While being leadered at boatside, a beautiful blue marlin cooperates for a photo before being released
Curiously enough, the middle of summer, when there are plenty of fish around, was proving to be the most difficult time of the year to continue my quest to catch a blue marlin each month of 2008 from my home waters around Grand Cayman Island. My fishing time in July was so restricted by my busy work schedule that I felt very fortunate to catch my one and only blue marlin on a weekend excursion squeezed into the middle of the month. I feared that my prospects for success in August, given an already full schedule of commitments, would be no better, if not worse. That’s why I wasted little time getting out on the water as the new month arrived, and on August 3, I was able to catch-and-release a blue marlin. As was the case in July, this turned out to be my only fish of the month, but it extended my streak, and it allowed me the peace-of-mind to concentrate on my many other tasks at hand during the remainder of August.
As much as catching a blue marlin was my focus on that August day, I was abruptly reminded of all I love about the sea and her many creatures when I came upon a number of sea turtles on my return trip to the harbor. I slowed the boat to admire these magnificent creatures as they effortlessly glided just below the water’s surface, and caught myself mesmerized in the moment in much the same way as the old fisherman Santiago was when he encountered feeding turtles in Hemingway’s classic “The Old Man And The Sea.” As the sea turtles moved on toward the island’s coral reefs, I couldn’t help but ponder if what I had just witnessed was much the same as Christopher Columbus would have seen as the first to discover the Cayman Islands in 1503 on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. After all, Columbus named the territory “Las Tortugas” because of the abundance of sea turtles he found on and around the island archipelago.
The Caymans consist of three islands — Grand Cayman (by far the largest), Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman — and are located in the western Caribbean about 150 miles south of Cuba and 167 miles northwest of Jamaica. The islands are limestone outcroppings at the top of a submarine mountain range today known as the Cayman Ridge. Much of the islands are only a few feet above sea level, and surrounded by coral reefs and crystal clear waters, they have long served as ideal habitat for sea turtles, which in turn served as a primary food source for the first explorers and early settlers. Long after their discovery by Columbus, the islands came under British control when Oliver Cromwell captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655. The islands officially became a part of the British Empire under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, and for the next 300 years, were administered as a dependency of Jamaica.
Guy Harvey's "Pirate Shark" is one of his most popular AFTCO Bluewater T-Shirt designs, and representative of a portion of the colorful history of the Cayman Islands
In 1668, an attempt was made to inhabit Little Cayman and Cayman Brac by early settlers, but they were forced to return to Jamaica because they could not be protected from ruthless Spanish pirates. In those early days, the Cayman Islands played a significant role in the piracy that gripped the Caribbean. The islands were remote, offered plenty of turtle meat, fresh water, and a safe haven for unscrupulous legendary characters like Henry Morgan and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach.
It wasn’t until the 1730′s that the first permanent settlements were established. Up to that point and for centuries thereafter, the islands continued to be known to mariners as “Las Tortugas,” and is where they came to harvest live turtles and their eggs as a source of protein for their long voyages. Couple that with a relentless commercial harvest, and the Cayman turtle population suffered greatly. It wasn’t until 1968 that the problem was addressed with the development of a turtle farm to replenish natural stocks and supply local demand for turtle products. By 1978, the farm had achieved its objective of having enough broodstock to be self-sufficient and economically viable. The Cayman Island government has owned and operated the Cayman Turtle Farm since 1983. Besides being a major tourist attraction, the farm is a well-respected research facility with a highly effective breeding program that has released tens of thousands of sea turtles into the sea, each tagged for research purposes.
It’s a happy ending for the sea turtles — and for my limited attempts at blue marlin fishing in August. I did release the one fish to perpetuate my quest of catching a blue marlin during each month of the year, and though the last part of August was unfishable due to powerful Hurricane “Gustav” passing by, I was hopeful that I would find more fishing time during September.
— Guy Harvey
Check this blog next month for my adventures in September, 2008, as I continue my quest to catch a blue marlin every month of the year.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
I received a call just a couple of days out from leaving for Panama. Dr. Marcos Ostrander, board member of the Tropic Star Group of Companies, said I was to bring a suit and tie. Something was up. I was going fishing at Tropic Star this week and I had never taken formal clothes. Dr. Ostrander later explained what it was about. This was important stuff for me and my family, so I made arrangements for my daughter Jessica to travel to Panama City on Tuesday night so I would have a family member there for the ceremony on Wednesday.
