Guy Harvey Magazine — Summer 2019

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 9, ISSUE 34 SUMMER 2019 $6.95

The Plastic Plague Can We Ever Really Eliminate Plastic?

Tagging Giants

Tracking Whale Sharks to Protect Them

Windmills at Sea Challenges of Green Energy and New Fish Structures 1 | ww www.G w.GuyH uyH y arv arveyM eyM Maga agazin zine zin e.com e.c com

The 4ocean Movement Commercial Fishermen Turned Trash Warriors

There’s a reason they say, Curse like a sailor.

That’s why we offer basic plans starting at $100 a year with options that won’t depreciate your watercraft and accessories*.

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CONTENTS

SUMMER 2019

36 6 20 24

OCEAN CONSERVATION MONTH

36

The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation celebrated Ocean Conservation

THE 4OCEAN MOVEMENT T

THE 4OCEAN MOVEMENT A couple of surfer dudes created a business to clean plastics from the oceans. Along the way, they’ve helped local fishermen make

with a month of activities.

more money by catching garbage instead of fish.

BY LOUSIA GIBSON

BY MARILYN DeMARTINI

WHALE SHARK WONDERLAND Filmmaker George C. Schellenger says, “Ya gotta do it” when it

46

NO MORE BUTTS Cigarette butts are the most numerous pieces of pollution on the

comes to swimming with these gentle giants.

planet, and, unfortuntely, they're made of plastic. However, there

BY GEORGE C. SCHELLENGER

are other less obvious forms of plastic littering our oceans.

BY BRIAN YURASITS

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ST. AUGUSTINE AND CAMP MACK Two new Guy Harvey resorts integrate fishing and conservation into your vacation.

52

BY MARK ELLERT

WINDMILLS AT SEA Green energy advocates tout offshore windmills as a source of clean power as well as perfect structure for fish habitat.

However, some questions remain about the installation

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THE PLASTIC PLAGUE

damage to the seafloor, fishing access, and how fish and sea

How much plastic waste, such as baggies, straws, and groceries

mammals are affected.

bags end up in the ocean each year? Almost 10 million tons. Unless

BY NICK HONACHEFSKY

radical changes are made, plastic will outnumber fish by 2050.

BY GHM STAFF

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THE HOOPS ANGLER As a New York Knick, Lance Thomas makes his living battling the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He also causes waves with his pro fishing team, Slangmagic, and mentors kids along the way.

BY DANNY THORNTON

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58

PHOTO PORTFOLIO

DEPARTMENTS

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GUYY TALK

Two Sides of Conservation

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PHOTO PORTFOLIO

Suzan Meldonian

Dr. Harvey discusses the positive work of marine

Longtime diver and photojournalist Suzan Meldonian shares her

conservationists and the enormous challenges

mind-blowing photography from the black depths of the ocean of

facing our global waters.

something called the vertical migration. Prepare to be amazed.

BY GUY HARVEY, PhD

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THE BITE

News, Notes & Gear News and notes about the universe of fishing

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LAST CAST

Hooked on Bones Guide extraordinaire Joe Gonzalez whispers to the bonefish of Biscayne Bay.

BY FRED GARTH

and marine conservation.

BY GHM STAFF

On the Cover: Whale Shark and Krill

by Dr. Guy Harvey

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GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE OFFICES: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA Fred Garth, Editor-in-Chief NEW YORK, NEW YORK Merrill Squires, Partner SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA Scott Smith, Partner

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Lost Key Publishing Managing Editor Danny Thornton Art Director James Scott Circulation Director Maura Jones Director of Sales & Marketing JJ Waters Social Media Director Brent Shavnore Accounting Karen Belser Copy Editor Kerrie Allen Contributing Editors Dr. Guy Harvey, Nick Honachefsky Contributors Betty Bauman, Jeremy Bishop, Martin Nikolaj Christensen, Kevin Denell, Roxanne Desgagnes, Martin Doppelbauer, Marilyn DeMartini, Louisa Gibson, Joe Gonzalez, Jessica Harvey, Alex Harvey, Dustin Haney, Hans Hillewaert, Noah Holm, Nick Honachefsky, Greg Jacoski, Chris Jordan, Rachael Lobeck, Roy Lowe, Suzan Meldonian, Steven Roden, David Royal, George Schellenger, Ron Smith, Peter Southwood, Danny Thornton, Brian Yurasits Editorial Advisory Board John Guidroz, Dr. Guy Harvey, Chad Henderson, Steve Roden, George C. Schellenger, Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Jane Tebbe-Shemelya

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CONTRIBUTOR’S PROFILE BRIAN YURASITS On the road to becoming the director of development for the TerraMar Project, Brian Yurasits spent years immersed in the marine world. He was a fisheries observer with NOAA and braved many days onboard commercial fishing vessels where he collected data on fisheries operations in the Northeastern U.S. Brian earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from New York University and his M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy from Stony Brook University, and he quickly put his education to good use. Over the years, he has conducted research on marine protected areas and worked with the Global FinPrint Project helping survey the sharks and rays of the world’s tropical reefs.

In 2019, Brian launched the No More Butts campaign (#nomorebutts) targeting the pervasive problem of discarded cigarette butts.

“There are 2.3 million cigarette butts littered every minute around the world,” he said. “That’s 4.5 trillion per year!”

Through his work on this and other vital marine issues, Brian has helped turn a spotlight on the value of a healthy ocean so that future generations can experience the myriad benefits the ocean has to offer.

SUZAN MEDLDONIAN A longtime and award-winning marine photojournalist, Suzan Meldonian has snorkeled and dived with sharks, whales, dolphins, and thousands of other sea creatures. Hers has been a life roaming the seas of the world searching for that once-in-a-lifetime image. Her work, however, doesn’t just involve capturing and sharing her amazing photos. She is a seriously hard working ocean crusader.

Suzan recently launched Discover the Oceans, a comprehensive website for the diving community, which bridges the gap between divers, science, and education, with a phenomenal way to search for exactly what you need when it comes to the ocean (https://www.discovertheoceans.com).

Since 2016, Suzan has been the president of the South Florida Underwater Photography Society. In 2014, she was inducted into the Ocean Artists Society, a group that uses ocean art to inspire people around the world to a greater awareness to protect and preserve our natural world. She is a contributor to the Florida Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Her recent explorations include black water diving, photographing planktonic aliens from the deep that rise to the surface each night in what is referred to as a vertical migration. While not new to science, the migration is groundbreaking territory for photographers. The creatures are spectacular, and documenting new species and behavior in-situ offers new and unique photo ops.

A resident of Florida, Suzan has published two books, Under the Bridge and the BHB Companion, which have raised worldwide awareness and made the Blue Heron Bridge one of the top 60 dive sites in the world. (The BHB Companion, http://www.niteflightphoto.com, is available for purchase, with loads of stock images for acquisition.)

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GUY TALK

TWO SIDES OF CONSERVATION When I consider the current state of our oceans, lakes, and rivers, I’m both

of sharks are killed for their fins. It’s a tragedy, and the fight to stop it must intensify.

encouraged and worried. On one hand, there’s a strong and growing awareness of

Invasive species, such as lionfish, have created havoc for people to deal with. And,

the need to conserve and preserve our marine resources. There are a multitude of

then, of course, is the most prolific and publicized environmental disaster: plastics.

hard-working organizations focused on saving everything from coral reefs to turtles

We have devoted several articles in this issue to the problems and solutions

to billfish. Many governments are taking steps to ensure the long-term health of

surrounding plastics. It’s an enormous conundrum that, fortunately, is being

our waters. And, we’ve made great strides in protecting certain species through

attacked on many fronts by some bright and powerful organizations. Yet, when

regulations, tagging efforts, and the growing number of recreational anglers who

we consider how prevalent plastics are in our everyday lives, we can begin to

catch and release rather than catch and kill and hang on the wall. So, when I look at

understand how difficult it is to literally change the way we live. We can make giant

these trends, I have to believe that we’re heading in the right direction.

filters to scoop up plastic from the ocean, we can have beach clean-ups around

Of course, there are always at least two sides to every story. When we analyze

the world, and we can create financial incentives for people and companies to

our oceans from a global point of view, my concerns deepen. The indiscriminate

pluck plastic from the oceans. However, instead of treating the effect, we have to

harvest of apex species from longline fishing continues to be a major problem.

zero in on the cause and stop it at the source. In the case of plastics, we—each

Illegal and unreported fishing is a multi-billion dollar black market industry that

of us—are the source. All of us have to do our part to avoid using plastics. Today,

goes on unabated in the open ocean. Global warming is affecting just about

unfortunately, cost-effective alternatives are limited, but more companies are laser-

everything, including our life-giving coral reef systems, and creating problems

focused on new materials that will replace our ubiquitous use of these damaging,

we don’t yet even know about. Ocean acidification is another tip-of-the-iceberg

petroleum-based pollutants. One of the most insidious concerns is that many

concern. We have only recently begun to determine how changing the pH of

common plastic items have lifespans of hundreds of years and just break down

ocean water affects the health of our planet. For 300 million years, the pH of our

into tiny pieces called microplastics. Microplastics are showing up in surprising

seas remained steady, but in the past 200 years, the acidity has increased by as

places such as flying insects, tap water, and soft drinks. Scientists suspect that

much as 25%! To make matters worse, the rise in acidity continues.

microplastics are capable of entering the bloodstream and the lymphatic system of

Even though there’s been tremendous media attention, myriad discussions, and symposiums on shark finning for at least two decades, the slaughter of sharks to fulfill the shark fin soup market is still happening. Every single day, hundreds of thousands

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humans, so we’re facing the potential of serious health concerns.

As I mentioned, the global picture can be overwhelming and discouraging.

Yet, overcoming obstacles is part of the human DNA. We have shown that, as I

mentioned earlier, with the many organizations putting their brain power and resources into solving these daunting problems. We certainly can’t get so discouraged that we just give up. On the contrary, now is the time to step up and work harder than ever. We can still go out on the water and catch fish and scuba dive in crystalclear water. We can still find coral reefs that abound in healthiness and diversity. All is not lost, and we each can make a difference by reducing our use of plastics, killing some lionfish, and volunteering for a group that is doing something, anything to protect our precious resources.

Our teams at the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and Guy Harvey Research Institute are working every day to help solve many of these problems. Your help and donations are always welcome and will help to propel us in our mission. My most valuable advice to you is to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. If we’re going to protect our ability to go out and have a successful fishing experience, we have to be proactive for the cause of good.

GUY HARVEY, PhD is an internationally-acclaimed Fair winds and tight lines!

artist, fisherman, scientist, and world traveler, who devotes much of his time and money toward ocean conservation.

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NEWS, NOTES & GEAR There’s No Place Like Home, Even for Whale Sharks Whale sharks are known to be nomadic, but the recent travels of two,

coup,” said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., the director of NSU’s Guy Harvey Research

tagged whale sharks raises questions about the lifestyle of the world’s largest

Institute and a professor in the university’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and

shark species. Milo and Lucho, the male whale sharks tagged during the

Oceanography. “Rafael did an incredible job getting this done. The direct satellite

summer of 2018 near Isla Mujeres, Mexico, by marine biologist Rafael de la Parra,

communication technology of these SPOT tags provides much more accurate

have made journeys of a combined nearly 10,000 miles. But unlike nomads, they

tracks of the shark migrations compared to the traditionally used data archival

returned home eight months after being tagged.

satellite tags, which have a lot more positional error associated with them.”

“Whale sharks are currently on the endangered species list, so revealing

A whale shark study by the GHRI and collaborators from the Maldives Whale

their migration behavior allows us to better understand, conserve, monitor, and

Shark Research Programme made news in 2018 when the data showed that

effectively manage shark populations,” said Greg Jacoski, executive director of

whale sharks can live as long as 130 years and may grow as large as 61.7 feet on

the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which is helping fund this research.

average (three times the length of a great white shark).

Milo’s journey was more than 7,000 miles, first swimming east, deep into

More than 150 sharks, including whale sharks, tigers, makos, and oceanic

the Atlantic Ocean, past Bermuda and returning near the tagging site in

whitetips, have been tagged by GHRI in the last decade in order to study the

February 2019. Lucho, on the other hand, traveled only 2,713 miles and spent

migration patterns of these incredible creatures.

time around the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Turks and

A new documentary chronicling whale sharks was released recently by Dr.

Caicos Islands before turning around and traveling to the coast of Honduras.

Harvey and is available on Amazon.com. This is Their Ocean: Sea of Life is hosted

From there, he made his way home to the tagging site by Isla Mujeres in late

by Dr. Harvey’s daughter Jessica and follows the thrilling adventures of two

December. Three months later, he was still there.

students as they swim with whale sharks off the coast of Mexico.

