5 Reasons Lionfish Suck!
It’s no secret: Lionfish suck! At least if you are in the Caribbean, where the spikey buggers aren’t supposed to be anyway...
On the bright side, the Roatan Marine Park has a program that allows divers like us to combat this destructive invasive species. So if you needed any more reason to bring a spear on your next dive with us, here are 5 reasons you should!
Lionfish reproduce at an incredibly high rate.
Seriously, they are the rabbits of the sea. Female lionfish can release up to 30,000 eggs every 7 days, making it easier for them to occupy new space and outnumber native species.
They eat babies!
The cruel and heartless lionfish will make a baby buffet out of it’s chosen area of reef; potentially reducing the number of native juvenile fish by 79% in as little as 5 weeks.
Lionfish are gluttons.
Their stomach can expand up to 30 times it’s natural size - and they aren’t picky. Any and every fish is a goner if the lionfish can get it’s mouth around them. One lionfish was recently found with 60 victims in it’s stomach!
Lionfish have 18 venomous spines that don’t care about your dermis layer.
Long ago, the greedy lionfish had a chat with mother nature and demanded to be adorned with 18 venomous spines that deliver an extremely painful sting. That’s just rude. (We highly recommend carrying a zoo keeper on your hunt to prevent accidental stings.)
Lionfish have no known predators outside of their native habitat.
Boy, that’s a problem! Although triggerfish, grouper, and eels have been reported to eat them in the Caribbean. Luckily there are divers like Irma who can defend the reef with their Lionfish License!
So there you have it! But for all the negatives we have to say there is one positive thing about them….
They are delicious!
So pack your bags, grab your spear, and let’s make some ceviche!
3 Cool Facts about Spotted Eagle Rays
Diving is amazing on Roatan no matter what time of year, but let’s be honest, we all really look forward to eagle ray season. Nothing can make a dive like seeing a spotted eagle ray (or three!) glide gently along the reef, or watching them dig through the sand with their noses for food. We know you already like these cool creatures, but to make you fall even more in love with them, here are 3 Cool Facts about spotted eagle rays!
Diving is amazing on Roatan no matter what time of year, but let’s be honest, we all really look forward to eagle ray season. Nothing can make a dive like seeing a spotted eagle ray (or three!) glide gently along the reef, or watching them dig through the sand with their noses for food. We know you already like these cool creatures, but to make you fall even more in love with them, here are 3 Cool Facts about spotted eagle rays!
Eagle ray patterns are like fingerprints
Like human fingerprints, each eagle ray’s back pattern is unique. That’s why when conservationists and scientists are putting together eagle ray population censuses in an area, they’ll ask for photos to do what’s called a “natural tag”. No two eagle rays have the same back pattern, (although to the untrained eye, they all look very similar), allowing this to be a useful, and non-invasive, model for identification.
Photo by Caribbean Reef Life
Eagle rays can jump through the air
Have you ever been on the beach watching the Roatan sunset and seen a big splash? More often that not, those are eagle rays jumping through the air. Although eagle rays don’t jump into giant groups like the mobula rays off of Baja California, they have been known to jump onto boats, even accidentally killing a woman once when they landed on her.
Scientists aren’t 100% sure the reason why rays jump. Some speculate that they are females trying to get away from males (bye, Felipe!) and some think they are trying to get rid of parasites on their body. Either way, it’s a cool thing to witness.
Eagle rays lay eggs, but also carry their eggs to term
No doubt you guys have seen the amazing video of the ray giving birth at the zoo! While eagle rays lay eggs, they’ll actually carry the eggs inside of them until the babies, called pups, are born ready to swim. Eagle rays only carry about 4 pups at a time, which is why their numbers are threatened all around the world because of their slow reproduction, decimation of food sources due to overfishing, and being hunted in some places.