Panama's Minister of Tourism, Solomon Shamah, presents the Grand Cross to Guy Harvey
Fishing had been good at Tropic Star, black marlin and blue marlin were biting that morning. It was surreal to have been in combat with a 500 pound black marlin for a couple of hours off the remote, pristine Darien coastline and then be in the big city a few hours later. I left Pinas Bay early afternoon and flew into the City with Eleanor Armstrong, the TSL administrator. Jessica arrived from Atlanta that evening and we were collected next morning by Dr. Ostrander and his wife Irene and were taken to the ATLAPA Convention Center. Here, a number of personnel from the Ministry of Tourism and Protocol had gathered, plus personalities from several tourism companies and the media. I did several interviews before formal proceedings began.
The Minister of Tourism, His Excellency the Honorable Salomon Shamah, and his lovely wife Rachel, came in with their entourage and we were introduced. My Spanish is unfortunately very poor, so the Minister addressed me in English, extending the President’s regards and congratulations.
The formal ceremony took place with a spokesperson from the Ministry reading out the proclamation and the reasons for the award. An interpreter translated for the audience, then the Minister gave his address. I was impressed as he never referred to his notes!
The Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Grand Cross and Silver Star; symbol of highest recognition from Panamanian Government
I was very humbled by all of what he said and I had to take a deep breath as I turned to receive the Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Grand Cross around my neck, the silver star on my left chest and then was handed the decree, signed by the President and Vice President. I was asked to make a few comments, and in doing so, I thanked the people and Government of Panama for their kindness and for this great honor. I thanked the owners and staff of Tropic Star Lodge, whose unique location had inspired so many paintings, stories, friendships and through whom I had so many wonderful fishing and diving experiences, so much so that I could write a book with authority, called “Panama Paradise”.
It is not a coincidence that the pioneer Ray Smith from Texas, who built Tropic Star in the early 1960s, was awarded the same honor in 1964.
We toasted the President and the country of Panama, and then everyone came up to shake my hand. Lots of reporters came forward for posed photos with the Minister. It was a huge moment in my life to be honored in this manner by another country. I would like to share with you a quote from local newspaper El Visitante 13 Aug. 2010:
Guy Harvey Honored
“Sport fishing enthusiast and environmental conservationist receives highest recognition from Panamanian Government.”
“When someone gives so much to Panama, without being asked to do so, it is the very least the Panamanian government can do to recognize them with our highest honor,” Said Panama Tourism Authority Administrator Salomon Shamah earlier this week of Guy Harvey who received the Vasco Nuñez de Balboa medal for his stewardship of Panama’s marine resources.
Guy Harvey is more than a regular at Tropic Star Lodge in Darien, arguably the most famous fishing hotel in the world. He is an avid conservationist whose labor of love has led him to become one of the biggest advocates for Panama’s marine life. Through his Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University and his Ocean Foundation Guy has embarked on a scientific mission to better understand fishing resources in Panama. Most notably he has assisted with tagging and satellite tracking of many species in conjunction with Tropic Star Lodge.
The ceremony honoring Harvey was carried out at the ATLAPA Convention Center. Harvey presented his limited edition 345-page book entitled “Panama Paradise, A tribute to Tropic Star Lodge” to ATP Administrator Shamah.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Success came much faster than expected. Today we announced that in one month we have already sold out of the 50,000 special Guy Harvey “Save Our Gulf” T-shirts. While AFTCO Bluewater will produce no more, some of these special shirts will still be available at retail outlets for the next few weeks. Ten dollars of each shirt sold is donated to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), so we have now successfully raised $500,000 that will be used to support needed marine life research in the Gulf of Mexico.
Fish and other Gulf marine life will benefit from the $500,000 raised
Even though oil is no longer flowing into the Gulf from the BP spill, and it is reported that over 70% of the spilled oil is now gone mainly due to evaporation and bacteria consuming it, there is no doubt that marine life in the Gulf has been impacted. Better understanding of how it has been impacted and what to do about it is what the $500,000 will be used for. The money raised from the sales of the special Guy Harvey T-shirts will be set aside in a separate fund within the GHOF and will be given out to research projects that Guy Harvey and the Board believe will bring the most future benefit to marine life of the Gulf of Mexico.
