Declining dive quality?

[mikeycanuk]

We've noticed over the past couple years, that only juvenile lions are being found at SCUBA levels (for the most part).

Divers were going to 110'+ to find mature lionfish.

I suspect they are coming up to feed at night.

That's about right , and be the 1st group at the site. The early divers get the Lionfish!

 

[ColoDale]

We just got back from Coz and saw many green morays. In over 50 trips in 20 years it is cyclical. Some trips we see many brown spotted eels and some only a few. Sometimes more Goldentails and sharptails. The Green Morays do move around quite a bit. We do visit their usual spots. Sometimes they are there and sometimes not. I wish I knew where they go (and always wanted to know where the juvenile Green Morays (like 1-2 feet long) are - never seen a really small one.)

I never know for sure what I am going to see most from drums to eagle rays on any trip but the season does matter, eagle rays for example. Even eagle ray season can slide a month.

Over the years I've been seeing more Green Turtles and lately more Loggerhead turtles.

There are alot less lionfish now at recreational depths than before but I have seen large ones at 150'+ feet from above. Before the DMs and others were allowed to spear them, there were alot and big ones at shallower depths. It seems to me that there are more drums now after the linfish population went down but maybe that is just recollection on my part.

I think the corals now are fairly healthy in Coz. There is a lot of diver pressue. All reefs are much better than after hurricane Wilma.

Having returned from French Polynesia a couple of months ago, I can say the color and health are much better in Coz than on the seaward reef and lagoon sides of every FP island I dove. It made me appreciate Cozumel.

 

[FishDiver]

Thanks for all the replies. Nice to have additional perspectives. I would like to believe my experience this year was not a trend. I did dive more shallow sites rather than the walls and caverns I prefer.

Only sighted one very small lionfish.

 

[ChrisM]

Last dives were Nov. 2016, and IMO the reefs were in better shape and more fishy than the last time we had been, which was 2014 ish. Fewer lionfish as well, and saw a good number of eels

 

[steve432kc]

I have been diving Cozumel since 1988 right after Gilbert. The reefs seem in better shape the last couple of years and I have been fortunate to see a lot more fish life. More turtles, Green Morays and Eagle Rays on almost every trip.

The only minor disappointing thing has been the shore dive at Le Cieba. I miss the airplane and that small reef. I guess Wilma finished it off.

 

[deepsea21]

The unfortunate reality is that coral reefs are declining world-wide. If you could get a side-by-side comparison of just about any reef 50 years ago versus today, you'd see the degradation. I seem to recall one of these photos in National Geographic of John Pennekamp reef in the 60s versus 90s (I think). In the 60s there were these beautiful stands of elkborn coral; that is all but gone now. Our reefs are suffering from a combination of rising sea temperatures, increased nutrient run off, degradation of the supporting seagrass/mangrove fringing habitats, ocean acidification, invasive species, and increased fishing and diving pressure. Individual reefs bear different proportions of these assaults.

One thing I will caution against is comparing fish populations from one year to the next. Fish, like virtually all animals, go through cycles of increased and decreased abundances. I would be skeptical of making assumptions about reef health based on a few years observations of fish populations. These kinds of assessments take many years of systematic record keeping.

With that said, I'm sure Cozumel reefs are not as healthy now as they used to be. Sadly, that's true for virtually all coral reefs.

Funny you mention John Pennekamp coral reef state park off Largo... I was snorkeling there in the late 80's and returned a few years ago after decades to dive it. These days, it is a dead reef... Nothing but bleached, brown algae-covered dead coral everywhere with little to see. It was shocking to see what has happened in 25 years and we won't be going back. However, further south (or actually west) Looe Key reef off Big Pine was still in pretty good shape and I've no idea why.

 

[Pelagicsal]

@sharky60
Still bringing up stringers like this from above 100 feet. Just not in the marine park.
Kill em all!

 

[ggunn]

View attachment 398102 @sharky60
Still bringing up stringers like this from above 100 feet. Just not in the marine park.
Kill em all!

How careful do you have to be with them after they are deceased? Do they have to be alive to sting you?

 

[RyanT]

@ggunn: The venom is contained in a skin-like sheath around the spines. When the spines stick you, it pushes the sheath back and releases the venom into the wound. So unfortunately, no, they don't have to be alive to deliver a nasty sting.

 

[ggunn]

@ggunn: The venom is contained in a skin-like sheath around the spines. When the spines stick you, it pushes the sheath back and releases the venom into the wound. So unfortunately, no, they don't have to be alive to deliver a nasty sting.

Thanks. I think I will restrict my handling of lionfish to the coconut encrusted ones at La Perlita.