Passion For The Bahamas

It has been too long since the last post. Installing a new diesel on the sailboat, along with work has kept me from new updates and info. On the flip side I did have a very motivating opportunity to write a post for Jean-Michel Cousteau's website "Notes From The Road". I was requested to write an article about our experience's sailing through the Bahamas, and in particular our experience with Guana Cay in the Abacos. Currently a major developer has destroyed/developed the north end of the island, and is meeting resistance with eco-warriors such as Cousteau. So when him and his team asked me to put something together for the cause, well suddenly priorities got rearranged. So here on Ocean Prowler is the Article/Blog that can also be found at the following link http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/guana.htm .
Changes In The Abacos

Fifteen years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to travel through the Abacos with my parents on their sailboat. I spent the entire three weeks of my college Christmas break exploring the Bahamas, sailing from island to island and getting to know the Bahamas for the first time. Something about that trip hooked me for good, the remainder of my days sitting in class were spent daydreaming of the islands and their magical waters. During that particular trip I had sailed with them to Eleuthera where we spent a week or so before heading to the Abacos where I spent the rest of my vacation. The Bahamas at that time had a feeling of being detached from the rest of the world. The people who called these islands home and the few visitors who made the trek here were rewarded with some of the most unspoiled and pristine ocean ecosystems on Earth. It was this natural beauty that lured me into fantasizing about returning to these islands on my own boat and with more time.
That time came a few years later when I made the commitment to a vessel of my own and a commitment to explore the Bahamas without time constraints. I invited my girlfriend, now wife to join me and after a yard sale she flew down with a one way ticket. I picked her up in Marsh Harbour, Abaco and for the next two months we slowly made circles around all the islands of the Abacos. We lit the famous lighthouse in Hope Town on Elbow Cay, walked the quaint streets of Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, bought a used snorkel from Troy at Dive Guana on Great Guana Cay, and spent countless days snorkeling the barrier reef that lies just offshore all the islands. Since we were on a shoestring budget with a focus on making our experience last as long as possible we got most of our food from the sea. I had some fishing experience, but after going hungry too many times I discovered getting in the water and spearfishing was a much more effective and proficient form of providing protein. This experience also made both of us somewhat of marine biologist of a sort. Jeannette did not carry a spear, but she was a quick learner and would help me spot prime fish or the telltale antenna of a lobster hiding under a ledge. With more and more time spent in the water we were soon able to quickly discern what certain ecosystems held as far as fish, lobster, conch, and the health of the reef. On this trip we ended up spending seven months sailing through the Bahamas all the way down to Staniel Cay in the Exumas covering roughly five hundred miles within the Bahamas and fifteen islands.
Since then my wife and I have sailed an additional 10,000 miles through the Bahamas and once to the Leeward and Windward islands of the Eastern Caribbean. We have first hand witnessed the difference between a thriving reef and one that more resembles a desert graveyard. With each returning trip to the Abacos we have seen the changes both on land and below the surface. On Great Guana Cay we remember anchoring in Bakers Bay by ourselves, walking our dog through the ruins of the Disney cruise ship depot. Even though they were ruins, the style and motif was that of the islands, somewhat of a Robinson Crousoe theme. Thatch roof buildings that blended with the landscape. Small boardwalks and dirt paths weaved among the casuarinas and palm groves. We would pack a lunch and enjoy the shade of the woods and marvel at how fast nature could reclaim its lost property. It was also a prime location to access the reefs just around on the ocean side. A short dingy ride from the anchorage around the north end of the island lay some of the most prolific reef in the Caribbean. Magnificent staghorn coral gardens, elkhorn coral, and giant brain coral make the reef an astonishing labyrinth of underwater habitat. Coral formations that are scattered across the sugar sand bottom in thirty feet of water and reach to within feet of the surface provide an beautifully balanced ecosystem for a plethora of fish. With water so clear spotting fish on the bottom thirty feet below allows you so observe the wonders of this underwater world in incredible detail. Returning to the miles of beach that make up the shore at the Bakers Bay anchorage after a day of snorkeling the reefs we clean the fish and start a fire as the sun begins to settle in the late afternoon. As other sailors would share this paradise, potluck dinners would form on the beach of Bakers Bay. As the rum and stories flowed into the night around a small fire on the beach friendships were formed in a setting that makes you love life the way you wish everyone could. It was all so simple and free where if you took the time to find the spot you could experience nature at its best.
After years of finding these amazing anchorages and falling in love with all that is provided for us on this beautiful planet we have come to realize how rare these areas are. Not only are these magical destinations far and few between, but they are also very delicate and complex. What makes the Bakers Bay area the ideal tropical paradise with its miles of pristine beach, lush palm groves, and world class reefs are the lure for commercial development. The last time we sailed past Bakers Bay we nearly cried at the destruction of this piece of paradise. Although you can still legally anchor in Bakers Bay it is no longer a place where one would care to spend much time. With their private dock and ferry service shuttling high paying guests to their resort the once ideal anchorage has been bought out by visitors striving to experience the Bakers Bay area how it once was. It's odd how in the attempt to develop and exploit this area for the natural attractions that were the lure in the beginning they are now destroying their most valuable resource. The argument that they are bringing jobs and money to the local population is turning a blind eye to the fact that without preserving the resources already in place, they are taking jobs from the local fishermen, destroying the dive industry as the reefs are being killed from the golf course runoff, and ultimately leaving an ugly scar on the land and in the eye of the locals. Great Guana Cay where Bakers Bay is, is too small of an island to support this scale of development and the ecosystem and locals will be the ones to pay the price.

