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I am leaving for the Caymans on Friday. Any suggestions on collecting zoas & getting them home?
Collecting Zoas
- Thread starter Pufferpunk
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You'd want to check on that refgions rules. Alot of Caribbean areas restrict coral collection. I know that in Florida, you need a salt water fishing license to pull coral and fish, but many corals are off limits. With the liquid restrictions, you would likely have to wrap in wet newspaper to get them back (or put them under the plane...).
Any of the diving you do in Caymans - you will not see Zoanthids. I have dove several sites in the Cayman Islands and there are no zoas, if you go to little brac which is an island of the main Caymans you may see some, but collecting is not an option by the goverment. Unless you are diving with someone who may have a collecting lic.
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Yeah, thanks. I kinda figured all that. I'll be on a liveaboard, so we'll be visiting all 3 islands. To tell you the truth, I've never seen too many zoas anywhere in the Caribbean...
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ugh - i just got back from a southern caribbean trip and didn't see a SINGLE zoanthid!!!
i looked - and looked HARD... i was kinda disappointed! but it was a blast of course anyways!
some pics n' stories:
http://www.cvreefers.org/showthread.php?t=5945&highlight=caribbean
i looked - and looked HARD... i was kinda disappointed! but it was a blast of course anyways!
some pics n' stories:
http://www.cvreefers.org/showthread.php?t=5945&highlight=caribbean
Well one thing I have read about collecting (and I could be way off!)...you can't store them or ship them in the water they are found in because of die off that will contaminate them and kill them.
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Stixbaraca: die off as in plankton and such found in natural water dying off?
jessiesgrrl: that was on a Royal Caribbean '7-night Southern Caribbean' cruise. it was a blast! i was disappointed in not seeing any zoas as mentioned - especially when i found out someone else was snorkeling/diving in st. thomas and found oodles of 'em!! i didn't catch that until after the cruise or i would have persued snorkeling in the same area, heh!
kpax: np! it's great fun!
jessiesgrrl: that was on a Royal Caribbean '7-night Southern Caribbean' cruise. it was a blast! i was disappointed in not seeing any zoas as mentioned - especially when i found out someone else was snorkeling/diving in st. thomas and found oodles of 'em!! i didn't catch that until after the cruise or i would have persued snorkeling in the same area, heh!
kpax: np! it's great fun!
Yes WhoDah...the water being the problem. Bryan will have to chime in here...he is a little more knowledgable in wild harvesting!
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I've only seen a few small colonies of zoas in the Mexico (Cancun/Cozumel area), but tons of Palythoas. I've got to find the hot spots... I saw the pics from St. Martin. They were incredible.
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coralnutz: those were snorkeling. i'm no pro by any means, but started to get pretty comfortable out there diving down and w/ the camera! scuba certification is next -- we just ran out of time prior to the trip to get certified unfortunately... i tell ya, you visit those places and think about not coming back! :lol:
Stixbaraca: interesting... never thought about that, but it makes sence!
gflat65: cool cool! next trip i plan on pre-researching a bit more to try and find some spots, heh!
scuba certification is next -- we just ran out of time prior to the trip to get certified unfortunately... i tell ya, you visit those places and think about not coming back! :lol:Stixbaraca: interesting... never thought about that, but it makes sence!
gflat65: cool cool! next trip i plan on pre-researching a bit more to try and find some spots, heh!
I originally read it in a Calfo book...I will see if I can track the article down.
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Who Dah,
If you aren't certified by your nect vacation, you should be able to do a certification at just about any dive shop. You'll have some book time, but you'll get in at least a few dives for the open water cert and can then sign up for others. We had to do that with my wife on our honeymoon. She dove the house reef once for all the skills, then did her first non skill dive at Klein Bonaire. We then did two other dives (didn;t get started until later in the week). It's not a full certification (full cert would take most of the vacation), but it is enough to get you in the water. It seems like the cost was around $250, then every dive cost about $40 more than mine because she had to have a dive master with her since she wasn't fully certified. More cost, but it sure does change things .