“Tagging these whale sharks on their fins with SPOT tags was a scientific

Photos by George C. Schellenger

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Let’s Go, Ladies!

If you haven’t heard of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing! (LLGF), you’ve been missing out. For more than 20 years, the nonprofit organization has been dedicated to introducing women to angling and marine conservation. Founded in 1997 by Betty Bauman of Ft. Lauderdale, LLGF runs fishing trips and hosts seminars, and the LLGF University offers remote educational weekends with hands-on fishing activities. Most of their activities are in Florida and the Bahamas, but they have also traveled to Cuba and beyond. With more than 8,000 happy graduates, LLGF has been featured on NBC’s Nightly News, Good Morning America, Outdoor Life Network, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Southern Living, and more.

LLGF has a full calendar of gatherings all year, especially in summer.

Upcoming events include the Tampa Inshore Seminar, September 7-8, and a Florida Keys Saltwater Weekend Seminar, October 18-20. If you know women who want to know fishing, LLGF is a great place to start and get involved.

For more information, go to: www.ladiesletsgofishing.com, www.facebook. com/ladiesletsgofishing, or info@ladiesletsgofishing.com.

Photos Courtesy of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!

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RECORD SETTING 14,119 LIONFISH REMOVED DURING EMERALD COAST OPEN LIONFISH TOURNAMENT If you thought the lionfish invasion had faded out, think again. On one weekend this past May, a staggering 14,119 lionfish were removed in just two days during the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament in Destin, Florida. A total of 189 divers participated in the tournament, which coincided with a Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day festival at Destin’s famed Harbor Boardwalk.

Lionfish hunters from across the U.S. and Caribbean descended upon Okaloosa County, Florida, for the tourney, which boasted more than $48,000 in cash prizes and $15,000 in gear prizes. The event was sponsored by the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The winning team, Florida Man, brought in an astounding 2,241 fish in just two days and won the $10,000 top prize for Most Lionfish. Less than 200 fish separated the second place team, Fear the Spear, that extracted 2,059 of the spiny creatures. The Largest Lionfish prize of $5,000 was awarded to team Killer Bee’s who brought in a 17.32-in. lionfish that was shot near Caravelle, Florida. The smallest lionfish, which was just under three inches, also commanded a $5,000 prize, and was captured by team Diamond Divers.

MOST LIONFISH

LARGEST LIONFISH

SMALLEST LIONFISH

Florida Man—2,241

Killer Bee’s—440mm, 17.32 in.

Diamond Diver—75mm, 2.95 in.

Fear the Spear—2,059

Reef Rapper—439mm, 17.28 in.

Fear the Spear—81mm, 3.19 in.

Diamond Diver—1,674

Jen Speara Day—427mm, 16.81 in.

Florida Man—85mm, 3.35 in.

Reef Rapper—1,463

Full Stringer—427mm, 16.81 in.

Deepwater Mafia #4—88mm, 3.46 in.

Making the Gulf Great Again—1,372

Florida Man—422mm, 16.61 in.

Reef Rapper—92mm, 3.62 in.

Deepwater Mafia #4—1,518

6-8 Divers—421mm, 16.57 in.

Lion and Weight—92mm, 3.62 in.

For information about Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day, visit FWCReefRangers.com.

Photos by Fred Garth

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Photo by Dustin Haney on Unsplash

Photo by Noah Holm on Unsplash

Doom and Gloom Accelerating: 1,000,000 species threatened with extinction All you need to do is read George C. Schellenger’s article on page 24 about

The IPBES report is perhaps the most damning and depressing environmental

whale shark feeding aggregations to be reminded how miraculous our water

news ever published. It reveals that species extinctions are happening at an

planet is. Watch any Guy Harvey film or Blue Planet special for a mind blowing

accelerating rate. In case you’re wondering, that’s a bad thing. They also delivered

nature fix. Or, go catch a few fish and celebrate how our waterways can reward us.

the sobering message that “transformational changes” must occur to reverse this

After you’ve basked in the beautiful glow of creation for a while, think about how

trend. With one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction, we

we continue to treat our land and water like a giant garbage dump.

must realize, as the report advises, that we must change or be added to the list of

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but if mankind is going to continue to enjoy the fruits of Mother Earth, we’re going to have to change our ways. At least, that’s

species headed for extinction ourselves.

Fortunately, as we’ve reported frequently in this magazine, there are many

the core message from a report published in May by the Intergovernmental

hard-working organizations tackling conservation issues head-on. However, it

Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). You’ve

appears that we are still falling behind. That is, you could say that we’re killing

undoubtedly heard about the report because it made headlines with all of the

ourselves just a little bit faster than we’re saving ourselves. Many of us are working

major news outlets a few months ago, stating that a million species are threatened

to resolve threats to fishing, such as red tides, over-harvesting and plastics in our

with extinction—more than any in human history. The extinction story was the

waterways. Yet, the IPBES report calls for us to ramp up our fight, or those days of

breaking news of the day. Or maybe even two. Then, all of the networks went back

being on the water catching fish will be something our grandchildren will only

to their non-stop reporting on the battle between Democrats and Republicans—

read about on blogs and social media.

as if that’s more important than a planet literally in meltdown mode.

We all know that human impact can be devastating on nature. We’ve all seen

Compiled by 145 authors from 50 countries over the past three years, with input from another 310 contributing authors, the report assessed changes over

it. We hear about how pristine it used to be. Old-timers talk about catching lots

the past five decades, based on the systematic review of some 15,000 scientific,

of fish, big fish, and how clean the water was “back in the old days.” Now we’re

government, and indigenous sources. The entire gut-wrenching report is available

faced with plastics, polluted waterways, and threatened fish species. Even though

online, but we have whittled it down to some key points that would scare the

we’ve made great progress in the expansion of clean energy and sustaining some

scales off of a redfish. They should frighten you, too, and perhaps motivate us all

valuable sportfish and land animals, on a global scale, the outlook is, sadly, grim.

to accelerate the work to, as they say, save the world. Literally.

Photo by Roxanne Desgagnés on Unsplash 16 6 | www.GuyH uyHarveyMagazine.c e.com

The High Level Snapshot Since 1980—less than 40 years ago—greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, causing rising temperatures and sea level rise to accelerate.

Since 1970, the global human population has more than doubled (from 3.7 to 7.6 billion), rising unevenly across countries and regions.

In 2015, 33% of marine fish stocks were being harvested at unsustainable levels; 60% were maximally sustainably fished. Only 7% of fish were harvested at sustainable levels.

Three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions.

More than one-third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production.

Since 1970, raw timber harvest has risen by 45%.

Since 1980, the amount of renewable and non-renewable resources extracted globally each year has nearly doubled from 30 billion to approximately 60 billion tons.

As much as 300-400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and

Urban areas have more than doubled since 1992.

other wastes from industrial facilities are dumped annually into the world’s waters,

Plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980.

along with fertilizers entering coastal ecosystems, which have produced more

Since 1900, the average abundance of native species in most major land-

than 400 ocean “dead zones,” totalling more than 245,000 square kilometers—a

based habitats has fallen by at least 20%. More than 40% of amphibian species, almost 33% of reef-forming corals, and more than one-third of all marine mammals are threatened.

At least 680 vertebrate species have been driven to extinction since the 16th century and more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000 more breeds still threatened.

combined area greater than that of the United Kingdom.

One hundred million hectares of tropical forest were lost from 1980 to 2000, resulting mainly from cattle ranching in Latin America (about 42 million hectares) and plantations in Southeast Asia (about 7.5 million hectares), of which 80% is for palm oil, used mostly in food, cosmetics, cleaning products, and fuel, among others.

Across 21 countries (with detailed records), the numbers of invasive alien species per country have risen by about 70% since 1970.

(cont. next page)

Photo by AJ Robbie on Unsplash

Oceans and Fishing More than 55% of the ocean area is covered by industrial fishing, yet there is a 3-10% projected decrease in ocean production due to climate change and a 3-25% projected decrease in fish biomass by the end of the century.

It is estimated that up to 33% of the world’s fish catch in 2011 was illegal, unreported, or unregulated.

There has been a more than 10% decrease per decade in the extent of seagrass meadows from 1970-2000.

Since 1870, around 50% of live coral cover of reefs has been lost.

Between 100-300 million people in coastal areas are at increased risk due to loss of coastal habitat protection.

There has been a 29% average reduction in the extinction risk for mammals and birds in 109 countries thanks to conservation investments from 1996 to 2008; the extinction risk of birds, mammals, and amphibians would have been at least 20% greater without conservation action in recent decades.

A Little Good News?

The authors of The Report examined six very different policy scenarios and approaches to solving many of these problems, including Regional Competition, Business as Usual and Global Sustainability—projecting the likely impacts on biodiversity by 2050.

They concluded that, except in scenarios that include transformative change, the negative trends in nature will continue to 2050 and beyond due to the projected impacts of increasing land and sea use change, exploitation of organisms, and climate change.

The slivers of good news indicate that policy actions and societal initiatives are helping to raise awareness about the impact of consumption on nature, protecting local environments, promoting sustainable local economies, and restoring degraded areas. And, in marine systems, impacts have been reduced by ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management; spatial planning; effective quotas; marine protected areas; protecting and managing key marine biodiversity areas; reducing runoff pollution into oceans; and working closely with producers and consumers.

So, some good work is being done and awareness is growing, but there are still plenty of problems that need attention. If the report tells us anything, it’s that we need to change our ways substantially, not just a little bit.

So How Do We Accomplish Transformational Change?

“We have already seen the first stirrings of actions and initiatives for transformative change, such as innovative policies by many countries, local authorities, and businesses, but especially by young people worldwide,” said Sir Robert Watson, chair of the IPBES. “From the young global shapers behind the #VoiceforthePlanet movement, to school strikes for climate, there is a groundswell of understanding that urgent action is needed if we are to secure anything approaching a sustainable future. The IPBES Global Assessment Report offers the best available expert evidence to help inform these decisions, policies, and actions, and provides the scientific basis for the biodiversity framework and new decadal targets for biodiversity, to be decided in late 2020 in China, under the auspices of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.”

As Watson points out, transformational change will occur with both a grassroots movement that each of us can contribute to as well as a top-down approach via innovative government programs. International governments of the world must pass stricter laws and enforce existing laws on a broad range of pollutants. Incentives for green energy need to increase, and stopping illegal use of sea and land resources (such as illegal fishing) needs to become a priority of all governments across the planet.

All of the world’s leaders—whether they are elected by majority, born to power as royalty, or ascend to the top as a military dictatorship—need to focus on turning the tides on this global crisis. Until that happens, the danger will remain eminent.

To see the entire IPBES report, go to: https://www.ipbes.net/.

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Jessica Harvey at registration table (center) with happy volunteers. The “trash team” (bottom page right) gathered a mountain of debris.

Ocean Conservation Month What better way to raise awareness of conservation than to spend an

by Louisa Gibson

Islands Angling Club. At the clinic, children and their parents moved from booth

entire month celebrating our oceans? That’s why the Guy Harvey Ocean

to booth learning about fishing techniques and conservation regulations, and

Foundation (GHOF) presented the 2nd Annual Ocean Conservation Month in

collected “passport stamps” before trying out their new skills. Kids lined the docks

March 2019 in the Cayman Islands.

with hooks in the water to catch and release the fish living underneath. GHOF also

We chose “Generations” as the theme because each generation has the desire to pass down a healthy and balanced natural resource to their children and grandchildren. It also provided a platform to share multi-generational knowledge,

set up a game fishing training station where they learned about the rod and reel, and how to sport fish according to IGFA rules.

On March 31st, GHOF partnered with other local NGOs and government

goals, and compassion for not only conservation but for our natural world, our

organizations for a Family Fun Day on the beach, filled with ocean-themed and

cultural heritage, and the creative ways in which we express ourselves.

educational activities, including story book readings, face painting, paddle

A wide variety of events were hosted throughout the month for all members

boarding, games, and informational booths. Plastic Free Cayman attended

of the community and industry professionals to enjoy. The month kicked off with

the event and shared their goals of “raising awareness to the growing issues

a lionfish cull tournament on March 2nd, which removed 461 invasive lionfish

surrounding plastic pollution and helping others on their plastic-free journey”

from reefs all over Grand Cayman, and ended on April 5th with the 4th Annual

through an informational booth and family activities, which influenced making

Fundraising Cocktail Party. In between, GHOF celebrated with children’s readings,

conscious decisions regarding waste in everyday life. The Cayman Islands

an ecotourism management discussion, fishing tournaments, documentary

Department of Environment was also on hand to share knowledge of local marine

showings, and so much more. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA)

parks and conservation laws related to vulnerable species in the Cayman Islands.

also got involved and hosted a kids’ fishing clinic in partnership with the Cayman

Guests of the Family Fun Day learned worthy conservation lessons through

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fun and play, and the event was a big hit for all involved, with excitement to do it all again next year.

