Just saw on Facebook, due to permanent closure of Guadalupe Islands, Horizon charters is closing and selling their boat. Sad to see them go from the region, they were an industry leader for multi-way charters in the region.
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Lots of folks like me only request new posts without regard to the forum they are in.Sorry didn’t think I needed to specify posting in the regional forum. Thanks for the clarification!
why the permanent closure of Guadalupe Islands ?
Great white cage diving hot spot Isla Guadalupe has been permanently closed to tourism by the Mexican Government.
As of midnight, 10 January, ‘all tourism activities, and film and TV productions at Isla Guadalupe’ have been banned, leaving tour operators and liveaboards out of business.
Cage diving had already been suspended, along with sport fishing, between May and December 2022, a closure intended to ‘make it possible to gather information that will guide activities and the adoption of the best sustainability practices that guarantee the conservation of the aforementioned populations’, according to a statement issued by the Mexican Government.
As a result of the information gathering, the new Management Plan for Guadalupe (text in Spanish) issued on 9 January, reads: ‘White shark observation may not be carried out in the Reserve for tourist purposes, to avoid altering their habitat, behavior and feeding sites, and thereby preserve and conserve the species.’
Is an excerpt from divemagazine.comExcellent background info.
Horizon Charters (San Diego) also spent a lot of money in legal fees appealing the decision. They have also committed to issuing full refunds to all customers. Unfortunately without the highly lucrative trips to Guadalupe, they didn't see a way forward any longer.
Very sad loss for the area.