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Whalefest 2025 this weekend
Saturday, Apr 12 and Sunday, Apr 13
10 AM - 5 PM
Custom House Plaza and Old Fisherman’s Wharf
Free.
Symposium:
- Sammy Andrzejaczek ,? Ph.D., Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University “The science of sharks: meeting the predator next door”
- Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D., Co-founder, Happy Whale: "Surprising stories about our humpback whales: where do Monterey Bay whales go when they wander onward?"
- Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D., MBNMS, Lindsey Peavey Reeves Ph.D, NOAA/NMS (co-author): "Listening to learn about and protect whales in national marine sanctuaries
- Joelle De Weerdt, Ph.D., UCSC/Association ELI-S Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB): “From Nicaragua to Monterey: understand humpback whales' migratory patterns and feeding behaviours”
- James Fahlbusch, Ph.D., Cascadia Research Collective, Hopkins Marine Station: "A day in the life of a whale biologist"
- Aliya Khan, Graduate Student, Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz: “Wetlands as Nature Based Carbon Solution”
- Jane King Silberstein, Cabrillo College Associate faculty/CSUMB, Associate Faculty: "The five most important reasons why Plankton are critical to our planet and to the incredibly rich, diverse wildlife we enjoy here in Monterey Bay!"
- Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies: “The Trials and Tribulations of Whale Disentanglement Response”
- Jonathan Warrick, Ph.D., Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, USGS: “Our Ever-changing Shores”
- Lisa Wooninck, Ph.D., Superintendent, MBNMS "The Value of National Marine Sanctuaries"
Exhibitors:?American Cetacean Society ? California Coastal Commission ? California Marine Sanctuary Foundation ? California State Parks ? Camp SEA Lab ? Citizens’ Climate Lobby ? CSUMB Ocean Predator Ecology Lab ? Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve ? Hi'Ilani O Ke Kei OCC? ? Marine Life Studies ? MEarth? Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) ? Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) ? Mission Science Workshop ? Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club ? Monterey SEA ? Monterey Waterkeeper? Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML) ?? O’Neill Sea Odyssey? Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History ? Paul Watson Foundation? ?Plankton Monitoring Network? ? Santa Catalina Middle School ? Save Our Shores ? Save the Whales ? Sea Otter Savvy ? Seafloor Science ROV ?? Sprout Up ? Surfrider Foundation ? United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Monterey ? Ventana Wildlife Society
More:?
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Fun scientific abstract newsletter -- ends with sea stars recovering in fjords
Finally, a tiny bit of good news about seastar wasting disease…SSWD.
Dave Begin forwarded message:
From: Becky from 404 Media <404-media@...>
Subject: This Device Translates Thoughts into Real-Time Speech
Date: April 5, 2025 at 7:01:21?PM GMT+6
To: story@...
Reply-To: emanuel@...
 | ? | | | By Becky Ferreira ??5 Apr 2025? | |
|  | | Welcome back to the Abstract!? This week has been a lot. This year has been a lot. THIS MILLENIUM HAS BEEN A LOT. That’s why there’s only good news in the column this week. We deserve it.? [snipped — but please subscribe if this is your kind of science reporting! — Dave] You Can Afjord to Miss This Time to end on a moment of zen. And what better place to find serenity than the fjords of coastal British Columbia?? You don’t have to take my word for it; just ask the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a species that has been so stressed in recent years that it has literally been tearing itself to pieces. This grotesque affliction, known as sea star wasting disease, has devastated many sea star populations around the world, but?P.?helianthoides?is among the hardest hit, losing more than 90 percent of its Pacific Coast population.? I know, I know, I promised some zen! There may be some light at the end of the tunnel for this species, as scientists have observed populations recovering in fjord refuges along the BC coast. Sea stars in these havens are not necessarily less exposed to the disease, but the conditions in fjords, which are regularly fed with freshwater flows, may give the animals a better chance to recover from infection. “P. helianthoides?in fjord habitats appear to be responding differently to SSWD than those in other habitats and regions,” said researchers led by Alyssa-Lois Madden Gehman of the Hakai Institute. “The contrast between the interaction between salinity and temperature on biomass density within the fjords and outer islands suggests that these habitats could be a refuge from disease.”? “We suggest that the unique oceanographic conditions within the fjords, specifically through the increase in freshwater input during snowmelt, known as the freshet, could be keeping?P. helianthoides?in conditions that optimize host health and/or limit disease progression and transmission,” the team said. Honestly, the compulsion to tear one’s own body limb-from-limb due to environmental stress seems dangerously relatable. But if sea stars can find some sanctuary from their hellish plight, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us.? Thanks for reading! See you next week.? |
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Re: Thousands of strange sea creatures are blanketing Bay Area beaches
Funny; I don't remember ever seeing them in Monterey. I did see a ton of them on a shark trip to Isla Guadalupe though. Plus a few Glaucuses, which were even more impressive.
