Issue 50 - June 2019

Holy Crab: Sailing to a Remote Micronesian Island Dedicated to Conservation

Braving the swells of the Pacific Ocean’s deepest waters aboard a fifty-foot sailboat is not an easy feat, but for the sailors of Okeanos Marianas the arduous journey to meet the mythical chief of Gaferut island was worth the trip.

Okeanos Marianas is a double-hulled sailing canoe designed after the traditional vessels of ancient Pacific seafarers. Photo Credit: Steve Holloway

After four days of enduring waves that sloshed over the wooden deck of their traditionally-designed Pacific sailing canoe, the crew of Okeanos Marianas safely sailed over 400 miles across the Mariana Trench to reach their first destination in a month-long voyage across the Micronesian outer islands of Yap & Chuuk.

Gaferut is an uninhabited island within Yap, the Federated States of Micronesia; over 3,000 miles west of the Hawaiian islands. Photo Credit: Steve Holloway

For Yapese sailors like Captain Cecilio Raikiulipiy, the tiny, uninhabited island of Gaferut is a spiritual destination centered around their culture’s deep ties to nature and conservation. Many cultures across the Pacific revere animals for their spiritual significance. Whales, dolphins, and sea turtles have often been regarded by Pacific Islanders as their earliest descendants, who navigated the farthest regions of the Pacific Ocean without any compass, maps, or GPS – just like the seafaring ancestors of islanders.

“The black birds, the reef fish, the crabs, they are considered the people of this island – they deserve our respect,” said Captain Cecilio as the crew reached the island under a cacophony of birds. “There are only a certain few animals that you can eat on Gaferut.”

The sailors whispered rumors about the chief on the deck of Okeanos Marianas. She was a woman shrouded with magic and mysticism. Only a few crewmembers who grew up in the neighboring Yap islands had met her, and they all spoke of her with great reverence.

Crew member Jerry Joseph was born and raised on the Yap outer island, Satawal, where he learned traditional navigation and sailed to Gaferut throughout much of his childhood. Photo Credit: Steve Holloway.

“There is a protocol you must follow when visiting the island,” said Yapese crew member and Okeanos Marianas watch captain, Jerry Joseph. “You must first visit the chief, present her with gifts and get her blessing before doing anything on the island,” Jerry explained to the crew.

With bated breath, the crew members reached Gaferut as dawn broke over the island’s jagged facade. Leo Rcheilug, paramount chief of a neighboring island called Satawal, led the crew to meet the chief.

“Don’t get too close to her or you’ll lose a finger,” Jerry warned as they cautiously marched through thickets of taro bushes.

It comes to no surprise that even Charles Darwin originally described these three-foot-long, alien-like coconut crabs as “monstrous.” Photo Credit: Steve Holloway

They found the chief sitting quietly at the base of a large coconut tree. Her black eyes knocked about, studying the nervous guests before her. Her legs shifted methodically; moving so slow it was difficult to tell whether she was moving at all.

Leo sat before her and began to pray. Jerry began unpacking the crew’s offerings: a packet of crackers, oranges, a hand-woven mat, and a fresh pack of Marlboro cigarettes.

The chief’s pincers vibrated as her gigantic claws inched towards the bounty. The rumors among the crew were true. The notorious island chief was, in fact, a crab. A massive female coconut crab to be exact.

“Yes, the chief is a lady. She’s a coconut crab,” reassured Captain Cecilio at the sight of chief. She was far more intimidating than most of the first comers had expected.

Despite only weighing nine pounds, coconut crabs can carry over three times their body weight. These terrestrial arthropods were named after their ability to crack open coconuts with their gigantic armor-clad claws, which have a pinch force of up to 750 pounds – comparable to the bite force of a lion. And although their diet consists mostly of fleshy fruits, coconut crabs have also been reported to snap the wings off sleeping sea birds, shred apart live pigs, and even resort to acts of cannibalism.

While coconut crabs are typically considered a delicacy on neighboring islands, Yapese locals believe many of Gaferut’s animal residents to be spirits of their ancestors. For this group of sailors, it would be at the utmost disrespect to eat what locals consider to be their long lost relatives – no matter how appetizing the world’s largest terrestrial crabs appear.

As the crew finished their ceremonial offering to the fire-red crab chief, a hoard of smaller hermit crabs scurried around her like minions. They crawled about the gifts laid out by the crew, graciously accepting the offer on behalf of their chief, dragging them out of sight.

Stories have been shared among some Micronesian sailors of witnessing the crab chief cry at the display of gifts.

While the chief did not cry for the crew of Okeanos Marianas, they were able to leave the island the following morning with her blessing – and much to unpack after the spiritual experience.

“It’s a place for conservation because only a few people go here. The idea of respecting the animals on this island is passed on from generation to generation,” said Captain Cecilio, who like many navigators, believes Wayfinding embeds a similar respect of nature in its pupils.