Appropriately, during Ocean Conservation Month, the Cayman Islands achieved a significant and long-awaited milestone with an expansion of national Marine Park Areas from approximately 14% to 48% of the surrounding waters. The expansion was facilitated by almost 10 years of scientific research and will benefit marine and coastal wildlife and habitats, in addition to the Cayman Islands tourism industry. The achievement also sets a precedent for other Caribbean nations to follow suit and increase protections within their territorial waters.

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Shark Talk 2019 A major component, and the catalyst of Ocean Conservation Month, is Shark

Conservation Cruise with Guy Harvey and GHOF in October 2019.

The next stop for Shark Talk, it is hoped, will be Florida in the coming years.

Talk, an annual initiative sponsored by the Kenneth B. Dart Foundation, which

Likewise, the future of Ocean Conservation Month does not lie solely in the

invites every child in the Cayman Islands to watch Guy Harvey documentaries

Cayman Islands. With big goals and big love for the ocean, GHOF hopes to have

on the big screen, followed by question and answer sessions with conservation

the month formally recognized by the Cayman Islands government in 2020,

experts. This year, GHOF educated over 1,000 local children on the plight of sharks

followed by it celebrated in the wider Caribbean and U.S. shortly after.

and what their generation can do to help, through a showing of Guy Harvey’s inspirational documentary, This is Their Ocean: Sea of Life.

The film features two teenagers from the Cayman Islands who embarked on a journey of a lifetime to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to come face to face with the largest fish in the sea, the whale shark. The duo learned about human threats whale sharks face in the open ocean and were inspired to share their experience and new knowledge of the importance of ocean conservation with their family and peers when the expedition was over. This is Their Ocean: Sea of Life is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Shark Talk is not limited to the Cayman Islands, and in 2017, was brought to Puerto Rico by GHOF and conservation foundation Pesca, Playa y Ambiente.

Shark Talk Puerto Rico travelled the islands and got children, families, and people of the fishing community involved to listen to conservation presentations, watch documentaries, and engage in educational discussions at local schools and marinas. Similar events take place on the annual Norwegian Cruise Line’s

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Whale Sharks

by George C. Schellenger

You never forget seeing your first whale shark in the open ocean.

It’s a surreal, mind-expanding experience that directly connects you with all things good about life on Earth. These gentle giants, some 20 feet in length (they can grow to more than 60 feet long), swim around you with one simple goal: to eat all of the delicious, microscopic life they can find. Of course, I’m not really sure if the whale sharks find all the microscopic larvae, fish eggs, and shrimp delicious, but they sure do seem satisfied.

Over the past 10 years during the summer, I’ve made the pilgrimage to the pristine waters off the coast of the Yucatan in the Atlantic to spend time with these massive animals. It is the one expedition open to almost everyone.

In fact, every time I get back, I tell my friends, “You need to see this! I mean, really, I’m not kidding, you’ve got to see them. You won’t believe it.”

Let me start at the beginning. The whale shark aggregation off the coast of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, is one of those astonishing wonders you’d expect to find on the television show Blue Planet. In the lifetime I’ve spent in and around the ocean, there are few things like it. The whale sharks come to the waters off the coast of the Yucatan to feed every year between May and September. To see this spectacle, you make your way to Cancun, Mexico, and then it’s an easy ferry ride to the island of Isla Mujeres.

We stay there with Captain Anthony Mendillo, whom we’ve worked with for nearly two decades. His family owns the picturesque hotel Playa La Media Luna, a short distance away from one of the main marinas.

The whale shark day starts early, with a golf cart, taxi cab, or even brisk walk to the marina, with cameras in hand. After breakfast at Ballyhoos Restaurant at the front of the dock (I recommended the egg burrito, bottomless cup of coffee, and just the right amount of hot sauce), you hop on board your boat for the day and head out about 15 miles off the coast.

It takes about an hour or so to find the whale sharks (keep your eyes open for frigate birds, flying fish, or the occasional bait ball). When the boat slowly pulls up to the first whale shark (Rhincodon typus), you instantly see what all the fuss is about.

These massive animals swim at a sea turtle’s pace, mouths open, dorsal fins out of the water, taking in hundreds of gallons of water to feast on tiny morsels of food just below the surface. If you’re as big as a whale shark and you eat tiny life, you need to eat all day. That’s exactly what they do.

Watching from the surface would be enchanting enough, but when you jump in, it’s astonishing. There you are, fin to fin with the largest shark and fish in the sea. At that point, you lose track of time and everything else. Maybe it’s the way the sunlight pierces the crystal clear, blue water to illuminate these impressive giants. Perhaps it’s the pattern on each whale shark’s body— captivating and beautiful (scientists use the pattern to identify individual Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com | 25

animals much like a human fingerprint). It could simply be that you realize our planet is a place of continuous wonder and all you have to do is jump in to see it.

When you have followed one whale shark for a while, here comes another

asking the question, “Can life get better than this, having lunch with whale sharks?”

So, how did this booming business start? Captain Mendillo, of Keen M International Sportfishing Blue Water Encounters, tells me it started as a break

one, this time from a different direction. If you’re lucky, here comes a third. It’s

from a day of sport fishing. “Once a whale shark was spotted, fishing was quickly

possible to get pictures with three to four of these behemoths on the same frame.

forgotten. All activity stopped and ‘bloop,’ everyone was out of the boat.”

On good days, you don’t even have to swim—the whale sharks come to you.

Photographers and ecotourism soon followed as word spread.

Much like a hungry honey badger, the whale shark could care less if you are there.

It’s very easy to be hit by a wayward pectoral fin.

Occasionally, you will see a manta ray here. Other times, you will see dozens and dozens of manta rays doing summersaults to take part in the feast as well.

He says whale shark tourism has helped protect wildlife in the seas around Isla Mujeres. “The boat operators are making 10 times the money with tourism than they would be if they were out harvesting other marine life.”

Whale sharks are endangered globally. Guy Harvey says all Caribbean

Sometimes there is so much food in the water, the whale shark will stop and just

countries have a stake in how creatures like this are protected. “The time is now,

feed just below the surface—the locals say the whale shark is in a “botella” (bottle,

the decisions people make today and in the next five to 10 years to protect this

in Spanish). (Another reason I tell my friends, “Really, you need to see this.”)

coastline and all of its inhabitants are critical.”

In what feels like a matter of minutes, you head back to the boat so the next

For now, I will tell you this is a marvel of nature, and if you can do it, do it. I will

swimmer can take their turn. Swimming and watching the whale sharks eat can

head back there soon myself. After all of the times I’ve witnessed these animals, I

certainly make you hungry, so the crew makes a lunch of ceviche that’s fresh and tasty.

don’t want to miss the chance to do it again.

You find yourself in a perfect Zen state of peace, relaxed and ready for more, perhaps

That’s the impact it will have on you.

Photos by George C. Schellenger

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If You Go: If you want to take part in this incredible experience, you need to be a good swimmer. In fact, if you’re a photographer and want to swim underwater with the whale sharks, you will need a Free Diver Certification.

Otherwise, you will be required to wear a life preserver.

Some days on the water can be calm, other days it will be rocky—so be prepared if you tend to get any motion discomfort on the open ocean.

It may rain in the afternoon, but the storms tend to go by quickly...and it’s worth a little rain in paradise to see these creatures.

Whale shark season is during the summer months, from May through September. There’s even a Whale Shark Festival in mid-July.

The water temperature is warm.

If you can’t get down to Isla Mujeres, remember you can always track whale sharks at GHRITracking.org. There are several active tracks at the time of this writing, and they are fascinating to witness.

If you want to know more about an expedition like this, check out: This is Their Ocean: Sea of Life, now available on Amazon.com.

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Guy Harvey Outpost

Resorts

BY MARK ELLERT

St. Augustine It’s taken more than 450 years for St. Augustine to go from an outpost for Spanish explorers to a beach outpost for Guy Harvey Resorts. As the saying goes, the ship has finally come in, and it’s been a busy season at The Guy Harvey Resort St. Augustine Beach. Situated on one of Florida’s great, scenic shorelines, the 151-room outpost brings the Guy Harvey outdoor lifestyle vibe to this coastal casual surfing community with its famous zebra-striped lighthouse and ever-popular Anastasia State Park.

Santiago’s Florida Kitchen and Craft Bar opened to rave reviews, showcasing the talents of Chef Joe and the culinary team behind a fusion menu of Spanish, Southern, and Latin American tastes. The décor pays homage to Guy’s first artistic series, pen and ink drawings interpreting Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and its protagonist Santiago who battles a giant marlin. Santiago’s comes on the St. Augustine culinary scene as Southern Living Magazine has ranked the city as the No. 1 “foodie town” in their “South’s Best Food Town” 2019 issue.

No slouch when it came to fishing, Hemingway once wrote “anyone can be a fisherman in May.” And in St. Augustine, pretty much every other month, too. The Outpost Pro Team is expanding its ranks as the resort’s fishing program showcases new angler activities. Launched as a one-day seminar in March and hosted by surf fishing pro legend Noel Kuhn, the Outpost Surf Fishing Academy is now scheduled monthly through September: July 21, August 18, and September 22. Classes are held surfside, dedicated to teaching the techniques and tips of bait rigging, site selection, and long-distance casting. And we mean, long, like in the distance of two football fields!

In May, kayak fishing landed on the activity board, with industry leader Jackson Kayaks presenting a tutorial on this increasingly popular angling style. Showcasing Jackson’s ever-expanding line of fishing kayaks, including their new Big Rig watercraft, Jackson fishing pro Captain Jim Sammons and Guy Harvey Outpost pro kayak guide, Bart Swab, shared competitive insights on Northeast Florida kayak fishing with anglers both accomplished and new to the sport. Captain Swab, also a Jackson kayak pro, is the resort’s go-to charter guide for customers looking to stalk the estuary systems of Flagler County and the St. Augustine area. The skinny water, winding creeks, and marsh habitats make for both picture perfect settings and exceptional year-round kayak fishing.

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And exceptional in St. Augustine, America’s Oldest City, are the big tarpon, the Silver Kings, which show in June in the coastal marshes for their annual spawning that runs through September. Considered by most as one of the best tarpon fisheries in the U.S., even a lowly TV weather anchor can reliably forecast the bite to be as red hot as the summertime temperature. Among the resort’s fishing staff, Outpost pro guide Chris Herrera puts 20-plus years of local, skinny water and inlet fishing experience on display with each launch of his Hell’s Bay skiff in search of tarpon. Growing to about 5–8 feet, anglers can expect hot action inshore for 50–80 lb. fish, and along the beaches, larger, 100-lb.-plus trophies.

Even if you fail to jump a tarpon, the Matanzas Bay and the Guana and Tolomato Rivers are among the most fertile estuarine waters in the state of Florida, creating an inshore fishery that is the envy of light tackle or sight fishing anglers targeting redfish, snook, sea-trout, and flounder during a flood tide. For the angler looking to fish while the family enjoys a beach vacation, it’s truly “so many fish, so little time.” The resort Pro Team makes your fishing day count.

Back on the beach, with summer winds and warmer water upon us, be sure to channel your best Duke Kahanamoku longboard, surfer-dude attitude and hit the resort’s Surf Academy on Saturday mornings. Hosted by the pros of St. Augustine’s Surf Station, the local go-to shop for all things surfing, the academy offers two hours of training for any level of expertise, from building your confidence to wiping out gracefully to executing a flawless 360. St. Augustine boasts a large surfing community due to a shoreline that generates consistent swells year-round.

Don’t plan to lay around and miss out on St. Augustine Beach surfer dude fun. The Surf Academy is your certificate to hang-ten with the best of them.

And no trip today is complete without a file full of selfies and lowly digital images known as snapshots. The rich photographic backdrop of the nation’s oldest city is a photographer’s dream. The Guy Harvey Resort St. Augustine Beach has partnered with the St. Augustine Camera Club to offer tips on taking better photos, with a standing contest for guests and club members. Entries posted to #GHOPhoto on Facebook and Instagram are judged by a panel of camera club officials with prizes awarded monthly.

In other photo news, the resort hosted in late June its first Youth Photo Academy in partnership with the St. Augustine Camera Club and Canon, who is supplying cameras for classroom use. Earlier in the year, the four-day Florida Birding and Photo Fest was based at the resort. The internationally respected festival attracts birding photographers from across the globe to St. Augustine during the spring birding migration. Outpost Pro Team photographer Ben Hick, an authority in fine-art landscape images, hosted a popular workshop session on surfing photography. As a keynote speaker for the festival, Hicks shared his images highlighting fragile ecosystems around South Florida and the importance of environmental awareness and conservation.

