It is a fact. We are the pioneers of the earth's last frontier.

Is that really you Captin?

Welcome to BT, Capt. Don!

Welcome to Bonaire Talk Captain!!

Again Welcome Capt Don!! We yearn to learn from your experience..

Wow....

Woo Hoo!!!! Captain Don has come aboard!!!! Welcome!!! I look forward to your wisdom!

The oceans hold 1,300,000,000 km³ (328,000,000 miles³) of water.

What an honor from the icon who has probably done more good for Bonaire... Welcome & I'm sure we all look forward & will read with great interest your many (we hope) future postings.

Hoax???... Probably ;)

Welcome to BT Cap'n Don, whenever you get around to signing in again! Always a pleasure to hear from you.
Tim, you are sure getting some mileage out of that me holding my slate up capture! That was xmas 2004!
Speaking of sponges, more people need to start dusting them off a bit. Who knows, you might spot your very own frogfish that way.

Seb, How does one safely go about dusting them off, if we're to look and not touch? Do you use something as a fan?

Gail, just wave your hand back and forth near the sponge. Try to remove as much sand as you can. Sponges are filter feeders. If covered in sand, they will starve and die.

Thanks. I guess the 'don't touch' is so ingrained in me that I don't even get close enough to anything to even think about cleaning anything off. Perhaps that's why I've never found a frog fish!

Gail, the only frog fish I have seen was at Captain Don's. I was told by a DM where to look. I have never seen one on my own. 1000 dives in Bonaire. Don't feel bad, just keep looking. They are very good at blending in.
I do think this will be my year?

Jerry, you are dead on. I have gotten pretty good at giving them a bit of a wave so the sand sort of exits and falls directly down, thus not covering the reef. Photographers will give you dirty looks if you do it before they've come along, but you may find that a good thing,lol. My other warning is after spawning season give the sponge dusting a rest, as many wee small critters are slowly getting bigger in those little sand wells.
Gail, statements like yours warm my heart. It's much more exciting when the critters choose to touch you.
I first heard about sponge dusting from Dee Scarr years ago, and Don is the one who told her.

(Message edited by seb on January 7, 2006)

We might add: Any corals covered in sand need a good dusting.

Bruce, it is not a hoax!

Tom, How can anyone be sure who is who?
I could reg as Elvis. "Love me tender".

Timmy, cute pic :-)

Well, Jerry I can see what you mean about folks masquerading!


But I'm going to believe Tom about Captain Don! Good to see him on line!

Holy Cow, that's me after my Twinkie brake!

Note name change.

Maybe you'd like to post a new profile pic too Jerry!

er, Elvis.....

I think the real Elvis could spell, Jerry try break next time.

Welcome Capn Don

This is for you Brian. Sorry about the spelling mistake, I suffer from dislex, no wait, dexx, no, that's not it. dislexure, no, hold on.

Hi Elvis. I knew you weren't dead.

Welcome Captain Don! I can't wait to hear/read your stories!

I hope we haven't scared the poor man away with all our antics!! Capt.Don Come back, Please!!!

Seb - It's a darn good underwater billboard....

b.

I believe that it takes a very special type of person to be involved in ocean and reef conservation,,, These people must be totally committed,,, There is no room for bleeding heart liberals,,, There is no room for once a year conservationists,,, Because all the room has been reserved for around-the clock, sincere, and totally dedicated ECO warriors fighting for the on-going health of our sea,,, And what I feel here is an overwhelming dedication, a camaraderie amongst you, who in my opinion, are the indisputable pioneers of our earth's last frontier,,,

Captain don/

Welcome Capt. Don - Have you ever met Jacques, Philippe or Jean-Michel Cousteau?

Welcome to BT, Captain Don! Very glad to have you join us!

Captain Don, Sorry about the wise cracks. It was at first hard to believe that a diving and naturalist icon, such as yourself, would take the time to share your thoughts with us. Thanks!

Timmy the Cousteau family have frequently visited Capn Don and Habitat and we met them at Capn Don's Habitat 25th celebration in 2001, we also were lucky enough to do a a dive with them.

A few other examples when they have visited Captain Don are June 2001 for the dive Festival and they also returned over a year ago to celebrate Captain Don's 80th Birthday.

The Philippe Cousteau Foundation is heavily involved in the stewardship of the oceans see http://www.nbc6.net/News/1679510/detail.html

and

http://dive.scubadiving.com/bonairefest/061201.html

and

http://www.habitatdiveresorts.com/bonaire/dons_birthday.html

c.

