Good Morning,
With the permanent closure of Guadalupe Island the entire Eastern Pacific breeding population of great white sharks are at stake and this site is now open to illegal fishing at the North Bay. These amazing sharks and their pups populate Hawaii, Washington state, California, Baja and the Sea of Cortez.
The loss of just 30% could lead to trophic collapse as natural predation, illness, and fishing pressure take out the rest of these animals across their home ranges.
There are an estimated 350+ animals at Guadalupe Island many are sub adults - not breeding - so this is a critical conservation issue as Mexico has no current plans to invest in the necessary vessels and staff to do overwatch at this location for the 8 months a year the sharks are here.
The Immediate Solution - Commercial Satellites
In 2022 when the closure happened we went into "solutions mode” - one of the immediate solutions we tested was satellite monitoring. We paid for one full month of high resolution military spec satellites to take images of the island and the surrounding waters. These commercially available satellites orbit the island and Baja daily with resolution up to 10K allowing us to spot vessels and see details like what crew were wearing on deck.
https://www.facebook.com/Guadalupeskywatch/videos/1322188151662043
The system works and will allow us us to spot and report illegal fishing - in real time - at the island going into 2023, when, not if it happens.
https://www.facebook.com/Guadalupeskywatch
We need your help today. Our goal is to get 10,000 people to like, follow and share this page. When we reach that goal we can get funding for satellites from a number of interested NGO’s they just want to see the interest from the public.
The hard fact is Mexico has no funding to protect these sharks.
Negotiations with Mexico to provide conservation on the ground will take a number of years, petitions do not work, we need action now and overwatch on this site from May-J
Good Morning,
With the permanent closure of Guadalupe Island the entire Eastern Pacific breeding population of great white sharks are at stake and this site is now open to illegal fishing at the North Bay. These amazing sharks and their pups populate Hawaii, Washington state, California, Baja and the Sea of Cortez.
The loss of just 30% could lead to trophic collapse as natural predation, illness, and fishing pressure take out the rest of these animals across their home ranges.
There are an estimated 350+ animals at Guadalupe Island many are sub adults - not breeding - so this is a critical conservation issue as Mexico has no current plans to invest in the necessary vessels and staff to do overwatch at this location for the 8 months a year the sharks are here.
The Immediate Solution - Commercial Satellites
In 2022 when the closure happened we went into "solutions mode” - one of the immediate solutions we tested was satellite monitoring. We paid for one full month of high resolution military spec satellites to take images of the island and the surrounding waters. These commercially available satellites orbit the island and Baja daily with resolution up to 10K allowing us to spot vessels and see details like what crew were wearing on deck.
https://www.facebook.com/Guadalupeskywatch/videos/1322188151662043
The system works and will allow us us to spot and report illegal fishing - in real time - at the island going into 2023, when, not if it happens.
https://www.facebook.com/Guadalupeskywatch
We need your help today. Our goal is to get 10,000 people to like, follow and share this page. When we reach that goal we can get funding for satellites from a number of interested NGO’s they just want to see the interest from the public.
The hard fact is Mexico has no funding to protect these sharks.
Negotiations with Mexico to provide conservation on the ground will take a number of years, petitions do not work, we need action now and overwatch on this site from May-J
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Facts About Cage Diving at Guadalupe Island, Mexico
Fun Facts About Cage Diving at Guadalupe, Mexico
1. Cage diving in Guadalupe is not solely reserved for certified scuba divers. Anyone can also partake in diving with Great White sharks through the use of a hookah and cages that stay on the surface.
2. Scientists have identified over 300+ individual sharks who regularly visit Guadalupe Island. Each individual has its own name, and the crew on the MV Horizon can usually tell guests which sharks they are seeing in the water. If you take a photo of a shark that is not yet identified, the naming rights are all yours.
3. During the Guadalupe season, there are two important periods. From July to August, very active juvenile males frequent the island. Huge females arrive around at the end of summer and stay until mid November. The island is a mating hotspot for Great White sharks, and there have even been some baby sharks observed in recent years.
4. Mature females can often be seen around the island sporting gruesome bite marks and other scratches. This can be a result of the violent mating rituals of Great Whites. To reproduce, males must hold onto the female by biting the area around the gills and pectoral fins.
5. One of the major reasons Guadalupe is a beacon to a large number of Great White sharks is the Guadalupe Fur Seal. One of six fur seal species in the world, this shark food source was once pushed close to extinction by commercial sealers in the 19th Century. Luckily, the fur seal population has since recovered to numbers in excess of 10,000.
6. The island of Guadalupe has an elongated shape and was originally formed by two overlapping shield volcanoes. Today, the island features a rugged landscape and reaches an elevation of 1,298m at Mount Augusta.
There are a number of endemic species that call Guadalupe home. Some birds, including the Guadalupe rock wren, house finch and junco, only live on this small island. The same is true for a number of spider species and a range of plants.
7. Although extremel
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