THE ABACOS, THE BAHAMAS— MAY 23, 2012— Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts and the famed Green Turtle Club in the Bahamas announced today a new alliance between the two, naming the Club the inaugural member …
Killing for Conservation!
23 Jul 201412:04 AM
Killing for Conservation?
Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has been leading the fight against this Indo-Pacific invader and after six years of Lionfish Derbies at Green Turtle Cay the evidence is clear: Lionfish Derbies Work! Lionfish now range from Brazil to North Carolina and beyond. They can live in fresh water too! The 908 Lionfish killed in this one day event was fewer than in previous years even with more divers and better weather. AND those fish that were killed this year were smaller than in previous years; another good sign. Lionfish Derbies will not send the fish back to the Pacific; they can however help local communities keep the population in check.
The Green Turtle Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge hosted the event. For six years, REEF scientists have conducted a Lionfish Census before and after each event to assess the impacts of the Derbies. REEF estimates that had these 908 demons been allowed to roam Abaco waters for another year they would have consumed between 700,000 and 2.2 MILLION! Native prey fish.
Congratulations and Thanks to REEF & to The Green Turtle Club for executing a great event for an important conservation mission!
For more information on Reef Environmental Education Foundation and other Lionfish Derbies.
For More information on The Green Turtle Club
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![](mailto:?subject=Killing for Conservation!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2068" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg?w=225" alt="Lionfish Derbies Work, 908 Dead Lionfish Cannot All Be Wrong!" width="225" height="300" /></a> Killing for Conservation?Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> (REEF) has been leading the fight against this Indo-Pacific invader and after six years of Lionfish Derbies at Green Turtle Cay the evidence is clear: Lionfish Derbies Work! Lionfish now range from Brazil to North Carolina and beyond. They can live in fresh water too! The 908 Lionfish killed in this one day event was fewer than in previous years even with more divers and better weather. AND those fish that were killed this year were smaller than in previous years; another good sign. Lionfish Derbies will not send the fish back to the Pacific; they can however help local communities keep the population in check.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2071" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg?w=300" alt="Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain" width="300" height="200" /></a>Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain Click Image to Enlarge<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>, a <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> Expedition Lodge hosted the event. For six years, REEF scientists have conducted a Lionfish Census before and after each event to assess the impacts of the Derbies. REEF estimates that had these 908 demons been allowed to roam Abaco waters for another year they would have consumed between 700,000 and 2.2 MILLION! Native prey fish.Congratulations and Thanks to REEF & to The Green Turtle Club for executing a great event for an important conservation mission!For more information on <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> and other <a href="http://www.REEF.org/lionfish">Lionfish Derbies</a>.For More information on <a title="The Green Turtle Club" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>For More information on <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/killing-for-conservation/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts Teams with Green Turtle Club&body=THE ABACOS, THE BAHAMAS— MAY 23, 2012— Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts and the famed <a title="Green Turtle Club web site" href="http://www.greenturtleclub.com/" target="_blank">Green Turtle Club</a> in the Bahamas announced today a new alliance between the two, naming the Club the inaugural member of the new Expedition Properties Portfolio by Guy Harvey Outpost. The alliance becomes effective immediately.
Making the announcement was Outpost President Mark Ellert and Club owners, Adam Showell and Ann Showell Mariner of Ocean City Maryland. Guy Harvey Outpost was founded by Ellert along with Dr. <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey</a> and his long time associates Charles Forman and Bill Shedd to promote adventure travel, watersport recreation and sustainable tourism in unique destinations.
“We are extremely excited to launch the Expedition Properties Portfolio with the famed Green Turtle Club as our inaugural member hotel,” said Ellert. “Our intent with Expedition Properties is to showcase small independently owned properties in unique destinations that are focused on watersport recreation and whose owners are committed to customer service, sustainability and conservation. Given the Club’s legacy, the professionalism of its staff and dedication of its owners, I’m hard pressed to think of a better opportunity in the Bahamas than this,” he adds.
