Key Largo, FL

Penekamp Marine Sanctuary, Key Largo, FL from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

So long, Roatan

On our way out tomorrow. Hate to leave this beautiful, incredible island.

Sitting here writing, all alone, closed down, with keys to the bar! How cool is that? The live music has ended, West End is silent; the clubs have shut down. Just me and the crickets and the gentle sound of the surf. Occasional walnuts and mangoes falling from above. The perfect sign-off.

We'll miss the friends we've made. No worries, we'll likely be back again. Andy, Jamie, Michelle, Alex, and of course, John and Barb, Harmony and Drew, et al. See you soon (I hope!)

Things to Pack Next Time...

• Forget the "beach tent". We ended up leaving it on the plane.
• Forget the little DVD player. Would've been great to have for the little one, but like the beach tent, we ended up leaving it on the other plane. Maybe pack two. Laptop works fine.
• Can't pack enough bug spray. I survived 3 years in Sub-Saharan Africa and avoided all but 4 mosquitoes. Not so lucky on Roatán. These mosquitoes like my blood.
• Forget antibiotics. The u/w cameras have me all over the place, and I got me another case of otitis medio-whatever. I know the prescription and the dosage, and you can get 20 amoxicillin (500mg) for 3 lemps apiece. Week and a half's worth=$3.50 at any grocery store.
• Forget DVDs, for now... I have a good setup with Giovanni here. Giovanni seems to have an equitable arrangement with those Russian bands of DVD pirates, and he will even exchange movies—Blockbuster-style—unless Siena Kaya draws on them (everyone has a limit.) Laptops must've been a windfall for Giovanni. God save Giovanni and the Russians when the Download Revolution hits the tropics.
• Did I mention more bug spray? Look into 100% Deet.
• More donations for Familias Saludables. I hear Roatán's HIV rate is something like 1 in 8.

Paintings from Roatan

Today was a lazy, rainy day on the island. A lot of places were closed, not a lot of folks out on the street, evidently the visibility was pretty bad. Was a good day to take off.

Below are just a few watercolor pieces that Tara and Siena Kaya completed today.

Why not mix it up?

I was talking with a DM friend here on Roatan, and he suggested to me this idea: Why not mix it up? Think: Semi-commercial diving. Combining regular gas and NITROX on a dive could make for more bottom time, and deeper dives. In other words, could there not be a way to feasibly dive on air down to 120, 160 feet and then come up for a mixed air (NITROX) dive for another little while? It might take a bit of finagling on the tables and equipment, but could be done safely.

I am NITROX-certified. But I don't dive with it. The fact is, I'm perfectly comfortable within the limits that normal gas allows. But I have been on dives where I wish I had taken advantage of my NITROX cert. But if I could visit a squid or manta at 150 feet, and then come up for a nice drift along the coral? I'm in.

Bottom line is safety. When bad accidents happen, the whole industry's in trouble. But we all know there's more to see, and let's face it: this is about exploration.

How do we get deeper? farther? longer?

More Video from Roatan

Turtle Crossing - Roatan, Honduras from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

Roatan #3

We're about half-way through our stay on Roatan, already. This is a jewel of an island, as both the locals and the expats who live here attest. My experience is limited to West End, a short trip to Coxen Hole to deliver some donations to Familias Saludables, and, of course, the coral reef just a few minutes off-shore. That alone is enough for me to want to stay.

So far, I've checked out the following dive sites:

• Temptation Reef
• Canyon Reef
• Dixie's
• Sea Quest Reef
• Turtle Crossing
• and today I think I went to a place called "Butcher's Bay" or similar. Gotta check on that.
  

These locations vary in depth from about 40 to 80 feet. The topography changes as well. Canyon reef features a couple tight swim-throughs, Dixie's is a nice wall down to 80 feet or so, and SeaQuest is a fairly level reef beside a sandy bottom with some nice coral outcroppings—a great spot for photos and video—like this little one I shot on the 4th of July. Visibility has ranged from good to excellent, mostly depending upon whether or not we get a rainstorm here. Each dive has been for just under an hour.