Crew on Okeanos Waa’qab maiden voyage to Micronesia. These vessels operate on wind, solar power, and an engine that runs on coconut biofuel; ensuring that the islands are as pristine as the crew finds them. Photo Credit: AïLé Kwegnyii.

“Before I learned about the western idea of conservation, I realized that I had been learning conservation all along as a child by going on these voyages.”

Since their visit to Gaferut, the canoe Okeanos Marianas has been dedicated to servicing the outer islands of Yap under the new name Okeanos Ambassador. A second canoe, Okeanos Waa’qab will join Ambassador in Yap this summer to support the state’s needs for sustainable sea transportation, ocean stewardship, and the culture of traditional sailing.

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Conservation Photography

Baby Squid, Lembeh, Indonesia – Jack’s Underwater Photography Feature

Baby Squid in Blackwater Photography – Photo taken on Lembeh, Indonesia

baby squid swimming in black water

Squids, octopuses, and cuttlefishes are among the few animals in the world that can change the color of their skin in the blink of an eye. These cephalopods—a group of mollusks with arms attached to their heads—can change their skin tone to match their surroundings, rendering them nearly invisible, or alternatively give themselves a pattern that makes them stand out.

Many thousands of color-changing cells called chromatophores just below the surface of the skin are responsible for these remarkable transformations. The center of each chromatophore contains an elastic sac full of pigment, rather like a tiny balloon, which may be colored black, brown, orange, red or yellow. If you stretched a dye-filled balloon, the color would gather in one spot, stretching out the surface and making the color appear brighter—and this is the same way chromatophores work. A complex array of nerves and muscles controls whether the sac is expanded or contracted and, when the sac expands, the color is more visible. Besides chromatophores, some cephalopods also have iridophores and leucophores. Iridophores have stacks of reflecting plates that create iridescent greens, blues, silvers and golds, while leucophores mirror back the colors of the environment, making the animal less conspicuous.

See more of Jack Fung’s underwater photography on Instagram and at https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/1752805/

Conservation Photography

Under the Waves with Karim Iliya, June 2019

Many species of whale were almost hunted to extinction for their oil. We usually stop the killing when it is no longer lucrative. Much of the time, the fate of entire societies of creatures lays in the hands of profit, and what can make the most money. Even then, we undervalue natureʼs economic value. It is time we put more value on preserving ecosystems and their inhabitants, as a means of safeguarding our future. When we got in the water with the common dolphins we were surprised to see a fin whale amongst them. Two very different species interacting. Fin whales, the second largest animal that has ever lived, is still being hunted in some parts of the world. Despite their enormous size, they get much less attention than the blue whale.

Whale swimming under water

Karim Iliya Logo

Karim was published in National Geographic magazine for his humpback whale photography. He now leads his own trips so that others can swim with whales.

If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales, Karim guides people in small trips betweenAugust and October every year in Tonga. Visitwww.dancewithwhales.com to find out more

To see more of Karim’s work, visit his website at www.karimphotography.com

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Issue 50 - June 2019

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – June 2019 – Issue 50

SEVENSEAS Media Magazine Cover Giacomo Abrusci

Remove 5 pounds of ocean plastic and support a coastal community

SEVENSEAS Media has been working with communities throughout Thailand to implement innovative approaches on waste reduction, recycling, and more responsible management of marine resources. With every $30 donation we will pull 5 pounds of plastic from the ocean. Read more…

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Upcycled Cement Messenger Bags That Support Ocean Conservation $28.95

These messenger bags provide a new life to construction waste and 10% of the proceeds go directly to SEVENSEAS Media. SHOP NOW.

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National Geographic’s Hostile Planet: Oceans – Putting the Cinema into Conservation

Nearly all wildlife film-makers get into the industry because we care about the environment. But even the worthiest eco-warrior amongst us comes to the realization that, traditionally, these stories aren’t the ones that make it into the high-end programs. Read more…

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Huge numbers of cuttlefish begin to gather in South Australia

Thousands of “little aliens” have started to gather in South Australia’s gulf waters with divers from around the world wanting to glimpse the annual cuttlefish pilgrimage expected to follow in coming weeks. Read more…

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Under the Waves with Karim Iliya, May 2019

Many specie of whale were almost hunted to extinction for their oil. We usually stop the killing when it is no longer lucrative. Much of the time, the fate of entire societies of creatures lays in the hands of profit… Read more…

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Baby Squid – Jack’s Underwater Photography Feature

Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) are colorful fish with shades ranging from yellow to orange, brown or pink, but thanks to the success of the movie “Finding Nemo” we always picture them by their most common color combination: bright orange with white stripes surrounded by thin black lines. Read more…

FEATURE DESTINATION: Game-changing Agreement for National Parks and Community Development in Chilean Patagonia

Chilean Patagonia

The President of the Republic of Chile came to an agreement with an international conservation coalition to create a finance mechanism for the permanent, long-term management of the Route of Parks of Patagonia. See more…

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FEATURE DESTINATION: Pichilemu, the World Surfing Capital

Pichilemu in Mapuche language means “Little Forrest”. Beautiful and calm spa located in the central zone of Chile, in the last decades has become worldwide famous because of the quality of its waves and beautiful landscapes that go from the sea to the mountain range. Read more…

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Happy World Ocean’s Day!