Many questions will need to be answered, such as, “what impact has the spill had on planktonic animals, fish eggs, larvae and juvenile fish?”, “has there been a significant impact on an important sportfish species such as bluefin tuna, red snapper, redfish, seatrout, or flounder?” and “how will that impact future stocks?”
Our thanks goes out to all who added to the $10 contribution which included Guy Harvey, AFTCO Bluewater, our reps, our suppliers and our retail partners. We also thank the consumers who made this possible with their strong support of these specific shirts and the Guy Harvey brand. Our original goal was to sell 10,000 T-shirts and raise $100,000. For us to raise $500,000 in a month is quite a unique and significant accomplishment.
Meaningful support of the marine resource is part of the culture and DNA of both Guy Harvey and AFTCO Bluewater. This “Save Our Gulf” T-shirt effort was both fun and rewarding for all of us. As time passes and we fund various research efforts, we will keep you posted on what is learned.
Bill
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, pleaser visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (CNN) — Whether he’s out on the ocean monitoring stingrays in the Caribbean, or back on land painting in his studio, Guy Harvey spends all his time surrounded by fish.
Raised in Jamaica and educated in Scotland, Harvey is one of the world’s leading conservationists with a first class degree in marine biology and a PhD in fisheries management.
His love of the sea and ecology inspired Harvey to found the Guy Harvey Research Institute in 1999 which provides scientific information about fish protection and biodiversity.
But this is only half of Harvey’s remarkable story. He is a highly successful businessman with a chain of seafood restaurants and a self-taught artist whose depictions of game fish have become world famous.
“I didn’t go to art class or art school, never took a lesson in my life. I learned everything from trial and error and it’s this persistence, I suppose, with the illustrative content which got me to where I am,” Harvey told CNN.
Ernest Hemmingway’s novella, “The Old Man and the Sea” inspired Harvey’s obsession with game fish and moved him to depict the famous fishing story in a series of pen and ink drawings a quarter of a century ago.
He paints every day and 10 percent of the proceeds of all the paintings he sells goes straight back into his eco-organizations.
Harvey also created a TV series, “Portraits of the Deep,” to showcase game fish and their importance to the environment.
“To see them underwater in their glowing, feeding and moving colors, their aggression colors are probably one of the most exciting things you can do as a diver,” Harvey said.
These videos play constantly in his stores and his restaurants where Harvey’s art is also on the walls, and only sustainable fish species are on the menu.
Harvey’s marine expertise has also helped to pioneer techniques of recording billfish underwater and a tagging system to monitor them over long distances.
More recently, he’s taken on the plight of sharks. Hunted for their fins, the loss of these predators could affect the oceans’ fragile balance.
Harvey’s recent Ultimate Shark Challenge was a catch-and-release fishing tournament held off the Southwest Florida coast. Endangered sharks were tagged for study and not a single one was strung up in the dock.
Sharks are also in danger in the Gulf of Mexico because of the BP oil leak. Harvey fears other fish are at risk too. He’s planning a new line of t-shirts to raise funds for research.
“We have no idea when this is going to stop or how far it’s going to reach and what the life span of this disaster is going to be,” Harvey said.
From the study of stingrays, to the most pressing conservation issues in global fisheries, the diver, artist, scientist, and businessman is always promoting the preservation of marine ecology.
“Fish are just stinking fish to most people. They have their filet that comes on the plate or you buy it in the fish mongers and it comes in a cellophane bag and it’s dead and cold and smelly. These are beautiful graceful ocean predators that need our respect.
“I want to leave people feeling that, you know, we really need to think more about how we use the ocean and everything that’s in it and if I’ve achieved that, then that will do it for me.”
It has taken a while to execute this latest project, but I have released three new designs to raise funds for research work on marine life affected by the Gulf oil spill. Two of these custom images are appearing on t-shirts under the appropriate title of “GULF LIFE ” and one as a unique poster. Delivery of the shirts will begin next week with $10.00 of the $20.00 retail price going toward the GHOF (Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation) Gulf Fund. Fifty percent of the poster price will go to the same fund. In initiating this project I am enabling people who want to participate in the clean up and research effort to do so by purchasing a unique design and supporting my cause. These items will be available through all the usual retail channels and outlets, such as Bealls Dept Stores in Florida, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports, Hibbett Sports as well as many independent stores around the south-eastern U.S. Additionally, south Florida’s biggest newspaper “The Sun Sentinel” is featuring my art and these designs in a special editorial on Sunday to increase awareness and encourage people to participate in this project. The funds will be collected and administered by the GHOF and then distributed to organizations currently conducting marine research work in the affected area, such as the University of Florida, Mote Marine Lab, University of Alabama and the CCA, just to name a few.