jky
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Velella Vellela!? I have many fond memories of diving with these in Monterey and Carmel!
Cheers,
Dave
Snt frm phn, pls xqs brvty
CAUTION: This email originated from outside Chabot Las Positas Community College District. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
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Re: Thousands of strange sea creatures are blanketing Bay Area beaches
Velella Vellela! I have many fond memories of diving with these in Monterey and Carmel!
Cheers,
Dave
Snt frm phn, pls xqs brvty
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Thousands of strange sea creatures are blanketing Bay Area beaches
Thousands of strange sea creatures are blanketing Bay Area beaches The marine organisms appeared Sunday along Bolinas Beach.
I plan to live forever.? So far, so good.
Bob Halem San Jose, CA
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Re: Critically ill and dying marine mammals- Posting the text; no paywall
Pseudo-nitzschia, a marine diatom, creates domoic acid You can see weekly Monterey Bay phytoplankton counts here:?
"Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic movie, “The Birds” was inspired by a real-life event in California 1961, when hundreds of strangely behaving and dying seabirds were observed in coastal communities of Monterey Bay. At the time the cause was unknown, but it was later discovered that toxic strains of?Pseudo-nitzschia?were abundant in the anchovies that the seabirds were feeding on."
Melanie Moreno
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Re: Critically ill and dying marine mammals- Posting the text; no paywall
Adam Fox grabbed the nets and the cage from the back of his pickup truck. Something in the sand was disturbing the iconic Southern California scenery at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday morning.
A sea lion washed up on the beach just north of the Ferris wheel. It was alive but gravely ill and in a disoriented, near-comatose state. On the other side of the pier, another sea lion? lay in the sand, a little more alert but still sick.
Mr. Fox, who works for a sea-mammal rescue group, rushed to help save the animals and transport them to get treated. Both sea lions were given ID numbers, which told a story.
They were tagged as 25-193 and 25-195 — the group’s 193rd and 195th patients of the year.
All along the Southern California coastline from San Diego to Santa Barbara, hundreds of animals — sea lions, dolphins, seabirds — are washing up on the sand either dead or seriously ill. Coastal researchers and officials say it’s become a marine-life crisis that has overwhelmed rescue organizations, distressed beachgoers and hurt California’s ocean habitat.
The cause is a neurotoxin produced by an algae bloom. The toxin, known as domoic acid, is harmless to fish but can be deadly to sea mammals. Fish carry the toxin, but if mammals and birds eat the fish, the toxin can poison them, causing seizures, making them behave erratically or putting them in a coma. The only treatment is to flush out the toxin and medicate the symptoms.
Algal blooms are not rare in California, but the amount of toxic acid the blooms have been releasing and the scale of harm they have been causing to sea life have puzzled scientists.
“We’ve been seeing more toxin both in the organism itself and then also in the animals that are acquiring it,” said Clarissa Anderson, the director of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, which monitors ocean conditions. “They seem to have more toxin in their tissues. So it may be that the naturally occurring plankton is starting to produce more toxin over time, and that might be why we see more impacts.”
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On Mar 31, 2025, at 8:28?AM, regina roberts via groups.io <kelpdiver2001@...> wrote:
Unfortunately link won’t let you read article without subscribing. Regina On Mar 31, 2025, at 7:29?AM, Barbara J Dwyer via groups.io <montereydivingwoman@...> wrote:
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Re: Critically ill and dying marine mammals
Domoic acid poisoning again? I believe that was the cause of the surfer attacked by a sea lion in SoCal.?
