen Beach, Florida. This center is operated by the Martin County Public School System and is where students K–7 and high school marine biology and environmental science classes can participate in hands-on field investigations. Students have the opportunity to explore the St. Lucie Estuary, Indian River Lagoon, Hutchinson Island’s beaches, mangrove swamps, and freshwater ponds and wetlands, as well as interact with the center’s wide variety of fish and reptiles — including a loggerhead sea turtle and an alligator named Joey. Gaynor works tirelessly to not only give young people the chance to learn about marine life but also show them the beauty and awe of this world through her own eyes. As she says, “My hope is that, through my passion and experiences, children will come to understand our beautiful ocean planet a little better and become stewards
for our environment. Through my work with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, I am working to ignite the passion in teachers to increase our reach for all students. This is truly a labor of love and respect for our watery world.”
environmental protection and management. When she returned to Grand Cayman in 2015, she began her career in ocean conservation with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, working as a Development Coordinator. Through this job, her primary responsibility is to raise the funds necessary to support research and educational initiatives in the Cayman Islands. These funds are raised through corporate sponsorships, individual donations and philanthropic giving, along with GHOF-hosted events throughout the year. Through working with the GHOF, Louisa has had incredible opportunities to dive all over the globe. She has swam with whale sharks in Mexico, spotted dolphins in Costa Rica, and, of course, seen stingrays in the Caymans. For many, these are adventures of a lifetime; for Louisa, it’s just another day at the office. Her love of the ocean and strong passion for marine education inspired Louisa to write the children’s book Hawksbill Hero and the
Parrotfish Reef. Published in 2020, this book follows Hero, a Hawksbill turtle, on her mission to save her coral reef home from pollution. Louisa’s book helps to educate children about the environment and how important the marine ecosystem is in saving itself. Her commitment to educating children about this topic inspired her to donate a copy of the book for every copy she sold. These donations went to primary schools, libraries and nonprofits. She donated so many books that there was a copy in every primary school across the three Cayman Islands. On her contribution to this issue of GHM, Louisa says, “Guy Harvey Magazine has come a long way, and I feel honored to be part of its development. I think this issue is my favorite so far. Researching and writing about important topics such as conservation technology and the ocean’s effects on mental health has really inspired me — I love my job. Thanks, Guy Harvey Magazine, for allowing me to be creative and further explore the wonderful world of marine science!”
Louisa Sax
Louisa Sax was born and raised in the Cayman Islands, giving her an intrinsic passion for the tropical ocean and its inhabitants. This passion led her to Edinburgh, Scotland, over 4,500 miles away, to a bachelor’s degree in animal biology and a master’s degree in
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A Time to Reflect
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t’s no secret that creating art has always been one of my greatest passions. Of course, reeling in a huge marlin, diving with sharks or just cruising across the open ocean also keeps a fresh supply of adrenaline pumping. In addition to spending thousands of adventurous hours on the water and in front of the canvas, I’ve also written a lot of articles over the years for numerous magazines and books. Back in 2002, I wrote my first book, Portraits from the Deep, which coincided with our television series bearing the same name. Because we wanted to highlight the colorful art and photography, we published Portraits from the Deep in a hard-cover, coffee-table 8 | GuyHarvey.com
format. A few years later, in 2010, I was fortunate enough to be involved in two more major book projects. I wrote Panama Paradise, which is a tribute to one of my favorite places in the world to fish, Tropic Star Lodge. It’s also a gorgeous coffee table book with 256 pages of images and artwork in large format. That same year, I was honored to illustrate Fishes of the Open Ocean by my good friend and Australian marine biologist Julian Pepperell. When the pandemic shut down travel and we were all confined to our homes, I decided to seize the opportunity to write another book. Although this one would be different, something that my friends and family have been asking me to write for years. This time,
I wrote an autobiography of sorts of my greatest stories from Alaska to Panama, Australia, Costa Rica, Belize, the Galápagos, Cuba and all of the places I’ve traveled to fish and conduct marine research. It’s titled Guy Harvey’s Underwater World. For me, this was the silver lining of the pandemic. It allowed me long stretches of uninterrupted time to write. As it turned out, those long periods were frequently cut short by myriad Zoom calls, a number of virtual keynote addresses and multiple film projects. No complaints from me, though. Those video conferences turned out to be a great way to keep in touch. The first draft of my book was so long — more than 700 pages — that my publisher
GUY TALK
almost went into cardiac shock. They made me cut it in half, and I was able to painfully edit it down to 344 pages. I thought reeling in a 1,000-pound blue marlin was hard, but slicing out sections of my life was truly a challenge. The good news is that I was able to preserve some of my most memorable expeditions. To learn more about the book, all you have to do is turn to page 68 in this magazine. We’ve included an excerpt for your reading pleasure. We decided to feature the chapter on the Galápagos Islands because we have a companion article by author Sid Dobrin showcasing the horrendous illegal fishing fleets — mostly from China — that have decimated the waters of the Galápagos. It’s a
horrific conservation situation in a place that should be protected at the highest standards. There’s so much more in the pages of this issue that I don’t know where to begin. So, I’ll let you scour the table of contents and find the articles that interest you the most. As always, thanks for your support. Tight lines and fair winds.
GUY HARVEY, PhD
is an internationally acclaimed artist, fisherman, scientist and world traveler who devotes much of his time and money toward ocean conservation. GHOF.org | 9
NEWS, NOTES & GEAR BY EMILY RODEN
FishAngler App Partners with Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to Promote Marine Education The great thing about fishing, besides freshly grilled seafood, lifelong friendships and unabated fun, is that it connects us all. Worldwide estimates reveal that about 700 million people on the planet fish for recreation. That’s about 10 percent of our 7.67 billion friends and neighbors. This love of fishing brought together the skills of our famous resident marine artist and a husband and wife from the computer world of Silicon Valley. After three decades living in Silicon Valley and fishing on weekends with their kids, Tom and Jane Wye relocated to South Florida to retire. One day on a fishing trip, Jane asked an innocent question, “What is this fish?” Then she said, “We’re from Silicon Valley! Why isn’t there an app that identifies fish species?” And that’s how the FishAngler app was born. In early 2021, Dr. Guy Harvey teamed up with Tom and Jane to integrate high-technology into marine science and conservation education and research. “FishAngler is a data-driven, user-focused platform for fishing enthusiasts around the world. The app gives expertise to almost anyone," 10 | GuyHarvey.com
explains Tom, FishAngler’s CEO. “It helps with forecasting the best time to go fishing, weather, wind, wave, sun and moon forecasts.” Users can upload pictures of their catches, along with an incredibly rich array of data, such as species, lure choice, GPS location and more. The ripple effects of this type of data collection go far beyond sportfishing. “We’re thinking about the implications for fish and game departments and conservation efforts, and educational organizations,” said Jane. “With more than 33,000 species already identified in our database, we’re gathering information on new species of fish and how to identify them.” This type of research led the Wye’s to develop Fishial.AI. Just like facial recognition, “Fishial” recognition is an artificial intelligence tool used to suggest what fish species is in the image in question. The goal of Fishial.AI is to build the world’s largest, labeled, open-source fish image database. Fishial can be used to assist in global marine conservation efforts. This year, FishAngler and Fishial.AI joined
the world’s leading shark research groups as a presenting sponsor of the Guy Harvey Great Shark Race. The research project is run by GHOF and the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University and was created to aid in tracking the movements and habits of mako sharks, marlin and several other marine animals. During the Great Shark Race, fin-mounted satellite tags utilize the latest in tracking technology to allow researchers and the public to follow the sharks online in near real-time via the GHRI Tracking Website: GHRItracking. org/makosharks. FishAngler is eager to share near real-time tracking of their tagged mako shark to drive awareness of the race and the threat many of these fish face from bycatch and overfishing. After six months and hundreds of thousands of miles logged, the race will crown its winner on July 14, 2021, coinciding with International Shark Awareness Day. For more information, visit FishAngler.com/ guyharveymag.
Exploring the Ocean Through Virtual Reality Have you ever wondered what it might be like to scuba dive with sharks? While many of us might not get this opportunity firsthand, the up-and-coming technology of virtual reality can allow us to have this experience from the safety of our own homes. Virtual reality is a simulation experience made possible through filming with multiple virtual reality cameras that capture a full 360-degree view. For several years, GHOF Executive Producer George C. Schellenger has been using VR cameras in the field to deliver an upclose and personal experience. He has deployed cameras at the Nassau Grouper Spawning Aggregations (SPAG sites) in Little Cayman, in the Florida Everglades on an airboat, and on the shallow sandbars at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. To “dive”
into these adventures, all you have to do is put on a VR headset, such as the Oculus Go, and you are able to go on a 360-degree voyage with our GHOF team. One potential and exciting application for VR is for education. When students put on a VR headset, they have the opportunity to experience what it’s really like in the wild and find out how scientists and filmmakers are doing their work. This goes a long way to inspire an interest in pursuing a career in marine science and, most importantly, a deeper appreciation for the sea and its ecosystem. Through the Guy Harvey STEAM Education Program, students will have access to these videos and be able to participate in virtual field trips exploring oceans and marine life all around the world.
Everglades Foundation Stretched out over 1.5 million acres in South Florida are the Florida Everglades. When you think of this vast “River of Grass” (so coined by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in her 1947 book), many things might come to mind.You might first think about the gators, bugs, and many other creatures that give it charming swampy appeal.You also could think about the various TV shows set around the wetland, including American Horror Story, Bloodline and, of course, The Glades. But one thing you most likely have not considered about the Everglades is its amazing ability to sequester carbon. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide found in our atmosphere. The primary Everglades habitats — such as miles of sawgrass marsh, sweeping hardwood hammock and pine forests as well as the mangroves and seagrass beds in Florida Bay — remove carbon from the air through photosynthesis. However, without a healthy ’Glades, this sequestration is stymied. Thankfully, decades of constant work and lobbying by the Everglades Foundation and other organizations has made Everglades restoration a reality, ensuring that fresh water flows south all the way to Florida Bay. It’s imperative to have enough freshwater flow to prevent the Everglades from getting too dry, which would reduce its carbon sequestration magic. The Florida Everglades Foundation was founded in 1993 by two outdoor enthusiasts — the late George Barley and Paul Tudor Jones II.The organization was created to restore and protect the Florida Everglades, but as the years have passed, it has also become a world-renowned research and educational organization, dedicated to unearthing the facts and conducting practical analysis to help local, state and national leaders make well-informed decisions regarding this celebrated national park.Through its Everglades Literacy Program, the EF also works to educate students in Florida and around the world on the ecological and economic importance of the Everglades.
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Port St. Lucie Crosstown Bridge,
which features Guy Harvey tile murals, just won “Highway / Bridge Project of the Year” from Engineering News-Record
Guy Harvey’s Underwater World In May of this year, Guy Harvey will share his signature artwork, knock-out photographs and fascinating stories, in his new book Guy Harvey’s Underwater World. From Alaska to Australia, to the Galápagos and beyond, Guy takes us along on some of his most amazing international fishing experiences. This strikingly beautiful, large-format book showcases Guy Harvey’s around-the-world fishing and diving adventures, drawing from meticulous notes, action photographs and Guy’s signature artwork. Dr. Harvey weaves together fascinating stories, scientific discoveries, and insights into the behavior of dozens of gamefish species in order to give us an up-close picture of his time on and in the water. Chapters highlight expeditions to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Belize, Cuba, the Caymans, Bermuda, the Yucatan and Mexico, Canada, Alaska, Costa Rica, Australia and the Galápagos. Through this book, you will be able to live vicariously through international fishing experiences of a lifetime and perhaps get inspired to plan your own marine adventure. Guy has lived the life that anglers dream of, and this book is documentation of that dream. Check out GuyHarvey.com to order Dr. Harvey’s new book.
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Port St. Lucie, a charming coastal town located on the southeastern coast of Florida, debuted their Crosstown Bridge in August 2019. This bridge is like nothing you have ever seen before, both on behalf of its architectural excellence, grandeur and its inclusion of Dr. Guy Harvey’s artwork. This project was spearheaded by administrator George Denti and, while construction only started in 2017, has been more than 40 years in the making. The bridge extends for 2 miles and includes six lanes divided to include accommodations for automobile, bicycle, pedestrian and public transit traffic. This was the largest Local Agency Funded (LAP) project ever completed in Florida, with a budget of $91.5 million. In August 2020, the bridge received the Florida Transportation Builders Association Award for “Best in Construction for a LAP Project” and the Engineering News-Record Southeast’s “Best Highway Bridge Project.” Located on the two towers at each end of the bridge are mosaics created by Guy Harvey. These tiles were created in partnership with Porcelains Unlimited and feature Dr. Harvey’s iconic depictions of marine life. On the top of these towers are sculptures of seagrass and fish made of metal. Guy Harvey is honored to be a part of this historic project for the city of Port St. Lucie, not only for its importance in the daily lives of Floridians but also because of the work that the city of Port St. Lucie has done to
offset environmental damage caused by the building of the bridge. For many years, the city and local environmental groups worked to build this fantastic architectural structure while protecting the fragile ecosystem of their town. To offset the damage, the city of Port St. Lucie donated 110 acres of land to the state to expand the Savannas Preserve State Park, helped St. Lucie County complete a Platt’s Creek restoration project, built a multi-use trail at the Savannas Recreation Area off East Midway Road, improved the Evans Creek canoe launch so that it now supports use by the disabled, and paid to expand the popular and frequently used education center at the Savannas Preserve State Park.
Changing the Current for Environmental Education Manatees are often referred to as the beloved gentle giants of the sea, and they continue to capture the hearts of children and adults alike. These warm-blooded mammals are classified as a threatened species, facing dangers such as boat strikes, net entanglements and cold stress. Staying warm is why manatees gather near Florida’s natural springs, which have average year-round temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees. For several decades, they’ve also been gathering in the warmwater outflows of Florida’s power plants. To further educate the public on how to protect and preserve these amazing animals, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) constructed Manatee Lagoon, an environmental education center located next to their Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. The facility is designed to help the public better understand these gentle giants and their
surrounding ecosystem. The plant’s warm-water outflow is a safe haven for manatees to survive the cooling waters during winter months, and the center’s observation deck allows visitors the opportunity to see them up close. Efforts like this are an important part of what makes FPL so much more than just an energy company. Through its wide variety of collaborative partnerships with leading environmental organizations, FPL fosters a culture of environmental excellence, supporting the protection of wildlife and preservation of our ecosystems. With this in mind, FPL is pleased to announce it has entered into a special corporate partnership to support the new and exciting educational initiatives now being launched by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation for Florida teachers, students and families. This unique educational platform has been designed to help
Solar Trees
our communities learn about Florida’s wildlife and how we can all help preserve it for future generations. FPL’s investments in cutting-edge technology, clean energy and communities mirrors the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation’s philosophy to help make a difference and move Florida toward a more sustainable future. For more information on FPL’s environmental commitment, please visit FPL.com/ environment. To learn about Manatee Lagoon’s virtual learning resources, please visit VisitManateeLagoon.com/virtual-learning. GHOF.org | 13
Guy Harvey’s Education Initiative K-12 Courses - In Classroom and Virtual Learning
GHOF Partnership Organizations • • • • • •
Discovery Education Florida Department of Education Ocean First Education Florida Virtual Schools Nova Southeastern University Mission Resolve Foundation
FREE Resources • Marine Science 101 (for high school) available now • Jessica Harvey’s Expedition Notebook available now • Shark School with Jessica Harvey available now • Environmental Science available Spring 2021 • Guy Harvey’s K-12 Collections available Spring 2021
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For more information visit GuyHarvey.com/GHOF
A 100% Green Electric Catamaran Leave it to the French — land of Jacques Cousteau, who invented the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) — to create a flying boat. Well, sort of. The socalled “Overboat” is an electric-powered catamaran that almost magically rises above the waves on four hydrofoils, thus creating a carbon-free ride that is so smooth, you won’t even spill your drink. This ecological, noiseless and light (only 50 pounds) foil boat is the result of three years of research by Vincent Dufour, oceanographer, entrepreneur and navigator. The electronically controlled foils automatically stabilize the boat, taking away the obstacle of human error. In order to run in shallow water or beach, Dufour designed the foils to be retractable. Powered by a 4.5 kW electric engine, the little cat boat can reach a top speed of 15 knots. At a cruising speed (12 knots), the batteries will last up to two hours. The Overboat will debut along the French Riviera during the summer of 2021 and cost about $30,000. For more information, visit NeOcean.com.
Partnering to enhance the environment We are committed to being a leader in environmental protection and stewardship. Collaborating with our partners on conservation opportunities unique to Florida and its diverse ecosystems.
#FPLCares
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SHOPPI NG GU I DE
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Visit GuyHarvey.com for the full range of Guy Har vey apparel, artwork, gifts and more.