We dove 8 times in three days in March. It certainly helps if the wife/significant other enjoys it (almost) as much as you do. Our vacations are scheduled for diving. Got our first night dive in in March in Cancun and it was by far my favorite (with Palancar Caves in Cozumel a close second). Jenn enjoyed it, but was nervous since the only light is from your torch. The millions of eyes staring back at you (shrimp eyeshine everywhere) and the feeders on the brains and other LPS were just incredible. 4 turtles between 2-4 foot in diameter and elelctric blue and black parrotfish over 4' long. Incredible. The reef comes alive at night. Would have been complete with a few reef sharks (nurse sharks are boring...) .
If you aren't certified by your nect vacation, you should be able to do a certification at just about any dive shop. You'll have some book time, but you'll get in at least a few dives for the open water cert and can then sign up for others. We had to do that with my wife on our honeymoon. She dove the house reef once for all the skills, then did her first non skill dive at Klein Bonaire. We then did two other dives (didn;t get started until later in the week). It's not a full certification (full cert would take most of the vacation), but it is enough to get you in the water. It seems like the cost was around $250, then every dive cost about $40 more than mine because she had to have a dive master with her since she wasn't fully certified. More cost, but it sure does change things
.We dove 8 times in three days in March. It certainly helps if the wife/significant other enjoys it (almost) as much as you do. Our vacations are scheduled for diving. Got our first night dive in in March in Cancun and it was by far my favorite (with Palancar Caves in Cozumel a close second). Jenn enjoyed it, but was nervous since the only light is from your torch. The millions of eyes staring back at you (shrimp eyeshine everywhere) and the feeders on the brains and other LPS were just incredible. 4 turtles between 2-4 foot in diameter and elelctric blue and black parrotfish over 4' long. Incredible. The reef comes alive at night. Would have been complete with a few reef sharks (nurse sharks are boring...)
.
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Loved the pics Who Dah.
I think some of the die off issues are with the sponges, etc., either on or IN the rock that the coral is attached to. Ever get a rock of zoos from an online vendor, and it stinks? Thats usually sponge inside the rock that has died. I think its responsible for some of the fungus issues also.
Die off can happen quite quickly, especially with collected corals, and especially on their initial journey. Whether it be from a collection station, in transit, to the wholesaler or transhipper, or from where they are collected by a novice/hobbiest, and then sent or stored on a plane. I agree, especially with zoanthids, dry shipping is best.
I think some of the die off issues are with the sponges, etc., either on or IN the rock that the coral is attached to. Ever get a rock of zoos from an online vendor, and it stinks? Thats usually sponge inside the rock that has died. I think its responsible for some of the fungus issues also.
Die off can happen quite quickly, especially with collected corals, and especially on their initial journey. Whether it be from a collection station, in transit, to the wholesaler or transhipper, or from where they are collected by a novice/hobbiest, and then sent or stored on a plane. I agree, especially with zoanthids, dry shipping is best.
In Calfo's "Book of Coral Propotgation"...page 348 is dedicated to "Collecting your Own"
In the second paragraph it states..."The most surprising obstacle to amatuer collectors is that at no point after collection (holding in hotel room, water exchanges or travel to home) can raw, natural seawater be used. None!" It goes on to talk about nearshore water polution, and die of from microscopic organisms and natural plankton.
The options, it goes on to say are to make your own SW, or sterilize the raw stuff.
In the second paragraph it states..."The most surprising obstacle to amatuer collectors is that at no point after collection (holding in hotel room, water exchanges or travel to home) can raw, natural seawater be used. None!" It goes on to talk about nearshore water polution, and die of from microscopic organisms and natural plankton.
The options, it goes on to say are to make your own SW, or sterilize the raw stuff.
Zeppelin said:Loved the pics Who Dah.
Ever get a rock of zoos from an online vendor, and it stinks? Thats usually sponge inside the rock that has died. I think its responsible for some of the fungus issues also.
Omg...! I got a rock of wild GPE looking palys at a LFS, and they stunk horribly. My blue linckie sat on them for days, and now theya re good... He must have been eating the sponge!
Laurie
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