Here is some important information and links for you and your network during this exciting week for our community. Read more…

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Poseidon Creations Underwater Imagery

Poseidon Creations was founded with the intentions of using underwater images to expose and spark discussion about conservation issues and generate new ideas to protect the environment. Graham and Gloria set the project up soon after they met in Cairns, Australia four years ago. Read more…

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Interested in advertising, contributing an article, or becoming a donor?

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49 Issues, readership in 174 countries, 21,000 subscribers, over 25,000 monthly visitors…and growing. Read more…

#PrideInTheOcean Campaign

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Pride Outside – a nonprofit dedicated to connecting the LGBTQ community around the outdoors – teamed up to create #PrideInTheOcean, a social media visibility campaign for LGBTQ folks in ocean spaces. Read more…

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FEATURE DESTINATION: Visit the Most Impressive Glaciers of the Chilean Patagonia

Over 80% of Latin America’s glaciers are in Chile. Therefore, the Chilean Patagonia offers hundreds of tours and excursions to view these impressive glaciers. Read more…

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Connecting to Nature with the Wild Swimming Brothers

Wild swimming is described as the practice of swimming for pleasure in natural waters such as rivers, ponds, streams, rivers and the ocean. The experience can be liberating… Read more…

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Holy Crab: Sailing to a Remote Micronesian Island Dedicated to Conservation

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4ocean partners with Air Canada to reduce single-use plastics

4ocean, the global ocean cleanup company, announced it has partnered with Air Canada to reduce and eventually eliminate single-use plastics on the airline’s aircrafts and in its lounges. Read more…

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Mote Science Education Aquarium

Mote Marine Laboratory leadership is pleased to announce the selection of a partnership between a local construction management company and an international firm for the construction of Mote Science Education Aquarium. Read more…

SEVENSEAS FEATURED TRAVEL

Below are a few of our favorite tour centers and operators. Be sure to mention SEVENSEAS Media for special rates and discounts when making your inquiry.

Susan Bruce Travel

We’ve been traveling, advising clients, and planning trips across the globe for over 30 years. We help you explore amazing places and people — from mountain sanctuaries in Bhutan to the jungles of Peru. Learn more…

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Oceanic Society Expeditions.

A selection of expeditions and volunteer vacations for our travellers that will further the mission to conserve marine wildlife and habitats. More info.

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Alelí Tours Puerto Rico

Alelí Tours is a small-scale ecotourism business located in La Parguera, southwest Puerto Rico. More info.

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Isla Mar Research Expeditions – Field Courses in Puerto Rico

A field course coordination company in Puerto Rico that specializes in organizing and hosting island ecology (marine/terrestrial) themed courses. More info.

Marine Megafauna Foundation

Our mission is to save threatened marine life using pioneering research, education, and sustainable conservation solutions, working towards a world where marine life and humans thrive together. Read more… More info.

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Bangkok Photo Tours.

We visit traditional sights but focus on markets, street art, and local food. All camera forward and environmentally sensitive. More info.

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Pangaea Ocean Sailing Expedition

Panex is opening up sailing expeditions for guest crew. This is an unique opportunity to go sailing, cross an ocean, and be a part of something bigger. More info.

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SEE Turtles

…protect endangered turtles throughout Latin America and the world by supporting community-based conservation efforts through ecotourism, education, and Billion Baby Turtles. More info.

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Scuba Junkie Dive Centers

A personal favorite from SEVENSEAS Media. Go to Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Sibuan, Mantabuan, Mataking, and more. More info.

Ever dream of swimming with humpback whales? Now you can.

If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales Karim guides… More info.

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Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Imagine roaming some of the world’s most beautiful ecosystems. Gorgeous vistas, affordable travel and amazing memories; immersing yourself in the sounds of nature. More info.

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Pete Oxford Expeditions.

We offer unique, small group expeditions for travelers and photographers to remote and pristine destinations and cultures around the world. More info.

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Alnitak Conservation in Action on Volunteer Expeditions

Alnitak is a grassroots marine science organization dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity in our oceans. From May through to October, we run expeditions to survey the rich waters in the Balearic Sea, inviting any ocean enthusiasts to join us on board. Our expeditions take place in the stunning Cabrera National Park and the Menorca Biosphere Reserve. Read more…

The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here or email us Here.

Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.

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