Marine Megafauna Foundation Archives

My New Kid’s Book Series has Arrived with Book Two of Ocean Friends, More Fish Faces!

September 7, 2020 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

My New Kid’s Book Series has Arrived with Book Two of Ocean Friends, More Fish Faces! I have to admit that I am very excited about it!

more fish faces, ocean friends, all fish faces, fish faces — I’m photographing a Giant Manta Ray on an expedition with Marine Megafauna Foundation‘s Dr. Andrea Marshall.

You all know how passionate I am about the ocean and about animals, especially ocean animals. I have traveled to all seven continents and had incredible experiences. Going on citizen science expeditions have been some of the most fulfilling trips of my life. I’ve been cage diving with Great White Sharks, seen Dwarf Minke Whales, Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Killer Whales, and taken photographs for scientific identification of many other species. I have loved every moment of it, and I share what I have learned in my new book series, Ocean Friends!

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Celebrate International Whale Shark Day and Learn How You Can Make a Difference

August 30, 2019 By Tam Warner 4 Comments

International Whale Shark Day!

My introduction to the ocean happened before I can remember, as did my connection to it. Since childhood, the ocean has retained its magic and constant fascination for me. I have been in thrall to it my entire life. Of course, that goes for the marine life that lives there as well. A day like Whale Shark Day is always a celebration of life.

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What It Is Like To Be Totally Remote

May 7, 2018 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

dive sites, san benedicto, big blue, remote, revillagigedos — San Benedicto Island from a drone. Uninhabited, it is a volcanic site. The animal life under the water around this island is amazing! So much life under a lava rock.

There are places on the planet where you can be totally remote. Alone. Removed. Well, radio waves are pretty much everywhere, but cell and internet signals are not. I just took my third trip to the Revillagigedos Archipelago, to dive and photograph Giant Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, Sharks, Dolphins…and all of the cool smaller stuff. What is it like to be so remote? And where the heck is this place??? And be sure to have Travel Insurance, always!

When you travel to a place this remote, you have to understand that there are no hospitals, no doctors, no chambers if you get decompression sickness. Or a heart attack. Or a stroke. Or anything, really. This is the risk you take in some parts of the world. There is no signal, and it would take at least 24 hours to get back to civilization. I’m not sure if a helicopter would go there, obviously there is no place to land. I always take antibiotics with me, a Z pak for possible strep or sinus infection, Cipro in case my tummy acts up. Oh, and dramamine, which I needed on this last trip. And I always buy travel insurance!

On one hand, I find not having a signal relaxing. Unlike the millennials and younger generations, I do not do everything on my phone. I have had phones stolen and I have lost phones, my kids chide me when I don’t answer but I just do not carry it on me every second of the day. I lose the damn thing in my house! My husband has to call it so I can locate it. It is a relief when I don’t have to worry about missing a text or a call.

Being without internet is sometimes a pain, but as long as I can edit photos I’m happy, and you don’t need the internet for that. Imagine sleeping with no interruptions from your phone. Eating with no texts or calls. And, on the other hand, being very careful. On these trips I am very careful with my depth, my air supply, my limits. The only time I went outside my limits on this trip was when the dolphins came to check us out. Has anyone ever explained to you that dolphins are bastards? They really are. They mesmerize you with their eye contact and take you down deep. I looked at my depth while photographing them and I was way too deep for the gas mix I was using in my tank. 110 feet. For some people that is not very deep, but I try not to go below 100, and I prefer staying above 90 feet. The other thing that dolphins do to merit name calling is hanging out around your zodiac, or panga (a rubber boat used to go to dive sites). They jump, you coo, they come close, and you want to swim with them. So you put on your snorkel and fins, jump in, and the only dolphin you see is one going deep and out of sight. See what I mean? The little bastards. Sigh. But I still love them.

Having a dive buddy is helpful when diving this remotely, with this much current, and the bottomless depths. The big blue is not too far away, and unless your dive master takes you there, you don’t want to go and be separated from your group. The big blue can be really disorienting with no bottom and nothing but blue, blue, blue. I had a fellow photographer for a buddy, and we kept an eye on each other, but photographers never dive right next to their buddy. Sometimes we were close, especially if conditions warranted it, but mostly we kept each other in sight while looking for cool animals to take pictures of. It worked out well.