1. Cornhole Board Get your party started with these Guy Harvey premium cornhole boards. These boards are perfect for tailgates, parties or fun at the beach. Each are quality handmade right here in the USA using cabinet-grade plywood, finishgrade two-by-fours and a lot of labor to make a board that your friends will envy. $199.99
2. Metal Straws Most plastic straws are not recycled and end up in landfills or the ocean. It takes about 200 years for plastic straws to biodegrade. Just one sustainable Guy Harvey S.T.E.E.L. Straw can save thousands of plastic straws from polluting our environment. Receive 1 Silver Guy Harvey 8.5À Smoothie Straw, 1 Silver Guy Harvey 10.5À Bent Straw, 1 Straw Cleaner and 1 Guy Harvey Printed Bag in this “Old Man” set. $18
3. Guy Harvey Bamboo Men’s Dress Socks
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Made using natural bamboo fibers to reduce odor, increase comfort and regulate temperature. divvyupsocks.com/ ghbamboomarlinstripes $16/pair
4. Guy Harvey Mahi Dog Bed
Your dog will love this beautiful pillow-top bed, and it will certainly brighten up any room. Printed with 100% biodegradable water-based inks and made from eco-friendly rPet material: • Fabric made from eco-friendly rPet — at least 12 bottles in each bed • Fiberfill made from eco-friendly rPet fiber with a minimum of 75 bottles per bed Made in America. Small/Med – 34” x 26”, $119 Large/XL – 42” x 34”, $139
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Tote Bag Premium quality heavyweight cotton canvas. Due to the nature of the material used, each canvas handbag is oneof-a-kind. This shoulder tote measures 21-by-6.5-by-15inches with a zipper top and hanging wood charm. $41.25
YOU R PU RCHASE H ELPS SAVE OU R SEAS
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Men’s Stars and Sail Short Sleeve White T-shirt Anyone can be a Guy Harvey fan in this short sleeve T-shirt that features the beautiful original work of the majestic sailfish by Guy Harvey against the American flag on the back of this shirt. This super-comfortable and breathable shirt is made of 100% cotton and is the perfect tee to wear all day and into the evening whether you’re fishing, hiking, biking or enjoying a casual dinner on the deck. $22
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5. Guy Harvey Redfish Dog Leash
made by infusing Dr. Harvey’s one-ofa-kind artwork into scratch-resistant, durable UV-coated aluminum. This beautiful artwork showcases some of Guy’s greatest pieces — perfect for the home, office or gift for someone you care about! Available unframed or with a digital frame. $500–$700
6. Guy Harvey Yellowfin Tuna Dog Collar
8. Footwear – Sandals
One size Nylon dog leash measures 1” wide and 6’ in length. Perfect for an active lifestyle and guaranteed to turn heads! $20
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large Nylon dog collar is perfect for any dog out fishing, boating or just wandering the outdoors. Plastic clip-style buckle for a secure fit with a metal buckle loop. $17
7. Aluminum Art – “Silver Kings”
The Silver Kings aluminum features a school of tarpon gliding through the shallows. These unique pieces are
Whether you are on the boat, the beach or going for a stroll in town, Guy Harvey sandals are the perfect fit for you. The ladies Mento Streamtail sandal comes with a high-density, premium thickness comfort foam footbed with fullcolor Guy Harvey artwork on the wavy outsole; while the men’s Tidal Redfish sandal features an ultra-soft, premium comfort foam footbed with perforated synthetic leather uppers, perfect for saltwater spray. $40–$45
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EDUCATION UPDATE BY GHM STAFF
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n our previous issue, we outlined strategic education partnerships with Discovery Education, Ocean First Education, the Florida Department of Education, Florida Virtual School and various and sundry groups dedicated to the vital efforts of educating our children. Since that time, the number of our partners has blossomed, confirming our theory that providing marine science education for K–12, college students and teachers is a major need. The concept of utilizing education as a way to preserve, protect and revive marine ecosystems has resonated with just about everyone — private citizens, public companies, as well as government and nongovernment organizations. It’s easy for each of us to identify the problems facing our troubled waters — overfishing, invasive species, coral reef diseases, plastics in our waterways, red tides, ocean acidification, loss of wetlands, agriculture runoff ... and sadly the list goes on. What is much more difficult is implementing solutions to solve these issues on a local and global scale. Therein lies the incredible magic of education. The overall goal is to help students and teachers make a difference in the world by understanding that a healthy environment translates into a better life, a stronger economy and a robust job market.
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UPDATE
We invite you to join us and the following groups on this fabulous journey.
MarineLab
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARINELAB (MAIN PHOTO AND MICROSCOPE), WAHOO BAY AND SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE
Wahoo Bay
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Advanced Roofing BBX Capital Bergeron Everglades Foundation Bergeron Land Development Brightmark Junior Achievement of South Florida Broward County Sheriff ’s Office Broward Workshop City Furniture Congressman Brian Mast Discovery Education Everglades Foundation Florida Department of Education Florida Lottery Florida Power & Light Florida Prepaid College Foundation Florida Virtual School FishAngler Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Hudson Capital Group Lifestyle Media Group MarineLab NOAA National Parks Conservation Association Nova Southeastern University Ocean First Education Publix Supermarkets Representative James “Jim” Mooney Resolve Marine Schmidt Ocean Institute SeaWorld Senator Lauren Book Shipwreck Park Pompano Beach South Florida Ford Dealerships St. Joe Community Foundation Teachers everywhere The Restaurant People Two Rivers Ranch Wahoo Bay West Marine Winterfest/DTG Group Wye Foundation GHOF.org | 19
EDUCATION
MEET THE TEACHER COMMITTEE
For the past year, the GHOF teacher committee has been working diligently, often late into the night, on the Guy Harvey Shark Collection, an integrated lesson plan for K-12 students and teachers. Our appreciation of their work, and that of all teachers during the pandemic, cannot be overstated. The Shark Collection will debut during the Spring of 2021. Thanks to those in this article for their dedication to the project.
ASHLEY M. HARVEY Ashley M. Harvey has taught in the Florida Public School system for 15 years, working in Leon County and her hometown of Miami. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Florida A&M University, a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from Florida State University, and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in math K–14 from Concordia University. She has taught grades 2–5, held various school-based teacher/leader positions and has been a part of many communitybased organizations.
then spent six years in Botswana with the Peace Corps, first as a volunteer teaching agriculture to high school students, then the last three years preparing new volunteers for their placement in country. In 1993, she earned her master’s degree at Florida State University and taught photography at FSU. For the next 10 years, she worked in education reform with SERVE. At age 42, she switched back into the classroom when she joined the art department at Florida State University School, a K–12 public charter school associated with Florida State University.
COURTNEY STARLING
BARBARA DAVIS Barbara Davis earned her bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1984 with an emphasis in ceramic sculpture. She 20 | GuyHarvey.com
Courtney Starling is the secondary mathematics specialist within the Bureau of Standards and Instructional Support at the Florida Department of Education. Prior to joining the department, Courtney had experience as a high school mathematics teacher. She attended Florida State University and earned her Bachelor of Science in
geography and Master of Science in curriculum and instruction, mathematics. Courtney has a passion to help students believe that they are mathematicians and recognize how mathematics is embedded around them every day.
ERIN BRACK A Florida native and active diver, Erin Brack has worked for Bay District Schools in Florida teaching a variety of science classes the past 20 years. She currently serves as the elementary science instructional specialist. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in sociology and in E.E.O. biology, and she holds a master’s in education from Florida State University. Erin also received a master’s degree from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly Global Field Program, where she studied the impact of palm oil plantations on orangutans in Borneo, the health of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and island biogeography in Baja, Mexico.
JENNIFER INFINGER Jennifer Infinger is the STEAM Education Specialist for the Florida Department of Education, and she boasts over 13 years of arts education and arts integration experience. She previously served as the School and Family Programs Manager at the University of Florida’s Harn Museum of Art, the Fine Arts Education Specialist at the Florida Department of Education, and the Education Coordinator at LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in the history and criticism of art and her master’s in art education — both from Florida State University.
JENNIFER SCHMITT The TSA for K–12 science in Santa Rosa County, Jennifer Schmitt has taught many science subjects, including
marine biology, biology, anatomy and physiology, physics, life science, preengineering, and integrated science. She loves all things hands-on, and in her spare time, Jennifer can be found on the water or hiking in the mountains.
DANIELLE KNAPP With 18 years experience in education, Danielle Knapp has taught in California, Mississippi, Virginia and now Florida. An avid staff developer the past five years, she also had the opportunity to teach conversational English in Japan for two years. A co-curriculum writer for the AVID Science Summer Bridges program, Danielle collaborated for the past three years on a standards-based training called STEAMposium for the state of Florida. Currently working for Lee County school district as the secondary science specialist, she says she loves “all things that involve the water — being near the water, in the water, and studying the living things in the water.”
KATHY NOBLES Kathy Nobles is the Bureau Chief of Standards and Instructional Support for
TEACHER COMMITTEE
the Florida Department of Education. Prior to joining the department, Kathy had experience as an assistant superintendent, state data captain/regional data coach, K–8 principal, consultant at the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, media specialist, elementary classroom teacher and para-professional. She earned a bachelor’s in elementary education and a master’s in library and information studies from Florida State University. Kathy obtained her educational leadership credentials through Florida A&M, and she earned Ed.S. and Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of West Florida.
KRISTIN TYLER Kristin Tyler is currently a middle school art educator for Lake County public schools. A self-proclaimed “jack of all grades,” she has a passion for sharing knowledge and helping students discover their why over the course of the past 10 years. Tyler began her career in education as a Reading Interventionist for the Florida Center for Reading Research before moving into the private school setting in North Florida. Tyler holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both studio art and art education from Florida State University. Outside the classroom, she works with small businesses
and restaurants as a brand strategist and photographer through her business Anchor & Odyssey.
LARK KEELER Lark Keeler is a visual art instructor at NSU Art Museum and Saint Andrew’s Lower School. Over the past 20 years, she has taught visual arts in schools and museums, working with students of all ages and abilities throughout the communities of Florida. Ms. Keeler was awarded the Florida Art Education Association’s Museum Educator of the Year in 2010; since then, she has participated in the National Guild for Community Arts Education Leadership Institute and the NAEA School for Art Leaders. She now serves as a board member for the Florida Alliance for Arts Education.
LESLEY KIRKLEY Lesley Kirkley holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and currently serves students and teachers in Pasco County, Florida, in the role of senior instructional specialist for K–8 science. Lesley was
a classroom teacher in the state of Florida for 14 years prior to shifting her focus to developing science curriculum and supporting science teachers. Lesley served on the development and facilitation team for the state’s standards-based professional development STEMposium Summer Conference. She shares her passion for science education with other educators through presentations at NABT and the NSTA STEM Forum. Lesley is passionate about the importance of science education to promote scientific literacy for global citizenship.
NANCY NARVAEZGARCIA Nancy Narvaez-Garcia is the K–12 science program specialist for the Florida Department of Education. She was born in Miami and moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University. After graduating, Nancy remained in Tallahassee and taught middle school science in Leon County. She has worked in many roles at the district, school and community level — such as pacing guide and district assessment developer, representative at the Title I Advisory Council and school advisory council, and maintained an active role in community conversations that surrounded her
students. Aside from learning and teaching, Nancy enjoys pottery and hiking.
SHERWIN SALOMON Born in Brooklyn, New York, but raised in Broward County, Florida, Sherwin Salomon has always enjoyed mathematics and, later, science. As a child of Haitian immigrants, his mother would always say, “No matter what choices you make, make sure you do good in school and get a good education.” Understanding the value of education, Sherwin decided to officially go into education as his professional career. After attending the University of Central Florida and Stetson University, Sherwin spent a professional teaching career in Orange County before transitioning to Florida Virtual School as a math instructor and then curriculum specialist.
TAMMY DANIELSON The current K–12 mathematics specialist for Escambia County, Florida, Tammy Danielson previously served as a STEM Specialist with the Florida Department of Education, the district
instructional coach for Escambia County, and as a mathematics educator. A graduate of the University of West Florida, Tammy has served on many state committees, such as Test Item Review, Achievement Level Descriptors development, Standard Setting, and most recently on the committee for the B.E.S.T. Standards with the Florida Department of Education.
VALERIE GAYNOR A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Valerie Gaynor describes herself as a mix of unyielding passion for learning, a little craziness in the classroom, and a pinch of the ocean blue. Over the course of 20 years in education, Valerie has changed her classroom from the four walls of a school to an open world of nature that entices students to learn more, do more and question more. One of her current projects is coordinating with the Florida Department of Education on the development of Guy Harvey STEAM Collections. “Through my work with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation,” Valerie says, “we are working to ignite the passion in teachers to increase our reach for all students. This is truly a labor of love and respect for our watery world.” GHOF.org | 21
WOMEN IN OCEAN SCIENCE BY STEPHANIE MACDONALD
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PHOTO BY SHANSCHE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
EDUCATION
Women in Ocean Science is a global network and community to inspire, connect and empower women in marine science. Marine biologists, conservationists, chemists, oceanographers and casual ocean advocates all have a space to share their stories, research and experiences, have their questions answered, and interact with like-minded marine scientists. The organization was founded by Madeline St. Clair, an ocean advocate, tropical marine biologist (MSc) and PADI divemaster. Our mission is to celebrate women, strive for equality and diversity, tackle sexual harassment in the workforce and create resources and opportunities for women in ocean science.
WOMEN IN SCIENCE
Stephanie Macdonald
Excerpt from Diversity in Ocean Science: A Collection of Personal Experiences by Black Women in Marine Science, A Foreword by Stephanie Macdonald
“As a tropical marine ecologist, I have spent countless hours surveying the reef and measuring diversity. Biodiversity measures help us to understand the health of an ecosystem. A diverse landscape provides vast environmental services and is indicative of an ecosystem that can recover from environmental challenges. Despite the focus of biodiversity in our work, we lack equity, diversity and inclusion in the workforce.”
Stephanie Macdonald is a marine biologist and conservationist who both focuses on the science of biodiversity while also advocating for increased diversity in marine science. Excerpt from Marine Molecular Biology: An Interview With Yasmin Meeda
“Marine molecular biology is a broad field within the scope of marine biology, and while some scientists use molecular tools to answer ecological problems, others can use them to aid human technological advances. The main idea behind this field is that we, as scientists, use similar tools to other molecular biologists, but rather than studying mice, plants or humans, we study marine organisms. An overview of the different types of marine molecular biology research areas includes virology, genetics, microbiology and immunology.” A marine molecular biologist, Yasmin Meeda expects that her field will both protect the oceans while also benefiting mankind, such as through pharmaceuticals or biofuels.
Yasmin Meeda
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EDUCATION
Maisy Fuller
Excerpt from Marine Education: An Interview with Maisy Fuller
“What I love most about being a marine educator is watching how my students’ perspective of the environment changes throughout an education program. There is simply nothing more inspiring than watching students transition from not knowing or caring about the ocean to being passionate, educated and environmental stewards. I want to use my voice for this to teach people of all ages about the wonders of the underwater world and ignite their love for the environment. I hope every one of my students leaves my classes gaining new knowledge and feeling inspired to make a positive environmental impact.” Maisy Fuller, a marine educator and conservationist, hopes to inspire the next generation to care for the environment.
Niki Cesta
Excerpt from Niki Cesta: How A Woman Inspired an Island with The Wasteland Plan
“One person or one small community can create a wave that is carried by global winds. From the ground up, let’s each work individually to live within the system for environmental change. Let’s each tackle this crisis creatively and de-vilify plastics. Be conscious of our personal consumption each day and begin to view the plastics that are already here to stay as a resource rather than a product in a wasteland. I have facilitated wasteland plan beach cleanups along 31 different coastlines within five other countries. Starting in Canada and moving in order through Little Cayman Island, Panama, Costa Rica and Italy.” Niki Cesta routinely spends her weekends collecting plastic waste, inspiring the locals of Little Cayman to do more about the local plastic crisis.
Over the next year, our blog will showcase women in ocean science with diverse articles exploring the seven continents and five oceans, starting with North America and concluding with the Arctic. The blogs will focus on current research and discoveries in the field of ocean science, from marine microbiology to marine policy. 24 | GuyHarvey.com
HOW TO GET INVOLVED AND JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Website: WomenInOceanScience.com Instagram: @WomenInOceanScience Facebook Page: Women in Ocean Science Facebook Group: Women in Ocean Science Twitter: @WomeninOceanSci We are always looking for women to feature on our social media channels. Please send 1–5 photos of yourself partaking in ocean science and a short 100-word bio with your name and Instagram handle to media@womeninoceanscience.com.