While the “bottom kill” procedure is scheduled to end the leak of oil by July 30 there is still a huge volume of oil floating around the gulf, some of which will make its way into the Atlantic Ocean. We need to find out which marine creatures have been worst affected, which have survived by tolerance or evasion and to gather information on mortality, particularly of larval and juvenile stages of so many marine species that spend long periods near the surface. This knowledge will assist in predicting recruitment of species important in recreational and commercial fisheries for several years to come. These studies will greatly assist us in preparing mitigating measures against any future spills. There are many other worthwhile projects happening. Just yesterday the government of the Cayman Islands, where I live, announced its intention to assist with hosting turtle eggs and hatchlings that are being relocated from affected beaches on the gulf coast. The CI turtle farm is the only commercial turtle farm in the world and has the capacity and ability to assist in this effort. This initiative is being sponsored by the Tortuga Rum Company and by Cayman Airways. Agencies responsible for such action would do well in accepting such a generous offer. I look forward to your comments and your assistance in raising $ for this worthwhile initiative. Take action now and get involved.
Meanwhile, fish responsibly and dive safely.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visist: www.guyharveysportswear.com
The effects of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will be with us for some time. Much of the damage to marine life is not yet even known. While the highly migratory fish species will be able to avoid the oil, the juvenile stages cannot. Neither can air-breathing turtles, seabirds, and mammals that must interact with the surface.
Money is needed to help research how marine life will be impacted and to understand how those impacts can best be dealt with to support Gulf marine life. To help provide those funds, Guy has created two Gulf of Mexico T-shirt designs. The first delivery of the shirts will be July 14. Ten dollars of the $20.00 retail price will be donated to a special account within the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) who will then direct the money to research projects and support efforts that Guy and the GHOF believe will provide the greatest benefit to marine life in the Gulf.
"Gulf Life" t-shirt
Unlike many other efforts to tie products into a cause that are more marketing focused than cause supported, this effort is both unusual and sincere. It reflects the serious marine resource interests of Guy Harvey and his clothing partner AFTCO Bluewater, who both have a long history of supporting a better understanding of the marine world.
This donation effort includes all who are involved with the Guy Harvey T-shirt business. Six dollars of the donation will come from Guy, AFTCO Bluewater and its suppliers, and from our retail partners. The other $4.00 will come from general GHOF funds, part of which, are generated from the proceeds of all other Guy Harvey sportswear sales. While many people don’t know it, Guy Harvey Sportswear sales have for years generated money to help the marine resource. In 2009 AFTCO Bluewater contributed over $200,000.00 from Guy Harvey Sportswear sales to the GHOF for their use to help protect, conserve, enhance and better understand the marine resource.
Thank you for your support of Guy Harvey sportswear products. Whether you purchase a Guy Harvey T-shirt or other Guy Harvey item directly from this site, or from any of our many retail partners, you can do so knowing that part of your purchase will go towards valuable work on behalf of the marine resource.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Shark populations around the world are being decimated by indiscriminate overfishing to supply the market demand for shark fin soup. These severe and rapid population reductions of the ocean’s apex predators have led to legitimate worries about disruptions to the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. The U.S. government, recognizing this looming environmental disaster, has made landings of 20 shark species deemed especially sensitive to overfishing illegal in U.S. Atlantic federal waters (see http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Compliance_Guide/Comm/Comm_Compliance_Guide_QR_Sharks.pdf for list).