Wind Power On the Ocean

A few years ago I tried kitesurfing for the first time. My brother had been a sponsored kiteboarder for many years and was always trying to get me to learn, but for some reason I never really got into it. I love sailing all kinds of boats, from small sunfish to delivering 50 foot yachts, once only the sails are pulling you along the magic sets in. The one thing I do remember from my first experience with kitesurfing was the power. I was literally blown away with the amount of power that I had hooked myself into with the kite. On sailboats that power is transmitted into the boat healing over, the mast, the sheets (ropes that control the sails), and some is lost with the resistance of the water. But with a kite as soon as you put it in the air all the power is coming straight to you. I guess this realization of the huge amount of power available through a kite is the reason for an amazing development of using kites to assist with cargo ships.



Kites had been around for many years, but I don't think it was until kitesurfing really took off that people began to rethink the possibilities of harnessing the wind. There is also a group of kitesurfer/fishermen in Hawaii who have converted a sailing trimaran into a kite-powered charter fishing boat. With the grace of steady tradewinds, these islanders and others that have dependable winds might begin to rethink their options for propulsion. Rising fuel costs and a desire to be more eco-friendly are also reasons why we will probably be seeing more and different wind powered vessels out on the oceans. With smaller boats, sails and kites can lend enough power that auxiliary propulsion is only needed to maneuver in restricted areas. On major cargo ships that are out transiting the oceans the use of kites can dramatically reduce their fuel consumption. In ideal conditions fuel savings can be as much as 50%, with a 10-30% average in moderate conditions. Given the massive amount of fuel these ships burn that's a lot of savings, not only in fuel but also in money saved.
So who knows what's around the corner for alternative transportation, or for the next extreme sport. So go fly a kite for fun and feel the power. Let your mind wonder about the next possible way to harness that power, who knows where it will take you.

Lionfish Invade the Atlantic

One of the most beautiful tropical fish people buy for their saltwater aquarium are lionfish. With fan-like fins forming its mane, the maroon and white striped lionfish gracefully conceals its poison within the 18 spines located on top of its body. This natural defense can deliver a nonfatal yet painful, sometimes nauseating sting to humans. Native to the Indo-Pacific region where it has natural predators the lionfish has accidentally been introduced into the Atlantic. The most probable way was by people dumping the fish into the ocean after it became too big for their aquarium, or after they realized what a monster it was eating up all their other expensive tropical fish. This same problem people were witnessing in their own aquarium is now causing concern in the Atlantic. "They're a big problem," said Gail Krueger, outreach coordinator for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, which is based out of Savannah, Georgia. "They're voracious and they eat everything, And what they like to eat best is baby grouper and snapper." Gray's Reef, a national marine sanctuary saw it's first exotic lionfish less than two years ago, now they can go out on any given day and collect between 10 and 20 at one site. As for now the lionfish prefer warmer, shallower water, but as sanctuary superintendent Goerge Sedberry said, "We expect that these fish will probably adapt to cooler water as time goes on." Lionfish are native to the Indian and South Pacific oceans, where fish such as sharks, eels, and big groupers keep their numbers down. This is not the case in the Atlantic, where local fish haven't evolved to be wary of the lionfish. A 2008 study in the Bahamas indicated a single lionfish on a small patch of reef could wipe out nearly 80% of native fishes in just five weeks. With sightings as far as Rhode Island in the summer these fish pose a serious threat to the native fish of the Atlantic. Gray's Reef, which helped organize a lionfish hunt, is glad to be rid of as many as possible. Way's to control lionfish are still unknown, but a program in the Bahamas encourages eating them. "Their closely related to rockfish, their delicious" said Akira Kanezaki, assistant manager of aquarium acquisitions at the Georgia Aquarium. Lionfish are also rumored to be an aphrodisiac in Asia, which is just one more good reason we need to go out and collect as many of these Atlantic lionfish as possible. So this is not only an informative introduction to the new appearance of lionfish, but a request to collect, spear, and eat every lionfish you see while out diving. Use caution and common sense when handling these fish to avoid a painful injury. Enjoy the ocean and respect its beauty.

