Dried Seahorses on Isla Mujeres

[tarponchik]

Way to win over people to your side. Coming across as bitter and only I see the light is usually not productive.

I put a smiley face there for the sake of those humorously-challenged. But, seriously, I don't see the light here, mate. So it makes no difference if I am cynical or melancholic or if I pretend the glass is half full or if I cry it is half empty. Some places are better preserved than others and I will just go to the better ones until these are also trashed by human touch.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I do not believe this works like that because what happened to the adult groupers? Roatan has a many lionfish as everybody else in the Caribbean, but they managed to turn their grouper population into a tourist attraction. If you dive the wreck you'll see some spectacular ones, including even Nassau Groupers that became extremely rare elsewhere even before the Lionfish invasion. We also probably have to thank the Bay Islands dreadful sandflies for marine life preservation because they prevent mass tourism.

As for the parrotfished and angelfishes, I blamed their extinction on coral bleaching (albeit I saw locals spearfishing parrotfish in Bonaire).

 

[JamesBon92007]

I do not believe this works like that because what happened to the adult groupers? Roatan has a many lionfish as everybody else in the Caribbean, but they managed to turn their grouper population into a tourist attraction. If you dive the wreck you'll see some spectacular ones, including even Nassau Groupers that became extremely rare elsewhere even before the Lionfish invasion. We also probably have to thank the Bay Islands dreadful sandflies for marine life preservation because they prevent mass tourism.

As for the parrotfished and angelfishes, I blamed their extinction on coral bleaching (albeit I saw locals spearfishing parrotfish in Bonaire).

Like I said, fish tacos. I'm pretty sure the lionfish don't eat the adult groupers During my most recent trip to Hawai'i I asked which fish were good choices for spearing and eating. The guy I was asking said they (he and other locals) shoot just about anything including parrotfish and the state fish (a triggerfish with a long name). As much as I like to eat fresh seafood I don't think I could bring myself to shoot anything that may be endangered or simply is so beautiful that it makes the world a better place just by being there. When I was a kid (in the 60s) a spearfisherman who killed a 400 pound giant sea bass was held in high esteem. Now they are protected in California and sightings are fairly common in some areas. However, the water is so polluted in so many areas that I have doubts about very many species surviving into the next century except for perhaps the bottom-feeders. In any case apparently lionfish don't eat yellow-striped grunts and they are very abundant around Isla Mujeres. Humans must not like them either.

 

[Steve_C]

I put a smiley face there for the sake of those humorously-challenged.

Lacking context I am not sure what your picture tells me. The shark died somehow and something has been eating it. Was this bycatch (I hate bycatch) or was this a common abundant species that was caught and cleaned by fishermen (that can be ok) or did it die from trash or something bad like that or .....

 

[tarponchik]

Like I said, fish tacos. I'm pretty sure the lionfish don't eat the adult groupers During my most recent trip to Hawai'i I asked which fish were good choices for spearing and eating. The guy I was asking said they (he and other locals) shoot just about anything including parrotfish and the state fish (a triggerfish with a long name). As much as I like to eat fresh seafood I don't think I could bring myself to shoot anything that may be endangered or simply is so beautiful that it makes the world a better place just by being there. When I was a kid (in the 60s) a spearfisherman who killed a 400 pound giant sea bass was held in high esteem. Now they are protected in California and sightings are fairly common in some areas. However, the water is so polluted in so many areas that I have doubts about very many species surviving into the next century except for perhaps the bottom-feeders. In any case apparently lionfish don't eat yellow-striped grunts and they are very abundant around Isla Mujeres. Humans must not like them either.

They hope to spear blue trevalli or a bonefish, or at least a peacock grouper, but end up killing whatever comes around, like some hapless orangebar surgeonfish which they do not eat but toss back into the sea. But parrotfish--yes, they'll eat it. Whitemouth morays have become rare because they love them in Sushi bars, and being day hunters they are easy to spot. Cornetfish has become rare because, as I've been told, they chop it to pieces and use as a bait. Lobster is basically wiped out along Kona coast. My last trip I saw maybe 2 in 55 dives.