What´s going on in Australia?

After the death of a surfer from a shark attack in November 2013 , the government of Western Australia has created and approved a plan to prevent such accidents and make local beaches safer for summer vacationers.
The plan is to reduce the population of white and tiger shark, capturing and killing those that measure more than 3 meters and delve into two defined areas near the beach of Perth.
This measure has outraged thousands of people who have spoken out against the authorities, because despite the lack of scientific evidence that killing sharks will reduce the risk of attacks on swimmers, has been given the green light to licensed fishermen to carry out the plan which will last until April 30 of this year.

How can you help prevent the slaughter of sharks?

Access http://www.marineconservation.org.au/petitions.php/9/save-wa-sharks-stop-the-cull to sign the petition against this plan, make a donation to fund the pressure to Australian government or join the mailing list to receive updates on this campaign.

The deadliest weapon is the indifference, take action!

Did you know that...?

The small republic of Maldives in 2009 conducted the first underwater Ministral meeting , the cabinet of the island, located in the Indian Ocean, was taking diving lessons in preparation to celebrate this underwater meeting where a document calling for a reduction in the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere will be signed.

About ten ministers dove inside and placed around a table in a form of a horseshoe, all accompanied by their instructors. Then symbolically adopted a resolution calling for global action to achieve a reduction of CO2 emissions .

Underwater, the government signed a document calling on all nations to reduce their carbon emissions. Organizers of the conference say they want to highlight the risks of increased carbon in the atmosphere and encourage world leaders to commit to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.

About 80% of the archipelago of the Maldives is less than one meter above sea level and is extremely vulnerable to any rise in sea level due to global warming melting polar ice caps.

The scyphomedusa Deepstaria

The scyphomedusa Deepstaria is certainly odd, with its bag-like appearance, and bell that can open more than a meter wide. Speculation on the identity of a mystery blob of has become a YouTube sensation, sparking heated and entertaining debates over its identity. That video of Deepstaria reticulum (described by Larson, et al., in 1988) looks especially unusual because the medusa is being blown around by the thrusters of the Remotely Operated Vehicle, and eventually turns completely inside-out. In this video, we showed some more natural-looking specimens of Deepstaria reticulum and Deepstaria enigmatica, along with other related species from the deep sea.

Televisa Bull Shark Reportage

To see the video click HERE

Televisa presented yesterday a very complete and interesting reportage about the bull sharks in Quintana Roo, exposing the different points of view of the stakeholders: the fishermen, the conservation supporters, the biologists, the ecotourism service providers and the authorities.

The Mexican coasts are part of the second largest coral reef in the world, and therefore include a great variety of marine species. Sharks, being top predators in the food chain, play a vital role in this rich marine ecosystem. They are one of the groups of fish that control the growth of various secondary predator populations and thus play a key role in maintaining the ecological balance. The bull shark population of Quintana Roo has decreased significantly due mainly to overfishing, thus leading the species to be endangered. The loss of these animals would destabilize the food chain and cause profound profound negative effects on the ecosystem.

This results in serious ecological and socio-economic impacts, as the bull shark is now considered one of the most important ecotourism resources of the region.

We need to act immediately to take measures for the conservation and management of this species. Proper utilization management in the country can turn the country in a ecotouristic benchmark and make it position as a world leader in the conservation of these animals.

Phantom Divers, as pioneering dive center offering encounters with bull sharks in Playa del Carmen, promotes the protection of this species for ecotouristic use, thereby benefiting the marine ecosystem and the people of the region.

To see the video click HERE

PHANTOM DIVERS & SAVING OUR SHARKS

Phantom Divers & Saving Our Sharks

The Bull Shark season will start soon: from November to March a lot of bull sharks will migrate to Playa del Carmen reefs, where we offer to take you diving and have the most amazing experience by swimming with them or assist to the very exotic activity of shark-feeding. But let us explain you why we support this type of activity.
The shark species is the apex of the food chain, as it is main predator of the reef ecosystem.
Nevertheless, 90% of the shark population in the world has been destroyed by human activities such as shark finning, bycatch, sea pollution and intensive fishing: each year 100.000.000 sharks are killed all over the world, most of them being young breeding, newborns and pregnant females (FAO).
Mexico is the seventh largest shark producer worldwide, and is characterized by the overexploitation of several species of sharks.
That is why Phantom Divers supports the association Saving Our Sharks, that aims to create a shark sanctuary in the state of Q. Roo.
The Bull Shark diving in Playa del Carmen is sustainable and NOT extractive tourist activity; on top of generating greater economic resources than fishing, it raises awareness of the importance of shark conservation. That is why, by diving with Phantom Divers, you will contribute to the research, training, education and environmental interpretation, as part of the revenue will be directed to Saving Our Sharks.

