Their courage paid off, as in 2011 marine biologists surveyed a nearly unprecedented 463% increase in fish biomass (number of species in a given area), with a return of some species which had not been seen since the 1980’s. The next ten years were a struggle, as this decision required a complete reversal for the community from fishing to conservation. On June 6th 1995, the President of Mexico declared a 27.46 square mile area surrounding Cabo Pulmo as a National Marine Park. With conditions deteriorating more each year, the village petitioned the government to create a marine preserve surrounding the reef, which at 20,000 years old is the oldest coral reef on the west coast of North America. Their waters were completely overfished, and the coral reef which brought in a small but increasing number of tourists each year was being heavily damaged by boats. In 1995, the small fishing village of Cabo Pulmo was struggling to survive. With evidence of a transitory corridor between the two locations, hopefully this important habitat will receive increased protection and continue to be explored.įive years ago, I came across an article about 15 families on the east coast of the Baja Peninsula: It will be interesting as more is discovered about this connection, and how widespread the activity is. The shark in the most recent study published in March 2020 was found to have made repeated traverses of the corridor between 20. The area is very difficult to patrol as it is so far away from any major landmass, and besides 1 Ranger and perhaps a couple disheveled university students researching in the jungle, the island is uninhabited. In 2009, scientists and world-renowned photographer Brian Skerry launched an expedition, conducting 22 submersible dives to the top of Las Gemelas seamount, where they discovered one of the highest concentrations of fish in the tropics worldwide - an estimated 7.8 tonnes of fish per hectare.Ĭocos has been protected since 1978, Las Gemelas received protection in 2011, but the Hammerheads are getting nailed by shark fisherman as soon as they venture outside the protection zone, and sometimes even inside of it via longlining. A deep seamount rises from the floor of 7,500, peaking at a depth of 600 feet and surrounded by a chasm of deep ocean. Galapagos, Silky and Whitetip Reef sharks also have a strong presence here, as does the occasional Tiger.įorty miles over, discoveries are still being made. The island is one of the last remaining places to see Hammerheads in populations large enough to school. Sharks love a good current, and Cocos is the first point of contact with a major one - the Northern Equatorial counter-current. This has the potential for good news for vulnerable species in the area, as the evidence of a corridor between two ecological hotspots provides a much easier platform for expanded protection.Ĭocos is a tiny island 340 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica with an impressive roster of ecological credentials (alongside a slice of pirate lore): National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and designated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Scientists published an interesting study on March 24, 2020, documenting the first evidence of the critically endangered Scalloped Hammerhead shark transiting between Cocos Island National Park and Las Gemelas Seamount.
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