Taking the day off tomorrow. One thing I'm still getting used to with this video equipment—aside from the amount of air I'm using—is buoyancy control. Diving at the National Aquarium is the best practice I could've had to hone my buoyancy control, mostly because it's so shallow—where buoyancy is the most vulnerable. But now, lugging around this equipment is the next step in buoyancy control. It's just one more thing to think about. So for now, it's a lot of up and down. Which sucks. But I'm getting the hang of it, slowly.

Anyway, that's the long way of saying these photo/video excursions have left me with a bit of a squeeze on the left side, so I'm going to take tomorrow off.

First U/W Shots from Roatan

Sea Quest Reef - Roatan, Honduras from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

Roatan #1

I remember thinking today, as I fumbled around with my video gear at 80 feet, "God, I am so fortunate to witness this part of the world." Reef Gliders has it on their sign out front: 70% OF THE WORLD IS UNDERWATER. WHY AREN'T YOU?

I'm not a particularly religious man, but days like these make me ponder: Is this what it is to be blessed? After just three dives here in Roatan, the site of the second largest coral reef system in the world, I feel nothing less than blessed. Being in the presence of this kind of diversity of life is chilling, inspiring, moving. It's why divers dive.

Have you ever wondered about those odd collections of folks—seemingly comfortable on-land, half-naked in nothing but board shorts, tanned and tattooed, shaven, but scruffy and often smoking? Why do they go to so much trouble, spend so many years and so much money, just to ultimately load up a bunch of dorky, awkward aquanaut gear, day after day, and go sailing off to random spots offshore for an hour or two in the water?

It's because they are not as comfortable as they seem. What they have witnessed underwater is more than spectacle, it is the real world. And it has affected them on a primal level. Divers have seen, heard, and felt, what our planet really is. Where we come from and where we are headed. Where exploration belongs and where communication and understanding is bound.

And yes, it makes it a little uncomfortable when you have to leave.

Off to Roatan

Passport, check. Mosquito nets, got ‘em. U/W camera housings, somewhere in the darkest chasms of my pack...

In 4 hours, we’re off to DCA and then headed down to Roatan, a Caribbean island off the northern coast of Honduras. The girls and I will be spending the next three weeks in a little seaside cabin equipped with a kitchen and surrounded by banana, plantain and avocado trees—all of which, I’m told, are free for the taking.

The plan is to dive, swim, dive, drink, dive, build sand castles and dive. And work, of course: My shrinking little studio is packed in my carry-on, and they say broadband access on Roatan is quite good. So as long as the work keeps coming in, Gypsy Creative is hard at work.

But beyond that, there is no plan.

Putting a deposit down on a cabin is pretty good for us. Last time Tara and I went to Central America, the only advance booking we did was buy two tickets to Central America. Rented a little 2-door diesel Land Cruiser in San Jose and wandered Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast. We both agree that there’s no better way to travel. This time around, Siena Kaya will be traveling with us so we thought we should at least have somewhere to go when the plane lands.

Aside from the diving and snorkeling, which is apparently spectacular—Roatan being home to the second largest coral reef system in the world—I don’t think we’ll be at a loss for stuff to do. We’ve looked into zipline canopy tours, butterfly gardens, motorcycle rentals, and horseback riding. But we’ll see when we get there. As for Siena Kaya (age 3 in August), she’s made it clear that sand castle construction is at the top of her “to-do list.”

The weather… well, is the weather. Tropical storm Alex is currently over the Yucatan, and looks to be making its way westward toward mainland Mexico. While we will surely see some rain for the first few days, I’m not too concerned. Believe me when I say I’m no stranger to tropical storms and hurricanes; I know that once a storm gets back over the water, there’s no telling what it will do. But again, weather is weather.

We'll just have to see...

Zoos and Aquariums—The Results Are In!

Here you go...

Thanks to everyone who participated in this short survey. We got way more responses than expected, and some of the answers were surprising, to say the least. An analysis of these results is underway, and I will be following up within the next week.

Of course, I'm not a professional pollster and if these questions were biased or leading, I wouldn't even know. Keep in mind, this is primarily an opinion poll. A couple questions (like #5 and #6), you either got it "right" or "wrong". But for the rest, no right or wrong answers, it's just about what you believe. And that's what I wanted to know.

Again, analysis and more discussion is on the way. As for the open-response questions, those are of course the most interesting results and I will definitely be sharing some thoughts on those (don't worry "Sandwich" Guy—it's completely anonymous).