Going so remote and to locations with endless big blue is not for beginners. There are no beginner dive sites in this Archipelago. I am not a professional, but I have 30 plus years of experience in the water. Sometimes I might be just a little bit too comfortable in the water, but not at these dive sites. You must keep in mind that sites like this can be cold, can have down currents, up currents, strong currents, and surge. Several people got lost this trip, meaning losing their dive group. At that point, you must surface. Not being able to see any other divers is not good. The Revillagigedos is not the place for solo diving.

I love San Benedicto’s patterns and colors and textures. I want my house to look like this.

But I digress! Going remote can be a great experience. I love the privacy and silence from my phone and the internet, but I remind myself often that it is not a place for any kind of accident. I try to be very careful when I go remote!

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Another Fantastic Solo Trip with Ray of Hope Expeditions!

April 30, 2018 By Tam Warner 9 Comments

manta ray research, manta rays, — Dr Andrea Marshall and I on one of her Ray of Hope Expeditions to the Revillagigedos to do research on the plastic consumption of mantas.

Another fantastic Solo Trip with Ray of Hope Expeditions and Dr Andrea Marshall, Queen of Mantas!

I love to travel solo, but traveling solo doesn’t have to mean traveling alone! When I travel solo I never feel “lonely” because there are so many new people to watch, to meet, and to talk to. My volunteer/citizen science adventures have introduced me to people who share my passion. As a result, I have friends all over the world! I was the oldest volunteer on my All Out Africa volunteer trip to Mozambique in 2012, but I remain in touch with, and have seen, my fellow volunteers because we bonded during our shared experience. I have friends I met on other trips who are older than I am. Meeting and working with people who share your passions is exhilarating no matter what your age, nationality, or religion. Doing citizen science with Ray of Hope Expeditions makes me feel good about myself, knowing I am trying to make a difference.

I am always careful when I travel, whether solo or not! It’s important to take good care of yourself financially as well! This guide will give you some good tips on how to travel safely with your finances!

Earlier this month I was off on another adventure with Andrea, this time to the Revillagigedos Archipelago. Where on earth is that, you may ask. It is very remote and takes at least a day to get there from Los Cabos. One is completely unplugged as there are no signals. This location is very special. It is 540 miles off the Baja peninsula, and is often called Mexico’s Galapagos. These uninhabited rocks, so far from the Mexican mainland, are among the most unbelievable dive spots in the world. It has one of the largest populations of sharks, manta rays, and includes groups of tuna, humpback whales, all kinds of cool fish, and turtles. This is the third time I have visited these islands, and though I have taken identification photos in this location for scientists, this is the first time I was on an actual scientific expedition.

Revillagigedos, Revillagigedos Archipelago, diving in Socorro, scuba dive San Benedicto, Roca Partida — Map By Hobe / Holger Behr – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2688383

Strangely enough, I became sea sick on the crossing, which is very unusual for me. I always take a couple of Dramamine and never have a problem. This time was quite different! I have to say, I have a lot of sympathy now for people who get seasick! What a horrible feeling. I spent the first 20 hours of the trip in bed, sleeping and eating saltines.

Once at the dive sites the water was calmer, and my sickness went away (until the next time we traveled which was every day or night!). Diving with mantas is always a magical experience no matter where you are, but the giant mantas at these islands are different. They want to interact with divers, and they want to feel the bubbles from our regulators on their bellies! There are plenty of sharks, dolphins, fish and even tuna in these waters. I was excited to get under the waves and take photos!

ray of hope expeditions — Here I am, photographing a Giant Manta at San Benedicto Island, photo by Andrea Marshall.

And this is the identification photo I took on that dive! The spot pattern is the Identification, they are like fingerprints with no two alike.

Here I am photographing another Manta Ray. See how the spot pattern is different from the one above?

Here is Andrea and you can see her spear? Taking tissue samples from the mantas was important on this trip to measure how much plastic was in their system.

And this was just the beginning of the trip! Stay tuned for more fish, shark, dolphin and manta action!

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Digital Nomads Interviewed Me about Travel, Citizen Science, and my book ALL FISH FACES!

October 6, 2017 By Tam Warner 10 Comments

I had a great time with @RickySheety of Digital Nomads! They have several interviews with digital nomads and travelers, so be sure and check them out on YouTube!

