Mona Passage So, since our last post we have kayaked through a minefield of thunderstorms, been robbed, crossed 'Shark Alley', battled through a number of reefs and found out that George achieved his Grade 2 ballet (!) After unloading the boat the quiet hum of an engine approaching caught our attention. And for god sakes, don't freak out like I did and try to wipe it off. Been diving for over 14 years. Our departure time was 5:00 pm. After 30 minutes we decided they were far enough away and paddled on. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Their hospitality was just incredible. CH-1201 Geneva Scattered showers. Photos, a description of the sharks appearance and a small tissue sample preserved in 90% alcohol was passed on to scientists Dr. Michelle Schrer-Umpierre and Glorimar Franqui-Rivera. No photos of any of this.. we were too tired. They came out of nowhere! To address the lack of data available to fisheries regarding the diversity of sharks and which species are being caught in the Mona Island fishery; To increase the local communitys awareness of the importance of conserving sharks and of the ecological role of deep-water sharks. Tweedy is the one who overreacted. . Switzerland My love for sharks has been stronger than for any other sea creature, despite the fact that my first meeting with such a mighty creature was less than auspicious. I deeply resent your arrogant and treacherous attack. Satori was mostly ready; however, she needed a good scrub and rinse. Affiliate Disclaimer:Although it may not seem like it, I tend to put a lot of effort into all the information on this websitekiskeyalife.com, I try my best to contribute. The wind shifted North which gave us a beam reach. This subject is of interest to me, and I think to others (lots of great info in the responses!). We had fortunately been offered accommodation at the last minute and were pleased to have a place to stay. The most common species are catsharks, reef sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, bull sharks, silky sharks, tiger sharks, blue sharks, and whale sharks. In addition to this, there are the lifeguards placed in a tower for the best sighting of those in danger. Hi Robbie, its a pleasure, the truth is that I really enjoy writing, I enjoy it so much that I have spent most of the pandemic writing, even knowing that tourism is paralyzed. 3 hours later and alarms were ringing and we were up and ready to go again. After exploring the West coast of Puerto Rico, they head East along the Southern coast of Puerto Rico. It is established that the shark ban is for an indefinite period. etc. Where in the Caribbean do these pose a threat for swimming and snorkelling? These agencies have committed to help create activities and webinars on shark conservation around the island. Ready to write a dive-related product review? This we did. The sheer walls face the open ocean, begging divers to come and explore the vast blue. Mona-Passage + Add translation Add Mona-Passage "Mona-Passage" in German - English dictionary. What the heck is a negative question? Bueno Dias Puerto Rico! The only evidence she left behind? In addition to this, the trade winds converge in this channel and collide with great force, and this force is transferred to the water, forming huge waves of more than 12 feet high. from local fishers and used partial sequences of the mitochondrial NADH2 gene to produce the first list of deep . They told us we need to be another couple of miles down the shore for our accommodation. Good practice and brushing up on skills will prove helpful, especially when getting off and back on the boat. ADDRESS Too far right or too far left and we would end up on the reef, jagged rocks and huge breaking waves. They feed on weak, sick, or old fish, so they spread their genes. He is willing to help with just about anything, even bringing a package to you after youve left the marina or even Puerto Real! At the Monita Island dive sites such as Hobbit House, sharks and other big pelagics swarm around an open-ocean pinnacle mount. It was the perfect afternoon. In total darkness we had to trust the glow sticks we had positioned on the beach. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'kiskeyalife_com-leader-3','ezslot_13',649,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-kiskeyalife_com-leader-3-0');They are very peaceful beaches, some beaches are a little livelier than others in terms of waves, nothing more. 2 earthquakes in the past 7 days. These species are taken as by-catch by local fishermen and used for consumption. Cabral said he intended to ask President Joaquin Balaguer to investigate the armed forces response to the disaster. 