Shark "logs" Photo credit: M. Shivji, GHRI
Until recently, shark species were landed as processed carcasses or “logs”, i.e., in gutted form with their heads, tails and fins removed (see photo). The highly valuable, detached fins were kept separate from the carcasses. Since many sharks are difficult to identify even as intact animals, this processing practice made it extremely difficult to determine whether legal or illegal species were being landed. In fact, because of this species-identification difficulty, shark “finning” – the illegal practice where high value fins from some species (e.g., hammerhead, dusky, sandbar sharks) were landed without the corresponding carcasses, was commonplace. To prevent finning, new government regulations established in July 2008 require the fins of sharks landed in the U.S. Atlantic fisheries to be “naturally attached” to the carcass when landed – i.e., they can still be cut along most of their attachment point as long as they remain dangling from the carcass by a small piece of uncut skin. The cutting away of most of the fin is allowed so that the fishers can fold the fins back along the carcass to save on vessel storage space. The shark’s head, however, can still be removed at sea. Unfortunately, even with this new regulation, identifying the species landed by visual inspection only is still difficult for the non-expert. Furthermore, this new regulation does not yet apply to sharks landed in U.S. Pacific fisheries.
Confiscated Shark Fins. Photo credit: A. Samuels, NOAA OLE
To help management agencies detect landings of illegal shark species, scientists from the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University pioneered the development of a rapid DNA forensics test to accurately identify shark body parts (carcasses, fins, fillets) to species. This test has routinely been used since 2003 to help NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement and international government agencies enforce their regulations pertaining to illegal fishing of protected shark species. The GHRI has assisted with over 20 such federal law enforcement cases, including one where the DNA analysis showed a U.S. fish dealer in illegal possession of fins from 19 great white sharks, a species considered by the IUCN (http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3855/0) at high risk for extinction in the wild. This case resulted in the fish dealer being assessed US $ 750,000 in fines!
The GHRI’s DNA forensic test has given fishery managers extra “teeth” to enforce regulations that, although well intentioned, were previously difficult to implement. We now have a powerful set of DNA-based, crime-fighting tools similar to those used in human criminal cases also being successfully applied in fish conservation and management. High-tech “Fisheries CSI” is now a reality! Ideas for a TV show, anyone?
I just completed a weekend visit to Alabama and Mississippi for appearances at Academy Sports + Outdoor and Hibbett Sports. While I was there, I had a chance to talk with many people about the impact of the Gulf oil spill. When you visit the affected area it means much more than seeing the tragedy on TV from fifteen hundred miles away, so I considered it time to comment on the incident.
There has been such a widespread condemnation of the responsible party BP that I am not going to add to that, only to say the whole episode exposes man’s unpreparedness for such events. We are so quick to exploit both living and mineral resources without putting in place the necessary conservation or mitigating processes. There has been widespread commercial overexploitation of fish and shellfish in the gulf (bluefin tuna, redfish, red snapper, sharks, shrimp with consequent by-catch mortality) and extensive deep water oil drilling apparently without adequate procedures in place on site or along the coast to prevent accidents of this caliber and keep the oil from coming ashore.
Guy proudly assisting daughter Jessica
Already 2010 has seen devastating earthquakes, massive flooding, destructive typhoons, huge tornadoes, and now we are adding to this destructive scenario. In addition, we are at the beginning of what may be an active Atlantic hurricane season.
Sure, oil has been extracted from the gulf for over fifty years. Most of it safely, except for some small incidents here and there which seem acceptable to the industry. I am reminded that there are oil spills all around the world where drilling takes place but not on this level. The last major catastrophe was in 1979 in the Bay of Campeche (southern Gulf of Mexico) when the oil flowed for nearly three hundred days following an oil rig explosion. People have forgotten about that one. It was not well publicized and certainly did not have live underwater video of the tens of barrels of oil per second spewing from the broken well on our TV 24/7.
Experts say it could take a couple more months before the problem is solved. In that time the public will become accustomed to the bad news, and watch something else. Certainly Haiti does not come up on the news any more. But for the wildlife affected and for the people whose livelihood is severely interrupted, this event is as bad as a Cat 5 hurricane, an 8.0 earthquake or a terrible tornado.
The longer the oil flows, the more wildlife will be affected. Given the slow circulation of the gulf, the oil and dispersants is already killing off untold numbers of planktonic animals, fish eggs, larvae and juvenile fish which affect recruitment of these species for the next couple of years. The bluefin tuna particularly comes to mind as their spawning ground is affected by the spill. This species is already severely overexploited, and this will definitely affect the survivability of the species in the western Atlantic. While the adults of all pelagic species can avoid the oil, the juvenile stages cannot. Neither can air-breathing turtles, sea birds and mammals that have to interact with the surface.