For now, take a look at where you stand among fellow readers of the Gypsy Dive Log:

1. Do you consider yourself a supporter of local zoos and/or aquariums?

59% yes
41% no

2. Do you prefer zoos over aquariums, or vice versa?

53% I like both zoos and aquariums about the same
22% I like aquariums, but I don't like zoos
19% I don't really like zoos or aquariums
6% I like zoos, but I don't like aquariums

3. What do you consider to be the primary objective of zoos and aquariums?

75% Education
10% Entertainment
6% Conservation
3% Rehabilitation
6% None of the above

4. Of the choices below, which objective would you personally consider justification for the capture and captivity of wild animals? (choose any/all that apply)

75% Rehabilitation
72% Conservation
69% Education
6% Entertainment
3% None of the above

5. Do you believe the National Zoo to be...

47% Administered and funded by the federal government
38% Administered and funded by a nonprofit organization
6% Administered and funded by a private company
0% Administered and funded by a city or cities
9% None of the above

6. Do you believe the National Aquarium to be...

34% Administered and funded by the federal government
28% Administered and funded by a nonprofit organization
16% Administered and funded by a private company
13% Administered and funded by a city or cities
9% None of the above

7. Do you believe it's possible that zoos and aquariums could accomplish their stated goals without keeping wild animals in captivity?

47% Not sure
31% No
22% Yes

8. Do you think zoos and aquariums would be open to alternatives to keeping wild animals in captivity, if it meant they could still accomplish their stated goals?

44% Yes
41% Not sure
15% No

9. Who, if anyone, should be responsible for monitoring and regulating the practice of capturing and keeping live animals for zoos and/or aquariums?

41% Conservation organizations/nonprofits (Nature Conservancy, WWF, Greenpeace, etc.)
25% International organizations (WAZA, UN, etc.)
25% Local, state and/or federal governments
3% Individual institutions (those that capture and/or keep the animals)
3% Someone other than the above
3% No one

#10 was an open-response question: What do you really think? Is it okay to keep wild animals in captivity? Why or why not? Under what circumstances?
We had a ton of great responses to this, and will be sharing some of those results within the next week or so.

Thanks again, yall!

Commercial Whaling to be Resumed

Today is Earth Day and there are all kinds of activities, rallies and events going on around town and on the Mall. One to take note of is the Whale Rally.

During his presidential campaign, one of President Obama's promises was to uphold the moratorium on commercial whaling, approved in 1982 and set forth in 1986 by the Internatio
nal Whaling Commission (IWC.) To be specific, Obama said,

"As president, I will ensure that the US provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is
unacceptable."

However, there is a proposal in front of the IWC right now that would effectively lift the moratorium by:

* Approving the killing of whales for commercial purposes by Japan around Antarctica and in the North Pacific
* Officially opening the Southern Ocean Sanctuary to whaling, reversing the IWC's own protections adopted in 1994
* Adding new rights for Japan to slaughter whales for profit in its coastal waters
* Allow continued whaling by Iceland and Norway in violation of long-agreed scientific procedures and the global whaling ban.


The proposed changes would, for all intents and purposes, reinstate commercial whaling around the world. And IWC representatives from the Obama administration are not opposed to the deal—in fact, they helped write it, are championing it, and are urging other nations to do the same!

The fact is, just decades ago, many whale populations were in danger of extinction and have only slowly recovered since the moratorium, in spite of several countries' refusal to follow international law. This new proposal would legitimize Iceland's, Norway's and Japan's lawless slaughter of whales and once again threaten those populations.

So what can you do?

If you are at all concerned about marine conservation, this is an issue you cannot ignore! Not everyone can make it to the Mall today to attend the Whale Rally. But you can still make a difference.

You can contact President Obama at www.whitehouse.gov/contact or phone the White House comment line: 202-456-1111 or contact your Congressional representatives at www.congress.org.

Visit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) online. Read more about the proposed deal, and sign the WDCS petition telling Obama that you oppose commercial whaling.

The proposal will be published today, and voted on this June. Don't wait to take action!

Hollywood is Getting the Word Out

Ah, celebrity in America...