Ocean Education, Sharks and Dolphins

For most people dolphins invoke feelings of amazement, respect, and a love for these animals that are considered one of the most intelligent animals on Earth. Throughout history there are stories of dolphins saving humans. In Ancient Greece dolphins were so highly regarded that harming one was punishable by death. Even today one would think this respect would still be present with mankind and it's evolution. Unfortunately there is a society who has regressed in their evolution with their complete disregard for the ocean and its animals. My first introduction to the Japanese culture and their complete lack of respect for the ocean that the entire world shares was in the documentary "Sharkwater". Produced by the young marine biologist and filmmaker Rob Stewart, Sharkwater unveils the cause to declining shark population around the world, the Japanese big money industry of shark fin soup. Fueled by a multimillion dollar industry, sharks are being slaughtered strictly for their fins, the remaining fin less, still alive carcass is discarded with no regard for the life being taken. It is a truly moving film that sheds a positive light on sharks and their role in the ocean environment, and ultimately on the quality of our existence. If you have any negative views about sharks whether from the fear provoked by films such as Jaws, or from the media's take on sharks as "man eaters", I urge you to educate yourself on the facts and see Sharkwater.
Hearing this you might think, "OK, so their killing millions of sharks for their fins, surely their not killing dolphins as well . . . . right?!" Wrong! The Japanese are raping the oceans which suggests a microcosm of a larger picture, man's disregard for life. This might be tough for some people to handle, but education is the tool for progressive positive evolution. So don't turn a blind eye, study the facts, research what is happening to our oceans, knowledge is POWER! A powerful team of dedicated scientist, marine biologist, filmmakers, and professional divers have created the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS). The Oceanic Preservation Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and creating action to improve the condition of our oceans. Their first documentary film "The Cove" uncovers an annual dolphin massacre that takes place in a hidden cove in Taiji, Japan. The film examines the oceans and our hearts as the theme expands to explore the impact of coal-burning facilities and their connection to high levels of mercury in seafood, man's primary source of protein. The Cove is set to be released in the spring of 2009. Freediving enthusiast will enjoy OPS team members Kirk Krack and Mandy-Rea Cruickshank, two of the world best freedivers involvement with the film production. This is your chance to take an active part and all it takes is watching this, knowing what is happening, and spreading the energy that this must stop. As they say in the trailer, "If the world finds out what goes on here, we'll be shut down." Well we are the world, and each and everyone of us can make a difference. Educate yourself, educate others, spread the knowledge and spread the power. Energy flows where attention goes!

Visit the Oceanic Preservation Society at, http://www.opsociety.org/,
Watch The Cove movie trailer at the top of the page on the left or visit, http://thecovemovie.com/

