Issue 82 - March 2022

18 Great Marine Reserves to Visit in 2022

By Kathryn Curzon

Some of the most impressive underwater landscapes and aquatic life you will ever see are at the world’s marine reserves. These vital havens offer a glimpse into how full of life the ocean used to be and how well it can recover when it is protected. As well as hosting incredible biodiversity, marine reserves create eco-tourism opportunities and provide sustainable income for remote communities. Most importantly, they help protect the ocean from the impacts of humans and climate change. Are you ready to experience the magic of the underwater world whilst supporting eco-tourism? Get inspired with our round-up of 10 great marine reserves to visit.

Fakarava Atoll Biosphere Reserve, French Polynesia.

Fakarava is an enormous atoll, the second-largest in French Polynesia, and has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is stunning above and below water, with remarkable landscapes and rare marine life.

People visit from around the world to experience Fakarava’s many treasures, including diving with hundreds of grey reef sharks, barracudas, tunas, manta rays, and dolphins. The snorkelling is also fantastic, with warm lagoon waters and thriving shallow coral reefs.

Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand

A short boat trip from the sunny Tutukaka coast will take you to New Zealand’s most popular and famous marine reserve, the Poor Knights Islands. Brought to the world’s attention by Jacques Cousteau, these special islands are considered one of the world’s top 10 dives.

Washed by warm-water currents from the north, the Poor Knights Islands host both subtropical and temperate marine life, resulting in extraordinary biodiversity. There are huge shoals of fish, stingrays, colorful sea slugs, sponges, sea fans, and beautiful soft corals.

If you’re really lucky, you might even spot a visiting manta ray, orca or sea turtle, which are known to cruise by during the summer months.

Alonnisos Marine Park, Greece

The largest marine park in all of Europe, the Alonnisos Marine Park is a nature reserve for terrestrial and marine species in the Mediterranean Sea. Established in 1992, it was the first of its kind in Greece and protects many breeding birds and cetaceans, including more than 7 different dolphin and whale species.

By far the most famous residents of this marine park, and the ones most in need of protection, are the Mediterranean monk seals. There are fewer than 700 of these seals left. Take a trip to Alonnisos to explore the islets around the marine park, meet the seals, and spend a day walking among the island’s picturesque olive groves and orchards.

Silver Bank Sanctuary, Dominican Republic

The Silver Bank Sanctuary is a submerged bank in the Atlantic that provides a safe winter haven for the North Atlantic humpback whale population, which gathers to mate, calve and raise their young there.

Various operators offer multi-day safaris dedicated solely to learning about and swimming with these charming whales.

Namena Marine Reserve, Fiji

Fiji is known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World and hosts a jaw-dropping array of vibrant corals at its many reefs. The Namena Marine Reserve has been a no-fishing zone since 1997 and is one of the best places to experience Fiji’s corals in all their glory.

This well-known marine reserve is rich in biodiversity. The dive sites are bustling with colourful reef fish, crustaceans, reef sharks and schooling pelagic fish – all surrounded by bright blue, warm waters. If you only ever visit a coral reef once in your lifetime, make sure it is in Fiji.

Palau National Marine Sanctuary, Palau

The people of Palau have always been closely linked to the ocean and have worked hard to protect their marine environment since 1956. They hit world headlines when they created the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 and have since signed the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Act into law.

Palau is a fantastic place to go scuba diving, offering diving with manta rays, deep current-swept walls, caves and caverns for adventurous divers. There are easily accessible WWII wrecks and thriving coral reefs, with plenty of options for non-divers as well.

You can go swimming with millions of harmless jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake and spend your time above water enjoying Palau’s stunning forest-draped islands.

Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park, Mexico

It takes more than 24 hours to reach the remote Socorro Islands (or Revillagigedo Islands), but it is their remote location that makes them so spectacular. Far from the influence of modern life, these islands are one of the best marine megafauna destinations in the world.

Known as the Mexican Galapagos, the Socorro Islands are busy with marine life, including friendly giant Pacific manta rays and 10 species of sharks year-round. These rich offshore waters also host bottlenose dolphins, visiting whale sharks and humpback whales.

This isn’t a destination for snorkelers, but if you’re an experienced diver, the Socorro Islands need to be on your wish list for 2022 and beyond.