Disclaimer: I didn't read the article that Barbara posted; just guessing as to what it contained.
jky
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From:[email protected] on behalf of Barbara J Dwyer via groups.io
Sent:?Monday, March 31, 2025 7:28 AM
To:[email protected]
Subject:?[EXTERNAL] [ba-diving] Critically ill and dying marine mammals
CAUTION: This email originated from outside Chabot Las Positas Community College District. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
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Re: Critically ill and dying marine mammals
Unfortunately link won’t let you read article without subscribing.
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On Mar 31, 2025, at 7:29?AM, Barbara J Dwyer via groups.io <montereydivingwoman@...> wrote:
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Critically ill and dying marine mammals
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
Mala Warf and the area immediately adjacent to it, including the shower/toilets were spared by the fire.?
It's back open.?
Various shops, including Extended Horizons (my favorite, too!), have guided shore dives there.?
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On Mar 23, 2025, at 20:15, Rick Tavan via groups.io <rtavan@...> wrote:
? +1 for Extended Horizons, a family operation. They were my favorite operator with a nice, all-metal boat that they trailered to the Mala Wharf, just north of downtown Lahaina, the town that no longer exists. They went to Lanai every morning (unless conditions were perfect and they went to Molokai). Somehow, the boat was destroyed in the fire. Then the husband got sick (cancer IIRC) and needed treatment off-island. I think he did OK. Their intent was to conduct shore dives for a while, hopefully getting back into a boat. I haven't dived with them in that configuration but hope to do so in May/June when I'm there next.?
If you can get to Lanai, it's my favorite Maui trip. Cathedral I and II are a kick, involving a small grotto that you swim into, look around, then get shot out through a small hole in the wall under tidal thrust. Very cool. Fairly long boat ride but worth it.
Mala Wharf is the best shore dive I've found there. Get there early to find parking. You need a dive flag and it's a long walk out to the left of the ancient wrecked pier, then fun diving in and out of the concrete wreckage, all shallow. There's a bathroom and outdoor shower for rinsing off. I don't know what the fire next door did to this facility. Again, hoping to find out this summer.
Have fun!
/Rick The best dive sites are at Lanai Island. These days, the only dive boats going there from Maui are Dive Maui which leaves from Lahaina with a large inflatable or Maui Diamond which leaves from Maalea Harbor with a much larger boat. You might also want to consider doing some shore dives in West Maui with Extended Horizons. They lost their boat and shop in the fire, but are building their business back up.? Jerry Marks ? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Rick Tavan
Truckee and Saratoga, CA
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
+1 for Extended Horizons, a family operation. They were my favorite operator with a nice, all-metal boat that they trailered to the Mala Wharf, just north of downtown Lahaina, the town that no longer exists. They went to Lanai every morning (unless conditions were perfect and they went to Molokai). Somehow, the boat was destroyed in the fire. Then the husband got sick (cancer IIRC) and needed treatment off-island. I think he did OK. Their intent was to conduct shore dives for a while, hopefully getting back into a boat. I haven't dived with them in that configuration but hope to do so in May/June when I'm there next.?
If you can get to Lanai, it's my favorite Maui trip. Cathedral I and II are a kick, involving a small grotto that you swim into, look around, then get shot out through a small hole in the wall under tidal thrust. Very cool. Fairly long boat ride but worth it.
Mala Wharf is the best shore dive I've found there. Get there early to find parking. You need a dive flag and it's a long walk out to the left of the ancient wrecked pier, then fun diving in and out of the concrete wreckage, all shallow. There's a bathroom and outdoor shower for rinsing off. I don't know what the fire next door did to this facility. Again, hoping to find out this summer.
Have fun!
/Rick
The best dive sites are at Lanai Island. These days, the only dive boats going there from Maui are Dive Maui which leaves from Lahaina with a large inflatable or Maui Diamond which leaves from Maalea Harbor with a much larger boat. You might also want to consider doing some shore dives in West Maui with Extended Horizons. They lost their boat and shop in the fire, but are building their business back up.? Jerry Marks ? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Rick Tavan
Truckee and Saratoga, CA
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
Shore diving.com Pick your country? Pick Hawaii Pick Maui
It’s available thru
Or use their app
Charlie Eng (retiredman2006)
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
I like Maui Dreams in Kihei
Agreed, I used SCUBA Shack at ?2349 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753 in 2015....did a drift dive on the back side of Molokini and then a Turtle dive after...Charley was good and understood it was my last dive as I was turning
70 after 53 years of diving...well worth the efforts!