WOMEN IN SCIENCE
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EDUCATION
MARINE SCIENCE TEACHER OF THE YEAR BY VALERIE GAYNOR
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atherine O’Fallon, the Marine Science Magnet Coordinator at New River Middle School (NRMS) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been sharing her passion for marine science and education since she began her teaching career in 2006. As a marine biologist working in the field, she discovered that her passion was not in research but in sharing her knowledge with future generations. She learned early on in her career that her greatest joy came from watching children discover their passion for marine science and sharing it with others. As a classroom teacher, her students were inspired by her passion and knowledge. When Katie became the Magnet Coordinator almost nine years ago, she was able to have a larger impact in the school and the community. The partnerships she has cultivated — such as with Dr. Guy Harvey, who designed the school’s logo — have strengthened relationships, school exposure and, more importantly, opportunities for their students in the marine field and industry in South Florida. Katie’s goal is to inspire her students to get involved in their own backyard, learn about the marine environment and then get even more involved. By exposing NRMS students to the marine and environmental issues in their classroom, it fosters stewardship and encourages students to be proactive in preserving and protecting our local habitats. Her school encourages involvement in the community with their annual International Coastal Cleanup and BBQ, along with Marine
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MARINE SCIENCE
Industries Waterway Cleanup. As magnet coordinator, Katie also organized a variety of field experiences to help students experience the marine environment through snorkeling trips in Fort Lauderdale and the Keys, kayaking through the mangroves, canoeing at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, trips to Miami Seaquarium, state park educational activities, and visits to Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and Resolve Marine Academy. Every year, Katie also encourages her students to participate in the Plywood Regatta, where teams build and race boats with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. Because of Katie, the NRMS has received the Magnet School of Distinction for five years, along with becoming a Nationally Certified Magnet School. Katie has also been instrumental in NRMS being recognized as the Broward County P3 (Preserving our Planet for Posterity) Eco-Challenge over the past six years. She works tirelessly writing
grants and finding resources so that more of her students can have the opportunities to get out into the marine environment and be involved in the ever-growing world of science engineering. That includes the very popular Marine ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) course, along with new opportunities that include robotics, entrepreneurship and engineering and design. Katie wants her students to be exposed to all facets of the marine field, from the environmental and biological to the maritime and engineering side of the yachting industry. She prepares her students for their future, pushing them to pursue their passion and inspirations. No matter where their future takes them, NRMS students have a deep passion and appreciation for their backyard of South Florida and continue to help preserve and protect it because of what they learned from Katie and New River Middle School Marine Science Magnet.
Katie O’Fallon’s students from New River Middle School build and race boats in the Plywood Regatta in South Florida.
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EDUCATION
TRANSFORMING CONSERVATION WITH CONSERVATION X LABS Grand Challenge to Award $650k in 2021 BY LOUISA SAX
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echnology has allowed us to break barriers, push boundaries, manipulate the landscape, and access previously impossible-to-reach natural resources. Advances in fishing gear, for example, have enabled us to harvest deeper, further and smarter in order to satisfy an ever-increasing global demand for seafood — and to give recreational anglers a better chance at catching the big one. The miracle of technology has been applied to almost every aspect of life, providing huge benefits to education, research, travel, convenience, choice, luxury and capitalism. But we are now facing a turmoil of consequence. Earth is warming; animals are violently losing their homes to deforestation, which in turn is flooding the atmosphere with once-sequestered carbon dioxide; the disruption of natural water flows are starving vital ecosystems of fresh water; and the sea could contain more plastic than fish in just a few short decades. Humans created these problems. But can we solve them as well? 28 | GuyHarvey.com
Conservation X Labs is a technology and innovation company that creates solutions to stop the extinction crisis.
There is no doubt that technology has exacerbated environmental issues, but innovation companies such as Conservation X Labs believe that we can harness the exponential power of technology to reverse those trends. Technology is the next generation of conservation. Conservation X Labs is a technology company that spurs solutions to the extinction crisis and believes that “open innovation, collaboration across disciplines, and community engagement are the keys to generating worldchanging ideas, and that many minds working together can refine them to achieve big things.” To accomplish their mission to end humaninduced extinction, Conservation X Labs
empowers a global community of innovators to use their unique talents to spark, develop and collaborate on solutions that address the drivers of extinction. By “harnessing planetary genius,” they aim to build replacements, engineer resilience and improve enforcement, and with the theory that “innovation happens at the intersection of disciplines,” they call on thinkers from all industries to contribute their skills to envision and create these complex solutions to conservation. One potentially transformational invention is the Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool, or NABIT, which is a handheld genetic device for the frontlines of conservation that allows anyone, anywhere, at any time to confirm species’
TECHNOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Top: CONX co-founders Dr. Paul Bunje and Dr. Alex Dehgan launch their Grand Challenges for Conservation. Bottom: Dr. Hal Homes, lead conservation product engineer, and David Baisch, molecular innovations director, display an early prototype of the NABIT.
identity through modern DNA barcoding techniques. The potential applications for this technology will be momentous in addressing the illegal wildlife trade, fish traceability (is that really grouper on your plate in your favorite restaurant?), and detecting pests and pathogens of wildlife and humans. An interdisciplinary community of conservation innovators is brought together on The Digital Maker Space, an open online community platform for engineers, entrepreneurs and conservationists to connect and launch bold new ideas to end the extinction crisis. Ideas that have been sparked on the platform include a low-cost, deep ocean camera trap, an app to find and support local conservation efforts, and a lineless lobster trap to prevent whale entanglement. Conservation X Labs also leads innovation competitions, including their Grand Challenges for Conservation, awarding cash prizes for the best solutions to a specific conservation issue. The competition stimulates markets by building awareness around that issue and structuring a community of problem solvers and entrepreneurs around finding potential solutions. Previous Grand Challenges have sought solutions to tackle issues in ocean conservation, invasive species, climate change and freshwater ecosystems. Finalist
innovators in each challenge have been awarded millions of dollars in prizes and further opportunities for partnership to advance their innovations. Conservation X Labs launched their latest Grand Challenge for Conservation, Microfiber Innovation Challenge, in January 2021. The challenge is focused on “the big problem too small to see” — plastic microfiber pollution — which comes from many of the textiles we use in our everyday lives. The challenge is looking for solutions to replace textiles that are sources of plastic microfibers, and/or develop new textile manufacturing processes to decrease microfiber shedding. Anyone, anywhere with an innovation idea can apply for $650,000 in prizes by the submission deadline of June 25, 2021. The Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) uses satellite tag technology to track and analyze the migratory behavior of large pelagic species, including sharks and billfish. This technology has contributed information on key habitats and migratory corridors, growth and mortality rates, and interactions with commercial fishers providing data that has influenced changes to wildlife conservation policy on an international level. In 2018 for example, GHRI was able to present, through fisheries independent data, that 30% of tagged shortfin mako sharks were harvested in the Northwest Atlantic. This led to emergency NOAA protections for the species, which were ultimately awarded a CITES Appendix ii listing. However, rapid advances in conservation technology are still necessary so that conservation can operate at the speed and capacity necessary to keep up with — and overcome — environmental issues. By leveraging exponential technology and human ingenuity, we have the potential to provide solutions that have real life applications that can transform the future. Technology is the future, and a global community of innovators is necessary. You too can join the community of innovators creating new technologies to protect the planet. Visit ConservationXLabs.com to learn more. GHOF.org | 29
CUSTOM CONTENT
INSHORE, NEAR SHORE, OFFSHORE From start to finfish, Coastal Mississippi anglers have lots of options
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By Steve Bornhoft
ith the first warm weather of spring, the sea monsters arrive along the Mississippi coastline. As a game fish, they are not a marquee species, but they run large and, said Capt. Sonny Schindler of Shore Thing Charters in Bay St. Louis, “I’ve got people who fish with me, and that’s all they want to go after. You can tell them the speckled trout are stacked up in the marsh, and they’re not interested.” What Schindler calls sea monsters are commonly referred to as black drum, a close cousin to the far more popular redfish. “If you’ve never caught a big fish of 30 or 40 pounds and you don’t want to run way offshore to get one, black drum may be just the ticket,” Schindler said. “We catch them within a mile of the shoreline.” Schindler and the guides who pilot the seven boats in the Shore Thing fleet are adaptable. And, Mississippi’s saltwater fishing playground, including marshes, bays, reefs and barrier islands, is diverse enough to present anglers with lots of options. “We do whatever gets us to the point where everyone is smiling,” Schindler said. “It may be
#VisitMSResponsibly 30 | GuyHarvey.com
that Little Johnny has his heart set on catching his first shark, so Daddy hires us for four hours and we go out and get him a shark.” At the opposite end of the continuum, a veteran angler may be willing to devote a trip to trying to catch his first tarpon on a fly. One Shore Thing guide, fishing from a Tideline catamaran, likes to take clients offshore for red snapper. It is true, then, that a person can generalize about Shore Thing trips and fishing in Coastal Mississippi only to a limited extent. “We offer phenomenal and unique fisheries, and what further distinguishes us is everything else we have to offer,” said Milton Segarra, CEO at Coastal Mississippi, the tourism entity representing Mississippi’s three coastal counties. “There is nothing more rewarding than having a great day on the water and then joining with family or friends at a restaurant, bar, casino or other attraction.” Segarra suggests that visitors planning a multi-faceted, land-and-sea trip consult coastalmississippi.com for information on all that the region has to offer. More than 75 percent of people who visit Coastal Mississippi come back for more. “Every time they visit, they encounter more new things to do,” Segarra said, “so they don’t feel the need to try other destinations.” Most of the fishing takes place inshore or near shore, from backcountry sloughs to grass flats and artificial reefs made up of Hurricane Katrina debris.
Speckled trout and redfish are favorite targets, but a day’s catch might also include flounder, tripletail, sheepshead, jack crevalle and mackerel. An angler mopping up on specks may suddenly find himself dealing with a fish of another color. “The redfishing last year was insane everywhere we went,” Schindler reported. “Not just slot fish, but big bulls, especially at Cat Island. I’d round a point and there they would be, rolling at the surface for acres and acres.” Schindler had a client on board who was steadily catching a mixture of speckled trout and white trout in three feet of water when a bull redfish happened by and sucked up his soft plastic lure. Ten minutes later, a 46-incher hit the deck, the longest red that an angler fishing with Schindler has ever caught. Family vacations and corporate trips account for most of Shore Thing’s business. Novices outnumber experienced outdoors enthusiasts. “We have live bait on all of our trips,”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF TATE NATIONS (BILOXI BEACH)
Biloxi Beach
Schindler said. “Call it insurance. But our goal is to find the bite and then switch anglers (even rookies) over to artificials. But, if someone is content to soak a shrimp and watch a cork go under, that’s fine by us.” Schindler, as it happens, usually throws Matrix lures, made in Slidell, Louisiana, about 20 minutes from his dock. “But I tell people that it’s not what you throw so much as where you throw it,” he said. “If the fish aren’t there, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a hundred-dollar lure.” Shore Thing conducts multi-day trips out of a house on Cat Island, seven miles offshore. “It’s not a cabin; it’s not a camp. It’s like you plucked a house out of a very nice gated community and dropped it on the island,” Schindler said. The three-story hostelry, owned by two physicians and leased by Shore Thing, sleeps up to 14 people. What Shore Thing bills as its “Cat Island Experience” goes for a package price that includes everything but alcohol. Shore Thing guides and a caretaker who lives year-round
“There is Southern hospitality — and then there is Coastal Mississippi hospitality.” Milton Segarra, CEO, Coastal Mississippi
at the house take turns handling the cooking. Visitors may take a break from fishing to watch an SEC football game on DIRECTV. Groups visiting the house must number at least six people and stay at least two nights. Cat Island season runs from late March to early November. Throughout those months, the island hosts stunning numbers of shorebirds and seabirds including frigate birds, spoonbills, oyster catchers, herons, egrets, eagles and ospreys. “You don’t have any neighbors out there,” Schindler said. “You can howl at the moon. Heck, you can howl at the sun.” Steve Bornhoft is the executive editor at Rowland Publishing Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida.
Sonny Schindler
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After receiving care at SeaWorld Orlando, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is released back into the ocean with help from a member of SeaWorld’s Rescue Team.
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SEAWORLD
Rescue, Rehab and Return A Mission to Save the Wild Things BY LORI CHERRY
BEHIND THE SCENES of the SeaWorld Orlando theme park is a bustling, five-acre
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO
Rescue Center used for rehabilitating all sorts of wildlife that have been ill, injured or orphaned — including manatees, sea turtles, birds and other marine animals. Members of SeaWorld’s Rescue Team are on call 24/7/365 and partner with multiple government agencies to rescue and help animals in need of care. A part of SeaWorld that guests might not see often, the Rescue Center remains one of the most active places in the park. But what happens at the Rescue Center is only a portion of the story. What journey do the animals take before they arrive at this critical care facility in central Florida, and where do they go next?
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SEA TURTLE RESCUE Each December, as the weather turns colder on the New England coast, endangered Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles find themselves trapped in the colder water, unable to migrate south in time to avoid the changing temperatures. Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that depend on the temperature of their surroundings to maintain their body temperature. Normally, they can do this by moving to warmer areas of water, however when temperatures decline rapidly, they can suffer from a form of hypothermia called cold-stunning. Since these turtles are endangered, every rescue is important to the survival of the species. SeaWorld’s partners in New England do their part to rescue the reptiles, who are then flown to Florida and rehabbed at facilities around the state. These “sea turtle flights” have been bringing sick turtles to SeaWorld for several years. Upon arrival in Orlando, SeaWorld’s Rescue Team and veterinarians conduct full examinations to determine the best individualized treatment for 34 | GuyHarvey.com
each sea turtle. Many of the animals are suffering from pneumonia; some are also treated for other conditions like corneal ulcers and malnutrition. After several months of individualized care consisting of antibiotics, fluids and special diets, the turtles are cleared for return to the ocean. For every member of the SeaWorld Rescue Team, the most special moments are the returns. If you have never participated in, or witnessed, a wildlife return, add it to your bucket list. The moment the healthy turtles are removed from their transport vehicles on Florida’s east coast, they seem to sense the ocean and smell the salty air. They are home. Flippers flapping and necks craning, the turtles are healthy and ready to venture on. While they may not glance back at their rescuers on the shore, the team watching is satisfied that their job is done as their former patients swim away. In collaboration with government agencies and partner marine life facilities, more than 2,000 endangered sea turtles have been rescued by the SeaWorld Orlando team since 1980.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO
In collaboration with government agencies and partner marine life facilities, more than 2,000 endangered sea turtles have been rescued since 1980.
SEAWORLD
Cold temperatures and other dangers can threaten sea turtles, so SeaWorld’s Rescue Team and veterinarians work hard each winter to treat this ailing and endangered species.
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SEAWORLD
The Florida manatee is at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress and disease are natural problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear. Over the past year, as COVID-19 changed people’s recreational activities, Florida experienced an increase in new boater activity, resulting in an increased number of manatees exhibiting boat-strike injuries. SeaWorld is a member of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership, a cooperative group of nonprofit, private state, and federal entities that work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees. When a manatee is reported injured to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and SeaWorld’s assistance is needed, the team heads out the door, ever ready to lend a hand. Rescuing these gentle giants is a team effort, and great care is taken to keep the animal from harming itself or the team members as the manatee is brought ashore, assessed and then sent to the appropriate facility for further care. SeaWorld is one of only four manatee critical care facilities in the state of Florida. Once at the SeaWorld Rescue center, the manatees receive care and rehab based on the animal’s condition. Ill and injured manatees receive fluids and antibiotics, and orphans are fed specialized formula developed by the SeaWorld team to mimic
Manatees face danger both human-made and natural, so SeaWorld’s Rescue Team takes great care to help these gentle giants heal and recover before release.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO
MANATEES
How Can You Help? » When you come across a wild animal that appears to be in distress, report it to local wildlife authorities. » Do not attempt to push a stranded animal back into the water. » Keep people and pets away from the animal. » Avoid touching the animal as that may cause it more stress.
a mother manatee’s milk. The team has also created a customized wetsuit to help injured manatees stay afloat. Here is a surprising fact: did you know that one of the most interesting facts about the SeaWorld Rescue Team is their honey? SeaWorld has operated a Honey Bee Conservation Program since 2014, when the Horticulture Team installed swarm-attracting buckets around SeaWorld Orlando’s park perimeter. The team quickly learned that there was a sweet payoff to their efforts: the bees produce raw honey, which the park’s veterinary team now uses as a natural wound care to help heal rescued animals, including turtles and manatees.
Like the sea turtles, the manatees rehabbing at SeaWorld are just with the team for a short while. When the animals are deemed healthy and fit for release, the manatees are returned to the warm Florida waters, near to their rescue location, so they are familiar with their surroundings. Orphans remain at SeaWorld a bit longer to gain enough weight and size to assure their best chances of thriving in the wild. The connections made between the marine life rescued and the caregivers at SeaWorld last a lifetime, long past the time of rehab and return as the journey continues with each generation to carry on the cause of conservation.