So there you have it, 3 Cool Facts About Eagle Rays! We hope that you all can make it down to Roatan soon so you can see these wonderful creatures, and everything else that Roatan underwater has to offer, in person! Don’t forget to also support the Roatan Marine Park (and your conservation organizations back home) to make sure that the spotted eagle ray is around for years to come.
5 Fun Facts About Nudibranchs
Have you ever seen a Nudibranch when you went diving?
Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs. Some are known for their extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given fun nicknames to match, such as "sea goddess", "splendid", “dragon", “painted” or ‘dancer” just to name a few. Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known. Many gastropods have a shell. Nudibranchs have a shell in their larval stage, but it disappears in the adult form.
Here are 5 fun facts about “Nudis” to get you all excited to spot one on your next dive!
Nudibranchs lose their vestigial shell during a larval phase. To protect themselves they rely on toxins or unpleasant tasting chemicals which are advertised with extremely vivid colors.
2. A pair of tentacles called rhinophores on the nudibranch's head have scent receptors that allow the nudibranch to smell its food or other nudibranchs. Because the rhinophores stick out and can be a target for hungry fish, most nudibranchs have the ability to withdraw the rhinophores and hide them in a pocket in their skin if the nudibranch senses danger.
3. Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites. Because they move very slowly they need to be ready for reproduction whenever they meet another nudibranch – no matter if it is female or male. This makes reproduction process very convenient for Nudibranchs.
4. There are certain species of Sap-sucking slugs (or sacoglossans) that produce solar power by eating corals which are rich in algae. Nudibranchs absorb the chloroplast of the algae and engage in photosynthesis. The created nutrients help Nudibranchs to survive and obtain the established energy for several months.
5. Most Nudibranchs eat using a radula, a toothed structure that can be compared to the tongue they use it to scrape off their meal from the rocks they cling to; some suck out the prey after predigesting its tissue with selected enzymes. They are carnivorous, so their prey includes sponges, coral, anemones, hydroids, barnacles, fish eggs, sea slugs, and other nudibranchs. Nudibranchs are picky eaters—individual species or families of nudibranchs may eat only one kind of prey. Nudibranchs get their bright colors from the food they eat. These colors may be used for camouflage or to warn predators of the poison that lies within.
3 Cool Facts About Moray Eels
Moray eels are weird. They come in an crazy amount of shapes, sizes and colors, can look really goofy or really intimidating, and all have a variety of behaviors that often means the only thing they have in common is their lack of appendages.
But moray eels are as interesting as they are weird, so let’s learn 3 cool facts about moray eels!
Moray eels are weird. They come in an crazy amount of shapes, sizes and colors, can look really goofy or really intimidating, and all have a variety of behaviors that often means the only thing they have in common is their lack of appendages.
But moray eels are as interesting as they are weird, so let’s learn 3 cool facts about moray eels!
Photo by Caribbean Reef Life
Green Morays are actually brown
Green morays are probably the most common moray we see on Roatan, mostly because they are often free swimming. Sinewy and unafraid, these magnificent animals will glide effortlessly along the reef, stopping occasionally to look into crevasses for food. However, untrue to its name, the true skin color of the green moray is brown. Green morays create a toxic mucus to cover their bodies to ward off predators, and this yellow tinted mucus combined with their brown skin is what gives them their green appearance.
2. Morays are not trying to threaten you
The most common gesture we see in all moray eels is them opening and closing their mouths. In smaller morays, it’s adorable. In larger morays, it’s intimidating, looking like their are gnawing, threatening us if we come closer. But this isn’t the case at all! Moray eels breathe through their gills, but water has to be constantly flowing through their gills to work. When moray eels aren’t moving forward, they still need to having the water flowing, so they “pump” the water through their gills by opening and closing their mouths. This doesn’t mean you should try to manhandle moray eels, though; always remember to practice responsible diving and give them (and all other marine species) a wide berth!
