Bonaire fans,
There is a very interesting article posted by Jerry Ligon on the Bonaire Dive & Adventure website under "The Naturalist" tab
Bonaire Dive and Adventure They think the eel deaths were caused by an infection due to Vibrio bacteria and that the outbreak may have ended following Hurricane Omar. The entire article is longer, Jerry's summary is attached below:
COMMENTS FROM JERRY
in SUMMARY, THE EELS WERE BEING AFFECTED BY A BACTERIA, CALLED VIBRIO. ONE OF THE SPECIES OF THIS GENUS IS THE CAUSATIVE AGENT IN HUMAN CHOLERA. IT SEEMS PRETTY GRUESOME FOR ANY CREATURE TO BE INFECTED WITH THIS TYPE OF BACTERIA, WHICH CAUSES ALL STOMACH CONTENTS TO LIQUEFY, AND ABDOMINAL PAIN WITH BLEEDING FROM THE GASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT, RAPID LOSS OF WATER FROM THE SYSTEM, AND IN EXTREME CASES, DEATH.
THEN, WE HAD A BLESSING IN DISGUISE, WHEN ON OCTOBER 13, HURRICANE OMAR FORMED NORTH OF BONAIRE. WE RECEIVED HEAVY SURF WHICH POUNDED THE LEEWARD SIDE OF BONAIRE WHERE MOST OF BONAIRE CONDUCTS LIFE. MANY CORAL HEADS WERE OVERTURNED, SPONGES WHERE BROKEN, AND VEGETATION WAS KILLED BY THE MASSIVE SEA SRAY OF SALT WATER. IT WAS QUITE REVEALING TO SEE THE VEGETATION ALONG THE ROAD AT 1000 STEPS TOTALLY DEAD, WHICH IS 50 OR SO FEET AWAY FROM THE OCEAN. THIS ALSO OCCURRED ALONG THE ENTIRE WESTERN COAST OF BONAIRE. THE CAPPUCCINO BAR, OUT ON KAREL'S BAR DOCK WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AS WERE A LOT OF PIERS ON BONAIRE.
THE GOOD NEWS FROM THIS NATURAL PHENOMENON WAS THAT IT MUST HAVE CLEANSED BONAIRE OF THE SOURCE OF BACTERIA BECAUSE ONLY A FEW MORAYS WERE FOUND DEAD AFTER OMAR. THOSE THAT WERE FOUND DEAD WERE MOST LIKELY INFECTED JUST BEFORE OMAR, BECAUSE SINCE OMAR, NO MORE DEAD MORAYS.
ON RECENT DIVES, DURING DECEMBER AND JANUARY, I HAVE NOT SEEN NOR HEARD OF ANY REPORTS OF DEAD MORAYS. THE HEALTHY MORAYS THAT I AM SEEING ARE MOSTLY IMMATURE, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THIS NEW AGE CLASS APPEAR TO BE HEALTHY. OMAR ALSO CLEANSED OUT ALL THE THICK REDDISH ALGAE THAT WAS COVERING THE BOTTOM AND SECTIONS OF CORAL RUBBLE ALONG THE ENTIRE WESTERN COASTLINE OF BONAIRE AND MANY SECTIONS OF KLEIN. THIS SOURCE OF ALGAE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SIGNATURE OF A DEATH WARRANT FOR BONAIRE'S FAMOUS REEFS. RESORTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO NO LONGER FORGET ABOUT HAVING FULL SEPTIC COLLECTION SYSTEMS PUMPED OUT AND HAULED TO THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND. ALL RESORTS, HOPEFULLY ARE NOT ALLOWING THEIR SEWAGE TO ACCUMULATE AND OVERFLOW TO THE COASTAL REEFS, BY INSTITUTING A REGULAR SCHEDULE OF HAULING BY THE "HONEY TRUCKS". THIS TEMPORARY SOLUTION IS A PLAN TO ALLOW FOR THE CESSATION OF CORAL DAMAGE UNTIL THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT CAN BE BUILT, WHICH NOW LOOKS LIKE 2012. AS RAMON POINTED OUT IN HIS MESSAGE TO THE ISLAND OF BONAIRE, "THE CORAL CANNOT WAIT THAT LONG WITHOUT BEING DESTROYED.
I hope the outbreak is, indeed, over. The discussion concerning the algae and waste disposal on Bonaire is also quite sobering. Let's all hope Bonaire gets it together before irreparable harm is done to this beautiful island.
Good diving, Craig
