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Marine Life & Conservation

Exploring with the Dive Ninjas: Diving with Striped Marlin at Mexico’s Secret Sardine Run

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It’s November and I’m waking up in a small fishing village on Bahia Magdalena. We are about to head 20 miles offshore in search of one of my favorite open ocean encounters—and one of this region’s best kept secrets.

The warm Baja sun is just beginning to creep over the horizon as we finish loading the boat. Our captain, Mele, gives the ok to push off and we are on our way. Mele has an unmatched understanding of these magical waters. He’s a local fisherman that made the switch to working in ecotourism and conservation projects a few years ago. His passion for these waters and their inhabitants is inspiring.

Our journey seaward takes us past Isla de Patos—a small strip of sand home to thousands upon thousands of tightly packed sea birds. Then along the mangroves that play a critical part in making this area so remarkable. As we move further offshore humpback whales are spotted breaching in the distance as they make their annual journey down the coast to Los Cabos. But the whales will have to wait because today we seek something even more extraordinary.

Soon we spot flocks of sea birds flickering on the horizon beckoning us to come closer – a tell-tale sign of the gigantic bait balls we seek. As we draw closer packs of sea lions can be seen lifting their heads from the water to catch quick breaths. I’m always amazed at how far offshore these salty sea dogs can be found looking for a meal. And right now, it’s breakfast time in Baja. From the boat we can already see the ripples created by a huge ball of mackerel frantically zigging and zagging just below the surface as they try to outrun one of the oceans fiercest predators.

Slipping into the water gives you front row seats to one of the most action-packed experiences our oceans have to offer. Imagine over 40 Striped Marlin working together with packs of sea lions corralling their breakfast into a tight ball and pushing it up to the surface. Then one by one they rocket through the bait ball striking and spearing the fish with their sword-like bill.

Without a moment to think they have already welcomed you into the hunt. It’s a heart pounding encounter, yet mesmerizingly beautiful. Thousands upon thousands of shimmering silver fish spiral into shapes reminiscent of liquid metal dancing on a gorgeous deep blue backdrop. All the while a barrage of sword wielding super-fish and the lions of the ocean ignite the waters around you.

Striped Marlin, Kajikia audax, are one of our ocean’s great creations. A super-fish engineered for extreme speed and vast open ocean migrations. They are one of the fastest animals in the ocean and capable of quickly reaching speeds of 80 kmh (50 mph). Striped marlin are a highly adapted apex predator. Their bodies have insets that allow their fins to lay completely flat when tucked in to help eliminate drag.

Marlin can even heat their eyes and brain to help them be able to manage such great speed and agility. Although not the largest species in the billfish family, they can grow nearly 4 meters (12 ft) long and weigh upwards of 190 kgs (450 lbs). Their long bill is covered in millions of rough denticles and is thought to decrease hydrodynamic drag as they slice through the water—in addition to being used for hunting and protection.

However, these beautiful creatures are listed as Near threatened on the IUCN Red List with their populations steadily decreasing. They are the prized subject of many sport fishermen and Los Cabos to the south is considered the sport fishing capital of the world. It hosts one of the largest sport fishing tournaments on earth as well as a big marina packed with sport fishing vessels running charters 365 days per year. It’s estimated that more than 12,000 striped marlin are fished each year just in the waters around Los Cabos.

Because of this Cabo San Lucas based Dive Ninja Expeditions has teamed up with Nakawe Project to integrate a new marlin research & conservation project into their annual marlin expeditions. The new project hopes to help better understand the population in Baja as well as look at the sustainability and impacts of fishing, while taking you to experience this awesome natural event firsthand.

How to Experience it

The season for these incredible striped marlin encounters takes place every autumn along the pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The marlin normally begin to start arriving in late September and will stay through December. This means warmer, blue waters and good visibility. You’ll still want to pack a wetsuit, as this is the eastern Pacific, but a 5mm should be good for most. Your nearest major airport will be Los Cabos International, which offers direct flights from many US & Mexican cities.

Getting to the action though can be a bit of an undertaking, especially if you aren’t familiar with the area. There are a few locations where you can get in the water with the marlin, with the nearest one being a couple hours drive from Los Cabos. These are small fishing towns though, most without any proper tourism facilities. However, there are a couple operators that run multi-day trips out to experience the marlin and bait balls.

Dive Ninja Expeditions is one of the few operators that regularly run weekly trips each season. They have been actively working on projects in these areas for a few years that help support the local communities and further ongoing research and conservation efforts. They also work in these areas all year long on different specialized expeditions, so they know the local areas better than most. Whereas all of the other ops usually just pop in for a week or two each year.

Due to the remoteness of these areas, and the speed at which the bait balls are moving, trips are usually more geared to freediving or snorkeling instead of scuba diving. But don’t sweat it because all the action takes place right at the surface. The marlin use the surface as a barrier to push the bait balls against, making them easier to hunt. So, enjoy not having to stress over airline baggage weight restrictions for this one!

Interested in exploring this adventure yourself? Visit the Dive Ninja Expeditions website. Their 2019 striped marlin season kicks off in the next few weeks and their 2020 Striped Marlin Expedition dates go on sale the beginning of October.


For more from Jay Clue and Dive Ninja Expeditions, follow:

Instagram: instagram.com/JayClue

Facebook: facebook.com/iamjayclue

Website: www.DiveNinjaExpeditions.com

Jay Clue is a conservationist, dive instructor, explorer, and photographer based in Mexico. Under all the tattoos you’ll find a big nerd, with interests ranging from shark conservation to quantum mechanics. When he’s not diving or teaching you can usually find him wherever there are an abundance of delicious snacks. Find out more at: www.DiveNinjaExpeditions.com.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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