4 of the most Amazing Reasons I go on Citizen Science Trips

May 19, 2017 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

cabo pulmo, red travel, tam warner minton — Researching Whale Sharks in Mexico

I participate in Citizen Science trips because I am a big believer in giving back. When we receive a benefit, I believe we should provide a benefit in return somewhere, somehow. Scuba Diving is a passion for me, animals are a passion, and photography underwater is a passion. I love the ocean, the earth, and all of its creatures. The point is, I must give back to the ocean in some way since I enjoy the ocean in so many different ways. How do I give back? I go on Citizen Science trips, which means I participate in collecting data for scientists to use, and in doing so, I also help support their work. I’ve done trips with All Out Africa, Marine Megafauna Foundation, and REEF. Why do I do it? Here are 4 of my reasons.

I love to dive, so almost all of the citizen science I do is underwater. The ocean is in trouble, and so are many of its animals. As the ocean warms, coral bleaches and dies off, killing the foundation of life for many fish and animals the earth depends upon for sustenance. In order to know how a species is doing, data must be collected. That data involves Identification photography, noting the animal’s sex, noting any injuries, and watching the behavior of the animal. I love contributing to the body of knowledge about our ocean friends.
I am fascinated by animals. There is nothing more exciting to me than watching them, and when appropriate, interacting with them. Most of the time, you don’t want to interact or disturb their behavior, but every once in a while you get to look them in the eye, or blow bubbles with mantas or play with dolphins, and it is nothing short of magical!
I’m a geek. I love collecting data and loading it into data systems to produce results. Every time I submit an ID photo of an animal, I can’t wait to find out if it is a “new” animal (one never documented before), or if it has been encountered before, and where. When you report and encounter and upload data to Wildbook for Whalesharks (www.whaleshark.org) or Manta Matcher (www.mantamatcher.org) you receive updates if that animal is seen again. Almost every summer I go off the Yucatan to snorkel with WhaleSharks, and I always take ID photographs to upload. I receive many notifications every summer and fall that animals I have encountered have been encountered again. I like to look at the photos, and I feel a certain sense of accomplishment.
Probably the most important reason I go on these trips is, simply, the people. I have met the most wonderful, amazing people on citizen science trips. You are always hearing people talk about their “tribe”, well, this is my tribe. Sadly for me, I can’t do it as a profession, all year long. I’m an introvert, but I am a social introvert, I can hang out with people and enjoy myself. I loved teaching at the university and counseling high school students. No man is an island! What is exciting for me is to be able to spend time with people who share the same interests and passions. These trips draw intelligent, excited, animated people who share my love of the sea and my sense of contribution. I can interact with the scientists and learn about the animals and the ocean itself. I love the people (for the most part!) I meet on these trips, and I am still in touch with many of them. We share a bond through the experience of passion and participation.
An incredible group of wonderful, bright, enthusiastic women!

You will love this…somehow the two of us found out we share an ancestor who was hung as a witch in Salem!

With Bakari and Anton, crew members extraordinaire!

The last trip I took with Marine Megafauna’s Dr Andrea Marshall, Queen of Mantas, was an 11 day voyage in Raja Ampat, Indonesia on the luxury boutique liveaboard, The Arenui (not all trips are so luxurious, believe me!). It was a wonderful trip, and I enjoyed getting to know the other divers, who mostly were not there for the same reason I was, but who became very enthusiastic about taking Manta ID photographs. I believe no matter where they are diving, they will take ID photos of animals and send them to the databases for turtles, whales, dolphins, mola mola, and others. Inspiring others to take part in citizen science is also a contribution, and a way of giving back. You can do it too!

arenui, citizen science, manta ray, scuba, marine megafauna — My roomie, Andrea Queen of Mantas, and her one year old baby girl. (the baby was only on the boat 2 nights)

nui, citizen science, manta ray, scuba, marine megafauna — Jonny was my dive master, and an excellent one. Also a musician and singer!

One doesn’t have to dive to do citizen science!No matter where you are, there are opportunities to participate. There is National Geographic’s list, and there are projects closer to home. I live in Dallas, Texas and here is a program to document wildlife in urban areas in North Texas Wild. You can also go to www.citizensciencecenter.com. Citizen scientists are a boon to scientists because so much more data can be obtained. If you are interested, you can find an opportunity near you! I highly recommend it!

Marine Megafauna Foundation

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