Marine Life & Conservation
Marine Life – The Lionfish
Witnessing a magnificent Lionfish glide through the water with its memorizing fan-like fins provides an experience that stays in one’s memory for a lifetime. The lionfish is without a doubt one of the most graceful and intricate looking fish that you can come across.
Lionfish have several names like zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish, and more. An adult can grow as large as 18 inches, while juveniles may be as small as 1 inch or less. The lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean floor. The venom of the lionfish is delivered through up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins. It is purely defensive and relies on camouflage and lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey of mainly shrimp and fish. A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties, but is rarely fatal. Give lionfish enough space and they pose no threat.
Lionfish are native to many areas from the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, western Australia and Malaysia east to French Polynesia and the United Kingdom’s Pitcairn Islands, north to southern Japan and southern Korea and south to Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia and the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand.
Over the recent years Lionfish have been reported far from their native homes in areas where they do not belong like the southeastern United States coast from Florida to North Carolina. I recently dove in Cozumel where lionfish have been somehow introduced to the water and should not be there. The divemasters in Cozumel are actively working to kill the lionfish; during one of my dives a friendly grouper whom the divemasters had been training to eat lionfish followed us through the entire dive like a little puppy begging for a treat. When the divemaster came across a lionfish the grouper watched over his shoulder while he killed it with a spear and then proceeded to feed it to the grouper.
The grouper at first spit it out but after the divemaster introduced it to the groupers mouth again it eventually ate it. Admitedly it was very bittersweet to witness – it was my first lionfish and I was sad to see it killed. Though bittersweet it is a good thing that the divemasters are doing this, because the lionfish have no prey in the area and are killing many fish and the reefs. They need to have a predator in order to keep them from taking over killing all that is left of the marine life in the area.
The lionfish, a beauty but yet an alien invader…
Marine Life & Conservation
Double Bubble for Basking Sharks
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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