Our Planet

Columbia Deeps and Columbia Shallows are Sensational Dives on Cozumel!

August 3, 2017 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

columbia deeps, columbia shallows, cozumel, dive cozumel — It is so hard to photograph the beauty of these corals and the mountains that hold them!

Columbia Deeps and Columbia Shallows! Cozumel is a well known diving destination. Jacques Cousteau put Cozumel on the map in 1960, and he did a documentary about the mesoamerican reef, of which Cozumel’s reefs are a part. There are many beautiful dive sites on Cozumel, but I have to say that I love diving Columbia Reef. Columbia is quite far south off the island, and therefore it is never loaded with divers the way Palancar often is. The coral mountains of Columbia are breathtaking, and the shallow area is full of life. I think these photos will show you why I love it so much!

Isn’t it amazing to contemplate that we know more about the planets in our galaxy than we do about our own oceans? Our oceans are in terrible danger, and we must start doing more. There is a new documentary out that everyone should watch. I was interviewed for it but didn’t make the final cut. Check out Chasing Coral on Netflix. I have been in many of the places depicted, and I have seen the damage that climate change is doing. Yes, climate change is real. We must start paying attention.

http://www.chasingcoral.com/#film — We are losing, and we must fight back.

Do You Want to Swim with Whale Sharks? Yes, You Do!

July 25, 2017 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

whale sharks, travels with tam, adventures, snorkel with whale sharks — Female Whale Shark feeding vertically in the Yucatan

Do you want to swim with Whale Sharks? Every summer, from May 15 until September 15, a marvelous event happens in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Hundreds of mostly juvenile male Whale Sharks migrate to feast on plankton and fish eggs, and, perhaps, to mate. Large females have been seen in the Yucatan, but they are not common. The best time to see these sharks is late June through mid August. This aggregation is one of the largest, if not the largest, known to scientists on the planet. With drone technology, scientists can watch the aggregation and behavior of the sharks from above, but it is always more exciting to be in the water with them!

Are Whale Sharks whales or sharks? They are sharks and the largest fish in the ocean. They have huge mouths like whales and they filter feed on the smallest creatures in the ocean. These huge sharks (up to 20 meters) are completely harmless. Whale Sharks are gentle giants, and do not attack even with provocation, which is why they are endangered. They are easy for poachers to kill as they have no fear of humans or boats, they seem almost oblivious to anything except their food. There is still very little known about Whale Sharks. No one has ever seen one give birth, though a whale shark caught in a fishery in Taiwan many years ago was carrying 300 pups. The only place where female Whale Sharks are known to gather are the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador (June through November). Where do they give birth? No one knows. Two thirds of the known Whale Sharks are male. Where are all the females? The babies? No one knows. Sadly, their docile nature has made them easy targets for those who sell shark fins to the Chinese. To lose these magnificent creatures to make stringy chicken soup is sickening.

I first snorkeled with Whale Sharks in Isla Holbox in the early 2000s. We went with another family, and the kids and adults were enamored and amazed by these incredible creatures. Since then, I have taken every opportunity to see them and photograph them. I have gone with my husband, alone, and on citizen science trips with Marine Megafauna. Every time I see them I photograph them, and I make sure to get identification photos. Whale Sharks have a spot pattern just behind their gills that serve as a “fingerprint”, no two sharks are alike. I send these photographs to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, and in so doing, I contribute to the scientific knowledge of these creatures. You can do citizen science as well! When you see a whale shark, photograph it from the side! This year I took my cousin and her husband for their very first encounter with whale sharks, and they were in awe. The sheer size of these animals is amazing, and to see them and snorkel with them is a very special and exciting experience. I recommend going with Solo Buceo, a great dive and snorkel shop in Cancun. I met one of the owners on a Great White Shark Expedition, and having a close encounter with a Great White is a bonding experience! Since 2010 and my Close Encounter with a Great White Shark, Rodrigo and I have been in touch, and on expeditions. Book Solo Buceo for an amazing experience with not only Whale Sharks, but Sailfish, Cenotes, and Mantas! Rodrigo is deeply involved with Pelagic Life, a non profit in Mexico seeking to protect oceanic pelagic animals, especially sharks.

In December of this year I am co-hosting a trip to the Sea of Cortez with Red Travel Mexico, and we will be snorkeling with Whale Sharks off of La Paz! Please consider coming with us, it will be an exciting trip! The dates are Dec 3-9 and you can get more details at http://redtravelmexico.com/tour/cabo-pulmo-and-the-sea-of-cortez-with-tam-warner-minton/.

whale sharks, travels with tam, adventures, swim with whale sharks — My cousin Lisa and a whale shark! She loved it.

Below you can see how individual Whale Shark’s spot patterns are.

*My passion for the ocean has resulted in my first self published book! ALL FISH FACES. Check it out!<br />

Why My Favorite Dive Site in Cozumel is All of Them!

July 4, 2017 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

cozumel diving, sea turtles, about cozumel — Palancar Gardens is a very beautiful reef.

Diving Cozumel for 30 years (yikes!) means that I have been on just about every reef. Why is my favorite dive site all of them? (I still have two dive sites I have not gotten to, but hey, give me time). Cozumel is famous for its drift diving. Cozumel’s dive sites are mostly on the southern side of the west, or leeward, side of the island, between the island and mainland Mexico. Waters are much calmer in this channel, but currents can be quite strong. Most divers love to drift dive. You jump off the boat, and when you are done drifting, the boat picks you up. Much better than boats that anchor and you have to swim back to (in my humble opinion).