About the SeaWorld Rescue Team
You may wonder who pays for all of this specialized care, which can sometimes cost tens of thousands of dollars just for a single animal’s rescue and rehabilitation. In fact, care for more than 38,000 rescued animals has run well into the millions over the 50-plus years SeaWorld has helped animals in need. A portion of all ticket sales to the park helps pay for the rescue teams, veterinarians, specialized drugs, animal care specialists and all the people dedicated to saving these sick and threatened animals. Every time guests visit the park, they are making a direct impact on the conservation and protection of Florida’s wildlife and supporting the expert animal rescue team that is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. GHOF.org | 37
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SOLD ON WHALERS MarineMax helps couple get the most out of their boating passion
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mily and Bernhard Schmid have a Boston Whaler habit. It began when the St. Petersburg couple bought a 10-year-old, 16foot Dauntless, a boat they would enjoy for 10 years. For Emily, the modest vessel was a reminder of the little Whaler her father had as a kid on Cape Cod. Today, the Schmids own a 24-foot Dauntless Pro and captain a 42-foot Outrage. But it was as owners of the 16-foot Anchor Lady that they became familiar with Whaler culture. “We were impressed by the support we got from Boston Whaler,” said Bernhard, 38 | GuyHarvey.com
By Steve Bornhoft who grew up in Austria where his boating experiences were limited to sailing and paddling on lakes and rivers. “It was very easy to call Whaler and get parts and the assistance we needed to keep things in shape. We started enjoying the brand a lot.” The Anchor Lady became a focal point in their lives. When they moved from renting to home ownership, a chief consideration in a house was a garage large enough to house the boat. Selling the 16 was emotional, Bernhard said. The Schmids were picky about whom they sold it to, but they had deemed themselves ready to move up to a bigger boat. They opted
for a larger version of the Dauntless they had made their rookie mistakes on, one large enough to be outfitted with a comfortable half-tower. The Schmids use the 24, named the Reel Lady, for flats fishing and joining flotillas off sandbars. Emily likes lazing in the tower, even when the boat is on plane. “I’m up there waving like a prom queen on a magic carpet ride,” she said. In 2017, the boat family was joined by a big sister, the 42-foot Knot Reel. The Schmids captain the larger boat for offshore bottom fishing and trolling, entertaining and cruising, often with family and friends and never
CUSTOM CONTENT
without their Jack Russell, Tater. The dog, said Emily, is tiny but tough enough to pull a tuna across a fishing deck. “Our COVID refuge has been doing West Coast cruising and anchoring,” Bernhard said. In purchasing all family Whalers, the Schmids dealt with sales consultant Jayson Lake at MarineMax in Clearwater. Bernhard described Lake as an owner’s advocate. “Jayson makes sure that if you have an issue with your boat, the service team does its job,” he said. “He is one of those sales guys who never leaves you high and dry,” added Emily, giving Lake the perfect compliment for a man in his role. Not that Bernhard leaves much to chance. He is that rare individual, Emily said, who reads owner’s manuals from cover to cover, and he knows his boats “inside and out.” When their Outrage was being built, the Schmids stopped by the factory to check on progress. Engineers there told them that they were setting up their boat precisely as they would have. There was a time when the Schmids learned a few lessons the hard way. In the Anchor Lady, they once ran out of gas within a few hundred feet of a marina in Marathon just as it was closing.Trailering the 16 to the Keys on another occasion, their progress was interrupted three times, twice by blown trailer tires and once by a broken bearing. Now, they carry spares. And, on one occasion, the Schmids took advantage of MarineMax’s mobile dispatch service. Again, they were in the Keys when a steering actuator went out on their boat. A technician arrived from Clearwater at 5 in the afternoon, worked until 11 to replace the part and saved the trip. Both of the Schmids are consultants, he in health care IT and she in organizational development, and both have a captain’s license. They hope to take a month’s sabbatical this year and cruise to Exuma in the Bahamas. They love the Outrage. “It does everything,” Emily said, describing in particular the boat’s summer kitchen and its freezer and refrigerated compartments. At Whaler rendezvous
“Jayson makes sure that if you have an issue with your boat, the service team does its job.” Bernhard Schmid events, she has become known for preparing bacon and eggs with plenty to share. “That’s how you make friends at a marina,” she said. “When we head out,” said Bernhard, “it’s not do we have sandwiches packed, it’s do we have a charcuterie board.” At present, the Schmids are building a house on the water in St. Pete. Their first priority for the new place? Boat slips. “If I could have five boats at one time, I would,” Emily said. Music, perhaps, to Jayson Lake’s ears. Steve Bornhoft is the executive editor at Rowland Publishing in Tallahassee, Florida. GHOF.org | 39
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Pick a cause. Any Cause. What do you love most about the Florida outdoors? The incredible variety of wild species? The expansive waterways and unique landscapes? The endless recreational opportunities? Whatever it is, the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is committed to helping you support it. Through our many partnerships with conservation and education programs statewide, we’ve raised and donated more than $45 million since 1994. The best part is, your donation goes to the cause of your choice. So pick a project. Choose a charity. Find a fund. And show some love to what you love most about Florida’s wildlife.
FIND YOUR CAUSE FOR THE WILD. WILDLIFEFLORIDA.ORG
CONSERVING NATURE AND OUR OUTDOOR HERITAGE
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REEF to REFUGE Bringing Hope to Florida’s Coral Reef BY BETH FIRCHAU The Florida Reef Tract has stood resilient for decades; beaten by ocean warming, acidification and water-born pollution, it has survived. Much like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite or the Great Lakes, the Florida Reef Tract is a natural treasure that belongs to us all. The reef provides nurseries, hunting grounds and homes to thousands of species of marine life. It is a first line of defense against powerful Atlantic storms that threaten the coastline. Generating over $8 billion in revenue and over 70,000 jobs annually, it is also an important driver of economic activity in the region. Now a new threat, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (see article in Guy Harvey Magazine issue 36), has the reef on its knees. Since 2014, this aggressive, fast-moving disease has plagued the Florida Reef Tract. As of 2020, the disease has swept through most of the 360-mile reef system, leaving only the Dry Tortugas at the most southern end relatively untouched. Reports indicate that greater than 60% of total coral cover loss has occurred in disease-affected areas. While species-specific declines differ, the most susceptible of species have seen declines of over 98%. Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease affects more than 20 of the 45 coral species that provide the foundation of the coral reef ecosystem. For these susceptible corals, it is almost always a 100% mortality event. To put in perspective, historically along the Florida Reef Tract, disease is present in about 2–3% of the coral population. With Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, more than 60% of the reef ’s coral population has been affected. 42 | GuyHarvey.com
CORAL REEF Aquariums and zoos across the country, including Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens in South Carolina, took part in AZA’s coral reef restoration and rescue initiative.
AZA FLORIDA REEF TRACT RESCUE PROJECT (AZA-FRTRP) List of AZA Facilities Engaged in Coral Rescue Efforts Mote Marine Aquarium Sarasota, FL Mote.org Blank Park Zoo Des Moines, IA BlankParkZoo.com Butterfly Pavilion Westminster, CO Butterflies.org Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Columbus, OH ColumbusZoo.org
JENNIFER RAWLINGS
The Florida Aquarium Tampa, FL FLAquarium.org Florida Coral Rescue Center Orlando, FL SeaWorld.org Adventure Aquarium Camden, NJ AdventureAquarium.com
Fort Worth Zoo Fort Worth, TX FortWorthZoo.org
Moody Gardens Galveston, TX MoodyGardens.com
Georgia Aquarium Atlanta, GA GeorgiaAquarium.org
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden Columbia, SC RiverBanks.org
Jenkinson's Aquarium Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Jenkinsons.com/ Aquarium Maritime Aquarium Norwalk, CT MaritimeAquarium.org National Aquarium Baltimore, MD Aqua.org National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Dubuque, IA RiverMuseum.com Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha, NE OmahaZoo.com
SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium Auburn Hills, MI VisitSeaLife.com/ Michigan Texas State Aquarium Corpus Christi, TX TexasStateAquarium.org Nashville Zoo, Inc Nashville, TN NashvilleZoo.org Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Virginia Beach, VA VirginiaAquarium.com GHOF.org | 43
CORAL REEF
A RESCUE BRINGS HOPE
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Left to right: Other facilities that helped rescue Florida’s coral included Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio; Adventure Aquarium, New Jersey; and an example of rescued coral, Colpophyllia natans, sits at The Florida Aquarium.
GOOD STEWARDSHIP It takes time, dedication and perseverance to respond this quickly and effectively to save a national natural treasure. Having a timely response to any health issue is the key to managing any animal long term. For rescue corals, it is fortunate that the holding facilities have a strong, dynamic and creative team of veterinarians, lab technicians, biologists and field researchers. More than 100 of the nation’s best animal care professionals are working together to bring hope to Florida’s corals. The rescue of corals from the Florida reef system will not fix the reef. Finding the cause and cure of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease will not fix the reef. Only public engagement that insists upon good stewardship of our natural resources will ultimately fix the reef. The rescued Florida corals and the AZA foster parents that care for them are looking to that future.
PHOTOS BY GRAHM S. JONES (COLUMBUS) AND COURTESY OF BUTTERFLY PAVILION, ADVENTURE AQUARIUM, THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM
Late in 2019, scientists and conservation managers from NOAA Fisheries, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the National Park Service, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection devised a daring rescue plan — bringing hope for the reef. While scientists and field researchers would work to determine the identity of the disease, how it spreads, and how to prevent or cure it, susceptible coral species would be removed ahead of the disease’s progression. These corals would be placed in land-based nurseries for safe keeping. What was needed was expertise and space to hold the thousands of corals needed to secure the coral genetic biodiversity of the pre-disease reef communities. “Aquariums and zoos had long been carrying out cutting edge conservation work with corals, and we knew that Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities had the experience, knowledge, network, and the space to step forward and fill the need,” said Dan Ashe, president and chief executive officer of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums based in Silver Spring, Maryland. “The challenge was that most of the rescued coral species had never been held before, but we were confident that, with the professional aquarists we have on staff and remarkable facilities that are available, that we would be able to take a leading role in this rescue.” In the fall of 2018, AZA was invited by the rescue planners to become custodians of corals from the reef. Corals quickly began arriving at AZA facilities across the country. By the end 2020, even as the world addressed the COVID-19 crisis, nearly 2,000 corals had been shipped by boat, plane, and truck for safe keeping at 18 AZAaccredited facilities in 12 states. Never before had such a large-scale rescue response to a coral crisis been mounted. Federal, state and private partners collaborated to place corals in these areas: Connecticut and Michigan; coastal cities of Texas and New Jersey; the farmlands of Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska; the mountains of Colorado; and in the Southern metro areas of Georgia and South Carolina. In early 2020, NOAA Fisheries estimated that of the total $14.6 million invested in this coral rescue effort between 2018 and the end of 2020, more than $9 million had been contributed by AZA facilities. Never before had the AZA or its member facilities mounted such a rapid response to a marine crisis.
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO HELP FLORIDA CORALS: » Learn all you can about our ocean and the part reefs play in its health. Encourage others to do the same. » No matter where you live, insist on responsible ecosystem management and reward appropriate management with your vote and your tax dollars. » Visit or become a member of your local AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium. Responsible conservation starts at home, and many zoos and aquariums fund conservation efforts, like the Florida coral rescue, through gate admissions, memberships and the generosity of local donors.
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Ocean Therapy Healing waters soothe the soul no matter the trauma BY LOUISA SAX
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Where do you go when you need time to reset, relax, de-stress, make decisions or get creative? I go to the ocean. A walk on the beach, snorkel or a day spent fishing works wonders for my ability to think lucidly. I am guessing that if you are reading this particular magazine, we might be similar. The positive effects of “green space” on a person’s wellbeing has been widely researched with the evidence being utilized in town planning, real estate and alternative therapy among other industries. “Blue space” is now included in that discussion as the two are perceived to have commonalities. However, the effects of exposure to “blue space” has since become the topic of scientific inquiry, and BlueHealth, an organization funded by the European Union’s Horizon
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2020 program, was established in 2016 to undertake much of the research. Many people have stories and experiences to share regarding their relationship with the ocean and how it makes them feel. Wallace J. Nichols, author of the fascinating book Blue Mind, reported that when qualitative data was collected on the topic, people were asked why they spend time near the water. The most common responses were “it makes me happy,” “it feels good” and “I’m not quite sure.” Nichols explored the depths of psychological research to uncover why and how water is such a powerful motivator and healer. His supported hypothesis is that “being in, on, under or around water makes you happier, more connected and better at what you do”.
But what about more serious mental health conditions? If the ocean is such a powerful mood changer and creator of positive energy, can it also benefit those with diagnosed mental health issues, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety or addiction? The answer is yes, and there is now considerable scientific evidence to suggest that proximity to “blue space” can reduce the symptoms of “common mental health disorders.” I read Blue Mind twice in preparation for this article, meticulously highlighting on almost every page. But anything that I write couldn’t possibly do the book justice, so my best advice would be to read it yourself. Seriously. Instead, I will highlight some organizations that are seizing the power of this incredible healer to change the lives of those they help.
MENTAL HEALTH
CHASTENATION
PHOTOS BY YUCELOZEL / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (LEFT) AND COURTESY OF CHASTENATION AND KEEP CALM AND PADDLE ON
Chasten Whitfield is a young earth shaker with an inspirational story. Chasten started fishing competitively at age 14 and instinctively donated the money she won to children’s charities. At the time, Chasten volunteered for a fishing camp, where she met somebody who inspired her to make a difference — Easton, a young boy with spina bifida. Chasten helped Easton catch a fish from a pier, and the joy that it brought him pushed her to take a step further. She borrowed a friend’s boat that would fit his wheelchair so he could feel the freedom of fishing that she enjoys. She knew that day that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life; shortly after, Chasten partnered with Bluefin Boats to build a specially adapted boat — and Chastenation was born. Chasten says that the goal of Chastenation, which is a “nation” of partners that help her in her mission,
is to build self-esteem in children with disabilities and to give them a day where they only need to think about fighting fish. Chasten strongly believes that being on or near the ocean reduces stress and anxiety, increases a sense of well-being and happiness, lowers your heart and breathing rate, and “just makes you feel good.” It has been her go-to for relief since she was young. She says that she doesn’t have to be fishing, and just being on the water is incredibly healing: “While my mom was going through breast cancer, on her bad days, she would do the same and go out on the water just to get out. She said it made her feel so much better.” When it comes to the children that she helps, Chasten says that she hopes for equality and for the world to treat them the way that the fish do — with no discrimination. To learn more about Chastenation, visit ChastenWhitfield.com.
Chasten Whitfield teaching a young boy how to fish
KEEP CALM AND PADDLE ON Keep Calm and Paddle On (KCPO) was established in Canada in 2012 by Chad Guenter with this exact motto in mind. At first, Chad was on a mission for personal happiness, but his altruistic nature inevitably made the mission much bigger than himself. KCPO raises money for mental health charities through sponsored long-distance paddles that aim to raise awareness and end the stigma associated with mental health issues. In the first year, the impact was so great that the charity movement was extended to the Cayman Islands by Chad's dear friend, Jasmin “Yaz” Muratijic. Since 2012, more and more people have joined Chad and Yaz across lakes and oceans and down rivers, anywhere that a body of water has given them the energy that they needed to talk openly about their personal struggles.Yaz believes that “water in general is a healer.There’s nothing else you can think about other than the task in front of you.” When I asked him what about water makes it healing,Yaz responded, “Just the sheer size of it. It demands respect and focus. It’s a living organism, and it changes from day to day — the currents, winds, swells.You can learn about it every day and never fully understand. It’s a form of meditation, and it doesn't matter if you spend one or 10 hours paddling, the natural high is unmistaken and very addictive — in its greatest form. It’s just you and the elements.” KCPO wants people who may be suffering in silence to come out to paddle and talk about it, that depression is not a weakness, and that collectively we are stronger and can beat it together. To join a paddle or support KCPO, visit kcpo.ky (Cayman Islands) or kcpo.ca (Canada). GHOF.org | 47
MENTAL HEALTH
FLEAHAB FleaHab is a Sober Living Environment directed by professional big wave surfer and recovering addict, Darryl ‘Flea’ Verostko. Neurobiology says that addiction is a reward prioritization issue where the user becomes dependent on the dopamine reward derived from one source only — the drug of choice — and excludes other more natural possibilities. Surfing and other activities in nature have the potential to change brain chemistry by providing alternative rewards to satisfy the brain’s desire for a neurochemical “rush.” Surfing replaces the high of drugs with the natural dopamine “high” produced by the intensity and novelty of riding the waves. It also helps the addict cope with any associated depression or anxiety by exposing them to other healing properties that the ocean provides — it gives us energy and demands focus and respect. Also, the ocean is constantly changing yet essentially staying the same, which entertains and inspires the mind. FleaHab offers a different approach to sober living by focusing on a holistic mind, body and spirit interacting with positive intention while making surfing a daily priority. Flea says that the ocean is the most important part of the residents’ recovery, in conjunction with following a 12-step program, and that keeping the water and beaches clean is everything. To learn more about FleaHab, visit FleaHab.org.