3. Hunting is better with friends!
If you’ve ever seen the green morays free swimming on Roatan, you’ll notice that they’re often not alone. Green morays will often partner with snappers or groupers for a hunt. Like hunting dogs, snappers and groups can point out prey for the green moray to get at, and the fish can close off one end of a crevasse while the moray eel goes in from the other side.
Bonus fact: Humans have created bad habits
Recently, you’ll hear more and more reports about green morays acting aggressive, even biting people. Unfortunately, this behavior was something created entirely by humans. Initially, when divers started spearfishing for lionfish in the Americas, they fed them to morays, snappers and groupers in an effort to encourage these animals to hunt for the invasive lionfish themselves. The feeding did not have the desired effect, instead causing aggressive behavior in these animals towards divers, especially divers with spears. While marine reserves everywhere are trying to rectify this wrong, it’s still important to treat morays, snappers and groupers respectfully, but also be prepared to dump your lionfish loot and run if necessary.
Were there any facts that you didn’t know before this post? Are there other animals you’d like to learn cool facts about? Let us know here or on our Facebook page!
3 Cool Facts About Parrotfish (And Why They Should Be Protected!)
Parrotfish - the unsung heroes of the ocean. Sort of.
Parrotfish are very common around the world and are often viewed as less interesting than turtles or eagle rays. Granted, you see a lot of them on a dive so they’re not exactly rare, but did you know that parrotfish have some pretty cool superpowers?
To show these important and under-appreciated animals some love, check out our 3 Cool Facts About Parrotfish, and see why they, and other herbivorous fish in the Caribbean, are so important for our reef!
Parrotfish - the unsung heroes of our oceans.
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Sort of.
Parrotfish are very common around the world and are often viewed as less interesting than turtles or eagle rays. Granted, you see a lot of them on a dive so they’re not exactly rare, but did you know that parrotfish have some pretty cool superpowers?
To show these important and under-appreciated animals some love, check out our 3 Cool Facts About Parrotfish, and see why they, and other herbivorous fish in the Caribbean, are so important for our reef!
Cool Fact #1: They can change sex multiple times
Parrotfish can transition between sexes through most of their lives. The majority of parrotfish are born as females and live in a harem under one Supermale. If the Supermale of the harem dies, the largest female in the harem will transition into a male and take on the Supermale role. You can distinguish between males and females by their colors (the colorful parrotfish are the males), but since they change colors every time they change sex (and even as they move from juvenile into adulthood), it can make classification difficult for scientists!
Cool Fact #2: They make their own sleeping bags
At night, parrotfish will create a mucous sac to sleep in. To this day, scientists aren’t exactly sure why. They have their hypotheses, from the sacs protecting parrotfish from predators by masking their scent, to acting as a barrier against parasites, but nothing has been proven.
When you’re doing a night dive, it’s important to be respectful and not shine your light directly into the eyes of parrotfish (or any other animal, for that matter). When they are startled or woken up, they might break the sac, and may not be able to make a new one that night. This means that not only is the parrotfish disgruntled because they’ve been rudely awakened, but they might be in danger, too.
Cool Fact #3: They create the beaches you love…with their poop
And here is the coolest fact of all and the reason that parrotfish should be protected!
Parrotfish are incredibly important to the health of the reef, because they eat the algae that can smother the reef if left unchecked. That’s why herbivorous fish on Roatan are protected, because we count on them to maintain the health of our reef! That grinding sound you can hear when you’re diving? That’s the sound of many parrotfish “teeth” chewing on bits of coral that they break off when they eat the algae. They poop out the coral as fine particles, creating beautiful, white sand. One parrotfish can create up to 700 pounds of sand in their lifetime, if you can believe it! So that beautiful, sandy beach you’re walking on? Parrotfish poop.