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Guy Harvey Lodge at Camp Mack Moving South from St. Augustine is the heavily trafficked migratory flyway of Central Florida and the 30,000-acre-plus Lake Kissimmee watershed habitat, where you’ll find Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge. Tucked into the north bank of the lake with bass tournament action scheduled almost weekly, the lodge and Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts have teamed with Major League Fishing bass pro legend Bobby Lane and the iAngler tournament app to launch its own Big Fish Tournament that will run through the balance of the 2019 calendar. Open to all anglers, registration is free using the iAngler app, also used to record eligible catches anywhere within the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.

The winner-take-all format will award at year end a popular Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor to the anglers catching the biggest fish in the largemouth bass and panfish divisions, where black crappie or bluegill are eligible species. Data collected on the app from tournament qualifying catches will help populate databases used by scientists monitoring fish habitats and water quality across this important watershed.

Working with the developers of the iAngler app, Guy Harvey Outpost and Bobby Lane also created a novel Trash Fish Division, allowing anglers to upload images of garbage and debris harvested from the lake while fishing. Monthly prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the tournament director for the most unique reclaimed trash fish, not to be confused with disrespected species such as catfish and the Florida snakehead.

Bobby Lane and his brother Chris, an equally winning bass pro tournament angler, owe their success to growing up on the lake, learning fishing skills from their dad and other grizzled bass anglers. A favorite son of Camp Mack, Lane finds time to pass along his love of bass fishing to kids of all ages. The lodge hosts the Bobby Lane High School Cup, a tournament held each December attracting high school bass fishing teams from across the country.

This outreach to junior anglers took another step forward on July 13th with the launch of the Outpost Angler Youth Academy at Camp Mack.

Working with the IGFA to inspire future generations of anglers and conservation advocates, Bobby Lane, along with Yamaha and Pure Fishing, Inc., a leading global fishing brand portfolio that includes Penn Reels, Berkley, and ABU Garcia, will provide fishing tackle and teach junior anglers the basics of fishing in an engaging and hands-on manner, as well as the importance of conservation. This and future half-day Angler Youth Academy programs will be hosted at Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge Marina & RV Resort, and the Boy Scouts Flaming Arrow Reservation. Registered students will receive a rod and reel kit, welcome bag with sample tackle, and a course completion certificate authenticated by the IGFA. And what vacation at Camp Mack would be complete without an airboat adventure to witness up-close the wildlife of this Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The lodge’s very own Alligator Cove Airboat Nature Tours is ranked the top airboat excursion in Central Florida. Every hour of every day, Lake Kissimmee nature gets served up in a different color. Whether searching out alligators, egrets, or eagles, the pallet of a fascinating new world colors over the familiar as civilization is left further behind.

When you travel alone or with family and friends, Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts offer more than a relaxing vacation. The focus on conservation, fishing, and diving headlong into nature is the mantra reflected by the man himself, Guy Harvey. For more information, visit GuyHarveyOutpost.com.

Photo by Ron Smith

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THE PLASTIC

A sooty shearwater trapped by a drift net along the Oregon coast. Photo by Roy Lowe, USFWS

PLAGUE Unless you’ve been living in a Northern Siberian yurt for the past decade,

7) plastic caps and lids

you’re already aware that plastics in the ocean is a full-on crisis. In the past few

8) metal beverage cans

years, it has risen to become a major topic of the news media and conservation

9) plastic straws

organizations. Of course, here at Guy Harvey Magazine, we have been following

10) glass beverage bottles

this insidious form of pollution for many years, like in 2012, when we produced a

11) plastic beverage bottles

special “plastics edition.” Our dedicated editorial team decided we needed to wrap

12) styrofoam cups

up another issue in plastic—not literally, that is.

If there was ever a time in history when one person could make a difference, it is

Fortunately, there are many organizations working hard to stem the plastic tide.

Yet, even with all of their efforts, there’s still nine million tons of plastics entering our oceans each year. That’s the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic set on

now. Why? Because each and every one of us uses plastic—a lot of it. We know that plastics are flooding into our waterways, but most of it originates with us, the users.

Removing plastic from the ocean is an incredibly admirable pursuit but,

every foot of coastline in the world. Plus, there’s already an estimated 165 million

ultimately, we need to stop the scourge at the source. One obvious way is to do

tons of plastic currently circulating in our marine environments.

our best to use less plastic as individuals. Another is to foster the ban on plastic

Sadly, more than 100,000 marine mammals and turtles are killed annually

bags in your hometown. There are some 400 cities that have already banned

by plastic pollution, and millions more are affected by microplastics—tiny bits of

plastic bags. That’s a good start. However, the plastic bag industry is not standing

plastic that fish eat because they can’t discern it from food.

by quietly on the sidelines. They are fighting back to protect their business. Case in

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has gotten a lot of press, but less known is

point is something called preemption laws. These preemption laws prohibit cities

that a massive, plastic island more than 10 miles long was recently discovered in,

from adopting local ordinances that regulate a particular product, namely bans or

of all places, the Mediterrainean Sea. Known primarily for swanky beaches and

fees on carryout plastic bags. Several states (including Florida) have enacted laws

topless sunbathers, now the Med has a new distinction. Bottom line, plastics have

or are considering preemption laws that shield plastic bags from being banned.

permeated our land, sea, lives, and bodies. Micro-plastics have shown up in the

You heard correctly—a number of states have protected the use of plastic bags

flesh of fish we eat and even in the bloodstream of some animals.

by law. If you think that’s strange, keep in mind that doctors still prescribe opioids,

The Center for Marine Conservation, the group that has been coordinating

even though that’s a crisis, too.

coastal cleanups since 1986, lists their “dirty dozen,” the 12 items most frequently

The good news is that you can help by reaching out to your city council or

found during their beach cleanups. Eight of the dozen are plastics, including the

county commissioners to push a local ban forward. To find out the status of plastic

most numerous pollutant in the world—cigarette butts (see article, page 46).

bags in your state, go to: http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-

1) cigarette butts

resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx.

2) paper pieces 3) plastic pieces

What Else Can Be Done?

4) styrofoam

Considering the vast amount of plastic being used by businesses, it’s time

5) glass pieces

for our society to ban single-use plastics. Ever stir your coffee with a plastic straw

6) plastic food bags

for three seconds then throw it away? Ever use a Keurig and toss the plastic

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PLASTICS PLAGUE container? Ever go into a fast-food joint and see how everything is packaged in plastic? We all have. Unfortunately, plastics are so entrenched in products we use and buy that companies are not going to change willingly for fear of their bottom line. Each of us, individually, has to make the decision not to use plastic and to demand alternatives from the businesses we frequent.

Of course, for true transformational change, laws have to be enacted, enforced, and equally administered so one business or industry is not unfairly punished economically. Consider the removal of lead from gasoline. That was creating a health crisis and the government stepped in and banned the use of leaded fuel across the board. The same was true with catalytic converters. They became required by law in all cars so it was an equal burden across the entire industry. Because so much plastic ends up in rivers and oceans, it needs to be eliminated by legal mandate and replaced with materials that biodegrade.

Ten Bad Rivers Most plastic pollution begins on land, then washes downstream into our waterways. A report published in Environmental Science & Technology revealed that rivers dump as much as three million tons of plastic into the seas every year. Amazingly, more than 90% of that plastic originates in 10 rivers, all of which are in Asia and Africa and five of which cut through China. They are: RIVER - COUNTRY - FEEDS INTO Yangtze - China - East China Sea Yellow - China - Bohai Sea Hai - China - Bohai Sea Pearl - China - South China Sea Amur - China - Sea of Okhotsk Mekong - Vietnam, Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar - Gulf of Thailand Indus - Pakistan - Arabian Sea Ganges - India, Bangladesh - Bay of Bengal Niger - Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Benin - Gulf of Guinea, Atlantic Ocean Nile - Egypt, Sudan - Mediterranean Sea

The Yangtze alone dumps up to an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of plastic waste into the Yellow Sea.

The Do Gooders Fortunately, the attack on plastic is growing by leaps and bounds. Many companies and organizations have moved forward on banning certain plastics. Following is a snapshot of some of the good guys taking positive steps against plastic.

Governments European Union: In March 2019, the European Union banned the top 10 single-use plastic items found on European beaches by 2021.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, declared in 2018 that India would eliminate all single-use plastic by 2022.

In Peru, visitors cannot carry in single-use plastics into the country’s 76 natural and cultural protected areas or national museums.

Chile fought off an appeal by the plastics industry and banned the retail use of plastic bags across the country.

San Diego became the largest city in California to ban polystyrene (styrofoam). The ban includes food and drink containers, egg cartons, ice chest coolers, aquatic toys for swimming pools, and mooring buoys and navigation markers.

In January, Washington, D.C., banned plastic straws. By July, businesses will receive fines if they continue to offer plastic straws.

Airlines In 2018, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines banned plastic straws and stirrers on their flights. United will use bamboo straws and American also phased out single-use plastic in their lounges.

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Food Red Lobster says that by 2020, they will offer a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws, eliminating more than 150 million plastic straws per year.

Dine-in restaurants in California are no longer allowed to automatically

million stirrers in 2019 when they announced a ban on single-use straws and stirrers.

The SeaWorld parks have avoided sending over 22 million plastic straws to landfills and is working to eliminate more single-use plastics from their parks, including plastic coffee stirrers and shopping bags. Additionally, all of their

provide customers with straws. Instead, customers who need plastic straws will

napkins are made with 100% recycled fiber, and one-at-a-time napkin dispensers

have to request them. Repeat offenders will be fined up to $300.

have reduced waste by 50%. It’s also noteworthy that 40% of the in-park waste is

Food service company Sodexo will rid approximately 13,000 schools, workplaces, and venues of plastic bags and become stirrers-free by 2019.

recycled. Finally, only sustainable seafood and certified organic and sustainable coffee are service at the parks.

Kroger announced in April that it will phase out single-use plastic bags and transition to reusable bags by 2025.

Zoos and Aquariums At the 2017 annual conference of the World Association of Zoos and

Beer

Aquariums (WAZA), a memorandum of understanding was signed between WAZA

Carlsberg beer (Denmark) has come up with an ingenious alternative to the

and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to encourage at least

dreaded plastic six-pack holders. The cans will be held together with a drop of

50% of WAZA’s membership to either eliminate or be in the process of eliminating

heavy duty, recyclable glue, cutting the amount of plastic used by 76%. When the

single-use plastic from its consumer chain by 2023.

cans are recycled, the glue will be recycled, too.

The next year, a survey by WAZA showed that 38% of respondents had already committed to reducing or eliminating single-use plastics within the next three years,

Amusement Parks

while 78% had begun to reduce or eliminate consumer chain single-use plastics.

The Walt Disney Company plans to cut the use of 175 million straws and 13

Two Women Warriors Jackie Nuñez - Straw Stopper In 2011, Jackie Nunez had just gotten back from traveling the Caribbean where she had been shocked at the number of plastic straws and pollution she saw on the beaches, in the water and just about everywhere.When she returned home to California, she visited a beachside bar where the server brought her a glass of water with a straw. “I didn’t ask for the straw,” she said. Right then and there, she had an epiphany. Soon she formed an organization aptly named,The Last Plastic Straw (thelastplasticstraw.org).

Since then the website and social media pages have gained global attention and Nunez has become a staunch warrior against plastic pollution, pointing out such facts as we use 500 million straws every day in the US. And that, even though the US makes up only 5 percent of the world’s population, we use 30 percent of the planet’s resources and produce 30 percent of the global waste.

• Her movement has been successful partly because the message to restaurants is so simple: • Provide a straw only when requested by a customer • Provide either reusable or naturally compostable straws • Or get rid of straws completely As a result, restaurants, bars and cities all around the globe are banning plastic straws voluntarily. To learn more or join her movement, go to thelastplasticstraw.org Photo by David Royal

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PLASTICS PLAGUE

Jenna Jambeck - Debris Tracker Jenna Jambeck has been on the trail of marine debris since 2001. One of her studies, published in the journal Science, found between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010 from people living within 50 kilometers of the coastline. That year, a total of 275 million metric tons of plastic waste was generated in those 192 coastal countries.

In 2014 she continued her journey when she and 13 other women sailed across the Atlantic Ocean collecting open-ocean plastic. Perhaps the vast distant horizons or salt air caused her to wonder, “Is there an app for that?”

Apparently, there wasn’t. After her ocean adventure, Jambeck and fellow University of Georgia faculty member, Kyle Johnsen, developed the Marine Debris Tracker app. The app encourages citizens to log and report marine debris which can be viewed on the website or the app or followed on social media. Today thousands of citizen scientists are scouring the globe and reporting on marine debris. So far more than 1.5 million pieces of litter have been logged.

