Marine Life & Conservation
Earth Day Activities in the Cayman Islands Focus on Conservation
Dive Industry leaders say it is a 365-day commitment to keep Cayman’s environment a major tourist attraction that draws visitors from around the world
The beaches, roads and reefs of the Cayman Islands have been tidied up just in time for the summer tourism season thanks to hundreds of volunteers who helped with the annual Earth Day cleanup on the 16th April. Eager to help, Red Sail Sports employees, accompanied by Operations Manager Rod McDowall, rose early that day to pick up trash in the Safehaven area where the company docks its Catamarans and dive boats. After they collected bags of trash, the volunteers put in a full day of work at the beach or on the catamarans.
“Everybody had laugh, especially at some of the items we found,” said Gary Chernowski, one of the company’s watersports managers. “We found all sorts of stuff from fast food wrappers, beer and soda cans/bottles to car parts and rusty old shopping trolleys.”
Hundreds of volunteers collected tons of trash across the island that day. Earth Day is recognized across the world as the day to focus on protecting the environment; something Cayman’s dive operators do all year round. In honor of Earth Day celebrations, Divetech offered free tanks and weights for divers willing to help clean up near shore reefs. Divetech also offered a free dive trip to divers willing to participate in a fish count at the Kittiwake Wreck for on-going conservation studies. Red Sail Sports offered a free dive trip for volunteer divers who participated in a Lionfish cull.
“The local dive industry operates regular Lionfish culls every month to try and keep the Lionfish population down. This is something we are committed to as a community because it affects the whole dive tourism industry of the Cayman Islands,” said Red Sail Sports Operations Manager Rod McDowall. “We are all in this together and we fight together to protect our reefs.”
In honor of Earth Day, Ocean Frontiers also announced the installation of Grand Cayman’s biggest coral nursery in the East End of the island near the dive shop.
“We are thrilled because our coral nursery has been in the planning process for more than a year and to announce this during Earth Day celebrations makes the occasion even more memorable,” said co-owner Steve Broadbelt. “The goal of our coral nursery is to grow coral fragments of the endangered Staghorn and Elkhorn corals and then out-plant the corals to designated reefs that have shown signs of coral loss or damage.”
The Cayman Islands Department of Environment is working with Ocean Frontiers and other local operators in coral garden projects. Divetech and Red Sail Sports also participate in educational programs year round to teach island schoolchildren about conservation. The Southern Cross Club in Little Cayman is a long-time partner in an important research program to protect the endangered Nassau Grouper. All the dive operators heavily promote conservation in pre-dive briefings and encourage guests to be careful while observing reefs and the creatures that live there. Trash is also a problem; discarded bottles, cans, fishing line, weights and other garbage end up on fragile reefs, causing problems for the marine life.
“We’ve seen octopus and other sea life actually make their homes in discarded bottles and cans, and that’s something to keep in mind when we do reef cleanups,” said Keith Sahm, Sunset House General Manager and Co-Founder of SaveCayman.org. “Let’s let them find an appropriate natural habitat to hide and not in an empty beer bottle carelessly tossed overboard. Earth Day needs to be on everyone’s mind 365 days a year and you can help by simply picking up after yourself.”
With an eye to a sustainable future, Sahm attended Earth Day Texas, the world’s largest annual forum for sharing conservation initiatives, discoveries, research, innovations, policies, products, and more. He says everyone can play a big role in creating awareness and action to protect the environment, and it is up to us to work together to build a more sustainable future.
Everyone agrees keeping Cayman’s natural environment clean and healthy is good for tourism. The cleanup was done just before one of Grand Cayman’s most popular summer dive attractions – the annual migration of millions of silversides that fill island’s near shore reefs during June, July and August. Dive sites like Devil’s Grotto, Eden Rock and now even the Kittiwake Wreck become sites of Cayman’s famed “Silver Rush” – tarpon feasting on the swarms of tiny silver fish.
Going ‘Back to Nature’ for Earth Day is also a good reminder for everyone that turtle nesting season is approaching. Trash-free beaches enable turtles to find good nesting sites and increase the chances of hatchlings surviving.
