Shark Population

[Kicker1866]

Is it just me or has anyone else felt the shark population is decreasing over the past few years? Seems like I remember you would come across full size sharks daily, but over the last few years I’ve found them more and more scarce.

thoughts?

 

[mediumone]

Is it just me or has anyone else felt the shark population is decreasing over the past few years? Seems like I remember you would come across full size sharks daily, but over the last few years I’ve found them more and more scarce.

thoughts?

Our experience has been the opposite.

That has been our experience with green moray eels, though.

I think both events are just luck of the draw.

 

[jlyle]

Of more concern is the disappearance of black sea bass. Where have they gone? Dinner plates? It's possible they have been decimated by lion fish eating the young.

The number of nurse sharks we saw last August and this January was in line with our prior visits to the island.

 

[Zman96]

I think for a tourist diver only coming down once or twice a year it is tough to tell if it has changed, as sighting are luck of the draw. Last year in 7 dives and 8 1/2 hours under water I did not see one shark, this year with the same number of dives and time underwater I saw at least 5 or 6, luckier this year I guess. I have only been diving Cozumel since 2008 normally twice a year (about 180 dives there) and they seem similar in total, sometimes I have seen more, other times less. I imagine there are lots of factors, but I would ask a longtime DM that dives daily to see if there is a change.

 

[gopbroek]

I believe there has been a serious decline is all the larger sea life over the last 3-4 years. This also is the same period which has also seen the dramatic increase in sargasso. Not sure if they are related or not. I am not sure if it is lionfish related as their population in the Cozumel area has plummeted due to harvesting. 3-4 years back I would easily take up to 10 per dive now I have to work and range deep and into less visited areas to get 3-5.

 

[JFS]

Of more concern is the disappearance of black sea bass. Where have they gone? Dinner plates? It's possible they have been decimated by lion fish eating the young.

The number of nurse sharks we saw last August and this January was in line with our prior visits to the island.

Lots of the fish in the marine park end up on dinner plates due to illegal fishing.

 

[cicopo]

I didn't see as many larger fish last trip which includes nurse sharks BUT others in the group saw some I completely missed. Same for Eagle Rays. Seems I was looking in the wrong direction more often than usual. Large Grouper however seem to be a thing of the past.

 

[Streydog]

I have only been diving in Cozumel for the last 4 years so I don't have a lot of history. The few reef sharks I have seen were far south close to or just off the wall. From what I understand is they are usually very shy and avoid divers, especially flailing divers. In January I went to T@C on a liveaboard. At a few different sites there were 2 to 3 reef sharks that were very curious, they would come fairly close to you and stay around during your entire dive. There was no feeding going on but I think the boats being moored for a few hours attracted bait fish, keeping the sharks around.

I think there are more large black grouper than you realize, they hide pretty well in the cracks. I also think you see more marine life in the park closer to town because its harder for poachers not to be seen, just a theory though.

 

[cozcharlie]

I almost never see sea horses and banded cleaner shrimp anymore. I was thinking that probably has to do with lion fish. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Kicker1866]

I almost never see sea horses and banded cleaner shrimp anymore. I was thinking that probably has to do with lion fish. Any thoughts on that?

I actually saw a Pipe Fish and a Sea Horse this past weekend, but haven't seen a banded cleaner shrimp in a while.