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So many coral reefs around the world are suffering because the herbivorous fish populations are being severely depleted, and if we don’t start rebuilding their numbers, the coral itself will not survive. Since you don’t often see parrotfish on the menu in Roatan, you may wonder how their numbers are being so badly depleted. Same as many endangered marine creatures, parrotfish are not only hunted for their meat, but are also getting caught as by-catch by human fishing practices, like trawling and ghost nets. That’s why it’s important for governments to implement marine reserves and also enact laws protecting parrotfish from hunting, so that at least the intentional depletion of parrotfish doesn’t happen.
How can you help?
There are a few ways that you can help the mighty parrotfish survive!
First, if you see it on a menu, don’t order. Herbivorous fish are red-listed in the Bay Islands and in many other marine parks, and it’s important for consumers to adjust the demand so that there is no need for a supply.
Second, it’s important to financially support marine reserves so that they can patrol a greater distance, and more consistently. On Roatan, you can support the Roatan Marine Park by purchasing a yearly bracelet for $10. That $10 donation helps the RMP maintain the dive site moorings, run patrols and educate the community, so they play a very important role in the health of Roatan’s reefs.
Now, go enjoy an awesome dive on Roatan and take a minute to appreciate a parrotfish when you see one!
Interested in more 3 Cool Facts posts? Let us know what animal you want to learn about next!
Roatan Divers goes 100% AWARE
Roatan Divers and Roatan Divers Sandy Bay are proud to announce that we are now 100% AWARE!
Roatan Divers and Roatan Divers Sandy Bay are proud to announce that we are now 100% AWARE!
What is Project AWARE?
(Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility and Education)
Project AWARE is a conservation organization initiated by PADI in the late 1980s to face environmental issues on a local and international level. Not only do they work with dive centers to run programs like Dive Against Debris and promote beach and reef clean-ups, they have also helped push through legislation protecting marine species like sharks and rays. Project AWARE has helped develop PADI specialties like Project AWARE, Coral Reef Conservation and Dive Against Debris to teach divers about environmentally conscious dive practices, and campaigned for reef monitoring with programs like Adopt a Dive Site.
What is 100% AWARE?
Roatan Divers is the only dive center in West End that is 100% AWARE. As a 100% AWARE operation, we pass the benefits on to you!
Roatan Divers and Roatan Divers Sandy Bay make a monthly donation to support Project AWARE’s worldwide conservation efforts. As such, all of our PADI certifications are processed as Project AWARE certification cards, so you get to have an exclusive card background with a shark or manta (as seen above) that identifies you as a supporter of Project AWARE, at no extra cost to you! Of course, if you’d still like to make an additional donation to Project AWARE, we encourage you to do so.
To further increase our commitment to Project AWARE and marine conservation, we will be offering more Dive Against Debris dives, adopting Saaya’s in our Adopt a Dive Site program for coral health and debris monitoring, and pushing more Project AWARE specialties for our divers.
We are super excited for this new partnership and are looking forward to further representing Project AWARE in the Bay Islands.
Want to learn more about Project AWARE, or get specialty certified in one of Project AWARE’s awesome specialties? We will be offering Project AWARE or Project AWARE Coral Reef Conservation specialties for just a $50 supplement to your PADI Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver or Rescue Diver course, including Project AWARE seminar, one dive and certification fee. If you’d like to add Project AWARE to a fun diving package, we offer the Project AWARE course for a $60 upgrade to your dive package. Earn a PADI specialty while having fun, and learning about how you can become an advocate for the underwater world!
Top 5 Tips Before You Visit Roatan
Congratulations, you’re almost on your way to our beautiful island! As a responsible tourism operator, we endeavor to keep Roatan as beautiful as when we first got here. You can help!
With Go Blue Bay Islands’ help, we’ve put together our Top 5 Tips before you visit Roatan.
Congratulations, you’re almost on your way to our beautiful island! As a responsible tourism operator, we endeavor to keep Roatan as beautiful as when we first got here. You can help!
