Having Some Uninvited Guests at Malpelo

This is my second trip to Malpelo in 2021. And each time it’s different.

I will not go so much in to the diving this time except for a few exceptions.

The short of it: We had a blast; some really exciting dives with lots of life. We did not get the 500+ hammerheads this time, but there were more hammerheads than on my first trip.

Ghost Shark

I saw more mantas here than I have seen before. There were a lot of big Galapagos sharks. Also, we encountered several whale sharks at the beginning of the trip. The amount of life was very intense.

At D’Artagnan, like the last trip, we saw what I call the “ghost shark.” It’s a Galapagos shark that has a totally different pigmentation than the other Galapagos. It’s very light in color, almost as if it was an albino. I didn’t get a very good photo, but I’m posting it anyway. It was as exciting to see it now as I saw it two years ago.

Uninvited guests

On one of our mornings my dive guide colleague and friend Jaime went out to check on one of our buoys for the Aquarium. As they were going around the corner, they spotted a fishing panga. They went after the panga, which left in a hurry. They tried to follow them, but they managed to get away.

The fishermen left a long line that we started to pick up. It was about 2 km of line. Almost all the hooks were cleaned off of bait. We released two silky sharks, a yellowfin tuna that was around 80 kg (unfortunately), and a 200-kg (approximately) black marlin. All dead. I have only seen marlin here about two times, so it is rare. We took them up and saved the meat for people in Buenaventura. If they are already dead why not give food to people in need?

Who are the protectors of the seas?

I think there are many of us… I have 20 years’ experience working full-time in warm-water seas in different countries. For a longer time in some of them; 20 years in Mexico and 10 years in Malpelo.

Sea Shepherd? Maybe. The famous researchers and marine biologists? Maybe… But after having worked with many of them, I find them more like rock stars, where narcissism, looking how to get funding for their next project, and competition among themselves rule. All over the worlds there is always someone who wants to be the manta king or queen; or white shark princess; or king of this… Leaving a lot of highly-skilled biologists behind.

Who is in a better position to combat illegal fishing in Malpelo?

The real heroes

My heroes are the clients on the liveaboards. In my 25 years as a guide I have seen that the best protection of these delicate islands is the presence of avid and dedicated divers who love to come and see the wonders of these magical places. Eradicating illegal fishing by seeing it, getting affected by it, documenting it, and pushing to get more and more people involved in what is happening. At the same time, explaining to the locals that there is sustainability in protecting these animals; making them understand that they can make a living when these animals are also alive.

You can donate through the many NGO’s to choose from. I lived for around 30 years in underdeveloped countries and I have seen the dark and the bright sides of NGOs. Some are just a scam that make some smart get people rich off of naive westerners looking to save the planet. The project goes on for a while, loads of money come in. Follow up in a few years and see where your money went…

On the liveaboards we take your money. But through these trips, you feed families and change the thoughts of a lot of our local fishermen who, after generations of studying the seas, are also a bank of knowledge that a scientist can learn from.

You bring economy in to the country and the families. On top of that, we can patrol the area way more efficiently than anyone else and we can share our efforts with the park rangers, who are doing a great job with the little resources they have.

You are my real heroes. And the only proper change I have seen in my 25 years of working at sea and as a guide in protected areas.

In my experience, the presence of the liveaboards has been, without a doubt, the best protection of the islands. This is especially true when it comes to illegal fishing in Malpelo.

Silky: An NGO that works?

Years ago I met this young punk named Jacob. He was so full of energy and passion for the island of Malpelo. He was so worried about the illegal fishing in Malpelo that he bought a catamaran to be used as a patrol boat in Malpelo. Together with Erika, a Colombian dive guide and my personal friend, and Jaiver, a former park ranger, they set up the Silky so that it can be stationed at Malpelo to keep a watchful eye on the park’s vast area.

Jacob and these guys, whom I have known for quite a long time now, work in collaboration with the park rangers. I think they are an asset to Malpelo. I support them and think they do a good job protecting the island.

There are some spots left on one of my trips in 2022 if you have the experience and a good attitude. Just 6 divers together. Plus yours truly as your guide.