Avoiding Waterloo 2

Participants of last week’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Bangkok agreed to put restrictions on the trading of Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus). Enjoyed as a highly expensive delicacy in certain Asian markets, this slowly growing specie is under pressure from over catching. The new restrictions were jointly proposed by the European Union, Fiji, and The United States.

Here in Gorontalo the herds of these giant fish that greeted Miguel’s Diving staff five years ago during our initial survey work have long since disappeared. We keep a close guard on the whereabouts of those remaining. Local fishermen are asking the provincial government to forbid catching this fish. Since this fish must arrive alive to its market in another country, those who catch it use cyanide poisoning to stun the fish. Once in the water, this poison has caused some dramatic damage here.

Viewing the Togian (Togean) Islands

When Tomini Bay receives heavy rains, especially from the southwest, humidity clears. This allows people in Gorontalo to see all the way across the huge bay to Central Sulawesi. Rains in early May gave us in eastern Gorontalo a clear look at the islands north of Pagaimana. From western Gorontalo, like the locations of Miguel’s Diving’s recent Coral Preservation Campaign, the Togian (Togean) Islands are visible in similar conditions.

Gorontalo Featured in Jakarta Post

Visitors to Gorontalo are sure to want to read two articles in Sunday’s edition of the Jakarta Post, Indonesia’s English-language newspaper. One focuses on Gorontalo’s unique embroidery, called kerawang. The other is about interesting sites near Gorontalo City. Diving in Gorontalo is mentioned as well. Here are the links:
Kerawang article
Tourism & diving article
Bruce, thanks for visiting Gorontalo. We hope you can come back during dive season.

Coral Preservation Campaign in Gorontalo