Frogman Diving

A huge spotted eagle ray in Cozumel. If you move slowly and exhale carefully they are curious and come close. Seconds after this shot a divemaster spotted him and rushed in a cloud of bubbles towards him. With two small movements of his wings he disappeared into the bue... Another reason to practice your breathing and fin kick techniques!

A sneak preview of my bull shark dive videos from Playa Del Carmen

Another shot from my awesome bull shark observation dive last week in Playa del Carmen! Every winter a group of female bull sharks visits Playa and gives us the opportunity to observe them in their natural environment without feeding. @SDIdivers @TDIdivers

MANATEE JUSTICE By Captain Paul Watson $12,000 Reward for Capture and Conviction of Manatee Abuser... The Center for Biological Diversity has offered a $5,000 reward, I am offering $5,000, My nephew Antoine Lum is offering another $1,000 and Michele Seidelman from Sea Shepherd Oregon is offering an additional $1,000. A post that I made earlier received criticism from a few people although 98% of the comments were positive. The few who were critical said that the Manatee was not hurt, that it was just algae scraped off the back and that we were making a big deal about nothing really serious. A few also made some silly accusations that I was being political and anti-Trump. Well, I am certainly anti-Trump but this incident is not about politics, it is about a violation of the law. Specifically: Florida manatees were first protected through Florida State Law in 1893. Manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (379.2431(2), Florida Statutes) and are federally protected by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Touching manatees also may lead to a violation of the U.S. federal laws, such as the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Ordinarily, touching a manatee is punishable under the Manatee Sanctuary Act, with a fine of up to $500 and/or a jail term of up to 60 days. Manatees are considered a threatened species, protected by federal law. The Fish and Wildlife Service said it was working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on the case. Investigators asked anyone with information to call a hotline at 1-844-397-8477 or email [email protected]. For those who insist that this was not harmful to the Manatee, consider these facts. The act of touching a Manatee and scraping Algae, the photosynthetic organisms that grow on the skin of manatees is extremely stressful and physical contact with humans may transmit pathogens to the Manatee. The algae serve the purpose of protecting the skin from the sun. Manatees are not billboards for the amusement of humans. This is an illegal act and it should be discouraged by identifying and charging the individual or individuals involved. Anyone who defends this abuse is simply demonstrating an ignorance of the facts and the conservation laws protecting this species. This story has received international attention and that in itself is embarrassing to this nation. When the China Morning Post publishes a story about how a Manatee was used to scratch a political graffiti message onto the back of a protected species, it makes the entire country look bad. It is my hope that the reward posted will serve to apprehend the person or persons responsible and that it will serve as a deterrent to prevent others from abusing and stressing these gentle creatures.