Hanifaru Bay Biosphere Reserve, the Maldives

With its white-sand beaches, palm-fringed shores and luxurious resorts, the Maldives is hard to beat for a relaxing vacation. The gloriously warm, calm water and shallow reefs make it a perfect destination for families and snorkelers. Get your Open Water Diver certification and you can discover why divers flock to the Maldives every year.

Maldives scuba diving has countless dive sites for every experience level, from sunlit reefs with no currents to thrilling drift dives, thriving pinnacles and deep coral-covered walls. These idyllic islands are home to two well-known marine reserves: the South Ari Marine Protected Area, a Maldives whale shark hotspot, and the Hanifaru Bay UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Hanifaru Bay is one of the most famous manta ray destinations in the world and hosts hundreds of feeding mantas from May to November each year. Hop on a boat and you can go snorkelling with them to your heart’s content.

Lundy Island Marine Protected Area, United Kingdom

Lundy Island sits just 12 miles off the coast of Devon and is renowned for its exceptional marine life, which has been protected since 1973.

There is a breeding colony of playful Atlantic grey seals at Lundy, with seals dotted all around the island, rolling in the surf and lazing about in the sunshine. Snorkelling with these seals is a must-do experience.

Divers can explore a variety of reefs, pinnacles, and sea caves, all busy with Lundy’s diverse fish life. Just remember to leave time to explore the island itself. Given Lundy is derived from the Norse meaning of puffin, it’s no surprise to find Lundy is busy with these colourful birds.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, USA

Not all marine reserves are in the ocean, as proven by the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary protects almost 100 historic shipwrecks in Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America.

Also known as ‘shipwreck alley’, Thunder Bay contains wrecks that date back to 1844 and sit at depths ranging from just a few inches deep to over 60 meters down. Some of the wrecks are still intact, including a 72-meter-long steamer Montana.

The DeTour Passage Underwater Preserve is ideal for every diver, with 19 wrecks in shallow waters and easy shore diving. The shallow shipwrecks in Thunder Bay can also be easily explored as snorkelled.

More great marine reserves to visit as a scuba diver

Once you start exploring the ocean, you won’t be able to stop! The underwater world is mesmerizing and there are marine reserves dotted around the world. To make the most of these underwater treasures and visit the more remote ones, it is a good idea to start scuba diving. You will be able to get closer to marine life, go deeper, and explore for longer. Before you know it, you’ll be visiting those offshore marine reserves other divers dream of.

Ready to go diving? Here are 8 top dive destinations with marine reserves:

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia
Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, Mexico
Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize
Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador
Jardin de la Reina National Park, Cuba
Raja Ampat Islands Marine Reserve, Indonesia
Tubbataha Natural Park, the Philippines
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the Bahamas

Raja Ampat Islands Marine Reserve, Indonesia

This article was written by Kathryn Curzon, a shark conservationist and dive travel writer for Scuba Schools International (SSI).

About Scuba Schools International (SSI)

Scuba Schools International (SSI) is the largest professional business-based training agency in the world. For over 50 years now, SSI has provided the ultimate training experience for millions of certified divers, not only in Recreational Scuba but in every training category; Freediving, Extended Range, Rebreather Diving, Mermaid, Swim and Lifeguard. Visit the Scuba Schools International website for more information.

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Related Topics:coral reef sustainable travel Travel Destination

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SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – March 2022 – Issue 82

Issue 82 - March 2022

Appeal for Marine Science, Scientific Supplies for Cuba

By Mark Friedman

It has been a tradition that delegations from the United States visiting Cuba bring donations of medical, marine, scientific or educational/school supplies to give our colleagues there who, due to the 60-plus year US economic blockade, are unable to secure many of these items. Or they are extremely expensive since they must go through a third nation, with high transportation, third-party costs.

Washington’s bipartisan economic and political war aims to increase hardship for the Cuban people and overturn their sovereign government. We should promote the normalization of US-Cuban relations and end all economic and travel sanctions. This would benefit the people of both countries. (personal opinion-not a delegation position)

The scientific or marine equipment need not be new. They are definitely interested in any type of Marine research equipment: hydrometers, Secchi disks, thermometers, plankton tow nets, aquarium and veterinarian (marine or otherwise) medicines and supplies.

Medical supplies can really be anything. Believe it or not, they cannot even buy aspirin from the US! The sanctions and bans on travel and trade were increased to 243 under Trump and unfortunately maintained by Biden.