The app can be downloaded to any smartphone, or you can visit the website at: https://marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/

Photo Courtesy of University of Georgia Marketing & Communications

The unaltered stomach contents of a dead albatross chick at Midway Atoll Refuge. Photo by Chris Jordan, USFWS

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4ocean - The American Dream

to Stop an International Nightmare

BY MARILYN DeMARTINI Photos Courtesy of 4ocean

4ocean — the name says it all. Its inspiring story explains how the ubiquitous glass bead bracelets, seen on wrists around the world, are creating a tsunami of a movement to reclaim and reuse ocean plastics. But the truly amazing part of the evolution of the 4ocean company is that two, young, South Florida surfers became trailblazing entrepreneurs nearly overnight and now seek to totally disrupt the plastics industry—worldwide.

When Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze went to Bali on a surfing vacation after graduating from Florida Atlantic University, they didn’t know it would be life changing. They were horrified when surrounded by the tremendous amount of plastic refuse on the beaches and were puzzled by the fishermen coming in with nets filled with plastic and throwing the trash back into the water. When asked why, the fishermen answered, “We are paid to catch fish, not plastic.” So their brains started spinning on how to turn the problem around. They asked themselves, “What if we could pay fishermen to pick up plastic instead of fish?” And, with that, they went back to South Florida and formulated a plan.

Creating a unisex, recycled product that they could sell to raise money to get the plastic out of the oceans and off the beaches became their vision. Some thought they were crazy, but some thought it would work, and before long, Cooper and Schulze quit their day jobs and started an LLC, a website, and an e-commerce and social media plan to sell totally recycled product bracelets at $20 each to accomplish their goal—cleaning the ocean one pound at a time.

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PLASTICS PLAGUE 4ocean founders Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper on one of their work boats.

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The 135-ft. 4ocean ship has been converted to clean plastic from the sea.

Just two years later, 4ocean is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, has led clean-ups in 27 countries, has established collection centers in Bali and Haiti, and has Hispaniola and other international markets in its sight. The

if we could, but even if we did, we’d have to clean it up again because we’d still have the problem tomorrow.”

Since an estimated 90% of plastics found in the ocean are land-based,

company employs over 300 people, has 22 vessels and recently purchased a

4ocean took on the challenge not only of gathering and recycling plastic,

135-ft. commercial boat with a deep-sea boom, barricade, and crane system

but also of preventing plastics from getting to the ocean. Recognizing the

that can operate at river mouths, where its panga fishing boats are too small to

huge industries built on the use of plastic and everyday items like cutlery

maneuver. The company has already removed more than four million pounds

and containers for personal hygiene and medicines, the team adopted a

of trash from the oceans and coastlines—and that doesn’t even count what

three-pronged approach:

its volunteers have amassed in hosted ocean cleanups around the country. A

1.

Refuse – stop single-use plastics—especially bags and bottles.

real-time “trash tracker” on their website keeps count, and videos tell compelling

2.

Recycle – be responsible and stop it at the source—don’t let it

3.

Recover – participate in beach clean-ups, bring a net when you go

stories of the company’s establishment and growth.

“We did not come from ocean clean-up backgrounds,” says Cooper. “We are ocean lovers who saw the devastating state of plastic pollution and wanted to clean up the mess at our feet. We would have done it with a giant plastic magnet

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get to the ocean.

boating to pick up, and properly dispose of plastic and trash.

Having lived in Florida where municipalities, waste removal companies, and

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concerned citizens joining non-profit organizations manage the domestic plastic problem, the duo had an eye-opening experience in Bali. They

A littered Haitian beach.

learned that in areas of high population and poverty, where there is no waste management infrastructure, people throw trash in the street, where it ends up in gutters and then in streams. River mouths are where most trash gathers, so they looked at how to collect the trash and plastic at the source before it washes out to sea. Another part of the plan was educating communities on the benefits and logistics of proper trash disposal.

They began in Bali where they hired fishermen who used their river and ocean boats to “catch” plastic then bring it ashore to sort, clean, and store for eventual use. They have recruited more than 700 volunteers and their families for beach clean-ups, and Bali was established as the 4ocean international headquarters.

While in South Florida, an ironic situation brought the team’s attention to another poverty and pollution-stricken target location.

Yellow, plastic bottles embossed with “vinegre” were being found on beaches. Recognizing the Creole word for vinegar, the bottles were traced all the way back to Haiti. Cooper and Schulze went there and found rivers of plastic discarded on the streets. In addition to all the daily trash, they found out that Haitians transported water in plastic bags, and then discarded the bags, with a multiplier effect. Now, 4ocean pays locals to pick up trash and hired 40 fishermen, using 22-ft. panga boats, to pick up plastic—and made it more profitable than fishing, especially where native fish were not living long enough to be big enough to eat. The company built its own cleaning facilities and now has 15-20 beach teams to gather, sort, bale, and take trash to third party recycling facilities on the island seven days per week.

Cooper and Schulze realized a major part of the problem is the companies that heavily use plastic—the grocery, medical/pharmaceutical, and cosmetic/personal hygiene industries—are huge and slow to change.

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They see these markets in need of disruption and seek to provide sustainable and convenient solutions to single-use plastics. The amount of recovered plastic

seeking to use ocean plastics can impact change.

The logistics and politics of plastics became such a large undertaking

to date is much more than can be immediately recycled, so quantities of it are

that 4ocean is working with the United Nations and large waste management

stored. In the interim, 4ocean is working to create more products made from

companies to tackle the problem at the source. While it is important to do the

recovered consumer plastics—like the bracelets, made from RPET (water bottle-

clean-up, 4ocean recognizes it is still “reactive” and sees the final solution is to be

type plastic), with beads made from recovered glass bottles. Each bracelet is

proactive and to end the problem at its source.

ocean-themed with a stainless steel charm, so they can be purchased in multiples

Jackie Price, 4ocean’s director of international operations, explains the

to create collections. They are recyclable, as well, once the stainless charm is

complexities of recycling and the circular economy of handing everything from

removed. 4ocean is also producing branded, insulated, reusable water bottles

planning to packaging. Once gathered, the plastics have to be divided into

and hopes to announce more products soon. In proving the commercial success

seven different types, from bottles and tops to plastic bags, toys, straws, food

of this retail model, the team hopes to inspire more entrepreneurs to seek

containers, and even items like disposable Styrofoam coolers and diapers. Metals

other ways to capitalize on the problem, turning solutions into more profitable

and glass must be sorted and some recyclers only take certain amounts and types

businesses.

of product. Price cites the chemistry involved in the blending and treatment of

“You don’t have to be a non-profit to ‘do good,’” says Schulze. “We want to

containers to create various products including “food grade” materials. Bottles

be living proof, and have new companies follow in our footsteps, and show that

need to be processed into pellets or flakes to be repurposed, and more options

you can control a company with a vision. We can create a huge disruptive chain

and cost-effective uses need to be investigated.

of companies,” adding that other recovery and recycling companies and those

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Even transport of materials is an issue—getting vast quantities of pellets to

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injection molding companies, as more products like recycled furniture, playground fixtures, drinking cups, and fabrics are being made from recycled plastic. Yet many ocean plastics like bleach and laundry detergent containers are not considered recyclable, and much of it is difficult to sort and clean as it is covered in muck, oil, and contaminants.

4ocean sums up its approach in its own acronym: O – Optimizing technology for recycling to prevent, intercept and remove trash from the ocean C – Creating jobs E – Educating on the impact of plastics in the ocean (114 aquatic species have been found to have ingested microplastics) A – Awareness-raising and changing behavior N – New global economies—giving plastic value and creating new jobs and products Cooper and Schulze explain that 100% of the sales of 4ocean products go to clean-up—funding their company, its resources, equipment, paying salaries, and expanding to new markets. Since an LLC cannot accept donations, product sales remain its business model and it appears to be working extremely well. The 4ocean mantra, “Let’s end the ocean plastic crisis together,” can be shared by many, creating a movement, led by two young surfers who, rather than expecting someone else to do it, chose to change the world.

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Fishermen Turned Plastic Warriors

There’s that clever but well-worn adage we all know: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for life.

Now, with rivers of plastics invading our oceans, a new saying has emerged: Give a man a net and he can catch dinner; teach him how to use a net to collect plastic garbage, and he can sell it and buy his dinner. Okay, I’ll admit, the new adage needs a lot of wordsmithing.

It’s just not as catchy as the classic. Yet, the idea is simple. Fishermen in the third world can make more money collecting plastic trash than catching fish. It’s a paradigm shift dreamed up by the savvy dudes at 4ocean.

The transition began in Bali when the 4ocean founders watched in horror as a fisherman pulled in a net full of plastic trash and only a few fish. The guy began tossing the plastic back into the ocean and carefully placing the fish in a bucket.

“Please don’t throw that plastic back,” they pleaded. To which he flatly replied, “I don’t get paid to collect trash.”

That was then. Now he does get paid to clean plastic from the sea because that’s the 4ocean business model. That and selling bracelets faster than ice cubes in hell.

“We pay above the minimum wage in both Haiti and Bali,” they said.

As news spread rapidly, fishermen hung up their nets and the fisherman-turned-plastic-warrior program exploded. In Haiti, where the average wage is around $4 per day, they earn more money by doing good for the ocean.

The beauty of the ingenious plan is two-fold. One, many poor countries have decimated the local fish populations just to feed themselves. So, removing fishermen from the equation gives the fish a chance to rebound. Two, offering a struggling fisherman the chance to make more money and clean up his local waterways creates a lot of goodwill. So, fishermen have more cash and the ocean has less trash. Hmm, more cash, less trash. That’s a bumper sticker just waiting to happen. Note to self: copyright that term.

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To date, there are 40 fishermen in Haiti who have converted. They utilize eight panga boats and are in the process of designing a boom collection system to trap plastic as it spews out of the highly polluted Saint Marc River before it makes it to the open ocean. In Bali, according to the 4ocean peeps, some of the plastic saints split their time between fishing and collecting plastics.

This new plastic currency has had a profound effect on local communities, especially in Haiti where jobs are extremely limited and the poverty rate is almost 60%. Having a steady income above average minimum wage, helping to clean and restore their ocean communities, and a feeling of hope has brought a new awareness to the country. In fact, it’s created a movement to try and stop plastics at the source, even before it reaches the seashore. And, local schools are touring the 4ocean facilities in both Haiti and Bali to educate students on the impact of ocean plastic and trash.

From students learning the insidious impact of plastic pollution to workers in Haiti lining up at the door to work for 4ocean, the battle against plastic is gaining more and more soldiers. It’s going to take armies of us all to chip in and do our part if we’re going to win this war.

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A class of students in Bali tour the local 4ocean facility.

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THE 4 PLASTICS THAT ANY FISHER SHOULD CARE ABOUT (Hint: Plastic straws aren’t one of them) ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY BRIAN YURASITS

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Aren’t you getting tired of environmental groups beating you over the head about plastic? Plastic this, plastic that! It’s here, there, and everywhere!

Trust me, so am I. As much as I love pairing my warm, morning coffee with a dreary news headline about dead whales washing up with 50 pounds of plastic in their stomachs, the negativity has become too routine. Unless we can clean up our act, though, the onslaught of plasticfilled news won’t go away anytime soon. And neither will the plastic. Those are the facts.

Unfortunately, the problem is only getting worse.

Plastics are literally moving their way up the food chain and into our bodies. Mercury was so last decade.

Microplastics are the chic conservation movement in today’s world and straws have become the poster child.

Fortunately, the number of marine conservation groups working to eliminate plastic straws has skyrocketed in the past year or so. It’s estimated that 500 million plastic straws are used each day in the U.S. and that each of us will use and discard more than 40,000 straws in our lifetime. So it’s fortunate that so many spotlights are shining on this issue.

When you step back and unravel the real plastic problem in our oceans, straws are barely the tip of the iceberg. There are other, more sinister marine debris to tackle now, and fishermen are on the front lines.

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GHOST-FISHING Discarded, lost, or abandoned fishing gear accounts for 46 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. You heard me correctly! That massive continent of floating debris in the Pacific Ocean—double the size of Texas—is made mostly of fishing gear.

The problem with ghost-fishing gear is that it’s made for one purpose: to catch fish. And when they become lost, drifting through the sea, they continue on their mission to entangle marine life. They’re also a huge pain for any boater who accidentally runs one over.

Nobody talks about this problem because we don’t physically see the nets used to catch our seafood. There’s a major disconnect.

And not all fishing methods are huge contributors to the problem.