Guy coaching son Alex. Guy and other recreational fishermen desire to leave our children and grandchildren a healthy resource legacy
Movement of surface oil and suspended oil droplets is likely to happen with slow passage out of the gulf then accelerating with the gulfstream proceeding to Cuba, Florida and the US east coast further north. The effects will be widespread as has been projected. In the mean time, over several years the remaining mass of oil will be slowly eroded through evaporation and breakdown by bacteria.
Our dependence on oil has to end at some point, the sooner the better. This accident is a very appropriate reminder that we need to turn to alternative, renewable energy sources as soon as possible. Sun, wind, hydrogen are all available and the technology exists to make meaningful changes over the next ten to twenty years.
Of course the oil companies don’t want to see this happen. This business is SO profitable that they are going to protect it indefinitely. However, while they are still in business, this event may encourage them to spend more money providing grants to gulf coast universities to assist in upgrading the scientific research work and improving our knowledge of the coastal wildlife ecosystems, nearshore marine and oceanic marine systems. In the middle of this disaster, let’s also not lose focus of the real habitat value that the offshore oil rigs have provided fish and other marine life for many years, both as working rigs and after decommissioning when the rigs are often sunk and turned into an environmentally positive Rigs-To-Reefs Program.
So how can we the public, living outside of the affected area, help? We can contribute time and dollars to the clean up process. This ecological disaster cannot be cleaned up by BP, even though they say they are going to pay for it. The effects of the spill are going to be with us for a long time. I am contributing time to do new designs printed by AFTCO to be sold through our dealers with proceeds benefiting suitable organizations on the ground who need assistance in getting the clean-up accomplished. In the same way following 9/11 I generated new designs the proceeds of which benefitted firemen and sniffer dogs in the New York area.
In the mean time dive safely and fish responsibly.
It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Guests relaxing in the pool after a day on the water
The Big Game Is On! Memorial Day, 2010 marked the reopening of the legendary Bimini Big Game Club as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort. Fifty one rooms and cottages, seventy five slips, Historic Alice Town and Bimini outside the front gate. Fifty miles east of Miami, perched at the edge of the mighty Gulfstream. Under brilliant blue skies, with the dazzling “Bimini blue” water as a backdrop, the opening was a picture perfect start to the launch of the new Guy Harvey Outpost system.
It wasn’t much later than 7:30 a.m. on opening morning, when the club received word that one of its guests had caught a 350 pound Blue Marlin just offshore. Certainly a good omen for the future of the Bimini Big Game Club! Before the weekend was over, there was a lot of fish dancing going on up and down the docks.
The Guy Harvey Outpost system has been created for adventure travelers and water sport enthusiasts who share Guy’s vision of respecting the oceans, land and cultures that together create the fabric of our blue planet. Unfortunately, we’re all too aware that the popularity of water-sports activities has increasingly pressured all theaters of marine biodiversity. Fortunately, the sportsman’s passion for his pursuits has brought, in fact, deepening appreciation for the stewardship each of us has in protecting the marine environment for current and future generations. That is the core mission of Guy Harvey Outpost–to create a memorable vacation experience for the entire family, and ensure each guest goes home with a greater appreciation of marine education and conservation.
From the Oceans Comes Life. The motto behind the Guy Harvey Outpost system tells the story, simply. While Ernest Hemingway may have beaten a path to Bimini before us, it inspired him to write, the now famous magazine stories and the award wining, “Islands in the Stream”. The Guy Harvey Outpost Bimini stands poised to write some new dispatches from the epicenter of sportfishing, from the very site where the first conversations about forming the IGFA were had between Hemingway and legendary angler, Michael Lerner.
Friends sharing stories and a cool one on the deck
This summer the Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina takes center stage in the South Florida boating/fishing community, as it reopens after having been closed for two years. With the support of a private Los Angeles based investor, the property has been reconstructed and improved with new guestrooms, marina slips, the all new Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill (we call it the BGBG) and the stunning new Outfitter Shop, featuring Guy Harvey sportswear and a full complement of boating supplies and gear.
Always at the top of every diver’s Top-10 list, Bimini sits perched on a 2,000 ft. underwater cliff, just two miles from the docks. The Club’s full service dive shop will open in July, and the Club is excited to announce that scuba-dive legend Neal Watson has joined the Outpost team to ensure the best-in-class recreational diving service and programs.
This fall brings even more improvements, including a new spa/fitness center, new lobby and arrival experience, a lounge devoted to Hemingway and the history of Alice Town, and a Guy Harvey Theater, for enjoying the viewing of your HD videos and photographs, while also serving as a venue for guest appearances and seminars.
