What is happening to the Moray Eels?

[oszillodrom]

Yeah, those are giant moray eels (G. javanicus) I think. I must say I'm not an expert either, just a lot of dives in that area.

 

[Hintermann]

Yeah, those are giant moray eels (G. javanicus) I think.

I agree, but for some inexplicable reason, they seem to be slowly turning green.

 

[Freewillow]

In Asia, you find giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus). This is NOT the green moray eel that you see in Us Waters, even if the giant moray can bee green, when not brown, its most frequent color..

 

[tarponchik]

I definitely see some changes, but to the opposite of your claims. Someone complained he had not seen a single green moray during recent trip to Bonaire. Well, I am here and I confirm: did 17 dives so far and saw just 1 green moray on the most remote site. I see the usual number of other Caribbean moray eels, i. e., spotted, goldentails and some purplemouths, but no greens.

In Hawaii (Big Island) I've seen plenty of large whitemouth morays in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, they were gone. I've seen very few and no bigger than 2 ft. A DM told me that now locals catch them for sushi. So maybe the same thing is happening to green morays in Bonaire?

 

[KeithG]

we routinely see spotted, goldentail and chain morays on bonaire night dives.

as an added bonus sharp nose eels can be found hunting in the sandy shallows.

 

[drrich2]

In 8 trips to Bonaire, I've found #'s of green moray sightings vary considerably, and even with big ones they hide well and it's easy to swim right by one and miss it. I didn't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

Earlier this year I did a guided east coast shore dive of Cai, guided by Bas Tol (BasDiving.com), and I saw 5 green morays on that one dive. Granted, it was over an hour & a half, but still...

Richard.

 

[diver 85]

One green, in C Brac, was recently(Oct 2014) seen trying to 'eat' my left strobe----& left his mark(s).......---right above the 2nd 'SEA' of 'SEA & SEA'.......see?????......

[/URL]3 green moray eel bite marks on strobe--Brac 2014 by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/URL]3 green moray eel bite marks on strobe--Brac 2014 by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Troy G.]

South Florida has plenty of eel's other than Green Moray.

 

[Rhone Man]

I too love morays, but some species are just more common than others. I have been fortunate enough to see a wide variety of species (some pretty rare) over my diving career. But 99% of the morays I have seen are either green or spotted morays diving in the Caribbean. You have to clock up a lot of dives to see some the rarer ones.

 

[tarponchik]

In 8 trips to Bonaire, I've found #'s of green moray sightings vary considerably, and even with big ones they hide well and it's easy to swim right by one and miss it. I didn't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

Earlier this year I did a guided east coast shore dive of Cai, guided by Bas Tol (BasDiving.com), and I saw 5 green morays on that one dive. Granted, it was over an hour & a half, but still...

Richard.

I've been to Bonaire in 2005 and in 2007, and logged in the numbers of eels I've seen. So, if in 2014 I see roughly the same numbers of spotted and goldentail morays as in 2005 and 2007 but fewer green morays, this means there are fewer green morays here today (granted, I saw 2nd one today). I also see that larger groupers species are wiped out and I also see fewer turtles, especially hawkbills. I mostly see small green turtles this time and I haven't seen a single turtle larger than 2 ft.

On guided tours, they show the same eels who live in the same holes for long time, and they probably even feed them.