A Hurricane’s Unseen Victims

We just survived hurricane "Odile", thankfully we just recieved some rains (unlike "Jimena" in 2009, when it poured like a deluge) but the winds were strong enough to cause some problems: the winds caused some good height waves (there were reports of some reaching up to 6 meters/19 feet in our locality). The damage to the farm was basically confined to a collapsed access to the "palapa" work area, so we will be unable to offer guided tours to the pearl farm until repairs, hoping to be ready for tours by mid-October.

In La Paz, Cabo San Lucas and other communities in Baja California Sur they suffered significant damage in homes, hotels and shops, as well as road, electrical infrastructure and drinking water supply (which again reminds us of "July" and "Jimena", which wreaked havoc in Guaymas). We send our sincere wishes of speedy recovery to our brothers Sud Californians.

And here is where it all ends for most people: in the material and human damage. But I think that most people forget a further victim: our environment .

This past October 16 - after the passage of the effects of "Odile" - I went to walk at the beach just in front of Hotel Marinaterra’s "Beach Club” in San Carlos, a beautiful area formerly known as "Shangri-Lah". It’s a small bay with rocky reefs, a semi sandy-rocky beach and a beautiful island covered with Cactii. I have enjoyed this little cove since the first time I visited it in 1988, and it has always had an interesting fauna so it is a good place to snorkel. It saddened me to see it this way...

Garbage

The first thing that I could see were several large garbage heaps, mainly consisiting of soft drink (PET) and household cleaner plastic containers, plastic bags, assorted footwear (including tennis, shoes and flip flops), car tires, pieces of PVC pipe, pieces of home appliances (TVs, radios, VCRs, etc.).. imagine I was even fortunate to see a couple of old audio tapes! (I had years without seeing one), varied clothing articles and accessories (sunglasses, caps & hats). And this without counting the contaminating elements that we cannot see, as I am certain there would be all kinds of chemicals in the water such as petroleum derivatives (oil, paints and pesticides) and that of cleaning products (chloride and others).

It is really sad to see these trash pits and to know that this happens partly because the waves destroyed and carried away whatever was in their way, but also because rain water dragged all this garbage to the sea. Our sea and our beaches have become an unofficial haven for our trash.

But besides garbage, there are many other concerns: the thousands to millions of innocent victims of these natural phenomenons: marine animals. Sadly, I discovered dozens of different groups of dead fish: eels, seahorses, stingrays, snappers, Cardinals, Snappers and puffers. This was sad, but these fatalities where followed by even larger quantities of dead invertebrates.

Fan corals

These typical corals from the sea of Cortez are fished out to satisfy tourists. They are few in numbers and it takes them many years to grow. These primitive animals resemble the old "hand fans" and therefore they recieve this common name. On this occasion I found hundreds of these corals on the beach, comprised of at least 4 different species, but two species were more common: the "Purple coral" and "fire coral", the latter I consider as the most beautiful in the Gulf. And along with these corals I found yet another “victim”: the “Rainbow Lipped Pearl oyster”, which is the species that we grow at the pearl farm here in Guaymas.

Rainbow Lips have this habit of attaching to fan corals for growth and protection, and this is why one of this specie’s common names is "Tree Scallop", since fishermen are well aware that they can obtain them from corals ("trees") and from this animal they can obtain the adductor muscle which is known as "scallop".

Among the corals that I collected on the beach I found some 15 small rainbow lip oysters.

Molluscs

Thousands of mollusks died on this beach. I found several varieties of snails –such as the Cone (Conus), turban (Turbo), Conchs (Strombus)- mussels, clams, scallops, Arks and black-lipped oysters. Their hard shells shattered by waves and rocks. Some of the animals I saw were very weak but still alive; but most had been shatered to pieces. Animals that seemed to have a better survival rate were the black-lips, most of which only had their external shell fully polished. I did not find an Octopus, I assume most are skilled enough to escape the violent waves.

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Echinoderms

This is yet another group that suffered great losses... mainly among the stars and sea cucumbers. I did not find a single Hedgehog or sea biscuit, but this may mean that the fragile shells of these organisms were "sprayed" in waves and rocks. I collected several dozen at least 3 different species of sea stars, but the beach was covered by hundreds of these. Sea cucumbers were a not very common variety, which is buried in the sand.

Marine Worms

Most of the people do not feel like some marine worms: they are not very "nice" and some are frankly aggressive and cause pain. This group met at least 3 species... several specimens of "fire worm" (a species of polychaete that has thousands of cirrios (pimples) which deliver an excruciating poison who touch them. Without however the group most numerous was the sipunculans and priapulidos (nice name)... worms that are buried in the sand. Some of the worms arrived to measure up to 40-50 cm long.

Perhaps many of these animals do not cause more disgust some people, others perhaps cause 'concern' to put to sea (really are harmless) and for others they are simply them indifferent... but for my all these animals are valuable and "beautiful"; These bodies fulfilled a very important role in our ecosystem and make possible the perfect functioning of the Gulf of California. If we have love for our sea, it means that we also have self-esteem and by these animals... our making effort to not POLLUTE our seas and beaches do not become landfill or garbage cans, but also do whatever is in our hands to protect these animals directly.

I was recently at a seminar and we had a couple of spectacular speakers. Almost at the end of the event told us a story – it could be real or fictitious, but this is not important - which I would now like to share:

After a night storm, a man was walking along the beach. The Sun came out and discovered a beach with thousands of Starfish began to die from desiccation. He continued walking until he found a child who took the stars and returned them to the sea. There were thousands and thousands of stars, so his effort seemed futile.

Man approaches the boy and says: "boy, not you see that you're not going has make any difference?" They are miles of beach and thousands of stars! "."

The child - even with a starfish in his hand - is thoughtful. He then throws back to the sea star and replied to the man: "Therefore for the stars that I returned and did a huge difference".

This story brings us a great moral: even though our personal contribution limit to not throw trash and tell others that they pulled it... because we are doing a very good thing!. And if for some reason you decide that you can even help to collect the trash existing then are doing something bigger and a greater difference!.

If you are going to extract or buy shells or corals from fishermen, better invite you to do so and who better to collect what you find on the beaches. Corals, snails and oysters take many years to grow and may disappear from our bays, which subtract us colour, diversity and beauty.

I invite you to be part of those who make the difference and not part of those living in the INDIFFERENCE. We are like the child of the moral. This is a crucial part of tikkum olam.

Until next time.

Photo taken from here.