In commenting on their decision to team with Guy Harvey Outpost, Adam Showell and his sister Ann explained, “Guy Harvey embodies the personality of the Club, and its’ guests. His authenticity, commitment to excellence and passionate outreach to those of all ages and accomplishment are hallmarks of the Green Turtle Club.”
As an Expedition Property, Guy Harvey Outpost will market the Club and offer travel and booking services to its customers though it’s Outpost Travel Desk and central reservation office. “With this new alliance, we look forward to welcoming the world of Guy Harvey fans to their new Out-Island home, and know they’ll enjoy their stay with us,” added the Club’s General Manager Lynn Johnson.
<a href="http://www.greenturtleclub.com/home"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1280" title="Green Turtle Club" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/green-turtle-club1.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="337" /></a>
Noting his enthusiasm for the new Outpost offering, Ellert said “Thirty degrees north and south of the equator, there are a lot of great properties with committed owners like Adam and Ann who share our vision of sustainability and hospitality. In growing the Expedition Properties Portfolio, our intent will be to spotlight these properties and encourage our customers to support them.” The firm recently announced its newest signature property, the <a title="Guy Harvey Outpost to Open St. Pete Beach Resort" href="http://guyharveyoutpostnews.com/2012/02/17/guy-harvey-outpost-to-open-st-pete-beach-resort/" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost Resort on St. Pete Beach, Florida</a>. “We expect the Expedition Properties Portfolio to become a significant footprint for our Guy Harvey Outpost brand. Ellert likens having the two resort branding products to fishing, “It’s the same water, we’ve just added a different rod for catching a different fish, and we’ll end up bringing more fish to the boat”.
“We’ll continue to emphasize the Club’s legacy of gracious hospitality and fine dining but now as an Expedition Property we’ll be better positioned to showcase its appeal to watersport enthusiasts, their friends and families all of whom are looking for those memorable top-of-class experiences that define the Outpost brand,” Showell explains. “By October 1st we intend to have completed some exciting new enhancements to the Club, and with our affiliation to Guy and his Outpost brand, it will be an exciting new chapter in the Club’s history.”
Green Turtle Cay enjoys a long and colorful history, with a reputation extending far beyond its three miles of shoreline. Settled in the 1770’s by American colonial Loyalists, the main settlement of New Plymouth offers a distinct 18th -Century New England feel with pastel-painted, clapboard gingerbread homes. With a shared heritage of treasure salvage, turtle farming and boat building, in the late 1800’s many of its early settlers relocated to Key West, which today is the sister city of New Plymouth. Adds Ellert, “there are many family trees in Key West that have roots in Green Turtle and we’re intending to promote that common ancestry to our customer base.”
“Green Turtle Cay is our new island-in the-stream,” said Outpost partner Bill Shedd, owner of <a title="AFTCO web site" href="http://www.aftco.com" target="_blank">AFTCO</a>, one of the world’s premier fishing tackle companies and prominent marine conservationist. “In travelling last year to Green Turtle from my home in Southern California, I’m reminded that the Abaco Islands and Florida have a common history and bond defined by a life on and from these mesmerizing waters that are vibrant with marine life. I’m delighted Guy Harvey Outpost can be a part in protecting this important marine resource while sustaining the cultural history of the Abacos in years to come.”
The Green Turtle Club has been a fixture on Green Turtle Cay since 1964 when British naval architect Allan Charlesworth built a boathouse on the Club grounds, and visiting yachtsmen started a tradition of hanging a signed dollar bill on the wall to treat followers to a drink.
The Club sits on a picturesque harbor surrounded by some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. The hotel offers 31 guestrooms, a 40-slip marina and fuel dock, restaurant, bar/lounge and poolside bar. The Club hosts the annual Green Turtle Club Billfish Tournament, having just concluded its 25th Silver Anniversary last week.