Achieve just a bit of fame, and you automatically garner respect and credibility in the eyes of the public. Either that, or you will just rile up a bunch of "haters." That being said, I applaud anyone who is willing to volunteer their time, skills, money or celebrity status for a good cause. I say, more black and white images of celebrities repeating each other. It works!

I know, I know... These guys are just actors, record producers, and musicians. But when it comes to the issue of marine mammals in captivity, the only expertise you need to take a stand is your own human nature. So I thank each of them for spreading this important message, and I hope I can help do the same.

Of course, if you haven't yet seen The Cove, see it. Then you, too, can help get the word out.

The Captivity Debate on CNN

Typically I'm not one to promote a group of talking heads batting back and forth, but there are compelling arguments for all sides here. Ric O'Barry, Jack Hanna, Thad Lacinak and Jane Velez-Mitchell square off on Larry King, debating the issue of marine mammals in captivity. This is, of course, following the tragic death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau.



Each of these guys makes a good point. The problem is each is so convinced that the other a greedy liar with nothing but nefarious intentions, that they can't hear each other. So they'll likely waste a lot of time arguing louder and louder, when they could be working toward tangible solutions.

So Larry King may not the best source for well-researched, substantial information. But if you can dig beneath some of the spite, rhetoric—and less than thought-provoking puns ("abusement parks, Ric?")—there are a few important considerations brought up here, no matter what your position may be.

And if the Census Wasn't Enough

Well, here it is. The first Gypsy survey among what may turn out to be thousands. Or, it may be the last.

Either way, I can't expect everyone to comment on every post I put up, so I've come up with a short, 10-question, anonymous survey about the issue of Zoos and Aquariums.

I really want to know where you stand. Do you spend a lot of time at the zoo? Have you ever been to an aquarium? What did you think? There are no trick questions here; the bottom line is: do wild animals belong in captivity?

Some of you are passionate about this issue, some of you never considered it an "issue" to begin with. Whatever your thoughts are, I'd love to know.

Click here to take the survey
I will tally the responses that come in (also via Facebook and Twitter, of course) and publish whatever I find by May 1, 2010.

Thanks!

Leaving the National Aquarium, and Opening a Discussion on Marine Mammals in Captivity

Photo: Ocean Alliance/Chris Johnson

In the late 1960s, the biologist Roger Payne began analyzing the sounds of humpback whales. He discovered that the noises humpbacks make are far more complex than random chatter, but instead patterned speech just as organized as songs with themes. He also found that these sequential themes were different among different mating groups, and that they changed slightly from season to season.


Another scientific pioneer of the 60s, Dr. John C. Lilly, was a leader in the study of interspecies communication. Lilly’s work focused on small whales—dolphins—and he was one of the first scientists to suggest that dolphins might be even more intelligent than humans. He pointed out their extraordinary brain-to-body mass ratio (one second only to humans) as well as their own incredibly complex communication patterns.

The brain-to-body ratio of a living creature may seem simplistic when it comes to measuring actual intelligence, but it isn’t really. The fact is, the brain is one of the most expensive organs to operate when it comes to consuming and burning calories. The bigger the brain, the more work one needs to do to keep it. In nature, efficiency is paramount to survival, so if you don’t need something, you have three options: 1—Never develop it in the first place; 2—Lose it; or 3—Go off and die childless. Conversely, it is safe (and more than just intuitive) to conclude that if you have a big, expensive brain, and have for millions of years, then there must be a good reason.


Myself, I am not a scientist and I make no claim to a scientific background. I have read a lot of books and journals by scientists like Roger Payne and Rachel Smolker. Over the years, I have watched a lot of documentaries about cetaceans. I’ve read some of the more philosophical treatises of people like Jaques Mayol (Homo Delphinus) and Capt. Paul Watson (of Sea Shepherd fame). I’ve talked with the natives of British Columbia about their own spiritual beliefs regarding whales and dolphins, as humpbacks breached by the bow of our boat. At best, you might say I’m an “armchair” cetaceanist.

But I’m also an experienced diver with many hours in the water, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, and I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with whales and dolphins in their natural environment—the wild.

On what would be my final day as a volunteer at the National Aquarium, I dived the dolphin exhibit at Pier 4. The experience of being in that barren tank is what ultimately led me to my decision to leave that position. As a result of what I now know—as well as what I believe—about these intelligent, vulnerable dolphins, I climbed out of that exhibit, thinking as clearly as I ever have in my life: “those animals do not belong in there.”