Gill-nets and pot traps are the worst culprits, according to NOAA’s 2015 Marine Debris Program Report. Both are left for a time to ‘soak’ in the water, leaving them more likely to encounter larger marine animals and become lost at sea during rough weather. And as fishers, you should care. Some studies show that 90 percent of the fish caught in derelict fishing gear were commercially valuable—a.k.a the fish you’re probably targeting.

What Can Be Done?

Commercial fishers can help by working with government regulators to adopt new advancements in the design of fishing nets. For pot traps, this includes the use of sinking lines and break-ties, which help prevent any lost ropes from entangling large marine mammals like North Atlantic right whales, which are particularly susceptible.

Rot cords—biodegradable cords—are also required in trap fisheries to release any trapped marine life if the gear is lost at sea.

Scientists are even working on a new, ‘ropeless’ lobster fishing technology that actually floats itself to the surface. If these technologies can be made cheaper, they could actually save lobster fishers time and money. One common key to every one of these design solutions is that they don’t limit the fisher’s ability to catch fish.

Gill-nets are larger and a bit more complicated. If you change the design of a gillnet, it can’t achieve its purpose of catching target fish. Gill-nets today are equipped with break-ties, but there’s no design that can prevent sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, or sharks from becoming entangled. So, governments around the world set regulations on the size of the nets, the soak times, and how fishers can use them.

Drift nets are more easily lost at sea, and shorter soak times with shorter nets mean it’s less likely for a vulnerable animal to encounter it. Drift gill-nets were banned in international waters in 1992 by the U.N., and many countries around the world have commercial regulations in place.

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PUBLIC ENEMY #: CIGARETTE BUTTS I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to you when I say this, but the single-most littered plastic in the world is cigarette butts.

More than two million butts are littered every single minute, where 1 in 10 will reach a body of water. And yes, they are made of plastic—cellulose acetate to be precise.

Fun Fact #1: 75% of smokers are reported to litter while driving their car.

There’s always been a culture of smoking cigarettes on fishing boats. Having spent time working aboard commercial boats in the Mid-Atlantic, I can attest. These little, white sticks can be more valuable than water when you’re hundreds of miles from land.

Unfortunately, unless you’re one of those Europeans who roll their own cigarettes with cotton filters, every time you flick a butt into the sea it remains for years.

This is a significant source of plastic pollution in our seas, where fishers can transform from one of the world’s worst polluters to the world’s greatest advocates for change.

No More Butts How do you stop two billion pounds of cigarettes (equivalent to the weight of 30,303 adult humpback whales) from flooding our environment every year? People litter cigarettes because it’s socially acceptable, or rather, normal. Smokers don’t generally know that cigarette butts are made of plastic, nor do they have other options than littering in most scenarios.

So, we need a two-pronged approach to prevent cigarettes from becoming fish food.

1. Educate the public about the problem to help smokers think of littering cigarette butts the same way we think about throwing a plastic bag into the ocean.

2. Give smokers real alternatives to littering and help them to recycle their butts!

This might sound crazy, but cigarette butts can be recycled. In the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Japan, smokers and businesses can recycle cigarette waste through TerraCycle’s cigarette recycling program. Many businesses around the world already collect cigarette butts in outdoor receptacles, or ashtrays, but they can do better. If businesses will include some educational signage along with their receptacles, not only will more people not litter, but they may start recycling at home, too! And to prevent littering onthe-go, smokers nowadays can purchase air-tight pocket ashtrays.

For more info on TerraCycle’s recycling program, go to: https://braingarden.ca.

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PLASTIC PARTY BALOONS I’ve participated in, and organized a ton of beach clean-ups around the U.S. and Caribbean, and one item that I consistently run into is plastic balloons. Not only are balloons mistakenly ingested by sea turtles while hunting for jellyfish, but they also come with a long string of death, which entangles seabirds.

According to a new study, balloons are the deadliest source of plastic pollution for seabirds.

Balloons have also become a popular way to target sailfish.

Instead of using kites to take bait far away from the boat, many have substituted balloons. If you do any balloon fishing, only use biodegradable balloons. Otherwise, you’ll definitely be littering the places we fish. So it does become our responsibility to let the world know that plastic balloons really blow.

Hold on Tight!

Cities around the world are starting to ban the intentional release of plastic balloons into the environment, which is an awesome first step. If the city where you live doesn’t already do this, give your local government a ring and let them know about the problem.

You can also help educate the people in your life about the issue by picking up littered balloons when you see them, and share pictures in community groups and online platforms. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate a special event without using plastic that can literally fly away if you let go.

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FISHING LINE Fun Fact #2: It takes monofilament fishing line 600 years to break down in the ocean.

Any recreational fisher understands the frustrations of snagging your brand-new rig on some rocks or reef. But what we forget is that breaking our lines can strand hundreds of feet of plastic in the sea. And by now, you probably catch the trend—plastic lines are easily caught around sea life.

Preventative Measures The best way to prevent monofilament fishing line from breaking free into our oceans is to avoid fishing directly on top of reef or wreck structures. Try dropping your line near enough to the structure to entice your target fish. If you do get snagged, learn the proper technique to break your line at the lure. This can prevent hundreds of feet of fishing line from littering the ocean. Today, many popular surfcasting beaches have recycling receptacles for you to recycle any broken line.

FINAL THOUGHTS Yes, the plastic problem is dreary. So let’s all work together to end it so we never have to talk about it again. The fight against plastic needs the experience of individuals who stand on the front lines. It needs those of us who love to fish to raise our voices and take the lead. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com | 51

Offshore Windfarms GRACIOUS GIFT OR TROJAN HORSE?

BY NICK HONACHEFSKY

Photo by Hans Hillewaert

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Offshore wind farms have been established in Europe, most notably Denmark, since 1991, and the first offshore wind farm has already been planted in the U.S. The Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island, consisting of five, 6-megawatt turbines with submarine transmission cables, lies three miles off the island and allows angler access, as of now. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), engineering plans for the near future consist of building a wind farm off of Long Island, NY, complete with 15 wind turbines, an offshore substation, and the 30-mile power cable that will run to East Hampton, NY, as well as wind farms 10 to 20 miles offshore of New Jersey inclusive with offshore substations and subsea cables. The Block Island Wind Farm has only been operational for two years, so no hard data has been collected on the long-term impacts to marine life. BOEM is also reviewing the electromagnetic field (EMF) effects of the transmission line on sea life. Wind farms have a projected lifespan of around 25 years. So, are offshore wind farms a good or bad proposition? I recently attended a meeting in Toms River, NJ, with representatives hailing from the windmill companies Orsted, Equinor, EDF Renewables, Anglers for Offshore Wind Power, and a general public attendance of recreational and commercial anglers.

Here were some pros and cons.

Photo by Martin Nikolaj Christensen

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+ PROS Clean, safe energy — Offshore wind farms produce relatively cheap, renewable, clean energy that benefits a community. Unlike offshore oil platforms, there is no chance of an oil spill or explosion that would destroy the surrounding ecosystem and wreak untold, ecological damage. No doubt, that is peace of mind when considering the implementation of energy sources.

Also, the growth of renewable energies, such as wind and solar, continues to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower the output of greenhouse gases, which are contributing to climate change. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 25 offshore wind projects with a generating capacity of 24 gigawatts are now being planned, mainly off the U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic coasts. That is enough energy created by the wind to power almost 20 million homes and eliminate the burning of more than a million gallons of oil per day.

Fishing potential, submarine growth — Much like the oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico, California, and other regions, years of operation in the marine environment will collect sustained marine growth on the structures, in essence creating a contained ecosystem, with which the cycle of life attracts.

Windmills could become a little oasis in the ocean where barnacle and mussel growth will bring crabs, sea worms, and baitfish, thus attracting gamefish like tuna, striped bass, blackfish, and such. That kind of life adds up to a major fishing platform. Paul Eidman, charter boat captain and spokesperson for Anglers for Offshore Wind Power, has fished the Block Island turbines and states. “There are already four tons of mussels growing on each of the Block Island turbine stanchions,” he stated. “Once the mussels take hold, it goes right up the food chain.

We’ve had great days fishing for sea bass already there.” Angling potential increases and the platforms can offer a great fishing opportunity in an otherwise barren ocean area. Windmills slated to be built in New Jersey are projected to be laid out in straight lines, .71 to .78 miles apart, to allow for commercial clam dredgers, scallopers, and squidders to effectively work their gear through the area.

Photos by Peter Southwood

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Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Leases

Fed/State Boundary BƵƌĞĂƵ ŽĨ ŶĞƌŐLJ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Lease Areas

Bathymetry meters Shallower than -30 -30 to -45 -45 to -60 -60 to -90 Deeper than -90

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- CONS Environmental and biological impacts — Of utmost

Angler access — Will the windmills be off limits to sport fishing?

concern among the public is environmental impact. “There’s a lot being proposed

Angler access is the number one concern for recreational fishermen. Post 9/11

to go out in the ocean and on the bottom,” said Tim Dillingham of the American

along the NY/NJ area, things are still a little locked down, more so than other areas

Littoral Society. “The construction of undersea cables, as well as the windmills

of the country. Many security protocols have been implemented for structures and

themselves, will disturb a lot of submarine ground.”

transportation avenues along the metro shores. That said, with energy-generating

The ocean is a delicate place. Unlike wind farms on land, marine mammals, fish

platforms lining the sides of major international trade shipping lanes, you would

migration, and life patterns may be disturbed. Some have concerns that vibrations

expect some security measures would eventually be put into place. Therefore,

of the turbines and EMF pulsing could disrupt whales, tuna, sharks, and dolphins.

anglers are concerned that to sell the wind farms, wind companies are pandering to

Also, seabirds could be negatively affected. Turbines are massive structures, with

the angling community allowing them to fish by the structures carte blanche.

height spans between 580 feet and a maximum of 840 feet tall, that could impact

“We have no intent to shut off any angler access to the windmill platforms,”

bird migration or cause issues that have yet to be identified. At this point, the

stated Copeland. But many anglers are worried that it’s only a matter of time

science is in the gathering process and is too young for us to know how windmills

before federal, governmental (e.g., Homeland Security), or private windmill

will impact marine life.

company restrictions come into play, closing off sections of the ocean to fishing.

“You’re talking about a forest of these turbines, not just one or two, here

When pressed for more information on angler access, Copeland stated, “We

and there,” noted Robert Rush, Jr., of United Boatmen and a member of the

know that there will be safety zones implemented around the substation platforms.

New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council, while speaking to the windmill companies.

We do not know how wide the zones will be yet.” Anglers voiced an opinion they

“We haven’t seen the science yet, any scientific data, for potential effects on the

want a written guarantee that access will not be limited.

region’s fish populations. If you can’t show the science, we’re not on board.”

Representatives from Orsted admitted there was no scientific data that addressed

Socioeconomic issues — Unsightliness from shore, aka “Visual

how the turbines EMF and vibrations would affect fish migrations and populations.

Pollution,” is also a concern to the state’s economy. The bulk of state tourism

However, a study on Denmark wind farms found a direct correlation between the

along the East Coast, especially in New Jersey, is dependent upon the shoreline

strength of EMF from undersea cables and increasing avoidance behaviors around

view. According to BOEM, wind farms built within 26 miles offshore can be viewed

those cable and decreasing catch of flounder.

from shore on a clear day, which has the potential to negatively affect tourism and

“Even if you take one fish species out of the food chain from the EMF’s influence, it will affect the entire ecosystem,” added Rush.

Submarine cables running to the windmills will be buried six feet under the

property values.

Offshore wind farms have the potential of reducing the threat of oil spills and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. They also will provide a habitat for

sea floor, possibly destroying indigenous mussel beds and prolific submarine

marine life and potential new opportunities for angling. However, moving forward

substrate, but Doug Copeland of EDF Renewables assures they are taking that

with the complete science, not to mention the impact on the submarine biomass,

into consideration. “All windmills and construction will be responsibly sited,”

begs the question: are we moving too fast into uncharted waters, so to speak? A

said Copeland. “We will actively research seafloor mussel beds, structures, and

segment of the fishing community has come to the conclusion that we should wait

shipwrecks so as not to disturb habitats during construction.”

until legitimate scientific data comes in, in respect to environmental and biological

With plans to construct the windmills in just 60 to 100 feet depths in South Jersey, some wonder if a hurricane or nor’easter, with the punishing power of Superstorm Sandy, would damage the structures. They are built to withstand hurricane force winds, but nature has shown how unforgiving she can be.

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impact, before any state further commits to mass production and leasing of lands to offshore wind farms.

Of course, when energy is at stake—whether it’s fossil fuels, wind, solar, or nuclear—the path forward may not always be simple or easy.

Photo courtesy of www.cgpgrey.com

Photo by Martin Doppelbauer

Photo by Hans Hillewaert

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Suzan Meldonian a photo portfolio of black water diving

A pink, tubular pyrosome becomes a protection home for juvenile pin fish in the Gulf Stream current.