The Abacos’ Green Turtle Cay is just 70 minutes by air from South Florida into Treasure Cay International Airport, then a short 15-minute ferryboat ride to the Green Turtle Club. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-resorts-teams-with-green-turtle-club/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Shark Week Begins at Guy Harvey Outpost’s Bimini Sands&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hamerhead-grant-johnson.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2120" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hamerhead-grant-johnson.jpg?w=660" alt="Hamerhead, Grant Johnson" width="660" height="453" /></a>
Shark Week reminds us that there are all sorts of great Big Animal Encounters and Guy Harvey Outpost has lots of them. Our Hammerhead Shark Safaris offered through <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/bimini-bahamas/bimini-sands-dive.html">Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center</a> starts off our Shark Week. Scuba Diving Magazine’s Readers Choice Award ranked the Bahamas #1 in Big Animals in the Caribbean & Atlantic in 2013 for a reason.
You do not have to go far to get your Shark on either; just 50 miles east of Miami on the island of South Bimini. The scuba diving with Great Hammerheads takes place in 25-feet of water over a white sand bottom just minutes from our docks at the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/bimini-bahamas/bimini-sands-bimini.html">Bimini Sands, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Property!</a> Led by Neal Watson's Undersea Adventures staff, the Hammerhead Shark dives run January through March and sell out early. This dive provides an unparalleled photo and video opportunity for serious divers.
Other Big Animal Adventures we offer at the Bimini Sands include our Wild Dolphin Safaris, Stingray Dives and Reef Shark Encounters with Caribbean Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks. Snorkeling gear is all you need to enjoy the Dolphins, Stingrays and Reef Sharks. Call Guy Harvey Outpost Reservations for details: 800.513.5257!
Catch more shark photos with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost?fref=nf">Guy Harvey Outpost on Facebook</a>.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sharkweek">#SharkWeek</a> is underway on Discovery Channel!
AUGUST 12th UPDATE: The Discovery Channel included this dive in their <a class="_58cn" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/monsterhammerhead">#MonsterHammerhead</a> episode on <a class="_58cn" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sharkweek">#SharkWeek</a>! Congratulations Neal Watson & team!
USA Today featured the Bimini Great Hammerhead Dive as one of their top 5 Shark Dives: <a title="Swiming with Sharks: A Guide to the Best Dives" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2014/08/08/swim-with-sharks/13724573/">Swimming with Sharks: A Guide to the Best Dives</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/shark-week-begins-at-guy-harvey-outposts-bimini-sands/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Lionfish Web Portal Opens for Business&body=Lionfish Web Portal Your One Stop Information Source
The <a href="http://lionfish.gcfi.org/index.php">Invasive Lionfish Web Portal</a> has been created by a team of scientists, resource managers, NGO staff, professors and Ph. D. students to create a single source to answer questions with credible information. The Portal features photos, videos, fact sheets, multimedia, class room resources and social media links. The information and sources have been vetted by the team.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/lionfish_header.png" target="_blank" rel="http://lionfish.gcfi.org/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2465 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/lionfish_header.png" alt="lionfish_header" width="1084" height="339" /></a>
Do you need to learn Lionfish first aide? Click the bright red What to do if stung button at the top of the page.
Are you interested in researching a particular aspect of the Lionfish invasion? There is a searchable directory of research papers.
Do you have a some cool Lionfish photos/video to share? Enter the Image or Video Contests.
Do you have a great Lionfish recipe you want to share? Enter the recipe Contest.
The Invasive Lionfish Web Portal partners include:
<a href="http://www.reef.org/lionfish">Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)</a>
<a href="http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/pollution/invasive/">NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science</a>
<a href="http://nas.er.usgs.gov">USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species</a>
<a href="http://www.conanp.gob.mx">Comision National Areas Naturales Protegidas</a>
<a href="http://craiglaymanlab.com">The Layman Lab at NC State University</a>
<a href="http://hixon.science.oregonstate.edu/content/research">The Hixon Lab at Oregon State University</a>
<a href="http://www.mona.uwi.edu/cms/dayne.html">The Buddo Lab at the University of the West Indies</a>
<a href="http://johnfbruno.web.unc.edu">The Bruno Lab at the University of North Carolina-CH</a>
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https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/lionfish-web-portal-opens-for-business/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Kids and Creatures Dive With Captain Slate&body=Seven youngsters age 10-15 became certified scuba divers last week with Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures in Islamorada. But their final two check-out dives 25 feet deep on the reef were anything but routine: they were accompanied by a pair of moray eels, a half-dozen nurse sharks, and big schools of chubs and snapper.