With Go Blue Bay Islands’ help, we’ve put together our Top 5 Tips before your arrival:
Support the Roatan Marine Park
The Roatan Marine Park operates with the support of grants and donations, so if you are enjoying our beautiful reef, you should certainly help support the work that the RMP does. We sell $10 yearly bracelets at our dive centers, or you can purchase a bracelet directly from the Roatan Marine Park stores in West End and West Bay. The RMP stores also sell RMP clothing, jewelry, chocolate, hot sauces and jams made by the local community, so there are plenty of cool gifts to take home. The proceeds of these bracelets and purchases help maintain dive moorings and run patrols to protect the local wildlife from poachers.
Want to do something even more special? Follow in the footsteps of some of our guests and purchase a dive site! The Roatan Marine Park is a registered 501(c)(3), and you can purchase a dive site starting at $1000 that you can name yourself. Roatan Divers’ staff and guests have purchased the following sites: Saaya’s, Gerri’s Gem, Liam’s Lair, Tortuga Terrace, Free Gordon Tour, Kristi’s Cove and Uncle Jim’s Pool. Let’s get even more sites in 2019!
Keep your sunscreen and bug spray reef-safe
In recent years, studies have shown that certain components of sunscreen and bug spray are harmful to the reef, particularly oxybenzone in sunscreen and DEET in bug spray. And if it’s not good for the reef, it’s probably not good for your body, either! Make sure that your sunscreen is reef-safe by purchasing those that contain physical protection instead of chemical, looking for ones that contain zinc- or aluminum-oxide. For bug spray, find sprays that contain essential oils like citronella and tea tree, which will both protect against bites and soothe existing ones.
Want to support the local community? We sell locally sourced and produced sunscreens and bug spray by Aegis! Aegis also sells toothpaste, soap, lip balm and even kombucha, all locally made and in reusable and refillable containers, so they have you covered for most of your island needs.
Eat Responsibly
Just because you want to eat something doesn’t mean you should. Before you visit anywhere, you should research what’s green-listed and what’s red-listed on the menu. Figure out what’s caught sustainably, and more importantly, legally! Green-listed seafood on Roatan include locally caught lionfish, tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi, while yellow- and red-listed items include lobster, conch, grouper, snapper, and definitely shark and turtle. Worldwide, shrimp is also a red-listed food because of its unsustainable fishing techniques, so as much as we all love coconut shrimp and shrimp scampi, you should try and stick with the sustainable options wherever you are.
On land, avoid iguana. Sure, they may be on some menus, but that doesn’t mean you should order it! Iguana is protected on the island, but restaurants will supply when there is a demand, so it’s up to the consumer to do the right thing.
Buy Responsibly
While we’re on the topic of responsible consumption, let’s also discuss responsible, sustainable souvenir shopping! Just because someone tries to sell you a conch shell on the beach does not mean it’s legal or wise. It is illegal to take shells out of the marine park, so conch shells and even shells that you pick up on the beach cannot be taken off the island. These shells provide homes for marine animals and eventually turn into sand, so taking these shells out will have a massive impact on the environment.
Responsible souvenir ideas that benefit the Honduran community include locally made honey and Roatan Marine Park swag (all available at the RMP shops in West End, West Bay and the cruise ship ports), Aegis items, chocolate from Mayak Chocolate and Honduran coffee. Or make a donation to a local organization, like the Roatan Marine Park, SOL International Foundation, Roatan Animal Support or Roatan Operation Animal Rescue, in someone’s name! You’ll feel good giving these gifts knowing that it’s a gift that gives several times over.
Bring Reusable Containers and Bags
There is already too much plastic going into our waterways, so let’s work together to lessen the impact! While we have reusable containers, bags and cutlery available at the dive center for our guests, it’s also good to bring your own reusable water bottles, bags, and containers for takeaway food or leftovers. Most hotels and condos will have 5 gallon refillable water bottles that you can take water from, so buying loads of small, disposable bottles just isn’t necessary. A lot of restaurants are moving to paper takeaway containers, but the less trash there is, the better, so it’s still good to bring your own!