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Ocean Therapy for Veterans A staggering 58% of people who are exposed to warfare are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, compared to between 3-6% of people in the civilian population. In 2019, 25% of U.S. veterans were reported to have a service-connected disability. The following are ocean centric programs that focus specifically on life and ability after military service using blue space as therapy.
“The ocean is one of, if not the most, powerful things on our planet. It is a place where we are forced to remain in the present and focus on what we are doing.” John Hallett, Veteran Services Manager, Operation Surf
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLEAHAB AND OPERATION SURF
OPERATION SURF Operation Surf channels the healing powers of the ocean to restore hope, renew purpose and revitalize community. It began 10 years ago when a wounded veteran wanted to surf again following a severe injury. Since then, Operation Surf has used these healing powers to help hundreds of injured veterans, activeduty military, military spouses and family from around the U.S. They do this through surf therapy and their online support platform.
Veteran groups and instructors start their sessions “in the pit,” where they share experiences and personal solutions to tell stories, connect and find belonging before surfing to rinse it off. “The ocean is one of, if not the most, powerful things on our planet. It is a place where we are forced to remain in the present and focus on what we are doing,” says John Hallett, veteran services manager at Operation Surf. “When you are able to surrender to it and learn how to harness its power by simply riding a wave, you are forever changed. This is something that we have introduced to countless veterans throughout the years who had believed that they were no longer capable of doing such a thing. Giving people a new outlook on the future of their lives and what they are still able to accomplish despite their injuries has been
our primary objective at Operation Surf. It gives people hope.” Again, I wanted to know what it is about the ocean that is so healing. Hallett’s answer: “Dealing with severe PTSD and other challenges related to military service can result in your thoughts constantly racing and remaining in a state of hypervigilance. When I am in the ocean, I remain in the present, focused on the task at hand. It is a place that constantly humbles you and reminds you that you are not in control. It is a sense of surrender you have to accept, which ultimately brings peace. Even if I don’t get in the water, sit on the shore and listen to it, smell it and see it, I feel that peace.” To learn more about Operation Surf, visit OperationSurf.org. GHOF.org | 49
THE DIVE PIRATES FOUNDATION For most people who participate in the sport, scuba diving provides an incredible feeling of bliss through weightlessness, a sense of freedom and quiet time. Now imagine the impact that this experience can have on somebody who suffers from a physical disability or the fatigue of PTSD. The Dive Pirates Foundation celebrates life after injury and the human spirit through adaptive scuba diving. Founded by avid scuba divers Barbara Thompson, Sophie Wimberley and Janette Evans, teaching injured military personnel was supposed to be a one-time effort. However, the impact was so big that it quickly gained momentum, and the group is now celebrating its 17th year as The Dive Pirates Foundation. For the recipients of the Foundation, spending time underwater is “healing to the soul, very gratifying to not only have the sense of accomplishment of achieving open water diver status, but to enjoy it with friends and family. “The weightlessness of the water frees many of our recipients from the constant pain and pressure they feel in a wheelchair.” And for those who live with PTSD, it “quiets the mind; under water, the world stops and they are at peace to enjoy the true beauty around them.” Not only has this organization bettered the lives of the recipients, it has also bettered the lives of those who run it, providing “inspiration, hope, compassion and humility in ways beyond words. The ocean brings us all together, and that camaraderie inspires us to live better lives and have hope for tomorrow.” To learn more, visit DivePirates.org.
Mackie Davis from Dive Pirates
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PROJECT HEALING WATERS FLY FISHING Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities. Since beginning in 2005, the nonprofit organization has grown to provide 230 programs operating in 48 states that are managed by volunteers who work in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, Department of Defense (DOD) military installations, Warrior Transition Units (WTU) and other institutions. At the root of PHWFF is the belief that the sport of fly fishing holds many therapeutic benefits — encompassing the physical, mental and emotional. Fly fishing usually happens in beautiful places — places where nature can soothe and nurture and, most importantly, instill hope. Todd Desgrosseilliers, president & CEO of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, explains, “I was referred to PHWFF by my doctor as a form of physical therapy for my traumatic brain injury. As a participant and
volunteer, I recognized the remarkable physical and emotional transformation that the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Program initiated for me and for my fellow male and female participants, and I decided that I wanted to join its exceptional team after my medical retirement from the military in 2016.” In addition to the natural methods of relaxation and restoration offered by fly-fishing, the sport also requires dexterity, keen handeye coordination and intense concentration — which is challenging for even able-bodied anglers, much less those adjusting and adapting to their new abilities. But through these challenges come opportunities to learn, adapt and evolve through this exciting sport and to do so in beautiful surroundings that offer a rehabilitative outlet outside the traditional physical therapy room. Flyfishing restores hope and offers many the chance to both physically and emotionally rehabilitate and recover. When it comes to that mysterious healing power and our responsibility to nature, Desgrosseilliers says that
MENTAL HEALTH
“I can truly say [Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing] has saved my life. It pulled me from dark places and gave me an outlet. It surrounded me with people who have battled those dark places and won. They supported me and helped me to where I am today.”
PHOTOS BY DOUG BUERLEIN PHOTOGRAPHY (RIGHT) AND COURTESY OF THE DIVE PIRATES FOUNDATION AND PROJECT HEALING WATERS FLY FISHING
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
“for many, the healing power of nature is the best therapy. Clean, healthy marine environments are a key component of that healing power. By learning the sport of flyfishing, disabled veterans immerse themselves in environmental education and stewardship of oceans, rivers and streams. Their exposure to and involvement with conservation and educational work plays a key role in their development as anglers while simultaneously furthering their journey to recovery.” “I joined Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in 2015 as a participant. This program gave me a place to focus my negative energy through
fishing activities and, of course, our time in the outdoors. The thing that helps me most of all is being around other veterans as we can all relate to one another. I can truly say this program has saved my life. It pulled me from dark places and gave me an outlet. It surrounded me with people who have battled those dark places and won. They supported me and helped me to where I am today. I am now a volunteer and mentor to others like me.” — U.S. Marine Corps Veteran To learn more about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing visit ProjectHealingWaters.org.
What all of these inspirational groups have in common is that they recognize and utilize the ocean as a tool for supporting the healing of some of the most complex and fragile health challenges. Many of the representatives from these organizations, I noticed, also refer to the “ocean” — not as an object or element but as if it were a person, a confidant, a mentor, a friend. That speaks volumes in itself. Humans have an intrinsic desire to be connected to something bigger than themselves. The ocean is intimidating, humbling, inspiring, thrilling, soothing and challenging. It is innate, and many people can’t describe exactly what it is that draws them in and captivates them. There is a je ne sais quoi that energizes the largest body of water on the planet with these incredible healing properties, and it doesn’t matter what it does for you on the water — whether it’s the smell, the feeling, the color, the movement or the activities you enjoy on its surface. GHOF.org | 51
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COVID’S SILVER LINING How Does The Marine Tourism Industry Fare? BY NICK HONACHEFSKY
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COVID-19
COVID-19 needs no introduction. The pandemic sent the world into a spiral, affecting industries and businesses large and small on an unprecedented level. The marine outdoor industry consisting of fishing, diving, snorkeling and traveling was not exempt from its reach, and it was affected on all levels, from cancelled airline travel to shuttered hotel accommodations to restaurants closings, putting the marine tourism industry into a tailspin. While all seemed negative, and most of it was, there was some positive light shone on the marine industry as well — sort of a pearl among the oysters that clamped down around us.
PHOTOS BY ADOGSLIFEPHOTO / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Let’s start with the good. Since lockdown quarantines were in effect for most coastal states March through May, there was no saltwater fishing or diving pressure; as a result, fish stocks seemed to have rebounded. As of now, there is no real time scientific data to support this, but dockside talk from striped bass anglers in New Jersey to redfish anglers in Florida all seemed to trend toward positive, if not reporting impressive fishing from June onward. Vacationing was also out of the question, and while bad for business, coral reefs had less diving and boating pressure, equating to fewer pollutants and less disturbance in the waters. Waters that had been tainted for decades appeared to be clearing up. It also seems that contiguous U.S. lodges fared better than international destinations; United
States citizens could navigate state-by-state laws regarding quarantine parameters instead of more dire foreign constraints, allowing some U.S. coastal businesses to thrive. Boat companies have seen unprecedented sales as more people are seeing the benefit of convenient access to nature near their homes. Of course there’s the resounding bad — death tolls and cases worldwide were staggering. When it comes to business in the marine tourism industry, COVID threw a wet blanket on a hot industry; some found ways to succeed, others didn’t. That leads me to the ugly. Many businesses either weren’t “qualified” for government subsidies or simply didn’t have enough equity at stake to weather the COVID repercussions. That meant a lot of businesses in the travel industry had to shut their doors permanently. Tourism industry workers have had to look for new jobs in construction, finance, etc. GHOF.org | 55
Starfish Point, Grand Cayman
GUATEMALA PACIFIC FINS
Ozzy Delgado, VP Sales and Marketing for Pacific Fins in Guatemala, had a heartfelt statement on his lodge’s challenges. “This year has been so challenging, so it is more important than ever to look to find the things we are grateful for. If we decide to call this year a wash and let it go down in history as awful, with nothing of merit coming out of it, then we lose. If we learned something new or just got to slow down a bit and really live in the moment, and recognize that, we win. It’s amazing to see how many people traveled to 56 | GuyHarvey.com
Pacific Fins to not only show their support, but to enjoy a little bit of normalcy. All in all, our team gained a perspective on the importance of fishing, friendships, relationships and communication.”
FLORIDA KEYS BUD N’ MARYS
Richard Stanczyk of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada said: “Business is the best it’s ever been.” But as Stanczyk noted, it didn’t start off that way. “Originally, the Keys were shut down for a short period of time and there was no business, but the bailouts with the Payroll Protection Program helped us survive. When we reopened up, there was a mass exodus from the cities in New York and Midwest where people didn’t have to work
in their city offices anymore, so we had an influx of people to the area that stayed for months at a time, escaping the cities. We have more traffic now and it’s hard to find a hotel room, but those problems aren’t bad. We didn’t have the hit other businesses did as we could still run six-pack charters, dive ops and the like; it was just as the holiday season is year-round now.”
CAYMAN ISLANDS JESSIC A HARVEY
Jessica Harvey stated that the complete lockdown at the start of COVID was brutal. “Nobody could swim, go to the beach or even get to their boat as helicopters were flying around to patrol.” As Jessica states, her father, Guy Harvey, has been “stuck at home in
PHOTO BY AMANDA BROWN (STARFISH POINT) AND IRENECORTI (STINGRAY) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
We asked a few national and international marine tourism locales and lodges how COVID has affected them. Here’s what we got:
COVID-19
Cayman as long as he can remember.” Tourism is suffering as she estimates it’s down by 50%, many water sports closed down and employees let go, and she says it’s been “extremely tough” for everyone. But there has been some good news. “The positive is that we are seeing island residents ‘staycationing’ among the sister islands of Cayman Brac, Little Cayman and Grand Cayman, which is helping the economy. The residents are touring their own islands now.” The Cayman marine ecosystem also has benefited. “The most prolific change has been the lack of disturbance. For all the creatures, it was quiet, no boat traffic, and I talked to people who say the fish had adapted to making louder noises due to boat traffic and now have softer calls as they don’t have to compete with unnatural noise. Animal behavior at Stingray City has changed, and it’s more vibrant with species, including blacktip sharks and nurse sharks, frequenting the area more because of the lack of noise. Starfish Point used to see four or five, and now we see 100. The starfish used to stay more offshore when boats anchored up in the shallows, now they have moved back in closer to the shore. The impact of the reduced human presence is palpable.”
END GAME So where does COVID-19 leave the marine tourism industry? Only time will tell what businesses survive, although overall it appears that the reduced human pressure on nature has had an overriding beneficial impact to the ecosystem. Perhaps once the pandemic has passed, we will come to a sustainable equilibrium that benefits both our marine tourism industry and its environmental and animal counterparts. GHOF.org | 57
WINDOWS OF THE WORLD A BI LL B OYC E PERSPEC TIVE
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A P H OTO STO RY
LIFE CAN BE A WONDROUS JOURNEY
The blue waters of French Polynesia are the perfect place to sink your hooks into.
when you choose the right road and the light to lead it. Who would have known that a kid from California, who found an addiction to the sport of fishing at age 4, would take his love of all things piscatorial on a career path that included fisheries biologist, photojournalist, TV host and then producer of several international fishing/adventure series? Along the way, I’ve traveled the world, met the most amazing anglers, captains and crews, and fished on everything from little car-top skiffs to the most modern mega sportfishers in the world. Although these experiences will always remain vivid memories, it is the photography I was able to capture along the way that now serve as my most treasured possessions. As I have gracefully aged into six decades on our wonderful planet, these places, people, photos and fish are what make my life rich far beyond any monetary compensation I was lucky enough to have garnered along the way. It is in this article that I am honored to share some of these amazing regions of the world, the allure of their majesty, and the fish and friends I met along the way. I have showcased six regions — three in this issue and three in the next issue — that have touched my heart in different ways. For this edition of Guy Harvey Magazine, I’ve highlighted Panama, Central America, the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean and Tahiti in the South Pacific. Next issue, look for my complete photographic compendium on Baja, Mexico, Alaska and the Caribbean, highlighted with the islands of St. Lucia, Grenada and the Turks and Caicos. I hope you enjoy the images as much as I did taking them. GHOF.org | 59
PANAMA, CENTRAL AMERICA From Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa’s discovery of the narrow isthmus in 1513 and his fame of being the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, the world could not have known at the time what a strategic advantage this “short cut” from the Pacific to the Atlantic would mean in wartime or in terms of commerce in times of peace. Panama, meaning plenty of fish, has lived up to that name for the past five centuries. In terms of fishery diversity and abundance of biomass, these riches have been discovered by anglers from every corner of the world. The place that put Panama on the angler map is Tropic Star Lodge. An amazing enclave of great lodging, great food and great fishing, it was literally built in the middle of the desolate Darien jungle. Their scenic fleet of 31-foot Bertrams makes the busy morning dock a picture-perfect postcard that everyone should experience once in their lives. Other amazing fisheries exist near the Coiba Island reserve, and Cebaco Bay Sportfishing is a great place to start. On the Atlantic side of the canal, San Blas is a scenic patchwork of more than 300 islands, where their quaint splendor is further enhanced by the friendly indigenous Indians famous for crafting colorful “molas” with their expert, tedious sewing precision. A jaunt offshore will find warm clear waters that are teeming with yellowfin, sailfish, wahoo and occasionally a white marlin.
PETERHERMESFURIAN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
A fleet of Bertrams await fishermen at Tropic Star Lodge.
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Landing a huge wahoo always delivers sheer happiness.
PA NA MA
A local shows off a beautiful hand-woven Mola, made by the indigenous Kuna people on the east coast of Panama.
Black marlin, like this one leaping in the sunlight, are prolific in Panama.
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TAHITI, SOUTH PACIFIC Few places on earth are as remote as the South Pacific islands of the Tuamotus archipelago east of Tahiti. A total of 76 islands and coral atolls thrive in these remote pristine waters that cover an area of more than 700,000 square miles. Occasionally, a small village can be found amongst an outcropping of palm trees that silhouette every sunrise and sunset. The Ultimate Lady, a 93-foot custom Kiwibuilt sportfisher, was my home there on a few occasions. It was the perfect platform from which to dive and fish these untouched waters, and it featured a virtual “who’s who” variety of fish ready, willing and able to chew everything you toss their way. Inshore fisheries of snapper, coral trout, black jacks, giant trevally, bluefin trevally, jobfish, wrasses and reef sharks thrive in the cobalt-blue, crystal-clear waters of this region. With the steep underwater walls found adjacent to these atolls, the offshore pelagic fishery here is typically but a few hundred yards off island. From these walls, wahoo and dogtooth tuna roam in roving packs, wolf-like in their pursuit of anything that can’t outswim them. A little past these escarpments lies an azure ocean where blue marlin, black marlin, occasional striped marlin, pacific sailfish, yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna can be encountered at any time of the year. Taking time to peer into the underwater world of these unique ecosystems will treat your eyes to a virtual feast of color, shapes, textures and fish so brilliantly colored that you’d swear they were fake. 62 | GuyHarvey.com
TA H I TI
Lovely butterfly fish skim past a healthy Tahitian reef.
PETERHERMESFURIAN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Bird’s eye view of two of the many stunning atolls around Tahiti.
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Right: Rings of coral offer sanctuary to an abundance of sea life. Below: One angler’s battle with a billfish nears its end.
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The aptly named Ultimate Lady is an incredible and luxurious fishing machine.
The author poses with an oddly beautiful and powerful Napoleon wrasse (left) and a beast of a tuna (right).