Ocean Awareness

Coral Reef Adventure: An IMAX Flim

Today was my wife's birthday and one of her gift's was MacCillvray Freeman's film Coral Reef Adventures. This film was originally created for exhibition in IMAX theaters so anyone with a good home theater system will apperciate the wonderful quality of this film. It takes you on an amazing "dream job" of traveling through the South Pacific diving and exploring the most beautiful reef on the planet. Howard and Michele Hall lead the expedition not just to capture on film the dazzling underwater world of coral reefs, but to educate you on this fragile ecosystem that is being destroyed my mankind. Couple the most exhilarating videography with a soundtrack written and recorded exclusively by Crosby, Stills & Nash and it is sure to be a movie to change your world view. My personal view was to question what I could do to help protect this wonderful ecosystem. One reaccuring theme was to educate yourself with the facts. Knowledge is power, and that is why I felt compeled to share this information. Each individual CAN make a difference, put them all together and we can be proud of the Earth and Oceans we leave behind for future generations. A few sites I found to be full of helpfull information were: www.projectaware.org , www.coralfilm.com , and reefcheck.org. You can also contact you local PADI dive shop (they are an affiliate with Project Aware) and find out available courses and conservation programs available in your area, or visit www.padi.com/scuba. Educate yourself and others, become involved, it will make a difference.
Everyday Actions / What Can You Do to Save Coral Reefs?

1. Become a member of Reef Check or email rcinfo@reefcheck.org for details.

2. Support reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operators, hotel and other coastal businesses are doing to save the coral reefs. Let them know how you are an informed consumer and care about reefs.

3. Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed and may ultimately impact the waters that support coral.

4. Volunteer for a reef cleanup. You don’t live near a coral reef? Then do what many people do on their vacation: visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the world’s treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.

5. Learn more about coral reefs. How many different species live in reefs? What new medicines have been discovered in reef organisms? Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reef ecology. You can find out about these trainings at www.reefcheck.org. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world’s coral reefs.

6. Become a member of your local aquarium or zoo. Ask what they are doing and what your donation can do towards saving the world’s coral reefs. The answer may pleasantly surprise you.

7. When you visit a coral reef, help keep it healthy by respecting all local guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to protect the reef.

8. When you visit a coral reef, always wear waterproof sun block. This keeps it from coming off in the water and causing pollution.

9. When snorkeling, always wear a flotation device. This keeps you from getting tired and stepping on the reefs which could break or kill it.

10. Never take a piece of the reef not even a small bit.

11. Don’t buy food to feed the fish when visiting a reef. When the fish find their own food on the reef, it keeps it healthy.

12. Support conservation organizations. Many of them have coral reef programs, and your much-needed monetary support will make a big difference.

13. Spread the word. Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet’s coral reefs are to us and the intricate global ecosystem. Sharing this excitement gets everyone you speak with involved.

14. Be an informed consumer. Consider carefully the coral objects that you buy for your coffee table. Ask the store owner or manager from what country the coral is taken and whether or not that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time.

15. Don’t pollute. Never put garbage or human waste in the water. Don’t leave trash on the beach.

16. Recycle. This is the first step each of us can take to make a change. Recycle anything and everything. If your community doesn’t have a program, do it anyway, and get one started.

17. Conserve water. The less water you use the less runoff and waste water that eventually finds its way back into our oceans.

18. Report dumping or other illegal activities. Environmental enforcement cannot be everywhere, and your involvement can make a big difference.

19. Keep it clean. You may be in the habit of picking up your own trash. You may even participate in an organized clean up. But have you considered carrying away the trash that others have left behind?

20. Only buy marine aquarium fish if you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner. In some areas, marine fish harvested for the pet trade are stunned with sodium cyanide so that capturing them is easier. That method harms the coral.

21. Surf the net. Many different addresses exist to link you to information about coral reefs and what you can do to become involved. A good starting point is here

22. Don’t start a live rock aquarium. Although this living rock is still harvested legally in some places, its collection is devastating to the reef organisms’ habitat.

23. Hire local guides when visiting a coral reef ecosystem. Not only do you learn about the local resources, but you will be protecting the future of the reef by supporting a non-consumptive economy around the reef.

24. Don’t anchor on the reef. If you go boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when they are available.

25. If you dive, don’t touch. Take only pictures and leave only bubbles. Keep your fins, gear, and hands away from the coral, as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.

26. Volunteer. Volunteer and community coral reef monitoring programs (such as Reef Check) are very important. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, etc) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs.

27. Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves. Encourage your friends to get involved with projects to protect special areas.

28. Be a wastewater crusader. Make sure that sewage from your boat, from other boats, and from land is correctly treated. The nutrients from sewage feed growing algae that can smother and kill corals.

29. Inform yourself. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect the world’s reefs.

30. When eating seafood, make choices for healthy oceans. Your consumer choices make a difference. Use this guide to make informed choices when ordering seafood.