Pyrosomes are actually colonial tunicate colonies made up of thousands of individuals called zooids.

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Right: Tube anemones are one of the many gelatinous creatures floating around out there in the gloom.

Constantly changing shape, the pinkish area is most likely what it had for dinner.

Below: Here, we see the tube anemone has pulled in its tentacles. Perhaps no bigger than a pin head, this is just another layer of the ocean.

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Flying fish - Atlantic - Cheilopogon melanurus. We’ve seen them fly out of the water and into our boats, but remarkable as it is, they seem to fly underwater as well, hovering close the surface. This one is known locally as the Fu Manchu flying fish with these long proboscis used for probing.

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Snails actually begin their lives with sparkly wings, which will later develop into one foot. They use these to flap around and propel themselves through the water column.

Even at this early stage of their lives, and no bigger than the

Even the massive, strong tuna have to start

sliver of your fingernail, wahoo are born with all their teeth.

somewhere, with nothing more than a jawful

Photographed with a 10x diopter on a macro lens.

of teeth and tail. Hard to believe something so small will grow into such a strong and powerful fish. Size is less than one inch.

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A very tiny jellyfish, no bigger than a grain of rice. Photographed in the Gulf Stream current, this was a very exciting find for scientists in Japan. Scientific papers have now been written up on this find with the image proving its existence in the Atlantic, when it was only believed to have existed in Japanese waters.

Left: Without getting too technical, the oceans are filled with a vast variety of worms. Many of them have highly toxin-bearing quills filled with nematocystic venom. This little squirt was spinning in place, doing barrel turns at a ripe age of perhaps three hours.

Right: This is a larval spotfin flounder, Cylopsetta Fimbriata.

It is about the size of a quarter but as thin as a piece of paper. In their larval stage, their eyes are on either side of their face, but as they grow older, one eye will slide over for its adaptation to its sand dwelling life with both eyes ending up on the same side of their body to keep an eye out for predators and mates. It is unknown why this creature has such an elaborate headdress, but it is quite beautiful.

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This pelagic blanket octopus is a rare sighting. Females grow to a staggering six feet but may look like a discarded rag on the surface to boaters. Regarded as highly intelligent creatures, not only do they have the ability to detach a tentacle to flee a predator, but they have been known to use the stinging tentacles of the Portuguese Man-O-War as a defense mechanism.

Even at this pre-settling stage, the lionfish have invaded our waters and come up to feed during the vertical migration, equipped with their voracious appetites able to consume 20 larval fish. Also quite toxic, it is very important not to touch their dorsal fins or near their head as their venom is extremely painful and, for some, can be fatal.

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Squids are actually mollusks. The bigfin reef squid is a commercially important squid commonly found throughout Southeast Asian waters.

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It is a dog-eat-dog world at night when all the little creatures come out for dinner. Here, a Siphonophore, a type of nearly invisible jellyfish, ensnares a larval crab that is eating amphipods. Also highly toxic, this animal is perhaps responsible for many stings—when you didn’t see what got you!

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The pteropod, a mollusk, is perhaps no bigger than a couple of strands of hair. It is hard to believe that scientists can actually measure their shells to determine ocean acidification levels where it was found. Creatures like these are creating much of the oxygen that we breathe. Changes to the ocean environment impact their ability to grow and, in effect, the entire food chain relies on their strength.

The World of Black Water Diving The Little Things that Count

BY SUZAN MELDONIAN

From the time we take our first scuba lesson, we are taught skills to get in and go down. However, during the last several years, a new craze

important to be upcurrent to avoid being snared in their stinging tentacles.

As my eyes adjust to the total darkness, armed only with the

is storming the underwater photography scene. This is the world of Black

focus lights on my underwater housing and the dim glow from other

Water Diving. No, this is not a normal night dive on a reef, but diving at

photographer’s lights, we follow our down line wherever the currents take

night over depth. Depths of perhaps 600 to 1,500 feet! It certainly is not

it. At first, it appears to be snowing, with white flecks of particulate matter

for the faint of heart, and is perhaps one of the most challenging types of

raining downward. Then, as my eyes adjust a bit more to the complete

underwater photography that exists.

darkness, a host of alien beings begin to appear. Some spin furiously in

Why, you may be wondering, would someone go on a dive in

place, perhaps surprised by our faint lights in an otherwise dark world.

the blackness of night with no lights? Well, because an amazing

Others move methodically—rippling, transparent alien forms in rhythm

phenomenon occurs every night, in every ocean, every sea, and even in

to the ocean’s heartbeat. Studying the tiny subjects, I am seeking specific

lakes. This is called a vertical migration, also known as the diel or diurnal

movement, hopefully of larval fish, or better, deep sea larval fish that

vertical migration. It’s the largest migration on Earth. Zooplankton,

come up to feed. My camera is set up for super macro. Soon, massive

plankton, and other pelagic juveniles migrate to the surface from the

squadrons of juvenile squid arrive to hunt and feast upon the plethora

depths up and down the water column, from dusk until dawn—to feed

of miniature creatures. They can be quite aggressive and often bombard

or be fed upon. Luckily, because of their migration into shallower waters,

our bodies en masse like little raining torpedoes, inking us with a defiant

we only have to dive to 60 feet or less to see some of the most unique

look of satisfaction in their intelligent eyes as they pass. Other times, they

and stunning creatures on our planet!

will hover slightly just out of reach, studying us, the intruders to their

I have descended into harp strings of jellyfish tentacles reaching 30 feet in length, filter feeding to catch morsels of food. It is a sight to behold and really 68 | www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

blackened world. We have become the alien invaders.

It is a gelatinous world of delicate, flimsily made larval creatures . . .

Full grown reef squid photo–bombing a shot.

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newborns and pelagic juveniles in a dog-eat-dog world of survival of the fittest

change in our behaviors as a planet. I can only hope that my images inspire more

environment. One kick of your fin can cause a host of creatures to spin and flail

people to learn as much as they can about the global carbon cycle.

out of control. I cannot help but marvel at the amazing structure and perfection

Clearly, we are just beginning to understand the impact of greenhouse

in their intricate designs. And somewhere in my heart, I am certain that there

emissions and their root causes. We talk about our carbon footprint, and are now

is much to be learned regarding things like hydrodynamics from these natural

raising a lot of concern about plastics and other garbage effects that are collecting

ergonomics. These creatures have been here since the beginning of time. Some

in our oceans. But I would like to take this a little further.

resemble strings of DNA to me.

Witnessing a glass eel—that is, an eel in larval stage, all see-through with a

While it is devastating when a whale washes up on shore, only to find 50 pounds of plastic bags in its stomach, we must also consider the molecular

beak and a mouthful of teeth—can set one into a good case of the giggles out

breakdowns of chemically produced products, even the ones we cannot see, and

of sheer delight in finding it. What amazes me most about these tiny creatures,

consider their effects on every living creature in the ocean, no matter how small.

who are no bigger than a quarter and most the size of a grain of rice, are the fancy headdresses and colored lures they behold.

And yet the ocean life continues to survive in this harshest of environments.

Why should humans be worried?

Sometimes it is the little things that count. For example, scientists can

Or does it? The ocean is so big. How do they find one another, propagate, and

measure the shells of pteropods (tiny mollusks less than an inch long) and other

survive commercial fishing? So many mysteries.

planktonic animals to determine the effects of ocean acidification upon the

I have been engaging in this drift-diving in the Gulf Stream for about four

beginning of life in the oceans. In simpler terms, plankton and phytoplankton

years now, and the creatures that I am finding are absolutely astonishing! My

essentially eat carbon dioxide with oxygen as their bi-product. This is valuable

favorite find to date is the tripodfish, and it is believed I photographed the first

oxygen that we need to breathe.

juvenile living specimen here off the East Coast of Florida. I call it the shot gone

Having photographed small larval fish covered in fungus, I have seen firsthand

‘round the world, as it went from university to university in search of a name.

that there is sickness in our oceans, and it is quite disturbing. We are taught in school

Finally, it was identified by David Johnson, ichthyologist, curator of fishes at

about photosynthesis, plants creating oxygen, however it is now estimated that as

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, as a Discoverichthys praelox.

much as 50% of the oxygen that we breathe on land is being generated by our little

This deep sea fish, originating perhaps in the Mariana Trench, was found only

friends here in the sea. If their environment, the ocean, is sick from microplastics and

once before in history, originally by a Bathysphere expedition to 15,000 feet in the

polluted water run-off—including oil from our cars and boats—these little beings

deepest chasm on the planet.

will not have the ability to grow strong enough, which, in turn, causes a shorter life

With each new creature that I find, hours are spent connecting with scientists from around the globe and pillaging through books trying to identify these creatures. More importantly, the more research I do, the scientist in me becomes more developed. I’d like my images to inspire more ocean students.

Simply put, this joining of scientist and photographer is clearly a type of global evolution that must be shared with everyone in order to raise the bar on our understanding of our oceans. With 72% of our planet covered in bodies of water,

cycle and highly reduces their ability to perform their duties of converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. That, my friends, is one major reason we should all be concerned.

In the meantime, our intrepid night explorers will continue to drift weightlessly in the silent blackness not completely sure what we might find but absolutely certain that whatever it is will be wonderful. *Please note that we have a specialized dive operation that manages Black Water Diving, and we have perfected safety measures over time. There

we have so much more to learn. In such a shallow environment, we now have the

are many details that apply in order to maintain safety. This type of diving is

ability to photograph behavior in situ, that normally requires massive scientific

not recommended for new or seasonal divers and you should only dive with

endeavors. We can add to the science with our pictures. We, the photographers,

qualified dive operations skilled in all the necessary safety measures as it is a bit

can now assist and become yet another voice through our photography to inspire

more involved than regular diving and still fairly new.

Leptocelus… a transparent “glass eel.” In their larval stage, they are nothing but teeth and eyes. The rest is transparent. This unlucky chap happens to also have a parasite already attached at such an early age (resembling the orange flower).

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And this is why we do this. I call this “The shot gone ‘round the world.” Top ichthyologists were stumped by this deep sea larval fish found off the coast of Florida. Considered to be the first image of this animal photographed in situ, here in Florida. It wasn’t until University of Hawaii’s Jeff Millisen, NOAA scientist Bruce Mundy, and Smithsonian’s Dave Johnson were able to ID this. Much to my chagrin, it already had a name. At first, I thought it was a larval lionfish, but the colors, polka dots, and fancy fins were so beautifully sculptured that it resembled a butterfly design more than a fish. This shot was sent to top scientists at Cornell, Duke, NOAA, Smithsonian, Nat Geo, Harvard, and University of Hawaii, and even University of Tasmania. ID’d as the Discoverichthys praecox, a type of tripodfish, which has only previously been found near the Marianas Trench in the western North Pacific at a depth of 15,000 feet and somewhere in the Northern Atlantic. So what is the larva doing here in Florida? We hope to answer these and many more questions by documenting the oceans with our images! And hopefully get a fish named after us in the long run.

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Alone in the Dark As we descend, for a fleeting moment, I think...am I joining the food chain? You never know what big predators are hunting out there in the Gulf Stream current. We’ve been approached by silky sharks, duskies, sandbar sharks, and I’ve even had one very large tiger shark come up out of the gloom like a torpedo, brisking my fins as it dove under me as if marking its territory. Definitely a heart knocking moment, especially when I realized I had drifted away from the group and was out there by myself, alone in the dark.

The big predators are nearly invisible until they are upon you. At first, you think your eyes are playing tricks on you when you find yourself squinting, barely making out gray forms moving around in the “five-foot-safe-distance-tohumans” distance. It soon becomes really important to mentally define the motion of the beast to level your fight or flight reaction. Dolphin or shark? Even so, the sharks really aren’t interested in us, but more so curious. To date, however, the most memorable chatter back onboard was the night when we had two, 600-lb., full-grown sailfish come in fast and furious on two of our buddies, who had to lock arms back-to-back in order to get back to the boat and fend off their stabbing swords. Note to self: A) Glad it wasn’t me, and B) sailfish are massive and very aggressive hunters. Silky sharks are also not shy and will zip in and hit you, repeatedly, trying to raise a response out of you.

I’ve been told to turn off my lights when this happens, but honestly, I need to see where they are. Hanging still in the blackness is just a tad too creepy even for me, although I have done it. Words of wisdom, never, ever wear white at night. It looks like fish chunks to them and is much like ringing the dinner bell, especially after a brigade of squid have just come through nipping off the tasty parts and leaving a rain of fish guts, which, in-turn, only attracts yet another layer of predators. Alas, we do whatever it takes to get the photo.