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SEYCHELLES, INDIAN OCEAN Placed geographically in the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar and 1,000 miles east of Africa, the Seychelles consists of 115 islands in an area considered by many as the crossroads between Africa and Asia. A unique blend of granitic gray bedrock forms the main island of Mahe and those nearby, yet the outer islands were formed as coral atolls. This diversity of geographic consistency lends itself to a variety of tourism opportunities as well as myriad fishery habitats that vary from large predatory jacks, snappers and grouper in the rocky inshore habitats, to shoals of schooling tropical fish in abundance among the coral reefs of the outer islands. Known worldwide as an inshore fly-fishing destination where jacks and giant trevally take most of the limelight, the offshore fishing plays second fiddle when it could be the grand piano. High concentrations of blue marlin, sailfish, wahoo, yellowfin and dorado are often encountered by those willing to make the offshore effort. No island group in the world shares the uniquely sculptured rocky shoreline as seen in the Seychelles. Once you’ve been there, their almost surreal nature is easily recognizable when an image is seen later in a publication or video. The coral reefs of the outer atolls are comparable to some of the finest found elsewhere in the Indian Ocean.
PETERHERMESFURIAN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
The surreal rock shapes of the Seychelles are some of the world’s most unique.
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This is just one of the 115 picturesque islands that make up the Seychelles.
SEYCH ELLES
Author Bill Boyce shows off a red snapper.
Anglers bring a sailfish alongside the boat before releasing it back into the wild.
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STRIPED MARLIN
Galápagos Islands
LAND OF THE STRIPED MARLIN BY GUY HARVEY This story is an excerpt from Guy Harvey’s Underwater World
A The striped marlin is the most abundant marlin species in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. They usually hunt in small packs, often working with marine mammals such as sea lions and dolphins in their search for prey. Acrylic on canvas, by Guy Harvey.
s part of my dedicated series on billfish for my television show, Portraits from the Deep, our intrepid team of producer Ken Kavanaugh and two amazing cameramen, Rick Westphal and Dee Gele, flew to Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Jan. 30, 2006, for a flight out to the Galápagos Islands the next morning. The word about the striped marlin in the Galápagos was that they were numerous and BIG! We flew out to San Cristobal to spend a few days fishing with Tim Choate, who was trying to set up a charter-fishing operation. Not as easy as it sounds, but Tim had successfully pioneered offshore fishing in Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and then Guatemala. Now he had turned his attention to the Galápagos. Kathy Espinel, owner of the Hotel Miconia, met us at the airport. San Cristobal was a small, quaint town with an inviting waterfront and sea lions lounging all over the place. We wandered around the municipal dock and watched as the crew of a local snapper fishing boat unloaded a catch of Pacific cubera snapper and smaller yellow snapper. Hundreds of them. I wondered where these fish were heading, probably back to the mainland. GHOF.org | 69
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After a wonderful lunch, we all went up the volcanic slopes to see a local attraction: a massive kapok tree with a trunk about 30 feet wide. A third of the way up was a treehouse with a great view down the forested slopes of the volcano. Soon, we reached the crater lake at the top of the volcano at 2,000 feet of elevation. We took up positions and watched as frigate birds came in from the ocean far below and did an amazing thing: they got down on the water and bathed, holding themselves aloft with their wings as they dunked their heads and bodies in the fresh water. Frigate birds do not dive like boobies and terns, so this is how they bathed. Back at the hotel, Tim had just come in from fishing. His infectious smile said they had a good day and recounted the action, going 7-for-20 on striped marlin for the day. Tim explained that the harbormaster had asked us to leave and return under the cover of darkness because our permits for sport fishing were still pending. No problem. The film team, along with Tim and I, were on the 40-foot Intensity; our friends Jim and Steve Valletta, Roger Manes and Bill Watts were fishing on Millennium, a 35-foot Bertram also owned by Tim. We all got going at 4 a.m. and loaded our fishing and dive gear aboard Intensity. Both boats cruised for two hours out to Banco Rosa, 40 miles southeast of San Cristobal. It was worth the long run. We arrived at the western end of the 10-mile-long bank and put out the spread of two bridge teasers and two lures with hooks on the riggers. A minute later, a group of striped marlin attacked our spread — there were marlin dorsal fins everywhere! I wanted to take photos of jumping striped marlin, so we handed off the rods to the crew. One marlin came off, and we ended up tagging two striped 70 | GuyHarvey.com
marlin. I took fin clips from these fish because Dr. John Graves of Virginia Institute for Marine Science was conducting a genetic study on striped marlin from the eastern Pacific. Rick, of course, was filming everything, and we scuba dived with every marlin as we released them. The sky and water were alive with bait and birds — blue-footed boobies and brown boobies, as well as frigate birds. There were bottlenose dolphins and sea lions mixed in with the marlin. It was unbelievable. Every 5 minutes, we had a school of striped marlin in the baits, and caught doubles and triples all day. After we had caught 10 marlin, we switched to pulling teasers only so Rick and I could jump in and get action shots of striped marlin, all lit up with their natural colouring. Where we raised two or three in the spread, there were eight or 10 below in the clear water; the visibility was maybe 60 feet.
“Usually I’m taking action photos and jump shots on these expeditions. This time I was doing some catching, and Bill Watts got some of the amazing action put on by the striped marlin.” — Guy Harvey
We finished up at 5 p.m. What an amazing day. We were 14-for-35, raising easily 80 marlin for the day. Millennium’s numbers were 10-for29, and they estimated they raised 55. As we had dived on many groups, we knew there were more fish under those that could be seen at the surface. We cruised back in for nearly two hours before Millennium ran out of fuel, so we towed them the last few miles, finally getting in around 7:30 p.m. Nothing was easy. We retreated to the bar, where Tim explained that the crews had to refuel the boats off the dock by purchasing diesel fuel five gallons at a time
The presence of many booby birds as well as frigates shows the way to the action. Pacific sardines are corralled together by predators below and hemmed in at the surface, making the prey available to diving birds. Dorsal fins of attacking marlin cut the surface. Watercolor, by Guy Harvey.
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from the gas station up the road and taking it by car to the game boats. If they had just gotten one more five-gallon tank the Millennium would have made it home. Proper planning is everything. We got going very early and left in the dark again, and now knowing what to expect, we were ready when we arrived at Banco Rosa by 7:30 a.m. Each time we found the packs of marlin, everything in the spread had a marlin on it. The mates had snagged a few fresh local ballyhoo for pitch baits, which worked like a charm until we ran out and went back to pitching with small lures. The teaser bites were just amazing, sometimes two or three marlin after the same bait: dorsal fins up, bright blue pectoral fins lit up, stripes on their bodies clearly visible — they are the most beautiful of all the marlin when feeding. We decided to head in because the bite had slowed down and got back in the harbor just after dark and without running out of fuel this time. The other group was leaving the next day, so we would be on Millennium for two days; there was another charter coming in for Intensity. The following day, we arrived at Banco Rosa at 7:30 a.m. on a much calmer morning. Dolphins, sea lions and birds were everywhere, and it took all of 30 seconds to get a bite. The big striped marlin were like blue marlin — very aggressive and responding well to lures. Tim caught a striped marlin whose bill was angled up sharply. I had seen fish like this at Cocos Island, maybe half of the striped marlin there had this shaped bill, and I wondered if this was a subspecies of striped marlin. We switched over to all teasers; Rick and I went in the water on several groups of marlin. The water was green compared with the previous day, but the marlin were just as accommodating. After a bit, we went back to fishing and soon after jumped a blue marlin about 300 pounds, the first one we had raised. Tim said blue marlin and black marlin were more common in the northern part of the archipelago around Wolf and Darwin
Top to bottom: On board Intensity with owner Tim Choate and film crew, cameraman Dee Gele, Ken Kavanaugh (producer in white visor), and underwater cameraman Rick Westphal; Guy Harvey with the Three Amigos, Bill Watts, Steve and Jimmy Valetta, and the late Roger Manes, at the Miconia hotel; and Intensity trolling, with divers ready on the covering board to jump in.
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The striped marlin is the most beautiful of all billfish, with fluorescent fins and stripes.
islands, where we had dived many times. When we finished, our numbers were better: 16 striped marlin released from 35 bites and over 50 raised, not including all the marlin we dived on, perhaps another 30 or 40. They were long, action-filled exciting days. For our last day, we were on Millennium. Sometimes we saw one or two marlin, and then on the next circle there were threeto-five more in the spread coming past us. A big 250-pound striped marlin grabbed a teaser right in front of me in an explosion of foam and bubbles, all lit up, pectoral fins so bright, their stripes glaring blue against the dark bodies and dark water, and bright blue eyes all-seeing, fins erect, turning in their own body length at speed. Happy with all the footage, we went back to fishing and released some more striped marlin, all over 200 pounds. The bite shut off at 3:30, and according to Tim’s unwritten
rule, if you don’t get a bite in the next half an hour after the last bite, then it is time for the run home. Our numbers were 10-for-25 marlin bites, and had raised another 20 or 30 while teasing. The only comparable location to see this many striped marlin is Magdalena Bay, Mexico, in October and November. In the 1940s and 1950s, pioneering U.S. anglers such as Michael Lerner, Kip Farrington, Alfred Glassell and others were catching striped marlin that averaged 300 pounds off Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Many of the world-record fish they caught were in the 400- to 450-pound range. Striped marlin that size can be found consistently only around New Zealand nowadays. Today, in 2021, the marlin fishing around the Galápagos continues to be spectacular, with several sport-fishing operations doing good charter business out of San Cristobal. The conservation of the resource
is of paramount importance, and artisanal exploitation of billfish and sharks has to be better regulated to ensure sustainable use. The passing of the Billfish Conservation Act in 2018 in the United States now prevents the importation of billfish into the U.S., effectively closing a legal loophole through which much of the striped marlin from the Galápagos and mainland Ecuador, as well as sailfish from Costa Rica, were reaching American markets. The message to the fishery managers and politicians in Ecuador is still the same: the billfish catch-and-release sport fishery is worth 100 times more to the Galápagos economy than killing the fish and selling them. Federal and local governments should support sport-fishing efforts, and training programs need to be organized to facilitate the change from commercial operations to catch-and-release fishing. GHOF.org | 73
Kicker Rock, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
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ASSAULT ON GALÁPAGOS BY C H I N A’ S I N D U ST R I A L F I S H I N G F L E E T S BY SID DOBRIN
PHOTO BY KIMBERLYSHAVENDER / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
About 600 miles west of the Republic of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the iconic Galápagos Islands straddle the equator surrounded by one of the most biodiverse regions of ocean in the world. While the Galápagos Islands were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, the 27,000 square miles of ocean surrounding the islands were designated as a marine reserve in 1986; that created the second largest marine reserve in the world, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. More than 20% of the species native to Galápagos waters are unique to that region, found nowhere else on the planet. The Galápagos fall under the sovereignty of the Republic of Ecuador, and despite Ecuador’s efforts to protect the region, industrial fishing fleets historically have harvested the rich waters around Galápagos. However, the 2020 harvest signaled a heightened concern from both Ecuador and international marine advocacy and conservation groups when one of the largest fishing fleets recorded was observed fishing the region. From July 13, 2020, through Aug. 13, 2020, the international marine conservation and advocacy organization Oceana monitored more than 300 Chinese vessels operating just outside the Ecuadorian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding the Galápagos archipelago. Using data gathered through a global mapping tool provided by the NGO Global
Fishing Watch in cooperation with Google, Oceana researchers began monitoring the massive Chinese fleet when it arrived around the Galápagos Islands. According to Oceana Illegal Fishing and Transparency Analyst Marla Valentine, it is not unusual for Chinese vessels to fish the waters around the Galápagos Islands each year. However, what makes this year’s observations worrisome was the extensive size of the fleet. The sheer numbers of vessels in the region, Valentine explains, was an “intense event for us.” According to Valentine, the U.S. and EU distant water fleets (DWF) are each only approximately 300 vessels. So, for a single nation like China to have a flotilla larger than the entire U.S. fleet, then have it deployed to one region, signaled concern for Oceana.
Recent research published by the Londonbased research organization Overseas Development Institute (ODI) estimates the Chinese DWF at over 3,000 vessels. Other estimates published by media sites like Science X and phys.org claim the Chinese DWF may be as large as 17,000 vessels. Oceana researchers observed vessels migrating to the Galápagos Islands from all around the Pacific, forming the massive fleet of more than 300. According to Valentine, her team worked to “assess the intensity of the fishing that was taking place in the region and where this fleet was coming from and going to.” “We knew that they were there fishing,” Valentine says, “and using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), we were really able to catalog and categorize what these GHOF.org | 75
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vessels were doing.” The Oceana observers were able to identify that the boats were primarily “squid jigging,” a form of night fishing that uses massive, bright lights similar to stadium lights to attract the squid for harvest. The global squid market is rapidly increasing as more populations recognize the nutritional value of the cephalopods. While Spain leads the world in squid import, it is China — followed by Thailand — that leads the world in squid export, even though Beijing requires its DWF to return 65% of its catch to Chinese markets. The research firm Research and Markets estimates that given the growing demand for squid, the global squid market will be valued at $11.6 billion by 2025. This increasing demand fuels industrial fishing vessels like the Chinese fleet to maximize their squid fishing efforts around the world. China stands as the global leader in seafood exportation and accounts for more than a third of all seafood consumed. To provide seafood at this level of demand and because Chinese fishermen have overharvested and depleted local waters, the Chinese fleets have been harvesting globally more aggressively over the past few years. Oceana’s observations and research revealed that in the one month between July 13 and Aug. 13, the Chinese fleet logged more than 73,000 hours of harvest from Galápagos waters, a tally that accounts for 99% of the total fishing that took place in the area by all monitored vessels, an intensive harvesting event that Valentine characterizes as “shocking.” Squid, of course, are also a primary forage for many of the Galápagos’ native and migratory species. Oceana and other conservation groups have expressed concern regarding the ecological and environmental impact of such concentrated extraction on other marine organisms. According to Valentine, Oceana was also concerned that vessels in the Chinese fleet were switching off their AIS tracking devices, an activity known as “going dark,” in order to avoid tracking and observation. During the month in question, Oceana was able to document 43 instances of vessels in the fleet turning off their AIS systems to avoid 76 | GuyHarvey.com
PHOTO BY BOOM251 (NIGHT) AND VASILY DUBOVIK (LIGHTS) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
detection. When vessels go dark, Valentine explains, there is no way to know where the vessels are, which raises suspicion that some vessels were entering Ecuador’s EEZ surrounding the Galápagos islands to fish or participating in other illegal fishing practices. Part of the concern with a fleet as large as the Chinese fleet that gathered outside of Galápagos, is the potential for the boats to participate in trans-shipping practices. Trans-shipping refers to one vessel — such as a squid fishing boat — unloading its cargo to a larger container ship — like a refrigerator ship, referred to as a “refer boat” — allowing the fishing vessel to return to fish and refill empty holds. Transshipping practices have been noted by many who monitor global fishing practices as contributing to illegal, unreported and undocumented (IUU) fishing by obscuring the origins and sizes of catches. Following the month that Oceana observed the Chinese fleet around the Galápagos, many of the vessels began migrating south to fish the waters adjacent
to Peru and Chile’s EEZ, raising caution from those nations as well. In November 2020, Ecuador, Columbia, Peru and Chile issued a joint statement expressing concern over the fleet’s growth over the past four years, citing a 142% increase in the numbers of boats between 2014 and 2019 (from 261 vessels to 631). The statement voiced deep concern over the possibility of the fleet engaging in IUU practices. Tellingly, Valentine explains that “a statement is one thing, but action upon those statements is another. If these countries gather together and use their combined resources to monitor, track and assess this fleet, and enforce their national boundaries and EEZs, then, yes, that could have a great impact.” She explains that one of the big issues in combating IUU fishing is a lack of transparency and enforcement. “If this statement turns into an action,” Valentine says, “then I think we could see a real impact.” Global concern regarding the expanding range and numbers of vessels in the Chinese DWF has raised concerns, not just
Left: A squid fishing boat searches for squid during the night. Right: The light bulbs on a squid fishing boat are used to attract the squid to the water’s surface at night.
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about the Galápagos Islands but also about waters globally as the collaborative concerns raised by Ecuador, Columbia, Peru and Chile demonstrate. However, it is not just concern over Chinese incursions into the South Pacific that have drawn observers’ attention. Disputes between China, North Korea, Russia and Japan over squid fishing in the Sea of Japan — also known as the East Sea — have brought China’s growing DWF and IUU practices to the attention of researchers and global fisheries watchdogs, as well as into a greater public view by international media. Reputed as some of the most inefficiently monitored waters in the world, the Sea of Japan has a long history of fishing disputes among nations of the region. Because of the poor monitoring in the area, Chinese and other fleets routinely go dark when fishing there. In 2019, researchers counted as many as 800 Chinese 78 | GuyHarvey.com
vessels fishing in the Sea of Japan, and many of those boats were identified as illegally fishing in North Korean territorial waters. In 2017, the United Nations imposed sanctions against Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that prohibits international fleets from fishing in their territorial waters to prevent North Korea from selling harvest rights in their waters, an important economic resource for North Korea. As such, Chinese vessels fishing the North Korean waters were in direct violation of the sanctions, and their fishing identified as IUU. Researchers from Global Fishing Watch described the Chinese incursions into North Korean waters at the time as the largest known case of IUU by a single industrial fleet. In addition to concerns about violations of international regulations, researchers also have serious concerns about the ecological and
environmental impact of the massive Chinese DWF squid harvest. Research has shown that since the Chinese DWF expanded its operations into North Korean waters, the once abounding squid populations of the region have been depleted by as much as 70%. Because the Chinese DWF uses massive light arrays to attract squid to the fishing vessels, researchers have begun using satellite imagery to identify vessels that are squid fishing, even when the vessels have disabled their AIS. The bright squid lights are clearly visible to satellite imaging technologies. A report published by The Stimson Center in 2019 identifies that five countries are responsible for 90% of the world’s longdistance fishing fleets. China leads the world in DWF fishing, and together with Taiwan, accounts for 60% of global DWF fishing. Japan, South Korea, and Spain follow with
PHOTO BY FLYINGV43 / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND COURTESY OF OCEANA
The bright lights of the squid fishing boats are clearly visible to satellites in orbit.