Excerpt from "Manual of Freediving Underwater On A Single Breath"

The Coconut, Coral and the Sea: Small Story, Almost Zen

Brisby, the old Maldivian fisherman: "I saw you in the sea today. My compliments", he says, in uncertain English. "I really like how you move underwater. I am only an old fisherman, but allow me to give you a piece of advice. Remember that you can go underwater in two ways".
So saying, he takes out a small piece of coral and throws it into the sea; then from a coconut he pours the sweet, white liquid: "Look", he continues, "coral and coconut milk are now together in the water. But the coral is still coral, while the coconut milk is now sea: when you move underwater you must not be like the coral, but like the coconut. When you dive you must not go against the sea; it should not be you, your body, your skin and the sea, but each part of your body must become at one with the water".

Freediving & Spearfishing

One of my favorite ocean activities is freedive spearfishing. It all started due to a need for food while sailing away from civilization where you cannot just stop by the local grocery store for fresh food. Living off canned food gets old real quick, and we couldn't afford refrigeration and definitely didn't have a freezer. This meant our only source of fresh food would come from the sea. Fishing was my first avenue for collecting our protein, but that was always just blind luck and left us hungry too many nights. Getting in the water and being able to select your catch provided much better results. Not only was I able to select my catch, but I also avoided the unnecessary kills by gut hooking fish that were not desired. Selective hunting also resulted in bigger and better fish since in most environments I could take a toll of the fish in an area and come back to the ones that I wanted. No more random luck when you can see and chose your fish.
Freediving also gave me a chance to be active and stay in shape. Fishing is never a very active sport, especially compared to freedive spearfishing. It gave me something to look forward to by exploring the reefs and seeing things that are unlike the terra-firma world we inhabit. It made me push myself to go deeper and stay down longer to spend more time in such a beautiful environment. It also brought about an awareness to look inside and push my personal limits by listening closely to my body and controlling my mind to stay relaxed. Freediving noways is more closely related to yoga than it ever has been, and the zen-like state that one goes into when you enter the silent underworld is amazing and addictive. It has changed my life not only in the water, but how I approach everything. Your more conscious of your breathing, of your every movement and thought. You tend to be in a more relaxed state of mind out of the water since that is your main focus in the water. Umberto Pelizzari, who broke 17 world records in all disciplines of freediving sums it up best, "The scuba diver dives to look around. The freediver dives to look inside."
As you can see spearfishing and providing food on the table has developed into a deep desire to improve my freediving capabilities. Since in order to improve your spearfishing you must improve your breath holding abilities, changing my focus from spearfishing to "apnea" (breath holding) was a natural transition for me. In the beginning this process occurred simply through striving to reach new limits both in depth and duration. Along this journey of trial and error learning I was fortunate enough to meet an exceptional individual, William Trubridge (www.Verticalblue.net) who has broke many world records and continues to do so in the constant weight no fins division of apnea. William opened my eyes to the scientific view of freediving and showed me some simple techniques that when practiced correctly quickly improved my freediving. He also shared with me an extremely valuable book for improving my freediving, "Manual of Freediving, Underwater on a Single Breath" which he translated into English from the original Italian authors Umberto Pelizzari and Stefano Tovaglieri. (In another blog I will give a complete review of this invaluable book.) With this book at my side I continue to learn and push myself while participating in one of the most beautiful sports on the planet.
As my skills in apnea progress I have found once again that my enjoyment with the sport has taken on a new perspective. In the beginning it was as a means to provide food, as I became a more proficient hunter the focus of enjoyment came from learning about myself and pushing my physical and mental boundaries. This aspect will remain with me as long as I die since there will always be things I can learn about myself and a meter deeper to dive. The new perspective that I look forward to learning is underwater photography. I recently got my first digital underwater camera, an Olympus 1030 SW, and am extremely excited to hunt for the best images underwater to share. It was a purchase that I researched extensively in order to feel like I was getting the most value for my money without having to get a mortgage. The camera itself is waterproof to 35', shockproof, has a wide angle lens standard, able to take video clips, and has 10.1 megapixel's. With the optional underwater housing the maximum depth is 40 meter (131 feet) with all the cameras functions available. As my experience with this camera continues I will update this blog with photos and comments on the pros and cons of this setup.
I hope you enjoyed this post and get out there and start living your dreams