We humans from the beginning have always had the will to foul our own nest,,,, However, before this century we never have had the power to impose total planetary destruction,,, chaos,,, and irreparable damage,,, as we cascade toward an irreversible abyss.

How tragic,,, Technology from our industrial revolution has taught us nothing,,, Our power increases, but our universal wisdom has diminished...

Shakespeare said... when he spoke of the wolf...
Then,,, every thing includes itself in Power,,,
Power into Will,,, and Will into Appetite,,,
The appetite is the universal Wolf,,,
So with the Will and the Power the Universe has become the Prey,,,
And at last,,, It eats itself,,, all,,, Up...

So be it! However, today we are the keepers of earth’s last frontier, and we divers must bear the responsibility of the ocean's health.


Captain don

well said!!! (and lived)

LaDonna

(Message edited by bamba on January 10, 2006)

Dear Captain Don,

I am sorry in doubting that it was you.
Welcome.

You started something very special on Bonaire, we all are very grateful. Now it's up to us to learn from you and keep your movement alive. Please except my apology for some of the jokes about it not being you.

Any new books in the works?

I thank you.

Jerry.

Just FYI Brian...it is no longer referred to as the Philippe Cousteau Foundation but rather EarthEcho International...www.earthecho.org

We had to change the name due to some legal issues...long story.

Anyway, just thought everyone would like to know. Also, Philippe Jr. will be here visiting the Captain again this year during Dive Into Adventure Bonaire 2006...June 17-24.

Welcome Captain, we are honored by your presence.

As stewards of the air, ocean and land, it is more than important that we leave the earth better than we found it. I am not only concerned about the damage we do, I am also concerned about misplaced (IMHO) resources that are being spent without real results. Some examples, we seem overly concerned about divers touching the reef while fishermen drop anchors all over the reef. We fret over a few dolphins captured for show purposes while long liners kill thousands daily (I don't want to even think about the number of sharks killed this way. We worry about trace contaminants from cosmetics (from the above link) and let abandoned mines dump thousand of tons of heavy metals into the oceans.

There just seems to me, a little more scientific/logical thinking in the environmental movement with realistic goals and some real gains. and sore risk vs. benefit analysis would be nice.

Jack thanks for clearing that up.

Capn Don/ Cecil - I agree; I do not believe a single year has gone by without the damage to the ocean getting worse, it is still what you can't see can't harm - when it really does and sweeping things under the carpet of the ocean and not knowing the truth HAS to stop. As fish stocks decline more expansive methods are used to denude life from the ocean and the "by catch" discarded (dead) to meet international and local catch limits that were meant to preserve other species.

It seems that the people of our dear planet has once again chosen $$$$$ over life.
We are draining the seas of fish at a rate that nature can not keep up with.
We are adding pollutants, waste, land fill. You name it, we are dumping it in.
We have displaced so many animals, that deer are now stuck between highways, death buy car strikes is there only way out. We here just north of Boston have had Moose, Bears, Fox , all stuck with no food, or home. Just death by cars. We are on a major displacement plan it seems, with no regard of the life that we up route.
Very large tracks of land are being cleared for developments, again displacing many animals, streams are being chocked off, or clogged with construction waste. It all ends up in the river, where it leads into the ocean.

We have become a $$$$ driven animal.
I am very ashamed of mankind thus far.

Moderators

Here is a thought - how about honouring Captain Don with his own topic?

Jerry nice words and I really like the "Death buy car" that says a lot. How true and well said even if you didn't mean the typo.

Sorry, fingers and brain are out of sync!

Bruce good thought on CD's own TOPIC.

Brian - thanks for the Cousteau visit links....very interesting!

Captain Don, Cecil, and Jerry - well said!

"We humans from the beginning have always had the will to foul our own nest.... So be it!"

I've never met Captain Don. I'm assuming this is really Captain Don making these posts. I struggled hard with this post and often deleted it before opting to to respond. I know it may be heresey to contradict anything from Capt D, but I was disheartened by the tone of these posts. Sure, mankind has fouled things up in many ways, it's our nature. But I don't think there was ever any "universal wisdom". We'll repeat our mistakes... hopefully not as often.

