2020 Articles & Videos
We invite you to browse through these articles and videos. Some local and some worldwide, some written by SeaWatch and some reprinted and reposted from online and magazines. These articles and videos show the success of SeaWatch, the changes in the Sea of Cortez and the world's oceans.
We Have a Winner!
Our Year End Raffle Was a Success!
The raffle was so successful, that Scott Hanson donated a second sculpture. We sold 300 tickets and have TWO WINNERS! Check the video to see who the winners are. Our SeaWatch year end newsletter shows how your money is being used. Donate today to keep helping us to continue the reef and reef fish recovery at Espiritu Santo National Park and the surrounding waters. Read More...
SeaWatch November 2020 Newsletter
FROM TOURISM BUT NOT FROM ILLEGAL FISHING
With 90% of the BCS Federal Fisheries inspectors gone for all of 2020 ROC's expanded vigilance is more important than ever. SeaWatch has spent the last 27 years promoting reef and reef fish recovery in the Sea of Cortez. In the last 10 years, ROC (Red de Observadores Ciudadanos), a citizen driven vigilance program and Espiritu Santo es Parte de Ti, a communication campaign prompting pride and good practices in the Espiritu Santo National Park, have become our Read More...
August 2020 SeaWatch Newsletter
During Lock Down We are Still "Moving the Needle"
ROC doubles vigilance during Covid closures. Last week, ROC's three patrol boats covered over 330 miles of coastline in the Bay of La Paz and South to Muertos. One boat going north to San Jose Island, another spent several days at the Espiritu Santo National Park while the third patrolled south around Cerralvo and Muertos Bay. Fish traps are becoming ubiquitous around La Paz and Muertos Bay areas and they are indiscriminate killers of fish. While legal there are restrictions on how they can be used. ROC is working with Read More...
Sabor a Mar 2020
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic we cannot commit to when it will be but we are very committed to Sabor a Mar 2020. This event features the top restaurants in La Paz who have committed to not sell or serve illegally caught reef-critical parrotfish. The event is a fund raiser for the 5 NGO’s that work tirelessly on the reef and reef fish recovery. Two of the 5 NGO's (Espiritu Santo es parte de ti and ROC) were originated by and are primarily funded with your donations to SeaWatch. Read More...
Espiritu Santo es parte de ti 2019-2020
Espíritu Santo es parte de ti (Espiritu Santo is dart of you) is a grassroots campaign working to raise public awareness and advocacy, promote community pride and best practices and eradicate illegal fishing in Espiritu Santo National Park, in particular parrotfish, a reef grazing species that is critical to the maintenance of healthy reefs. Vibrant, healthy reefs cannot survive without grazers Read More...
March 2020 - Espiritu Santo es parte de ti
March has been a month that took us all by surprise! We started with all the energy, planning our annual fundraising event… Suddenly the world turned upside down. In these scary and wild times, we wonder how long will this last? All this definitely made us reorder our priorities and focus on the things that matter the most, inspiring and motivating our community to stay positive, stay productive, and most importantly, stay connected! We sincerely hope you all are weathering this storm OK. We know this will pass and we are hopeful Read More...
SeaWatch 2019 Year End Raffle
The lucky winner is Gordon Harris! Scott Hanson donated his popular “Winter Song” sculpture to SeaWatch for our year-end raffle. This beautiful sculpture was raffled in January. We thank you for your support of the raffle and look forward to your support and the success of future raffles. Money raised helped SeaWatch fund the organizations vital to the recovery of the Sea of Cortez. Watch the video of Scott Hanson here...
ROC Expands Vigilance in 2020
Watch this new ROC video to see details of the Mexican governmental budget cuts of fisheries officials. The video explains how this and an expanded patrol area for ROC have increased the need for your donations to SeaWatch. Help us to keep up with the ever increasing need for patrols and vigilance vital to the recovery of the Sea of Cortez. Watch the video here...
SeaWatch Newsletters
What's New at SeaWatch:
2023 SeaWatch Newsletter
We are continuing our 2023 efforts to fully protect the inshore reefs in Espíritu Santo National Park through modification of its Management Plan. The draft plan will be out soon for review and it's critical we apply more pressure for better protection.
Ever since Cabo Pulmo National Park was created 27 years ago there has not been another reef fish recovery in the Sea of Cortez. To that end, we are launching the second phase of our campaign with a multimedia public strategy modeled after the very successful effort to protect the whale sharks in the Bay of La Paz. Read On...
SeaWatch Dream Come True
Since September of 2021, when our attorneys first petitioned the government to create large no take zones around Espiritu Santo National Park to facilitate reef and reef fish recovery, we have been building a dream team. A year later we have that team and a plan in place that is doing exactly that. To see the problem and solution. Click to view this short video...
SeaWatch Recovery Plan Details
This project will be the first recovery project in the Gulf of California since Cabo Pulmo, 27 years ago. It will restore the marine biodiversity of Archipielago Espíritu Santo National Park to a high level of abundance and reef recovery through modification to the park’s management plan and the deployment of policy and conservation finance strategies. Read More...
SeaWatch Annual Raffle
Scott Hanson donated his popular 19" bronze limited edition sculpture "Smooth Sailing" that retails between $7,700 and $9,250 depending on the gallery. Buy one or more tickets here. But hurry as only 150 raffle tickets will be sold!.
Espíritu Santo National Park
Recovery Project
Unsustainable, unregulated and illegal fishing practices during the last 40 years have severely impacted the diversity and richness of the Gulf of California, once considered the “Aquarium of the World”.
This national sea, dotted with more than 800 islands, is an ecologically unique marine ecosystem, and these island coastlines are environments used by marine species to complete all or part of their life cycle Read More...
Creating the Next Cabo Pulmo
Fisheries Recovery in the Sea of Cortez
Where there are fish of any commercial value, fishing interests will find a way to take them.
In 2019 and 2020 with the legalization of fish traps in the Espiritu Santo National Park (banned in most other places 30 years ago) it became clear that where there are fish, fishing interests will find a way to take them. Read More...
Fish Traps Devastate Marine Environments
Watch this video to see the evidence of the devastation caused by fish traps on reefs and reef fish over time. These traps are legal in Mexico and tragically in Espiritu Santo National Park. To learn more about fish traps and see the devastation they cause Click Here...
Sea Lions and Fish Nets
This video shows the entanglement of sea lions in fish nets and fishing gear in the Sea of Cortez. "Is this what we want in the Espiritu Santo National Park?"
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How You Can Help Save the Sea of Cortez
Consume Responsibly
Abstain from eating all fish that protect the health of the reefs including parrotfish and surgeon fish
Report Illegal Activities
Be our "Eyes on the Water" take photos, record positions, and send reports to the authorities
Donate
Your donations contribute to the work of Espiritu Santo es parte de ti and the efforts of ROC