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about 10% each. While Japan and Spain have traditionally maintained large DWF fleets, China’s move into DWF fishing has increased since the 1990s. Before the mid-90s, The Stimson Center shows, Russia dominated DWF fishing but curbed their operations. The Stimson Center report also shows that DWF fleets tend to operate in waters where there is limited governance and enforcement, like the Sea of Japan. China continues to expand DWF operations from the Pacific into East and West African waters. While IUU and environmental concerns are paramount to authorities monitoring the growing Chinese DWF actions, there is also another element of concern. Over the past five years, more than 500 boats containing the decomposed bodies of North Korean fishermen have washed up on Japanese shores. Authorities speculate that these fishermen had to venture farther from North Korean waters to locate squid and fish since their usual fishing grounds have been depleted by the Chinese DWF. Because the smaller North Korean boats were not designed or supplied for longrange fishing, many of the North Korean “ghost boats” end up drifting at sea for months before washing ashore in Japan. Overall, the Chinese DWF fleet overshadows all other fleets in terms of size and IUU activities. One report identifies the Chinese DWF as accounting for 40% of all illegal incursions into other nations’ EEZ. Researchers and monitors like those at Oceana will continue to observe China’s role in DWF and IUU activities, but until the international community demands greater transparency in China’s DWF fishing operations and enforces international regulations regarding territorial waters and harvest rights, China appears to be operating as a rogue agent across global waters. You can access the Global Fishing Watch mapping tools at GlobalFishingWatch.org. GHOF.org | 79
SHARK CULLING
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SHARKS HOW MA N Y
I S TOO MA N Y? NY
Shark population numbers have become a hot topic in recent months, but are the arguments economical or ecological? BY STEFANIE BRENDL
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Y
ou may wonder why this question is being asked. Certainly, if you’re snorkeling around a bunch of sharks, that might be too many for you. Yet, this question is aimed at the total population of sharks in the ocean. What is the right balance of sharks regionally and globally? First, you have to consider what we generally know about shark populations. From the mid-1970s through the ’90s, shark stocks rapidly declined throughout the Eastern U.S. (Atlantic and Gulf ) due to high rates of harvest, mostly commercial. After stricter management was put into place, some of the species are now starting to show signs of recovery. Considering how depleted most species were, the comeback will take many years. For example, hammerhead
disappearing, and as little as 2% of the southeast Florida coral reef tract remains. The issue of shark population is now in the spotlight because in recent months, some commercial and recreational anglers have begun to complain that a growing number of sharks are taking their fish, sometimes quite literally, off of their line. Whenever we hear the outcry of “there are too many sharks,” it is usually linked to someone seeing them as competition, rather than basing their view on facts, research and science. There doesn’t appear to be a single case study in which sharks had to be culled to protect another species. Sharks are not an invasive species that has to be reduced to regain balance, because there were never too many sharks in the ocean in the first place. Ecosystems are optimized to have just the
is a tremendous amount of fishing going on that relies on the same region and resources. This increase in activity causes an increase in interactions. More anglers means more competition and, in some cases, an increased desire to cull shark populations. But without scientific data, it’s hard to know how big of a problem this really is. The fear that there are too many sharks is more about economic than environmental concerns — for example, the loss of catch and commercially valuable fish, gear damage, increased mortality of released fish, and the concern that fishing elsewhere to avoid sharks will impact the overall fishing experience. Additionally, there is some worry that interactions will lead to a negative attitude toward sharks in general. But all of this is based
Hammerhead sharks declined by more than 90% in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from 1981 to 2005, silky sharks by 90%. sharks declined by more than 90% in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from 1981 to 2005, silky sharks by 90%. In its most recent stock assessment for sandbar sharks, NOAA’s Highly Migratory Species Division determined in 2018 that the population was overfished, with an anticipated recovery date of 2070. Dusky sharks were determined as overfished with a rebuilding timeline of 2170. Some species — such as bull, tiger and nurse sharks — have not had any proper stock assessment. “Signs of recovery” doesn’t mean that the populations are back to where they should be. It’s just the beginning of a very long road ahead. Overfishing isn’t the only factor endangering shark populations. They are also under great pressure due to habitat destruction. Mangroves and salt marshes, which are nursery habitats for sharks, are 82 | GuyHarvey.com
right amount of predators to what the system supports. It is human activity that introduces additional stress to this finely tuned balance. There are indeed more sharks in certain areas than there were a decade or two ago, mostly due to successful management practices. When anglers witness a regional recovery of some species, it may look alarming compared to the years when they hardly ever saw a shark. Decades of overfishing had shifted the baseline to a “new normal” — coastal waters nearly devoid of sharks. Several more factors must be considered for the rise in concern from anglers. Tens of millions of recreational saltwater fishing trips take place every year. It is estimated that recreational anglers took more than 42 million saltwater fishing trips statewide in Florida during 2018. Add to that the commercial fishing numbers, and one can see that there
on the assumption that it is more important to keep fishers happy and to protect their experience and income over what is crucial to maintain a healthy ocean ecosystem and what is fair to sharks. It is a bit unrealistic to expect sharks, after millions of years of evolution, to stop acting like sharks. They are designed by nature to go for easy prey, to take out the weak, the struggling and the sick. Fishing makes the caught prey vulnerable. It is the human action that endangers the fish that is being released, not the shark’s presence. Just as the negative image of sharks is projected and promoted by humans, not by sharks. We cannot blame fish for giving themselves a bad name when they do exactly what they were designed to do by nature. The hate of sharks is projected by us. So why do fishers have more interactions with sharks than anyone else? It’s because of
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the noise, smell and vibration that is created by boat engines, chum, lures, trolling and spearfishing — they are all triggers for sharks. They can hear and sense the activity from miles away. A gaggle of sharks behind a boat does not mean there is an overpopulation of sharks. It means the sharks in the area are following what nature has taught them to do over millions of years. Follow the noise and the smell, then take the fish that is thrashing around and struggling. Sharks are simply good at what they do. The question has been posed whether shark populations could explode if they were left alone? That argument ignores the difference between prey animals and predators. Prey species reproduce in large numbers because they have to overcome predation by having lots of offspring all the time. So without predators, that reproduction rate can quickly turn into an explosion of a species. Nature has determined a clever way to limit predator numbers. Sharks reproduce in a way that keeps numbers limited.They sexually mature 84 | GuyHarvey.com
late and then have a small amount of offspring. Survival and reproduction also depend on how much prey is available. Additionally, the smaller predators are hunted by the bigger ones. So big sharks eat little sharks, which is an important factor many people ignore when they wonder about an increase of small sharks. It’s most likely because we have fished out the big guys. If sharks had evolved to reproduce and hunt without limits, they would have eaten themselves out of existence a long time ago. Instead, they existed in perfect balance for millions of years. It is us, the human-animal, that has changed that balance dramatically over the past 50 to 100 years — and not for the better. To declare that we should now attempt to create balance by killing more sharks shows that we have not learned from our past mistakes. Yes, people need to eat and make a living, and having sharks “steal” your fish can be frustrating. But making dramatic changes to the ocean ecosystem to make your life easier is not the solution. For too long we have been
looking at sharks as nothing more than a resource or a nuisance. And that has gotten us to the dilemma we are in right now. Why all that matters becomes clear when we look at the bigger picture. A lack of sharks can have many negative effects, such as smaller predators taking over and decimating reef fish, which results in changes such as increased algae covering that kills corals. Or it can cause changes in the behavior of animals that graze seagrass beds. That, in turn, affects the wide range of animals that live and thrive in these ecosystems. Sharks are also in charge of the important task of cleaning up the dead, culling the weak and sick, and keeping diseases from spreading. The strongest survive, and that is what keeps our fish populations healthy. Why would we risk losing all that? Especially considering the added difficulties we face in the ocean. We cannot easily replace predatory fish once we lose them. We cannot reintroduce sharks as we have done with wolves on land. In the ocean, our only path of action is to
SHARK CULLING protect sharks and help their numbers recover naturally. And since most shark species reproduce extremely slowly, achieving recovery is a highly complex and multi-decade-long endeavor. The good news is that we have seen that shark populations will recover if we give them a chance. And the even better news is that all we have to do is stop overfishing sharks. In most cases, no further action is needed. Just leave them alone, and nature will find a way to repair the damage. At some point, we have to learn and accept that our rights to resources in the ocean are not what they used to be. We know what has gone wrong in the past, so we know how to avoid making the same mistakes. Far more important than any recreational activity or economic gain is that we protect biodiversity in the ocean because that will affect all resources and the quality of life on this planet. As more and more of us want to use the ocean for work and fun, the pressures on marine life increase. We see it as our right to pursue our livelihoods and hobbies without restraint. And when anything, including the very animals that live in that natural system, intrudes on our activities, we get territorial. Going after predatory species because they represent competition to human hunting or farming is not a new thing. But it is a question that a sector of the commercial and recreational fishing industry is asking, and it’s important to not ignore that sentiment. One cannot deny that the ocean is changing and that this is most obvious to people who spend the most time on the water. However, this viewpoint is also skewed by many factors. While some people feel restrictions on fishing are an infringement on their personal rights, the hard truth is that the rights to marine resources and a healthy ocean go beyond ocean users. As with most things in this crowded world, human demand clashes with a sustainable natural world. The presence of sharks indicates that the biomass is healthier than in areas where there are no sharks. Simply put, more sharks means more fish. Losing fish to sharks is probably the lesser of the problems when we need to consider how quickly we are losing biodiversity and healthy habitats for fish.
Simply put, more sharks means more fish.
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Jim Abernathy gets up close and personal with a tiger shark.
MAKING TRACKS
B
efore you start reading this, grab your phone, tablet or laptop — you’ll want to be connected. Launch your favorite browser and head over to GHRITracking.org Now you’re only a few clicks away from a grand adventure more than a decade in the making. Tiger sharks, mako sharks, whale sharks, blue marlin, sailfish, white marlin — at GHRITracking.org, you can watch the lives of some of the most fascinating open ocean creatures unfold as they make incredible voyages spanning tens of thousands of miles. This highly interactive website is the product of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University. It took the blood, sweat and tears of people like Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Dr. Brad Wetherbee, 86 | GuyHarvey.com
Matthew Johnson, Dr. Guy Harvey, the captains of numerous ocean going vessels, and even me. I’ve been lucky enough to work on both sides of GHRITracking.org, and I’d like to share some of the images and wild adventures we’ve been on. TIGER SHARKS In December of 2010, I was invited to the Bahamas to help document on video a tiger shark tracking project for Dr. Guy Harvey and Dr. Mahmood Shivji. Guy and Mahmood had already tagged tigers in Bermuda with Dr. Neil Burnie, and they wanted to see where the sharks traveled if they tagged them in the Bahamas. I will never forget being woken up in the middle of the night hearing there was a tiger shark on the line. We were with Jim Abernathy
The Story of GHRITracking.org BY GEORGE C. SCHELLENGER
on his legendary shark diving vessel, the Shear Water (named after the bird). Pulling a large tiger shark to the back of the boat is not easy, especially a shark who was probably content to just enjoy a night swim in Bahamian waters. We gently (OK tugged) the shark to the dive step at the back of the boat, and veterinarian Dr. Neil Burnie began to attach the SPOT (Smart Position and Temperature) Tag to the dorsal fin of the shark. I was actually in the water behind the shark, watching from a unique perspective (it’s times like these when you wonder for a few seconds how your life brought you to the point where you’re filming a tiger shark being tagged at night). Dr. Burnie and Dr. Shivji quickly worked to finish tagging the shark and then released it into the dark tropical waters — soon to be
SHARK TRACKS
spotted (so to speak) on GHRITracking.org. If you check out the tiger shark tracking section on the website, you will see all of the tagged tigers. This project revealed groundbreaking information and led to the documentaries This is Your Ocean Sharks and Tiger Shark Express. Because the Bahamas turned out to be such a key migratory hub for tiger sharks, the island nation moved to protect them on July 5, 2011. Through the tracking, Dr. Shivji and Dr. Wetherbee determined that tiger sharks are as at home in the open waters of the Atlantic as they are on a Caribbean coral reef, and they discovered that tiger sharks are basically snowbirds. They winter in the warm tropical Caribbean waters and summer in the cooler waters around Bermuda. Tiger sharks are capable of returning to the exact spot after traveling thousands of miles year after year. This groundbreaking research was only made possible through the tagging of the sharks and the information generated by GHRITracking.org. OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARKS The other incredible tracking project I was a part of was tagging oceanic whitetip sharks (OWT). Probably one of the most difficult tracking projects of all. The fins of these open ocean travelers used to dot the surface of remote oceans around the world, following boats and quickly investigating anything entering their blue world. Known as the “shipwreck shark,” they are usually the first to arrive when a ship sinks on the high seas. Because of their curious nature, overfishing and bycatch, scientists estimate that these sharks have been annihilated from our planet, with populations reduced by as much as 99%. To tag OWTs, we were on the Shear Water again with Jim Abernathy, Guy Harvey, Dr. Shivji and Dr. Wetherbee. Our mission would take us to Cat Island in the Bahamas, a 36-hour voyage taking us through The Exumas, and the island of Big Spot Major, inhabited by swimming pigs. The oceanic whitetip has to be one of my favorite sharks; it is highly interactive and always right in front of your camera when filming. They are easy (in an adrenaline-packed
Bahamas
way) to work with. For these sharks, you’d attract them to the boat using Jim’s floating island of bait, and then drop in a baited hook. The shark is then pulled to the boat, and the SPOT Tag is placed on the dorsal fin. Again, these are always the hardest sharks to find and tag because they’ve been so wiped out. From the Bahamas, we moved our efforts to the Cayman Islands and worked to tag these sharks. The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
also enlisted the help of fishing tournaments. If an angler had an oceanic on the line, they would be given prize money for turning the shark over to be tagged. It was a creative plan that allowed us to have more eyes on the water to find this elusive animal. If you track an oceanic whitetip on GHRITracking.org, you’ll see their migrations from Cat Island and Grand Cayman. Still one of my favorite sharks. GHOF.org | 87
SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK The next species, the shortfin mako shark, took us from the waters off the coast of the Yucatán to Ocean City, Maryland. We traveled to Mexico almost a dozen times to work with and tag these sharks. Our base of operations was Isla Mujeres, a tiny idyllic island off the coast of the Yucatán. Our captain for these missions was Anthony Mendillo. During the first several years of tagging makos, we would jump in to film the release, 88 | GuyHarvey.com
and we would get amazing pictures and images — that is until the shark we named Tough Guy showed up. In our shortfin mako shark tagging process, we would spend hours trolling with a variety of lures behind the boat (including wooden boards painted and cut to look like dolphin fish). Once we had a mako shark in the spread, we would hand toss a bait, get in on the hook and bring it to the back of the boat. Once on board, the shark would be tagged and released.
Guy would revive each shark by getting in the water and literally push it through the water for a few minutes. When the shark started to swim on its own, he would release it. After tagging some sharks by bringing them on the boat through the tuna door (a little dicey when you mix together rough seas and sharp teeth), it was decided to build a table at the back of the boat to tag the shark there. That would give the scientists plenty of room to work on the shark and then quickly release
SHARK TRACKS
Right: Mako shark tagging in Isla Mujeres. Below: Dr. Guy Harvey pushes the shark named “Tough Guy” through the water after the tagging process.
it. We felt we had a pretty good workflow until Tough Guy. This shark was caught, brought onto the shark table and tagged. We released him and Guy swam to revive him. Eventually, he released Tough Guy and I went in to film the departure, except, it didn’t really go according to that plan. Tough Guy decided to come back directly at me, hitting my camera — hard. Something told my gut that he was going to go after Guy next, and as I swam to warn Guy, Tough
Isla Mujeres
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SHARK TRACKS
Marine biologist Rafael De La Parra helps tag a whale shark in the wild.