There is no US government preventing us from bringing material aid when we go to Cuba on April 26 for public conferences at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana on climate change and ocean plastic pollution.

In fact, there are large annual trips organized by IFCO/Pastors for Peace, as well as many religious, scientific and educational organizations that have relationships with Cuban entities.

Thanks for considering this request.

When our last marine delegation went in June 2019, the Cuban educators at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana Marine Studies Institute were so appreciative of these items—many of which were bought at a 99 cents store but inaccessible to them!

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Health & Sustainable Living

Why I’m Celebrating World Wildlife Day by Advocating for Animals

By Ella Magers

It’s World Wildlife Day today, a holiday created by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants! This day holds a special place in my heart since I know how vital wildlife has always been to keeping our planet healthy.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that observing wildlife enhances any travel experience. Sighting a group of rare penguins or being visited by an otter while paddleboarding are thrilled that no scenic landscape can top! National parks and wildlife preserves across the globe know that offering people the opportunity to witness gorgeous creatures in their natural habitats will always be a draw. In the era of ecotourism, travellers have more opportunities than ever before to see and even interact with wildlife … and now we’ve twisted that industry to the point that our compulsion to touch and feed beautiful animals is beginning to harm them.

Classic humanity, right? When we love something hard enough, admiring it from afar just won’t work. We need to be close to it, feel it, own it.

This has been the case for centuries, reaching all the way back to ancient Egypt and the very first zoo in the world, then to the menageries of France, and into the present day with the infamous Tiger King. As a lifelong animal lover and advocate (and multi-decade vegan), I first started pushing back against animals as entertainment when I was just 15 years old. As a high schooler, I started organizing and attending protests, leafleting, and tabling to educate the public about the lives that captive and trained wild animals faced. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Sea World were two of the largest companies that exploited animals back then, keeping orcas, seals and sea lions, big cats, and elephants in tiny enclosures and forcing them to clown for human audiences.

Fast forward to the year 2017, and the tireless efforts of myself and other wildlife lovers paid off: Ringling Brothers shut down due to increasing public outrage at their animal-treatment policies. And in 2023, the circus is rumored to be reopening … this time without animal acts. Finally, they’ve heard the voice of reason and compassion!

Seaworld, unfortunately, continues to hold beautiful animals captive, and breed them. Majestic marine creatures including beluga whales, dolphins, orcas, and others still suffer for the sake of human entertainment. So, as part of my work as a spokesperson for vegan living and animal advocacy, I will continue spreading awareness and educating people about the horrific consequences for sea animals who are trapped and forced to perform. If you’re not aware of the conditions and policies of Seaworld, please consider watching “Blackfish,” a hard-hitting documentary that reveals the impact of captivity on sea creatures.

I get it: that may not sound like the most uplifting way to celebrate World Wildlife Day. (So feel free to watch the film in a day or two instead!) But if we don’t protect wild animals, eventually we’ll have none of them left to celebrate. So I hope you’ll join me in the rewarding work of advocating for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and animal rights. If you love watching herds of wild bison roam the American plains or families of sloths peek out from jungle foliage, if you travel because you adore the wonders of our natural world, please spend a moment on World Wildlife Day doing something to keep our planet’s majestic animals safe from human harm.

Be sure to follow Ella Magers on all platforms to stay up in the loop of all things Healthy. Her social is:

Facebook: //www.facebook.com/sexyfitvegan
Website: www.sexyfitvegan.com
IG: https: //www.instagram.com/sexyfitvegan/

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Issue 82 - March 2022

CORALYFE & SEVENSEAS Partnered for Beach CleanUp in Krabi, January 2022

We would like to give a special THANK for Bellaby Bear for supporting SEVENSEAS monthly clean up in January 2022.

With the collaboration of CORALYFE, we picked up over 300 kilograms of litter at the beach in Krabi.

About Coralyfe

Over the past 5 years, a number of local organizations have been collaborating with the Hat Nopparat Thara National Park, acting on issues such as trash handling, anchor damage, mooring lines, marine organism censuses, reef restoration, etc. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these organizations were forced to interrupt their services, and many had to shut down completely.

As part of the former staff of one of these organizations, Coralyfe founders felt a personal responsibility to resume work on these important projects, aiming to restore the health of local coral reefs and to reverse the damage that countless years of unregulated tourism and human activity have caused.