If you’re in or headed to South Florida or the Bahamas anytime soon, be sure to visit us. Mark the weekend of July 24th for our grand reopening party. Regardless, make a point to check in at the Bimini Big Game Club, and check us out. Help us write a new chapter in the history of Bimini that would make Hemingway proud. Become a character in our 2010 chapter and while your there, write some new history with old friends. The Big Game is On!
For reservations contact:
Bimini Big Game Club, Alice Town, North Bimini
Toll Free: (800) 867-4764
US Office: (954) 763-6025
On Island (242) 347-3391
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament Series
Catch and Release Shark Tournament Hailed as a Model for Sport Fishing Enthusiasts and Marine Conservationists
The Tournament Series will be an all-release shark fishing tournament off the Southwest Florida coast, beginning with a qualifying round April 30 – May 2 at Burnt Store Marina in Lee County and concluding with a Grand Championship Finale May 21-23 at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota County. The grand prize, based on fifteen, two-man team entries, is $10,000 with additional payouts through fifth place. Incentives will also be offered for a variety of bonuses, including largest shark and recaptured tags. The entire competition will be filmed for network broadcast.
To reduce landing times, innovative competitive guidelines require the use of heavy conventional tackle (no spinning reels), an 80 pound minimum line class and inline, non-stainless steel circle hooks. There is a five-foot minimum length for all qualifying species, which include: shortfin mako, tiger, great hammer, scalloped hammer, dusky, sand tiger, bull, lemon, sandbar, spinner, blacktip and nurse sharks. All animals will be measured in the water and identified by anglers at boat side before being tagged, either conventionally or with satellite tracking tags. Tail snares and other special equipment will be used for angler and animal safety, as well as for the expedient handling and release of sharks.
“For the first time, what we call a ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ shark tournament will be transformed into a true spectator sport,” said Sean Paxton. He and his brother, Brooks, known as the Shark Brothers, are tournament directors and architects of the event’s unique format. Along with Co-Director and Associate Producer, Captain Robert Moore, they state, “Our shared vision for this tournament is to effectively combine the goals of sport, science and conservation, while giving participants and spectators the most exciting, entertaining and educational shark-infested, multimedia spectacle found anywhere on the planet.”
In 2009, the Paxtons, and Robert E. Hueter, Ph D., Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research (CSR), teamed up with renowned marine wildlife artist, scientist and conservationist, Dr. Guy Harvey to present this innovative competitive event designed to serve as a model for responsible sport fishing and conservation.
“The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament Series will be a uniquely exciting event for participants, spectators and everyone who cares about the future of our oceans,” Guy Harvey said.
Joining tournament directors, Mote and Guy Harvey in this ambitious effort are partners and supporters: Ray Judah, Lee County Commissioner; Luke Tipple, Director of Shark-Free Marinas Initiative; Florida Gulf Coast University and other advocates of effective environmental stewardship.
Dr. Robert Hueter, director of Mote’s Center for Shark Research, will oversee the scientific aspects of the tournament. In addition to using standard tagging methods, some of the sharks will be outfitted with satellite tags in a cooperative effort with Lee County and the Florida Gulf Coast University so researchers and the general public can track their movements immediately after release.
Hueter has built specific scientific objectives into the tournament and collaborative research project. Anticipated results include:
- Documentation of shark species composition, relative abundance and size/sex data
- Migratory behavior and stock identification data from conventional tagging studies
- Post-release survivorship estimates
- Identification of shark critical habitats, including nursery ground
Teams participating in the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge will be trained to conventionally tag all qualifying sharks over 5 feet in length to earn points.
One priority in this project will be to satellite-tag certain candidate species including large female great hammerheads (Sphyrna mokarran) which are found in the tournament region in April-May, often pregnant. The pupping grounds for this species in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are relatively unknown, and satellite tags on these large sharks will help to elucidate the location of these critical habitats. Once the shark is measured and scored by the competing anglers, it will be handed off to the research team who will place a satellite tag and release the fish.
For all event details and contact information, visit:
TheUltimateSharkChallenge.com
Additional info:
GuyHarveyOceanFoundation.org
Mote.org
Photos provided by: The Shark Brothers & Captain Robert Moore
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