143 earthquakes in the past 365 days. Almost everything had been prepared the night before so we just had to pack the last few things into the bags, carry them and the kayak onto the beach (the boat is too heavy to lift when loaded), pack it and leave. There is nothing wrong w/ any my posts, individually or together. They are usually given food by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, which maintains a research station on the island, taken by helicopter to the west coast city of Mayaguez and placed aboard a ferry heading back to the Dominican Republic. If you think nurse sharks are limited to deep water, or if you don't go out too far you won't encounter any, think again. There were sunken boats scattered around the Bay. Shark attack at Mona Passage in Between DR and Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic Tweet Toggle navigationShark Attack Data Incidents by country Links Shark Attack Data Shark Attacks: The Database Countries Dominican Republic Cabral estimated Tuesday that there are many dead, more than 50,. Ready to accessorize your outfit with stylish dive wear? Under the assumption we were just a mile from shore it did not come as happy news that we were in fact 4 miles east of where we needed to be. Your email address will not be published. On top of that, fighting the unpredictable current and potentially battling into the wind made the decision to stay a no brainier. The next stop was about a 45 minute motor around the corner to Boqueron. One place I certainly want to avoid: The Mona Passage b/w Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic! The best diving sites are located along its Western and Southern shoresand largely accessible through seasonal liveaboards that operate mostly in the winter months. The vertical profile of the low-frequency (periods longer than 2 days) mean meridional water transport is characterized by a two-layer structure. Not even a small fish appears on the beaches, the only thing I personally was afraid of was sea urchins, and this was in my childhood when I visited the beach of Boca Chica, near Santo Domingo. Continuing until sunlight was uneventful. Kareena already scoped out the best pool, and we agreed! Nick, Kelly, and King Arthur leaving the DR. Oceanic whitetip sharks and silky sharks are common in the Mona Passage. After dinner, we were happy to go back to our air-conditioned boat, pop in a movie and pass out. We ventured to the Mall and also caught a movie at the local theater. Unfortunately, in recent years, indiscriminate shark fishing to meet the demand for shark fin soup. We changed bearing and started heading west along the coast. Your email address will not be published. We had a little over 24 hours to enjoy the marina. It was lying on a table, dead, waiting to be chopped into pieces and sold. fishery here, making it the first confirmed sighting for Puerto Rico. A two-year ban was imposed for fishing or commercial exploitation throughout the national territory, and retention when they have been accidentally caught. Ive never seen anything more horrible in 22 years of civil defense work.. The waters are a protected ecological preserve, which always allows for better views when diving. Yes, Tweedy, SHUT THE HELL UP!! Amid all the slanderI was stung by a jellyfish (?) We continued to see spots of blood on the water and sharks for more than an hour. From my discussions with others on the island, spotting a shark on St. John is rare but not unheard of. Most divers enjoy the tranquility that accompanies the feeling that theyre the only one in the water. Check 'Mona Passage' translations into German. Cookie Policy - Another similar incident with a blue shark occurred on the coast of Sosua in the north of the Dominican Republic. They remained in jail this morning but were expected to be released shortly. Thats serious! Salinas is a protected mangrove bay much like Luperon. With darkness now just minutes away we quickly cooked some dinner and climbed into our hammocks. The next day was prep day. If we stayed in Samana, we knew we would be stuck there for a good two weeks. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are only effective if the species you want to safeguard stays within its borders. Oceanic whitetip sharks and silky sharks are common in the Mona Passage. Save Our Seas Foundation Clearly the last item was the high value and most important loss for us and left us with a difficult decision as to whether to embark on the passage or not. We've vacationed in St. John 6 times, and until this last time, were never bothered by anything. You have SOME NERVE making completely unfounded assumptions and judgements about me and then taking it upon yourself to tell others to ignore my completely sincere, legitimate and valid posts. Sharks, whales, dolphins, and other large marine animals make their way through the passage, especially during the fall and winter months. After making it just north of Mayaguez we were warmly welcomed in by Carlos. Under sail it means an even longer distance because of having to "tack" a zig-zag course into the easterly trade winds. At 7:00 am the next morning, we pulled up anchor and headed for Marina Pescaderia in Puerto Real. James H. Walker, regional director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in San Juan, estimated last year that an average of 1,000 Dominicans enter Puerto Rico each month. After that we headed to the farmers market in Rincon and were treated to some great local foods and gifts. According to the Shark attack Data page that collects information on reported cases of shark attacks in different parts of the world. Again, we only stopped for one night, so we didnt see much of the town. Although these are the most common species in the Caribbean area, it does not mean that they have large populations here. I have visited on many occasions different beaches in Punta Cana, including the Arena Gorda Beach, which is one of the best beaches I dare say in the entire Caribbean. For many weeks Decent Tropical aka Oceanbreeze has posted on several boards questions about not wanting to be around people of the opposite sex in bathing attire, questions about fearing the safety records of small airplanes, the safety of ferries, the possibility of contaminated food or water, the threatening sea life etc. More reefs and rapidly fading light created a stressful situation. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama Canal. We were able to sail for most of the day. It took them 29 hours of dodging canoes and an incident with a fishing net. Before that, we were thinking of bailing on the Mona Passage as we didnt want to be miserable the whole trip as well as saving Satori from a huge beat. They kindly said we could leave the kayak outside their hut and pointed us up a dirt track to where the road was located. Otherwise, it could have been a disaster. Kelly and Arthur taking a nap on the Mona Passage. The boat struck a sand bar 2 1/2 hours later and overturned about three miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, witnesses and survivors said. It looked like we had a weather window to set off at midnight. A few minutes later we could see the sharks attacking them. It was also late in the season, and it was getting harder to reach the Virgin Islands. In this episode, Nick and Kelly cross the Mona Passage. We still had a VHF radio we could keep turned off to maintain battery, strobes to use to identify our location and a good weather window to complete the crossing. We had approximately two hours to relax before casting off the dock. The craft, powered by two outboard engines, was headed toward Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth and the closest land area from the eastern point of the Dominican Republic. Offering another night and support if we needed to go anywhere, the supermarket, pharmacy or just to get out the house. Step 1. [6][7][8], Internal tides at El Pichincho can elevate the turbulent vertical diffusivity values (or Eddy diffusion), and with a reduction of the Richardson number at the base of the pycnocline. To achieve this goal, we collected shark tissue and shark photos from local fishers and used partial sequences of the mitochondrial NADH2 gene to produce the first list of deep-water shark species around Mona Island, which is one of the most important centres for fishing in Puerto Rico. An unknown shark was reported to have attacked . With no other option we counted the sets of waves and went for it. With its slim, silver-copper body, pointed snout, large eyes, and small fins, the shark captured by a small-scale commercial fisher looked like any other shark in the family Carcharhinidae, known as the requiem sharks. About an hour after we started towards Puerto Rico, the conditions became almost perfect. Details of a shark attack that occurred 06 Oct 1987 at Mona Passage in Between DR and Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic. After breakfast, we spent a couple of hours cleaning the boat and stowing away everything in sight. Rue Philippe Plantamour 20 One of the largest and best-known families of sharks, these animals are medium-to-large, active predators that are known to be migratory and found in waters worldwide. We waited for a nerve-wracking half an hour before we were confident enough that we were not going to kayak into the path of any of them and then continued on. Such relief after an incredibly long and eventful few days! We jumped out and began unloading. Spray decks up and ready to jump out the boat and drag it up the beach when we landed we managed to just escape being rolled by the wave that took us to shore. Salinas was struck hard by Maria, but the marina was still open for business with many of the amenities available. You continue to post negative questions and I am now sure that you are just trying to flame the board. The events described in this topic, have been extremely isolated events, on the beaches of the Dominican Republic and Punta Cana the only thing you will find is water and sand (along with palm trees, people, etc, but you get the point, right?). The fins are sold and made shark fin soup. There are species that can be a little more daring, but most shark species do not pose a threat to man. We only stopped for one night but checked out the salt water pool and small island park nearby. Such a overwhelming feeling of relief was quickly replaced by three looming thunderstorms. What did finally help was when we went close to shore. However, we still have many challenges in generating scientifically valid data on which species require strict protection and which can provide opportunities for our coastal economies through dive tourism or managed fisheries, says Schrer-Umpierre. The neighboring islands are separated by the 100-mile wide Mona Passage, which runs between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Other aliens are dropped on even smaller uninhabited islands in the Mona Passage, where they are sometimes stranded without food for several days until picked up by police or Coast Guard patrol boats. While Puerto Bahia would be a lovely place to catch up on work and relaxation, in this case, our wallet would not be happy. With no clear entry to land and only an hour of daylight left we weren't overly pleased by the situation that faced us. The day passed slowly and uneventfully apart from a few oil tankers in different directions. Jose will go out of his way to make you feel welcome and also give you some soup from the local restaurant. 16 hours in the boat and we were more than ready to stretch our legs. Does not mean that they have been accidentally caught NADH2 gene to produce the first list deep. 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