Another 11 Red Sail Sports volunteers participated in the ‘Shake Your Tin For Nature’ campaign to help raise awareness and collect money for the National Trust of the Cayman Islands environmental and education programs. They were among 300 volunteers placed in high-traffic areas with banners and signs to remind commuters of the importance of Earth Day.
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.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust Asks Divers to help with Shark Sightings this Global Citizen Science Month
Whether you are stuck for ideas of what to do with the kids or are off on the dive trip of your dreams. You can get involved in Citizen Science Month and help the Shark Trust by providing vital data about sharks are rays both close to home and further afield.
In addition to reporting the sharks and rays you see on your dives, the eggcases you find on the beach, the Shark Trust is looking for some specific data from divers who are asked to report any Oceanic Whitetip and Basking Sharks.
Oceanic Whitetip Sharks
The Shark Trust are looking specifically for Oceanic Whitetip Shark sightings over the coming weeks and months. So, if you are diving anywhere in the world, please report your sightings via the website or app.
Website: https://recording.sharktrust.org/
App: Search The Shark Trust in your app store
The Oceanic Whitetip. Known for their incredibly long dorsal and pectoral fins, this species was once the most abundant oceanic-pelagic species of shark on the planet.
Large and stocky, they are grey or brown above, and white below and famous for their huge rounded first dorsal fin and paddle-like pectoral fins. The fins also highly prized within the shark fin trade. Whilst they are mostly solitary, Oceanic Whitetips do occasionally hunt in groups.
An inquisitive species, they were easy prey for fisheries. Combined with their low reproductive rate, they were inevitably at high risk of population depletion. And declines of up to 99% have been reported in certain sea areas. They are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Redlist (2019).
Conservation efforts to discourage further declines include listing on CITES Appendix II and CMS Appendix I. They’re also the only species prohibited from take by all the Tuna RFMOs (Regional Fisheries Management Organisations). However, these measures do not mean that Oceanic Whitetips are not still caught – whether targeted or as bycatch – in some parts of the world. With populations declining at such a high rate, effective implementation of management measures is essential to ensure that the species can recover.
If you are lucky enough to get an image of an Oceanic Whitetip and you record your sighting on the Shark Trust app or website YOU CAN WIN! All images submitted with sightings, that also give consent to use in conservation messaging, will be in with a chance to win an Oceanic Whitetip T-shirt and mug. The competition will run until the end of “Shark Month” in July – so keep those sightings (and images) coming in.
Basking Sharks
Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) season is upon us, and the Shark Trust is asking everyone to keep an eye out for these majestic giants over the summer months. If you see any, you can record your sighting to the Basking Shark Sightings database.
Each year, these mighty fish return to British waters to feed on plankton. You may see one, (or a few if you’re really lucky) from around April-October. They can be seen feeding at the surface of the water, where they look like they’re basking in the sun. Thus, their name!
Sighting hotspots around the British Isles include southwest England, Isle of Man, north coast of Ireland, and western Scotland. The Sea of the Hebrides is the most prolific sightings area in Scotland, but they have been spotted all around the coast and have even ventured into some of the sea lochs. The Shark Trust has received thousands of sightings since the Basking Shark project began, but more data is needed to truly understand what is going on with population numbers and distribution. You can help by recording your sightings this summer.
Great Eggcase Hunt
The Shark Trust has an Easter Egg Hunt with a difference for you to try. Take part in the Great Eggcase Hunt and get involved with a big citizen science project that helps shark, ray and skate conservation. And it’s an enjoyable activity for all the family.
The Shark Trust also want snorkellers and divers to record their underwater eggcase findings. Underwater records help pinpoint exactly where sharks and skates are laying their eggs and can help link to beach records. Learning the depth and substrate that they lay on also helps better understand the species.
Find out more: https://www.sharktrust.org/great-eggcase-hunt
Whether you are diving, snorkelling or exploring on the beach you can take part in Citizen Science Month and get actively involved in shark and ray conservation. Find out more: www.sharktrust.org
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