Guy got there first. Guy swatted the shark away with a GoPro Hero on an extension pole. After that, Tough Guy left as our hearts pounded. His message was clearly delivered, “leave me alone.” The reporting from his tag was incredible. Tough Guy left Mexico and traveled all the way to Nova Scotia. The memory of Tough Guy will always be indelible. In fact, my dog, a pandemic pooch rescue, is named after Tough Guy (Mako Monday Tough Guy). The year after our experience with Tough Guy, we added a shark cage to our expeditions. 90 | GuyHarvey.com
The thinking was that we could get as close to the sharks as we wanted, getting great images in the process, and we could do it safely. SeaWorld has always been a great supporter and partner in these expeditions; if you’re ever in Orlando at SeaWorld, you can track GHRI sharks on kiosks in the Shark Realm. There’s a video of Tough Guy in the queue as you wait to ride the Mako Roller Coaster. SAILFISH It’s not as exciting as Tough Guy, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about all of the sailfish
we tagged in Isla Mujeres. You can find those tracks on GHRITracking.org as well. We worked with sailfish for several years with Dr. Molly Lutcavage of the Large Pelagics Research Center. Her work with bluefin tuna and sailfish is remarkable. We put PSAT (Pop-Off Satellite Archival Tags) on sailfish while fishing off the coast of the Yucatán. One year, we tagged a total of 11 sailfish in a day, but the highlight had to be a beautiful shot of Anthony’s daughter Lilly seeing a sailfish on its way to the open ocean.
SHARK TRACKS
The effort was to better understand how this prized game fish travels through the Gulf of Mexico — even as far south as French Guiana and back to the Yucatán — and the tracks proved that sailfish were prolific travelers around the Gulf of Mexico. WHALE SHARKS Tiger sharks, mako sharks, oceanic whitetips and sailfish are all amazing and inspiring, but nothing could quite prepare me to watch the process of tagging whale sharks. Each year, these bus-sized creatures travel to the waters
off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula to feed on a variety of tiny creatures. You can set a calendar by it. Marine biologist Rafael De La Parra has done a lot of work with these impressive animals. You can’t stop an animal that’s more than 27 feet long from swimming, so Rafael swims alongside the shark, with an air-powered drill (powered from his SCUBA tank). As he saunters along with the shark, he puts in the tag one screw at a time. It’s mesmerizing to watch. Just in case you don’t know, whale sharks are filter feeders so they don’t have rows of potentially flesh ripping teeth like makos and tigers. Whale sharks are more like giant puppy dogs of the sea — gentle and tolerant of human visitors. The sharks return to the waters annually with such regularity that a few of the sharks, Rio Lady and Milo, have even been tagged twice. Rio Lady has traveled more than 850 miles, and that’s just with the tag that was put on in 2018. Before that, she was tagged in 2007. She traveled all the way to the southern Atlantic Ocean near the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, located between Brazil and West Africa. Rio Lady proved that the paths these creatures travel over decades are unique. Rio Lady’s story was so fascinating that it was picked up by media around the world. In this edition of Guy Harvey Magazine, you will also see the incredible track of Milo, another whale shark tagged twice.
From tiger sharks to whale sharks, it’s been an incredible journey over these past 10 years, with dozens and dozens of expeditions needed to make something like GHRITracking.org happen. In that time, the scientists at the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Guy Harvey Research Institute have proven these pelagic creatures are truly international animals. Another useful tool of GHRITracking. org is that it has a filter that shows Exclusive Economic Zones, so you can see how these creatures pass through the waters of one country to another. While the sharks know no boundaries, we need to know where they travel so all countries can work to protect them and ensure that these creatures will be around for the future. When we see the planet as one, as the pelagics do, we too will do a better job of protecting all of the creatures who live on this planet with us. I think the best place to witness this in real time, from the comfort of your home, is GHRITracking.org. George C. Schellenger has worked with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation since 2008 and has worked on expeditions with Guy Harvey and the Guy Harvey Research Institute since 2010. He is an Emmy Award-winning producer. If you want to know more of the story behind all of the tracks on GHRITracking.org, check out Guy Harvey Expeditions on Amazon Prime. Just ask your Alexa-enabled device to “show me Guy Harvey on Amazon.com.” GHOF.org | 91
PHOTO BY FISHINGPHOTOG / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
STRIPED BASS
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SAVING STRIPED BASS BY NICK HONACHEFSKY
“Striped bass nearly extinct.”
Striped bass, once considered nearly extinct, rebounded during the early 21st century. But is another downward trend on the horizon?
That was a true statement among 1980s newspaper headlines in the Northeast. Commercial overfishing, menhaden exploitation and unregulated pollution decimated the stocks. Fast forward to the late 1990s and early 2000s, and that statement seemed near impossible with record-setting catches of stripers both in size and number all along the Eastern Seaboard. It was a true success story, and for anglers, it was almost not even a challenge to score a lifetime trophy 30-, 40- or even 50-pound bass and limit of fish on nearly every trip out. The institution of a moratorium in the mid- to late-’80s, strict commercial regulations and tightened recreational bag and size limits of stripers allowed the stocks to rebound dramatically, but as they say, history has a way of repeating itself. A maelstrom consisting of intense recreational pressure through the late 2000s and early 2010s — combined with illegal harvesting of bass in the Chesapeake Bay — continued commercial fishing pressure, and a new problem of Omega 3 menhaden boats scooping up all the forage for stripers has put striper stocks on a downward trend. Recruiting class numbers have dropped. A relapse appears to be on the horizon, leaving questions. Are we doomed? Must we repeat history and have to save the stripers from the brink of extinction as in the 1980s? Hopefully not, and here are three reasons why. GHOF.org | 93
STRIPED BASS
the East Coast. The pressure on both small, recently sexually mature fish and large eggcarrying breeders has now been diminished. Only time will tell if this will have a positive impact on the stocks.
Circle Hooks Only
Protect the Bunker
Change the Limits
In past Guy Harvey Magazine articles, (see “Omega 3” article and 2014 “Stripers Forever Gone”), I have covered the direct correlation between forage food and striper stocks and the necessary protection of bunker, aka menhaden stocks, to maintain a healthy striper fishery. So where do we stand now? Decades ago, the days of Russian Reduction boats netting bunker (menhaden) unregulated, and with a blind eye in state waters, are long gone, but Virginiabased Omega 3 Protein filled that spectral problem area for private fish-oil profits by entering out-of-state waters, such as New Jersey, and vacuuming up massive amounts of bunker schools that hug the coastline. Laws banning Omega 3 from entering state waters prevented that practice and has had real results. No longer do you see the purse seiners scooping up all the bunker, making the ocean a barren desert in less than a week. Bunker schools are now thick as molasses almost year-round along the Northeast coast. More positive telltale signs of that protection are in the form of humpback whales, dolphins, bluefin tuna and finback whales, sometimes breaching to feed on the bunker only a half mile from shore, making New Jersey one of the top destinations to whale watch. Now, we can hope stripers will follow that trend of repopulation.
When striper stocks were depleted in the 1980s, drastic but necessary measures were taken to save the fish, including the institution of a moratorium in Maryland and Chesapeake Bay from 1985–89, which allowed the bass population to rebound and recover. To date, stocks aren’t down to that dire level, but new recreational regulations have been implemented, and for good reason — here’s why. Male striped bass sexually mature between 2 to 3 years old, approximately 16 to 20 inches, while females mature at 4 to 8 years old or approximately 24 to 32 inches. Prior to 2020, some Northeast and MidAtlantic states retained size and bag limits that damaged that threshold level, culling out fish before they were mature enough to breed. Conversely, fish over 40 inches and 25 pounds are most likely female fish carrying hundreds of thousands of eggs. Previous regulations allowed for taking them out of the situation en masse, which was equally as damaging to the stocks. Striped bass size and bag limits have changed dramatically, shifting from previously liberal size and bag limits on both sides of breeding classes. Now, most East Coast states’ ocean regulations are set at one fish between 28 and 35 inches long, and New Jersey between 28 and 38 inches, with varied size restrictions in the Chesapeake Bay and spawning rivers along
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The newest conservation measure that was enacted on January 1, 2021, is the federally mandated coastwide law that anyone fishing with bait, live or dead, for striped bass, must use a non-offset, in-line circle hook. That goes for fishing clams, worms, bunker, chunks and eels. No longer can you snag and drop a live bunker with a weighted treble, but you can snag a bunker then reel it in to transfer over to a circle hook rig to liveline. It’s more like snag-n-switch now. Other rigs that historically used a J-hook, such as a tube and worm, eel skin rig, rigged eel, or the addition of pork rind, squid, etc. to a bucktail jig. All are now illegal unless you incorporate a non-offset circle hook into them, which renders the fishing method moot in most cases. The reasoning for the circle hook mandate is that it’s generally professed that J-hooks have a relative 9% mortality rate. Way back in 1999, the DNR of Maryland performed a study in which 1,116 stripers were caught by hook and line, marked to differentiate between those caught on inline (non-offset) circle hooks and those caught on J-hooks, then observed in net pens for 72 hours. The bottom line? J-hookcaught fish had a mortality rate of 9.1% and those caught on circles had a mortality rate of 0.8%. Science confirms that circle hooks prevent gut-hooked fish; how the new law affects the fishery remains to be seen.
A Bright Horizon? As with any science, the hard data is a long time coming, but the institution of new regulations aimed at protecting young and breeding classes alike, banning of Omega 3 bunker boats in some state waters, and the incorporation of circle hooks when bait fishing are steps in the right direction to preserve and protect striped bass stocks.
Author Nick Honachefsky shows off a monster striper.
Circle Hook
J Hook
Non-Offset
Offset
CIRCLE HOOK MECHANICS On a circle hook, the hook shank is curved around into a near complete “circle,” so when a fish swallows a bait, it goes down past the mouth into the throat. As the fish swims away the hook is pulled out of the throat harmlessly, and the barb point lodges itself into the jaw of the fish — where it sets, doing no harm and preventing any gut-hooked fish. The hook does not have to be “set” in the traditional sense of a J-hook, but simple pressure and reeling tight will lodge the hook point into the jaw of the fish. Circle hooks are reported to work successfully 99% of the time without gut-hooking a fish. GHOF.org | 95
T
BY FRED GARTH
here’s this amazing underwater photojournalist named Doug Perrine. You should Google him. His work has been featured pretty much everywhere in books, magazines and films around the world. His expertise as a writer as well as a photographer puts him in a very small circle of creative professionals. Naturally, part of his job is regularly traveling to the ends of the earth — literally — and risking his life to capture unique marine life images. Ah, the quirky life of a photojournalist. From 1988 until 2000, as the editor of a magazine called Scuba Times, I was lucky enough to work with Doug. He contributed his articles and photos to almost every issue. The magazine and our readership benefited tremendously, and Doug and I became great friends. 96 | GuyHarvey.com
A typical conversation with Doug went like this: “So Fred, the largest aggregation of humpbacks — more than 3,000 whales — occurs every winter at the Silver Bank. I want to go get some killer images.” “Where the heck is the Silver Bank?” “It’s 100 miles east of the Turks and Caicos in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve found this 55-foot trimaran sailboat in Miami and the captain — he’s a Frenchman named Gerard Pesty — has agreed to take me there. It would make a fabulous article.” Despite Doug’s immense photographic skills, deep integrity and steadfast ethics, he pretty much sucked at financial negotiations. I learned this fact one afternoon when he was about to pay $200 to rent a piece of crap car with the back window completely busted out. We were on the tiny island of
Grand Turk, and the Rasta dude with the car was eating Doug for lunch. I gently pushed Doug aside, pulled a crisp American $20 bill from my wallet and gave it to the Rasta. “We’ll be back in two hours,” I said. “Does this rust bucket have any gas?” “Not much gas braddah, you might haf to put in a gallon uh two,” he said with a giant ivory smile. Doug stood there flabbergasted as I carefully slid into the somewhat mangled driver’s seat. For once, I had impressed Doug. So, when he told me about the 55foot trimaran with the French captain, I just had one question. “How much Doug?” “It’s only $6,000.” First, I choked on my tongue, then I caught my breath — this was 1990 after all — and I kind of laughed. “Doug, this is
PHOTO BY DOUG PERRINE (WHALES)
Last Cast
LAST CAST
Scuba Times remember. We’re not National Geographic. We don’t have that kind of budget.” “Yeah, but the boat takes six passengers. We could sell off five spots to your readers to pay for the boat … and my expenses, of course.” My negotiating skills had apparently rubbed off on him. It was a wacky plan, but I agreed to put a small blurb with a humpback photo in the next issue before we sent any money to the mysterious Frenchman. We set the price at $1,500 per person. If we got four, we’d break even; five and Doug’s expenses would be covered. I didn’t have much hope it would go anywhere, but I owed it to Doug to try. After the magazine came out, it took about two days to fill the boat. We even had a waiting list. I was blown away. Doug went to the Silver Bank with the crazy Frenchman, he captured mind-blowing photos as promised and we discovered that our readers were super cool and wildly adventurous. And thus began a brand new division of Scuba Times. Over the next 10 years, we ran trips to Costa Rica, Fiji, Belize, Columbia, Portugal, Russia, the Solomon Islands and, of course, we returned to the Silver Bank every year. I went there for a month in 1996 and cavorted with the thousands of giant whales — definitely an experience of a lifetime. Not only did we produce outrageously popular and unique articles, but we inadvertently created a way for our readers to experience the life of a photojournalist. As the years went by, we started chartering bigger boats and taking photo instructors. We ran
specialty diving courses. Scuba companies sent us their latest, greatest gadgets to experiment with. Pretty soon, we were a little like National Geographic, and the waiting list grew. That was then. This is now. Once again, we’ve decided to open up the world to you, our loyal readers. However, instead of diving, we’re focusing on fishing. Also, we’ve added a giant bonus: Dr. Guy Harvey and his daughter Jessica will be coming along for the excitement. In September and November, we’re running two Guy Harvey Magazine fishing expeditions to Guy’s favorite place in the world to fish — Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. This is an opportunity for you to catch massive marlin, sailfish, tuna, roosterfish — some 17 species actually — and hang out for a week with the man himself and his amazing daughter, who is also a marine biologist and a delightful person like her dad. There will be fishing and more fishing as well as cocktail parties and dinners with the Harveys. We’re bringing the newest and coolest Guy Harvey products, from performance shirts to sustainably sourced water bottles, for us to use, abuse and evaluate. While the cost for one person is more than we paid the snooty Frenchman for his entire boat, it’s basically the same as the standard rate Tropic Star Lodge charges, when Guy is NOT there. Those who want to participate can help us with ongoing vital marine research and tagging projects we’re doing in conjunction with the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University. We will
also have our production team on site filming a documentary for Amazon Prime and Discovery Education. It’s going to be an amazing experience, and we’d love for you to come. For your convenience, we’ve put an ad with all of the information in this issue (see page 98) or you can email browland@guyharvey. com to reserve your spot. Spaces are limited, so if you have any interest, I suggest you act now so you don’t end up on a waiting list. That’s it from here. Enjoy.
FRED GARTH
For the past 25 years, Fred D. Garth’s articles have appeared in numerous books, magazines and newspapers around the world.
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Guy Harvey’s
at Tropic Star Lodge
Twenty-five anglers will have the opportunity to join Guy and Jessica Harvey on a 5 day/5 night VIP experience at the world-famous Tropic Star Lodge in Piñas Bay, Panama.
Total Cost: $9,800 ■
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Five day/five night all-inclusive stay at Tropic Star Lodge. Five people each day will fish with Guy Harvey.
Four people each day will fish with Jessica Harvey and with a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.
Additional fishing days will be standard trips on a Tropic Star boat with captain and a mate.
A personalized Guy Harvey print for each angler. Welcome bag with Guy Harvey Tropic Star clothing and souvenir items.
Lifetime subscription to Guy Harvey Magazine.
Lifetime membership in the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Hammerhead Club. Private dinners each night with Guy, Jessica Harvey and a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.
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Two drinks per day and wine at dinner. Personalized 30-minute video of your adventure.
Breakfast/lunch and happy hour snacks.
Lodging at Tropic Star, double occupancy.
During the week, Guy will paint an original piece to be auctioned off on the last night. Two private “arrival” and “departure” cocktail parties at Tropic Star’s mountaintop Palace. Round trip air charter from Panama City to Piñas Bay.
Ground transportation from airport to hotel and domestic/international airport.
VIP greeting by Tropic Star representative as you depart your flight and personal support while going through customs. While waiting for transfer, admission to airport VIP lounge pending COVID restrictions.
For available expedition dates, contact browland@GuyHarvey.com
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Proceeds from this singular event will go to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to support its marine conservation and research initiatives. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that the cost of participation in the adventure will be tax deductible to you.
REAL ADVENTURE IS CALLING Come experience an adventure like no other. Whether feeling the fireworks of a thrilling roller coaster or making new furry and flippered friends, SeaWorld has something for everyone to enjoy. Every fun-filled With three unique parks in San Antonio, San Diego, and Orlando, you’re never too far from something real and amazing.
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