More information:

www.phantomdivers.com

info@phantomdivers.com

52 (984) 879 3988

The Splendid Toadfish

The Splendid Toadfish

A species entirely endemic to the island of Cozumel.

The Splendid Toadfish (Sanopus splendidus), also known as the coral toadfish, is one of the most exciting peculiarities of Cozumel marine life.

It is 10-15cm long and, like the other members of the toadfish family, its head is wide, flattened and with barbels, but its distinctive feature are the vibrant colors: all of its eight fins, with the exception of the pelvic ones, are edged in a bright yellow coloring. The Splendid Toadfish also has a yellow mouth, while the head and the body are dark, attractively patterned in purple, with stripes. As it is a bottom-dwelling species, its eyes are located on the top of its head that looks directly upwards (there is mostly no need for a horizontal vision), and its wide jaws are filled with small and sharp teeth.

Despite its brilliant coloring, the Splendid Toadfish is a shy creature and is pretty difficult to coax: you can generally find it under or around crevices and coral heads in clear water, at a depth of about 10-25m. It is at night that the toadfish comes out, since it’s a nocturnal hunter: it feeds on small fish, snails and polychaete worms. So night dives are a good time to spot it.

The Splendid Toadfish is entirely endemic to the small island of Cozumel, off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, and the best place to look for it is on the outer side of shallow reefs like Paradise Reef.

However, the species is not widespread and is classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19899/0).

That is to say that, although it is not Endangered, it is facing a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future: even a small-scale local environment disturbance could strongly affect its population. Despite the protected status, nowadays the Splendid Toadfish remain under the threat of the uncontrolled urban growth related to the tourist industry, but efforts are being made to manage this risk.

www.phantomdivers.com

info@phantomdivers.com

52 (984) 879 3988

The Whale Sharks

The whale shark will soon be back at the Mexican Caribbean.

• Its scientific name is: Rhincodon typus

• It is considered the world's largest fish. According to scientists it can reach up to 14 meters long.

• It is locally known as domino fish because the color of its body is gray or dark blue on the top with circular spots, horizontal or vertical light lines, and a white belly.

• Unlike other sharks its mouth is at the front of his broad head and spans the entire width of its body.

• Because of their feeding behavior whale sharks are species with a slow movement, it feeds with a suction method by filtering large quantities of water and retaining a wide variety of plankton, small fish and crustaceans.

• The whale shark has no teeth so it has developed in its gills some internal filters which help to retain their food.

• His reproductive method is ovoviviparous, fertilization is internal,  and the egg grows inside the mother until birth, when they are released to hatch.

• This species is found in all tropical and warm seas except the Mediterranean Sea. Whale Sharks are pelagic, highly migratory, and they feed on coastal waters; therfore their appearances are highly seasonal and are related to the presence and growth of zooplankton. Due to this reason we have the opportunity to see them in Mexico, as the Yucatán Peninsula is an area prone to the growth of plankton for its hot temperatures, which is one key factor  on contributing to the  acceleration of plankton in specific areas.

• Usually a solitary species, but massive clusters have been spotted; more than 100 individuals have been counted from aerial views!

• Remember it is very important to do this activity with a responsible tourist operator, because this snorkeling trip has become very popular in recent years and has resulted in positive and negative consequences if not done with responsibility.
•  An example of a positive consequence is that local fishermen now instead of killing the sharks for their fins, they protect them as they realized the economic value that this resouce can be alive.  
•  In turn, a negative consequence is that unless there is a control many boats and tourists gather at the same time and can hurt the whale sharks. Therefore, to continue interacting and enjoying the presence of these magnificent animals there is the need to have a good management of the resource, good regulations, properly enforced and an excelent responsible conduct form all tourists.

Some important rules are:

• Limit the number of boats in the area where the whale shark are.
• It is requested that tourists use biodegradable sunblocks.

• The boat will be at least 5 meters away from the animals.
• Tourists should be at least 2 meters away from the whale shark.
• In the water there will be a guide with a maximum of 2 people.
• Swimming with safety vests is required. The maximum time with the Whale Sharks will be 30 minutes.
• Do not harass the sharks..
• Do not leave trash in the area.

 

More information:

www.phantomdivers.com

info@phantomdivers.com

52 (984) 879 3988

http://www.domino.conanp.gob.mx/