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Colombia Wrap-up

May 3, 2012

If you took a quick look on Google Earth at the northern San Andres Archipelago, specifically at the three banks the team visited on this latest mission, you’d think they looked pretty similar. But we found instead that each has …

Mind-Blowing Dive Site

April 24, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Happily, some minds were in fact blown on today’s first dive. The groundtruthing team had promised they found an incredible reef and they did not lie. We were on the farthest side of the bank from where the Golden Shadow …

The Golden Shadow’s Crew

April 23, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Late last night, as the research team slept, the Golden Shadow’s crew was moving the research vessel east. By dawn, we were back at Bajo Nuevo with weather conditions dramatically improved. Scuba diving might seem the most essential activity …

Saving the Archipelago’s Conch

April 23, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Each day, as the bulk of the team’s divers head out to the reefs aboard the Calcutta, a group of four divers from Colombia hops in a smaller boat to go looking for queen conch. It’s a continuation of work …

A Day for the Birds

April 20, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Today, for the first time, we’re not alone. We are anchored in the lee of Cayo Serranilla, the largest of the few islets at Serranilla Bank. There’s a lighthouse on the island that doubles as an outpost for the Colombian …

The Sharks of Serranilla

April 20, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

“The area was swarming with large sharks—or ‘gobblers,’ as we called them…The gobblers were a constant problem. At times there were as many as twenty nearby. They were of all species and sizes.” That’s what underwater archaeologist and treasure hunter …

Wandering Bajo Nuevo’s corals

April 19, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Our afternoon dive today was more surreal than most. We were on the far side of the lagoon here exploring Bajo Nuevo’s corals and instead of a large, defined reef mound, we were wandering through what looked like a field …

Rough Day at Bajo Nuevo

April 16, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

Suffice it to say there will be no more photos of a mirror-like sea surface anytime soon. This morning we fought high winds and 1.5-meter swells in the channel that runs between Bajo Nuevo’s two main reefs, but still managed …

Healthy Corals at Alice Shoal

April 15, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

We made it to Bajo Nuevo this afternoon after a final productive day diving Alice Shoal corals. Though we didn’t find as much coral at Alice as we might have expected, there is positive news to report here, and chief …

Reef Mysteries

April 14, 2012

Written by Mark Schrope

At first, Alice Shoal seems something of a mystery. Many of the problems slamming reefs around the world are minimal here. This area doesn’t seem to be generally overfished, for instance, and there are no communities nearby to flood the …