We do know that dolphins are dependent on echolocation for food, and they use sonic communication to express emotional states and to identify each other. Dolphin activist Ric O'Barry describes the conditions of an aquarium as the equivalent of "living in a hall of mirrors." It is also known that dolphins might travel some 50 miles a day in the wild, eating a variety of fish and squid. Obviously, these are natural conditions that cannot be simulated with captive dolphins.
I started this blog as a way to share my experiences as a diver, both in the National Aquarium and in the open seas. To some degree, I expect it to remain that. But now I hope it might also become a forum to discuss an issue of growing importance: animals—marine mammals in particular—in captivity.

With the recent success of The Cove, and the concidental events at Sea World Orlando, this is a matter getting some long-deserved attention. I only hope that the public outcry doesn’t fade away over the next few years. While I happen to agree with the opinion of people like Ric O’Barry, the Oceanic Preservation Society and the Humane Society of the United States (plain and simply: marine mammals do not belong in captivity, you can download the HSUS report here), I do believe it is important to recognize the complexity of the issue. Perhaps the question is this: If there were no zoos and aquariums in the first place, would I even care today?

I like to think so.

It’s also important that I point out what I believe are the good intentions of people behind institutions like the National Aquarium. In the same way our politics are so much easier to define when we draw partisan lines, issues of conservation and social awareness are emotional areas that tempt us to jump to fundamental conclusions. I personally know the divers at the National Aquarium. I know divers, volunteers, safety officers, biologists, aquarists and veterinarians there. And I know for a fact that they are genuine, good people who, though perhaps of a different opinion than my own, share my love for the ocean world and want what’s best for the animals that inhabit it.

So that being said, I’d like to open the forum. Where do you stand? Should humans capture and/or breed animals to display them for entertainment purposes? For educational purposes? Conservation purposes? What is the trade-off, and are there any viable alternatives?

Me, I believe there’s a better way to learn from and about our self-aware marine partners on Earth, the dolphins. A much better way. But now I’d like to know what you think.


Photo: Jeff Nesmith

Non-Diving Related: iMovie Mentors 2010 is Almost Here!

The City of Alexandria's Court Service Unit is seeking "a few good men" to serve as mentors to pre-teen boys. No movie-making or mentoring experience is needed. A Mentor Orientation meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 23 at the George Washington Middle School in Alexandria, VA.


Over the course of the year, I will be teaching mentors and boys how to shoot, edit and produce short movies using Apple's iMovie software. This program is a fantastic way to both connect with your community and help a few bright young men discover their inner Steven Spielberg!


If you need a little cinematic inspiration, check out the vids below. Then Click here for more information, or contact me or Linda Odell at the Court Services Unit.

Help save dolphins in Japan

The Cove - Please see this movie!

The Atlantic Coral Reef Exhibit

Below is a short video I shot last Friday following a maintenance/cleaning dive in the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit at the National Aquarium:

Shark Alley, Grand Bahama

Recently I took a week-long dive trip to Grand Bahama Island with my girls. While they made sand castles and lounged on the beach, I took advantage of two tanks a day, in 6 or 8 different spots along the reef. The diving off Grand Bahama is gorgeous. I imagine that the economic hit the Caribbean has taken since the hurricanes of '04 and '05 has probably provided some welcome relief for the coral reef in that area.



From the unique perspective of a dive boat half a mile offshore, you really get a feel for the slump in tourism that has come as a result of natural disaster and a global economic downturn. Incomplete construction projects dot the beach, where new tourist ventures seem to have been halted in mid-development. And where there is life on the sand, the industry is clearly not flourishing as it once was.



Cynical though it may sound, this is all good news for the tourist who prefers to avoid the crowd, and see the wildlife unspoilt.

Below is a video I shot from one of the last dives, "Shark Alley." These Caribbean Reef Sharks are actually on their way to meet another group of divers that offers them food in exchange for photo ops. We just intercepted them along the way.

Shark Alley, Grand Bahama from jeff nesmith on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Aquatic Adventures of Alexandria, Virginia and the crew at Viva! Diving in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama.

all photos © Jeff Nesmith