And I reject "...at last,,, It eats itself,,, all,,, Up". I try not to be pollyannish (sp?). I look at what Marina is doing to alleviate the suffering of donkeys on the island (perhaps donkeys should never have been there in the first place...). And what the volunteers do at the animal shelter. And for the Maria Hoppner Foundation. And for the reef clean-up. And Jong Bonaire. And the Klein Bonaire preservation. Perhaps we're just "pissing in the wind". But I will do what I can, physically and politically, often on a small scale, to change what I can.

There's a "prayer" that goes something like "Lord, grant me the the courage to change what I can, the patience to accept what I can't, and the wisdom to tell the two apart". I refuse to accept that Bonaire and mankind is a lost cause.

J., Seems like you and Capt. Don are saying close to the same thing. You both believe the environment and the island need help, and you both believe in providing that help.
If his emphasis seems slightly more negative, probably that's because he is eager to get the attention of as many divers as possible so they will do all they can to preserve the reef, the oceans, and the planet.
I applaud you both!

J., well said. Looks like we might be on the correct path. There is still much to do.

j
Bonaire’s has a standing friendship with nearly a million divers who have frequented the island over the last half century, It is these divers who are the pioneers of earth’s last frontier. Many of whom are already are independently involved in projects similar to what they have discovered in Bonaire's environmental sanctuary.

I do not intend to re-buff you. But, what are you doing to-day to save our, your,,, sea? One alone can't do it but a band of divers can.

Captain don/

Captain Don: Are sharks being "fished out" of waters around Bonaire? If so, do you know what is being done about that if anything is or can be done? I understand from reading about you that it is you who is be thanked for starting the Bonaire Marine Park many years ago, so, good job and thanks for looking out for what I have the pleasure of diving today. Marcus.

Hi Don - got your email... I will see you next week. Hi to Janet and let me know what I can do to help with the project. Still haven't fixed the tattoo on my shoulder, but I still have you dive flag on my back... love to Janet and let me know what I can bring you within reason... and I cannot help with the subjects in your creative writing ... they won't let split tails through customs... Bill

Perhaps it's time that we look at what we do as divers. How many times have you laid in the coral to take that perfect pic. How many times have you allowed others in your groups to do the same. How many batteries have you left on the island. How many conversations have you had with the local establishment about where the toilet flushings go.

When I first came to Bonaire the billfish would be jumping between Captn Dons and Klein Bonaire. When, if ever, have you seen that. When is the last time you've seen a Queen Trigger (the most beautiful fish on the reef) luckily I saw babies last year but not on the reefs.

Every time we bend or break the rules with overweighing, coral breaking, lobster taking (when was the last time you saw a slipper lobster?).

What have we done to try to dissuade the industry ships from mass fishing off Bonaire?

We need to encourage the younger operations to help. Bruce Bowker has done much in many years. Eddie from the Plaza knows what Bonaire was like.

It's time that the operations stop letting bad divers on the reefs.

What if the Marine Parks people had daily random dive observers on boats to assure good diving.

I remember when Don used to take people to the airport and send them home.... when have you seen that??

It's time for those who make money from the jewel of the caribbean to give back big time.

If you are expanding to the Wild side... what are you giving back.... what have you done to approach Ebo and Don?

It's time for Bonaire and the people who love her and the people who make money from her to protect her......

stepping off the soapbox and clearing my throat...
B

Perhaps it's time that we look at what we do as divers. How many times have you laid in the coral to take that perfect pic. How many times have you allowed others in your groups to do the same. How many batteries have you left on the island. How many conversations have you had with the local establishment about where the toilet flushings go.

When I first came to Bonaire the billfish would be jumping between Captn Dons and Klein Bonaire. When, if ever, have you seen that. When is the last time you've seen a Queen Trigger (the most beautiful fish on the reef) luckily I saw babies last year but not on the reefs.

Every time we bend or break the rules with overweighing, coral breaking, lobster taking (when was the last time you saw a slipper lobster?).

What have we done to try to dissuade the industry ships from mass fishing off Bonaire?

We need to encourage the younger operations to help. Bruce Bowker has done much in many years. Eddie from the Plaza knows what Bonaire was like.

It's time that the operations stop letting bad divers on the reefs.

What if the Marine Parks people had daily random dive observers on boats to assure good diving.

I remember when Don used to take people to the airport and send them home.... when have you seen that??

It's time for those who make money from the jewel of the caribbean to give back big time.

If you are expanding to the Wild side... what are you giving back.... what have you done to approach Ebo and Don?

It's time for Bonaire and the people who love her and the people who make money from her to protect her......

stepping off the soapbox and clearing my throat...
B