I have signed up to be a 'Citizen Researcher' for the non-profit Vermilion Sea Institute. Their Mission is to foster sustainable relationships between societies and ecosystems. The Institute Field Station is on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, within the Bahía de los Ángeles Biosphere reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Program is called Stars to the Sea and we will be
midway down the Mexican Baja peninsula and working in the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of
California) with Whale Sharks.
The definition of the word ‘Vermilion’ is a 'brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulfide (cinnabar).' I had to look this up :) Vermilion was given it’s name in the 1990s because of the spectacular colors that paint the bay each sunrise and sunset.
The Field Station was originally the headquarters for gold and silver mining. The main building has 12 large rooms including a large kitchen, classroom, labs, offices, and rooms for changing and storing personal items. The south end of the building has a large storage garage, with kayaks, BBQ grill, 30+ dormitory-style comfortable canvas cots (this is where i will be sleeping) ...either inside or outside under the stars. oh, did i mention outdoor bucket-flush toilets! i know this is not what most of you would consider a ‘vacation’ :) There is a large ocean front veranda and fully-articulated fin whale skeleton.
So this will be my home while i am there
Why am and i doing this? Some of you may remember that for a month+ for 2 winters i volunteered in Utila, Honduras at the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center (WSORC). So i am no stranger to the Whale Shark. i actually spent those 2 winters NEVER seeing a Whale Shark and was almost convinced that they were just a ‘myth’.
Finally the 3rd time i was there, i had an opportunity to get into the water twice, VERY BRIEFLY, with a small Whale Shark. It only made me want more :)
Finally the 3rd time i was there, i had an opportunity to get into the water twice, VERY BRIEFLY, with a small Whale Shark. It only made me want more :)
What does a Whale Shark look like ?
They are known as the Gentle Giants of the Sea, they are the largest fish on Earth. And yes, they are a Shark, not a Whale. They are capable of covering several thousand kilometers across the ocean in a single year! Despite their enormous size, up to 40 feet, they are filter-feeders making meals of some of the tiniest creatures on Earth – plankton.
The Whale Sharks visit these waters en masse throughout the summer and fall months. Each Whale Shark has unique, behind-the-gill-spots; like a fingerprint. The Stars to the Sea project uses innovative technology that applies spot-pattern-recognition algorithms – used by astronomers to recognize celestial patterns in the night sky – to identify individual Whale Sharks. Through my week-long program, they will train us to correctly capture photographs of Whale Sharks to help gather more information on this little known fish.
There is no phone service and only some undependable internet. But i will continue to record my adventure and send the results when i return.
Here is hoping for good weather and cooperative Whale Sharks !