Pete Ingenhutt
209-617-1324
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I plan to live forever.? So far, so good.
Bob Halem San Jose, CA
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
Agreed, I used SCUBA Shack at ?2349 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753 in 2015....did a drift dive on the back side of Molokini and then a Turtle dive after...Charley was good and understood it was my last dive as I was turning
70 after 53 years of diving...well worth the efforts!
Pete Ingenhutt
209-617-1324
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
I second Extended Horizons.? Great people.
?
There is good shore diving just south of where you'll be staying, at Mala Warf, Black Rock and Kahekili/Airport Beach.
?
- Oren Noah?
On 03/16/2025 20:37 PDT Jerry Marks via groups.io <jmarks@...> wrote:
?
?
?
The best dive sites are at Lanai Island. These days, the only dive boats going there from Maui are Dive Maui which leaves from Lahaina with a large inflatable or Maui Diamond which leaves from Maalea Harbor with a much larger boat. You might also want to consider doing some shore dives in West Maui with Extended Horizons. They lost their boat and shop in the fire, but are building their business back up.?
Jerry Marks
On Mar 16, 2025, at 5:36?PM, brian_handly via groups.io <abhandly@...> wrote:
We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
The best dive sites are at Lanai Island. These days, the only dive boats going there from Maui are Dive Maui which leaves from Lahaina with a large inflatable or Maui Diamond which leaves from Maalea Harbor with a much larger boat. You might also want to consider doing some shore dives in West Maui with Extended Horizons. They lost their boat and shop in the fire, but are building their business back up.? Jerry Marks
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On Mar 16, 2025, at 5:36?PM, brian_handly via groups.io <abhandly@...> wrote:
? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
Molokini can be great for CFWA and possible dolphin sightings. I wasn’t shooting photos, just casual video, but those two dives were the best of our trip to Maui a year ago December.?
Sami
On Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 19:54 regina roberts via <kelpdiver2001= [email protected]> wrote: Why? I really loved diving at Molikini. ?I would not go to Molikini for pictures On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:40?PM, regina roberts via <kelpdiver2001=[email protected]> wrote:
?Ed Robinson retired quite a while ago. Get on a boat that goes super early to Molakini, the winds pick up. There are ones that leave early out out Kehi I may be spelling that wrong. Regina On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:36?PM, scott tims <setims@...> wrote:
?Ed robins ? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
Why? I really loved diving at Molikini.
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On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:43?PM, scott tims via groups.io <setims@...> wrote:
? I would not go to Molikini for pictures On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:40?PM, regina roberts via groups.io <kelpdiver2001@...> wrote:
? Ed Robinson retired quite a while ago. Get on a boat that goes super early to Molakini, the winds pick up. There are ones that leave early out out Kehi I may be spelling that wrong. Regina On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:36?PM, scott tims <setims@...> wrote:
? Ed robins On Mar 16, 2025, at 5:36?PM, brian_handly via groups.io <abhandly@...> wrote:
? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Re: Best diving shops/guides Maui
I would not go to Molikini for pictures
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:40?PM, regina roberts via groups.io <kelpdiver2001@...> wrote:
? Ed Robinson retired quite a while ago. Get on a boat that goes super early to Molakini, the winds pick up. There are ones that leave early out out Kehi I may be spelling that wrong. Regina On Mar 16, 2025, at 6:36?PM, scott tims <setims@...> wrote:
? Ed robins On Mar 16, 2025, at 5:36?PM, brian_handly via groups.io <abhandly@...> wrote:
? We are heading to Maui in early April.? Will be staying at a family resort about 15 minutes north of Lahaina.? I hope to get away for a bit of diving one day.? I'm hoping to find a shop/guide that can get me to the most picturesque couple of sites. I think that would be a boat dive but I don't know Maui so maybe that would be a shore dive.??
?
Looking for recommendations and/or comments.
?
Thanks,
?
Brian Handly
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Dave Story
Rick Tavan
Pete