"It was really cool to see the sharks and everything!" newly-minted diver Bernard, 14, of Islamorada said afterward.
And the best thing about scuba diving?
"Being underwater and looking at everything and not running out of air," Bernard added.
For 23 years, Capt. Spencer Slate and his crew have been conducting a summer kids' scuba camp out of their Keys shop. The five-day June session was taught by Captain Russell "Skip" Dawson, a NAUI/SEI course director and Captain Sky Fabel -- Slate's daughter, dive boat captain, and dive instructor. Slate was master of ceremonies for the final two open-water dives--the popular "Creature Feature" where he feeds and cuddles tame eels and sharks.
The pre-dive briefing on the boat heading out to the site was more about creature safety than dive skills.
"Do not reach out to the eel with your hand if he's coming to you," Slate told the students. "Don't try to pick the eel up. I'll bring him up to you and you can pet him. If you are stupid, he will bite you."
Once at the reef, everyone descended and Slate banged on a tank to summon the eels-- a six-foot-long green and a smaller spotted moray. They seemed a little hesitant, venturing out of their rocky lairs just long enough to eat some fish bits, let Slate pet them, and inspect the divers kneeling on the bottom. No animals nor people were harmed during the filming of the dive by Emmy-winning videographer Frazier Nivens.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1020379.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4782" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/P1020379.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>
For the second dive, the group visited with a half dozen easygoing nurse sharks to about seven feet long. The sharks gobbled the fish snacks they were offered, allowed themselves to be petted, and rested on the bottom between the kneeling divers.
That was a highlight for newly-certified advanced diver, Patrick, 15, of Key Largo.
"I like seeing sharks. I'm interested in sharks," Patrick said. "I did the advanced course because I love scuba diving. I want to see wrecks and stuff."
Added Marco, 15, of Tavernier: "I like that it's another world that you can't see on dry land and it's only in specific areas of the world."
Fabel said she really enjoyed teaching the kids.
"They loved asking questions," she said. "That's what I love about this camp."
Captain Slate will offer two more kids' scuba camps this summer: July 10-14 and Aug. 7-11. Limited to 15 divers, they are expected to fill up fast.
For more information, visit <a href="http://www.captainslate.com">www.captainslate.com</a>, and to reserve a slot in the next camp, call 1-800-331-3483.
Families who need a room during the camps can reserve at the Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost in Islamorada. Call 1-800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/kids-and-creatures-dive-with-captain-slate/){kind=link}
 believe the specimen came from a swordfish. Genetic testing will be done to confirm the identification.
“Experts on site and remotely have viewed and analyzed the eye, and based on its color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it, we believe the eye came from a swordfish,” said Joan Herrera, curator of collections at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. “Based on straight-line cuts visible around the eye, we believe it was removed by a fisherman and discarded.”
The approximately softball-size eye was recovered by a citizen in Pompano Beach on Wednesday. FWC staff received the eye later that day. Swordfish are commonly fished in the Florida Straits offshore of south Florida at this time of year.
A highly migratory fish, swordfish can be found from the surface to as deep as 2,000 feet. Swordfish in the Atlantic can reach a maximum size of over 1,100 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Swordfish feed on a wide variety of fish and invertebrates.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mysteryeye11.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1478" title="Mystery Eyeball" alt="" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mysteryeye11.jpg" height="366" width="550" /></a>The mystery eyeball that washed up on a South Florida beach...
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sword12.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1479" title="Swordfish" alt="" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sword12.jpg" height="440" width="550" /></a>...and a close-up of a swordfish eye. Mystery solved?
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/fwc-ids-mystery-eyeball-and-the-winner-is/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/official-letter-of-congratulations-to-dive-biminis-name-that-boat-contest-winner/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bond-letter11.jpg&description=Official Letter of Congratulations to Dive Bimini’s "Name That Boat" Contest Winner){kind=link}
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