Learn more about our top 5 tips to live more eco-friendly here so that you can live responsibly on vacation and at home.
Bonus Tip: Support other local causes
Roatan may be a wonderful island community, but as with all communities, there are under-served demographics. If you have space in your bag, consider bringing medical or dental supplies, donations for vet clinics and animal charities, or school supplies like pencils and notebooks. We are fortunate to have a community that cares, but we could always use extra hands and hearts!
Thank you to Go Blue Bay Islands for their work to make the Bay Islands a model in responsible tourism. They work incredibly hard to help businesses become more environmentally aware, and we are grateful for their continued support of the community. Make sure to learn more about Go Blue Bay Islands and support other responsible business operators in the area.
How To Make a Difference This World Oceans Day
Every year on June 8th, the world gets together to celebrate World Oceans Day. Today, we'd like to discuss 3 big issues facing the planet this World Oceans Day, and easy ways that you can make a difference.
Every year on June 8th, the world gets together to celebrate World Oceans Day. Each year, World Oceans Day has a different focus based on the biggest issue plaguing the world's oceans that year. It should be no surprise, then, that plastic pollution is the action focus of World Oceans Day 2018.
However, while plastic pollution may be at the top of the list for this year's World Oceans Day, this doesn't mean we should disregard other pressing issues that our planet is facing. We now have more information and technology at our fingertips than ever before, and ignorance about our impact on the planet is no longer an excuse. Awareness is the first step to making progress, so today we'd like to discuss 3 big issues facing the planet this World Oceans Day, and easy ways that you can make a difference.
PLASTIC
RD Divemaster trainees after a beach clean-up
In line with the World Oceans Day 2018 focus, let's talk about plastic pollution first. Billions of pieces of disposable plastic go into the world's waterways every day, none of which are biodegradable. Animals ingest these plastics or get wrapped up in them, and thousands of animals die every year because of plastic in their stomachs or wrapped around their necks.
HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
So what can you do to help? Say no to disposable plastics! Keep a reusable bag with you at all times, have a refillable water bottle, bring your own takeaway container to restaurants and carry reusable utensils (especially straws!) on you. If you can cut down on your disposable plastic use by even one time a day, that's 365 pieces of disposable plastic per person that doesn't go into the ocean!
For more information on how to lessen your disposable plastic consumption, check out our handy guide for 5 easy ways to live more eco-friendly.
SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen is also a big issue facing our world's oceans. Most sunscreens these days contain chemicals that have been found to be harmful to the reef, especially oxybenzone, which can cause a slower growth rate and deformities to coral even in minute concentrations. And if it's that bad for the coral, imagine how it for your body!
HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
While it takes a little research, you'd be surprised how many good sunscreen options there are out there! Pick a sunscreen that contains a physical barrier against UV rays, like zinc oxide or titanium oxide, rather than a chemical barrier. To take even better care of your body, find a sunscreen that also contains natural oils, many of which contain their own SPF values. Support your community by buying locally sourced and made products - on Roatan, a very good option is Aegis Sol-Screen, which boasts an SPF of 30 (and smells yummy, too!).
OVER-FISHING
The increase in demand for fish, copious amounts of food waste and harmful fishing practices has led to a population crisis in our waters. The sheer amount of bycatch that comes with trawling, commercial fishing's most common practice, has decimated many fish and coral populations around the world. Fish farming is no better, with the high concentration of fish in a small environment polluting surrounding waters.
Bay Islands Responsible Seafood Guide
HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
To decrease your environmental impact while also still getting your seafood fill, make sure to make pick seafood options that are sustainable and in season wherever you go. Most places will have a responsible seafood guide available so you can see what's green-, yellow- and red-listed, so stick with those guidelines. Support restaurants and businesses that provide green-listed options, and remember that quality trumps quantity!
Show our world's oceans some love this day and every day, and make the active choice to make small but meaningful changes for a better future.
Happy World Oceans Day!