Currents are a blessing and sometimes a curse. In strong currents you can be swept along so quickly there is no way to take a photograph, and less experienced divers can have a tough time learning to deal with it. With the incredible stony coral in Cozumel using a hook to stop and look around is not an option. I have never been in a current here that was too strong for my skill set. I love current dives, I love the dives where you don’t feel a lot of current, and that is basically why my favorite dive site in Cozumel is all of them! Each site has its unique features, and I absolutely love the dives where there are a lot of turtles. Seeing sea turtles is always a thrill! They are endangered, and Cozumel is very fortunate to be a nesting site for Green Turtles and Loggerheads. We mostly see Hawksbill Turtles on the west side of the island, even though they don’t nest here. They nest on the mainland, and apparently they like to hang out on our island reefs. They are very welcome! Of course, I love most all marine creatures, but it must be said that turtles are very special. We all need to do our part to make sure we protect these critically endangered animals, and our oceans, so that our children and grandchildren can also feel the wonder of seeing them in the wild.

I Love Introducing People to the Wonders of the Ocean

June 21, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

cozumel, snorkeling, learning, wonders of the ocean — A new ocean enthusiast!

I have always loved introducing people to the ocean. First time snorkelers, first time divers, and especially children seeing the underwater world for the first time. I cannot count how many people I have taught to snorkel or taken snorkeling, and most of them went on to dive and become certified divers. Since I am always excited to be in the water and see fish and animals and corals, I enjoy being with others who are as excited as I am!

cozumel, snorkeling, learning, wonders ocean — This future oceanographer was a natural in the water!

Good fortune came my way in Cozumel a week ago, when a ten year old girl staying next door to me fell in love with the ocean. Her entire family did! They were in Cozumel for a family wedding that took place at Villa Torres, though Villa Coronado did the honors for the ceremony! I loved the whole group, they were just wonderful. The young girl, Addison (love that name), went out on a snorkel with me and we had a great adventure: scorpion fish, flounders, yellow stingrays, and amazingly enough, a seahorse! That was magical. Seahorses are hard to find in Cozumel since the 2006 hurricane, so finding one on a snorkel was just incredible. We stayed out for over an hour, and she could not get enough! It was so fun to show her the underwater world. I had forgotten how much I enjoy introducing new people to the beautiful creatures. She was particularly drawn to the Queen Parrotfishes just becoming adults with their dazzling colors.

cozumel, snorkeling, wonders of the ocean — A pretty spotted Scorpionfish

The desire to write a book series about our Ocean Friends was something I always wanted to do in order to introduce people to the animals in the ocean. When people get interested and excited, they want to learn more, and to experience it. My first published book, Fish Faces: Photos and Fun Facts about Tropical Reef Fish, is meant to begin a journey of getting to know our ocean friends, and how important they are to our survival on this planet. It all begins with knowledge, and with knowledge comes enthusiasm. Learning should be fun at any and every age! Fish Faces is available on LULU.com right now, and will be on Amazon and Barnes and Noble soon, within the next few weeks. It is the same price on all the sites. Do you know someone interested in the ocean? This is a super fun way to learn about fish species and how different they look from ocean to ocean. I have dived in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and many of the seas within them, so my photographs reflect a planetary view of ocean fish, along with fun facts about each species.

I so enjoyed my time snorkeling with Addison, and it makes me want to show people the ocean even more! I hope you take a look at All Fish Faces!

This time it is the Real Deal, My Book is Published!

June 16, 2017 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

FISH FACES, book, tam warner minton, andrea marshall, queen of mantas — FISH FACES!

Yep, it is the Real Deal! Nothing like announcing a book and then have it mucked up in publishing! But, Fish Faces, Photos and Fun Facts about Tropical Reef Fish, is available! After redoing some graphics and changing the formatting, I am very, very happy with it. Right now it is available on LULU.com at http://www.lulu.com/shop/tam-warner-minton/fish-faces/paperback/product-23212566.html. Right now you can buy it on LULU, but shortly it will be available on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles at the same price. It is meant for people of all ages, though children love the ocean and ocean creatures! We can safely say it is a book for children of all ages! What can be better for our planet than learning about its creatures and marveling at their beauty?

I am dedicated to the preservation and conservation of our oceans, and I will give 10% of any profits to the Marine Megafauna Foundation which was co-founded by Dr. Andrea Marshall to conduct research and save our ocean giants. I have gone on expeditions with Andrea, and support her efforts 100%. Take a look, and I think you will too! Andrea is known as the Queen of Mantas, and has a documentary that was shown on BBC many years ago. Thanks to her and her students, much more is known about these animals now! They are doing important work.

5 Ways of Making your African Safari Unforgettable!

June 5, 2017 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

5 things to do on an African Safari, Africa, big cats, conservation — Beautiful young male in the Serengeti

Beautiful young female leopard, guarding her kill. Photo Credit Alexandra Minton

Seriously, you must do these 5 things on safari! There is nothing as incredible as an African Safari. Nothing. Seeing these animals in the wild is not at all comparable to seeing them in a zoo or a “safari” park. The savannah goes on forever….truly, the Circle of Life is real. Going to the Serengeti is like stepping into the Lion King, I kid you not. Or a Nat Geo documentary. I expected to see Simba and his friends at any moment. Instead, I saw many simbas (simba means “lion”!). An African Safari is a trip anyone who loves to travel must take at least once in their lifetime! Be adventurous! [Read more…] about 5 Ways of Making your African Safari Unforgettable!

OUR PLANET

Subscribe to Blog via Email