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Used with permission from the Data Science Bowl® and Booz Allen Hamilton®

OXYGEN CYCLE OF LIFE FROM OUR OCEANS When carbon emissions are released into the air, they literally rain down, run off into land and the oceans. This is the simple explanation of what contributes to ocean acidification and warming of oceans. Phytoplankton—one-celled animals—are the main source of food for plankton and the major component of the marine diet that, in turn, becomes food up the chain of life. In addition to starting off this bigger creature eats little creature phenomenon, phytoplankton’s most precious function is that it also consumes carbon dioxide and uses CO2 and sunlight to photosynthesize with the by-product being oxygen. However, when unnaturally high amounts of CO2 is absorbed into their shells—this imbalance caused by ocean acidification—it disrupts their ability to grow properly, causing a thinning of the shells and lowering their ability to produce oxygen at the same levels as in the past and causing them to die sooner. So, if you ever questioned the value of phytoplankton (or ever even thought about it), just remember that they are eaten by herbivorous marine creatures and, in turn, carnivores eat the herbivores and it goes all the way up the line of sea life to tuna, billfish, whales, and sharks. Therefore, these little guys are crucial to the balance of nature above and below the horizon line as food and oxygen.

It is up to us all to dig deeper than the surface issues of plastic bags in the bellies of marine life. We need to pay direct attention of Earth’s source of oxygen and on how to keep our planet as healthy as possible. For the health of us all. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com | 73

THE HOOPS ANGLER

Lance Thomas

BY DANNY THORNTON

Lance Thomas gives back to the world. It’s part of his DNA. The same DNA that sprouted him into a six-foot-eight-inch man. Those same genes that made him gifted in sports—specifically basketball and fishing. Maybe that’s what God or Mother Nature or the Universe or whomever pulls the strings intended: bestow talent and a strong work ethic on someone who wants to make the world a better place.

It begs the age-old question: can one person really change the world? Apparently, Lance Thomas thinks so. As long as he believes it and inspires others to believe it, too, then maybe that’s all that matters.

“I was always wired to help others,” he said.

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A standout player in high school and then at Duke University under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski (“Coach K” to us basketball fans), Thomas has gone on to an impressive pro career with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and now the New York Knicks. But if basketball was his rocket ship, it’s fishing that has been the jet fuel to propel him into a unique dimension—a universe of stewardship and of teaching kids leadership and life skills.

He started an Ambassador program for youth and picks 10 lucky individuals, five boys and five girls, each year to join him. “It’s a two-sided program,” Thomas explained. “The kids are ambassadors for my fishing team, Slangmagic and, as a requirement, they have to be leaders in their community, too. We’re exposing kids to resources to make them better leaders and teach them how to achieve their goals and the importance of giving back to the community.”

I met with Thomas at the Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, the day before the Orange Beach Billfish Classic. As a towering African American boat captain/pro athlete competing among pro fishing dudes mostly from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, he’s easy to spot. So is his boat. Among the Vikings, Bertrams, and Hatteras fishing yachts with polished fighting thrones is a 41-foot Intrepid—a high-tech screamer with quad Mercury 300s—all with Slangmagic custom graphics. It’s the only center console I’ve ever seen with air conditioning pumping out of the console. There are 32 speakers mounted all over the boat. “Sometimes when we’re not catching fish, we just crank up the music to get through the boring times,” he said. You could say that the Intrepid is a power forward among a marina filled with Shaqs. Sure, they’re big and cushy, but the Intrepid cat design is sleek, fast, and sexy.

His obsession with fishing actually began at Duke when he met Kenjuan Nichols, who is now a vital member of the Slangmagic fishing team. “Ken and I mainly fished freshwater,” Thomas said, “but when I fished salt water and caught a yellowfin tuna, that was it.”

Now Thomas is, well, hooked, so to speak. The Slangmagic team recently fished the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series, which began with the Orange Beach tourney, May 15–19, followed by the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic, May 28–June 2, in Venice, LA, and ending with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, June 3–9 in Biloxi, MS. His time playing in New Orleans introduced him to the amazing fishing in Venice, where he keeps the boat full time because it’s his favorite place to fish.

And when he’s not fishing or playing basketball, he’s fostering skills in kids via his Ambassador and #trustyourwork programs.

“Trust your work just means you can be confident in yourself, as long as you’ve put in the work. If you have something you really want to accomplish, it takes a work ethic and a drive to make that dream a reality. There are times you have to just go for it. Do you worry about failing or do you focus on succeeding? For me, my first time in the NBA was like that. I had worked as hard as I possibly could and I had to just trust the work I’d put in. In the end, it paid off.”

He takes that same work ethic with him on the fishing boat, but the rewards are different. “Fishing gives me the tranquility I need in a very fast-paced industry and fast-paced city. It lets me collect my thoughts when I’m on the water with my best friends in life. Fishing has exposed me to some great people and they’ll be friends for a long time.”

I wondered if his time at Duke under Krzyzewski shaped him into the man he has become.

“Sure, it was fine tuned by Coach K, but I was wired that way already,” he told me. “My goal is to always be giving back to help others and to use the platform I have for good. I can’t play basketball forever. But I can fish forever.”

For a very tall man, he is well grounded.

LAST CAST

HOOKED ON BONES I love Miami but, as they say, I wouldn’t live there. Of

Gonzalez. One of the most knowledgeable and respected

course, there are six million residents, all of whom I’m sure

captains in the area, Joe is a fly fishing guru. In his typical

are wonderful human beings who disagree with me. Thing

hyped up, Cuban-blooded cadence, Ozzy said, “Chief (he calls

is, I’m partial to the rural lifestyle. Traffic jams, crowds, and

me chief because of my title, Editor-in-Chief), stand by. I’ll call

loud, Latin music freak me out.

you back.” Less than five minutes later, Ozzy was coaching

Then again, I do get a rush visiting super hip South Beach with its soft beaches, boutique hotels, and gorgeous models of multiple genders. There’s the incredible Cuban cuisine,

me. “Joe normally doesn’t go out on Sundays but, as a favor to me, he’ll take you. Here’s his number. He’s the best. Call him.”

Full disclosure, I was also trying to impress my new

the amazing seafood, and crude-oil-dark coffee. Some of the

boss, Steve Roden, who had just taken the helm of the Guy

best wreck diving is right offshore, and the Keys are an easy

Harvey empire and was creating his plan to steer the ship

day trip—or two or three or more days. And, even though

into fruitful waters. We’d been talking, seeing, smelling,

my bank account is more in the 24-foot center console range,

eating, and drinking fishing for three days at the Miami Boat

it’s fun to gawk at the rows of mega-yachts and wonder, who

Show so we were both itching to actually get out on the

FRED GARTH

are these freaking people? Or, more appropriately, how can

water. Steve has become an avid fly fisherman and quickly

For the past 25 years, Fred D.

this country still have people struggling with hunger and

displayed a mastery of coordination and athleticism. Or

Garth’s articles have appeared in

poverty when there’s that much excessive opulence in one

I’m just writing about him in flattering terms for my own

numerous books, magazines and

place? These are the questions I struggle with.

personal gain and he’s actually a bumbling klutz. Either

newspapers around the world.

A few months ago, I added another gem to my list of

the fish. My plan was to let Steve catch more than me to

Bay. Considering the impact millions of people generally

maintain the organizational chart pecking order. You know

have on an environment, it’s amazing how pristine the

what they say: never beat your boss at golf or tennis or

water quality of Biscayne Bay has remained. Even though

anything. Same rules apply to fishing. I just prayed he was a

there are millions of cars, thousands of boats, and concrete

decent angler. If he couldn’t catch a fish under Joe’s expert

and condos that have displaced wetlands and mangrove

tutelage, I was going to have to conjure up some really

swamps, the venerable Gulf Stream keeps pumping pristine

stupid act like falling in the water with my cell phone in my

water into the bay, bringing with it a sea of life. The lobsters,

pocket to appear inferior. That would have sucked.

stone crabs, mahi, tarpon, and on and on and on are within eye-shot of the big city. And, yes, so are the bonefish.

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way, with Joe Gonzalez leading the trip, I knew we’d get on

things I love about visiting Miami—bonefishing in Biscayne

Fortunately, the day was perfect. Sunny skies and not a breath of wind. Joe collected us at Crandon’s Park Marina

To find them, I needed a good guide, because we all

on Key Biscayne just a half mile from the recent Miami Boat

know that fishing is all about local knowledge, of which

Show carnage. On the ride out, Joe’s 18-foot Hell’s Bay flats

I have none. So I did what any desperate fishing writer

boat skidded nicely across the glassy water as the towers

would—I called the all-knowing Wizard of Ozzy, my good

of Miami faded into the golden morning distance. In deep

buddy and former co-worker, Ozzy Delgado. When it comes

contrast to the urban sprawl, we approached some of the

to fishing in Miami, or just about anywhere else in the world

bay’s wooden stilt houses with their saltwater front and

for that matter, Oz is The Man. The dude knows it all, from

back yards. We scooted the 10 or so miles to the Ragged

catching a sailfish on the fly in Guatemala to a pinfish on a

Keys, which are the northern most islets of the Florida Keys

cane pole in Coconut Grove. Oz had two words for me: Joe

archipelago. This is literally where the Keys begin. Within 20

Miami fades into the background of Biscayne Bay.

minutes we were looking through 18 inches of Tito’s-clear water at some of the

I have seldom witnessed in my lifetime. The perfection of his cast was akin to a

healthiest turtle grass I’ve ever seen. It was bizarre to still be able to see the mass of

documentary film narrated by David Attenborough. Lefty Cray, God rest his soul,

skyscrapers on the horizon with all of those millions of people buzzing around while

would have been awed at the sight. Is that enough praise? Too obvious? Okay,

we floated quietly, only with the occasional chirp of birds breaking the silence.

well, anyway, so Steve dropped the fly into position for bonefish feeding into the

At that point, I didn’t care if we caught fish or not. A gentle sea breeze had risen

tide and BAM! Fish on! It ripped out line as bones typically do and we hooted

and was blowing the boat show madness from my soul. I had an overwhelming

and hollered and enjoyed the show. The bonefish kept coming and we kept

desire to jump into the cool saltwater and complete the purge of handshaking,

fishing. I landed a few, then caught and released a couple of small bonnethead

business card swapping, and let’s make a deal meetings. The sun melted any

sharks. In the end, Steve caught more fish than I did so...mission accomplished.

productive thought from my brain and I smiled. This is fishing, I thought. This is living.

I did eventually get in the water under the auspices of shooting pictures,

If we catch something, that’s just a bonus from the cosmos. Just being out on the

but I really wanted to feel the cool liquid against my skin before I punched

water with no deadlines and no obligations except for one—attempt to outsmart a

back into the concrete jungle.

creature with a brain the size of a marble. We had the technology, we had the desire,

We were back to the dock by lunchtime, and a few hours later, after Steve and

and we had Joe Gonzalez, who cuts right to the point and talks a lot. Mostly spot-on

I had departed with silly grins on our faces, I sat at the airport bar with my earbuds

instructional stuff, so Steve and I listened and did exactly what he said.

playing calm music just hoping to preserve the serenity from the morning. I

I suggested that Steve fish first while I zoned in and out of blissfulness. Joe anchored in a cut between two of the keys (which I will not reveal to protect his

scrolled through the photos and videos I’d shot and realized I was still smiling.

Miami ain’t so bad after all, I thought. Maybe I could live there.

honey hole) on an incoming tide. Steve tossed the fly with an astute expertise

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Guy Harvey Enterprises CEO Steve Roden proudly displays a bonefish.

Captain Joe Gonzalez points the way to victory.

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JOE GONZALEZ’S FIVE MAJOR PURPOSES OF A FISH’S LIFE Joe is a talker. Not in an annoying way though. He’s more of a gentle teacher. But if you don’t listen and follow his instructions, he might get a little testy. We listened, heeded his expert advice and caught fish. That’s the way the guide/guest relationship is supposed to work and the whole point of getting a guide. Joe fills that bill. He has also analyzed the lives of fish and their purpose. He explained: “Fish have five major purposes,” he said. “Most people get the first two: spawning and feeding. Third, is avoiding predation, that is, trying not to get eaten. Fourth, they also need to adjust to the conditions. If it’s too cold, they look for warmer water. If it’s too warm, they look for colder water. Fifth, fish need to rest. They’ll find a spot without current and conserve their energy.

Knowing these five purposes, will help you find and catch more fish.”

1. Spawning 2. Feeding 3. Avoiding predation 4. Adjusting to conditions 5. Resting To see a video of Joe explaining the Five Major Purposes of a Fish’s Life, go to GuyHarvey.com and click on the Guy Harvey Magazine tab.

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The golden morning light on Biscayne Bay illuminates one of the free standing stilt houses of the renowned Stilt Village. Photo by Steve Roden.

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