Hello Utila and all,

I would like to begin by saying " I love Utila". Because I love my island so much, is why I’m writing about my concern.

I was recently on the island visiting my family, my Dad precisely due to his illness. By the way my name is Tona, I’m a native of Utila now living in the U.S. During my time on Utila I had an absolutely great time catching up with family and friends. It was great to see all the new improved changes and progress to the island. Unfortunately I cannot say the same of the new neighborhood called" Camponado" I must say that I was absolutely terrified and disgusted of the living conditions going on out there. I was especially dissapointed that my little island has come that low, but more than anything I’m concerned for the health of everyone, I could only hope that something be done to clean up that place. Living while surrounded by that much garbage and filth could possibly cause a breakout of who knows what disease. Please my people, "Clean It Up."

Tona Beery

Giving the older generation a hand

My hat is off to our fearless leader at Ocean Fitness Center. Alex has single- handedly begun the fight against the bulge for those of us that are a little older. I signed up at the gym with a few of my "older" friends. It has been great!! Alex works with each one of us separately to help us look and feel better. I feel like we have our own personal trainer. He is very good at cracking the whip to keep us going, even when we are too tired to go on.

Encouragement and a sense of belonging has kept all of us coming back for more. There is no better stimulant to exercise than someone standing over you and taking you to the next step. If anyone is thinking about trying out the gym, I would highly recommend you get together with Alex and have him slap you into shape just like us "old bags"(just kidding!!).

Loretta Potts

In response to the article "Utila’s foundation is its reef" by R. M. Rose in the October issue I would like point out some erroneous facts and misconceptions so we can discontinue the dissemination of misinformation to our fellow Utilians spoon-feed to us by foreign investors with their own hidden agenda and laying down a guilt trip on the Utilians.

First we have to clear up the misconception that Utila economy is based on tourism. Utila economy is a remittance economy, and economy that that is based on expatriates working abroad and sending money back home or bringing money back with them. Currently tourism as we know it may account for merely 10% of the economy, and only 1% of the population actually benefit from it.

It is always nice to see foreign investor come and lay down a great a deal of money to help develop the island infrastructure to develop tourism, but let’s no loose fact of what is really happening here. These people are investors and they are looking for a return on their money. This return on investment is not intended to benefit Utila, these returns are being taken out of Utila and reinvested in more lucrative markets with more security back in their native country or on the next big deal in Latin America.

In the end, like most tourism economies, Utila will be left with high real estate prices; unaffordable to the average Utilians, and by default opens up the market to only wealthy Utilians or foreign investors.

Here is the dilemma, foreigners come and invest their money on a resort or other business entity, and are there to service and cater to their customers. Unfortunately, the customers are not Utilians. As we all know, and is very much aware of, that most people are comfortable dealing with people they can identify with, so most of these foreign own businesses don’t employ Utilians, instead they employ their own so their customers can get that cozy feeling of doing business with people that understand them and might have their interest in mind. Therefore the average Utilians does not benefit from the jobs created by the tourist trade. They don’t get the jobs created by it; they don’t share in the profits generated by it, and are totally disenfranchised with regards to this industry.

One cannot loose the perspective of where they are coming from. They are coming to Utila from organized and developed societies where it has been proven that collective cooperation benefits all minority parties concerned when facilitated by ignorance and illiteracy of the majority and laws enacted to control such group. Having this scenario, allows them the opportunity to reeducate the population in a way that is beneficial to their goals, while discrediting your way of life and traditions and governing your conduct and behavior. This scenario has not been more evident than in Utila, during past decade and a trend that is continuing at a much bolder pace today than ever before.

One look at the earlier real estate investments that were made by foreigners is now up for sale, or has already been sold, why is that? Has Utila reef been that devastated any more than the reefs in Australia, Belize, Cazumel or the Mediterranean? Has the Utilians attitude changed so drastically? The answer to all the above is a resounding NO!

The entire world is blaming this demise on global warming. The rate of return is the driven factor, be it a high rate or a low rate, the economic factors are dictating the rate and growth of investments in Utila, and the capital that go into marketing to tourist and foreign investors, be they entrepreneurs or vacation seekers.

With the global war on terror, the war on drugs and better financial scrutiny by the banks we will see less foreign investment in Utila due to less money laundering, and tighter government controls. Slowly the propaganda will fade, the people will settle back in to the lifestyle that made Utila what it was. However we cannot just stand idle as we are confronted with the challenges and need to expose the truth of what is really taking place in Utila and fixed the problem before it is too late.

We need to get back to basics, and govern our own community with transparency and through a community council representative of the whole community that decide our own laws and benefits all Utilians, natives and transplants, and not surrender to imported laws that are design to benefit a few.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present my view and I welcome any opposing views or any inputs that your readers may have. I think it is beautiful thing to have such a forum for the people of Utila to express their views and participate in open dialogue about the concerns of all Utilians. We need to bring the facts to the forefront.

On a similar day like today I decided, being sick of watching television and being indoors, to jump on my bike regardless of the rainstorm and to head for the beach. After a few hundred yards of beachcombing at Big Bight, one of my favorite sites, I saw this huge, totally disheveled bird sitting on the beach. Coming closer to it I saw that it was a Seahawk or Osprey (I think is the correct name).

Slowing down, I wondered how close I would be able to get to this magnificent creature before he would take off with his huge 3-4 foot wings and colorful plumage. Surprisingly as I slowly moved closer he still didn’t budge. He just stared at me with those powerful eyes, which have such a magnificent power that they can see a little mouse from a hundred feet up in the air. Now at arm length, I stopped and noticed he was sitting on a freshly caught Parrotfish.

Slowly I reached out and calmly talked to him. I touched his head with my finger, keeping a close eye on his beak, which could take my finger off in a second.

To my amazement that huge bird still didn’t react. After stroking and petting him for a while I figured that he must have been hurt or even worse, shot; a victim of our trigger-happy hunters (regulation needed badly).

So I reached down keeping a careful eye on his razor-sharp beak while those sharp eyes kept looking at me. I picked him up like a baby and turned him upside down to see if I could see any blood or if a wing was broken. To my amazement he didn’t object being handled by me and didn’t attack my eyes, which they usually do, I was told later.

Passing my inspection without objection I figured he must be exhausted so I threw him in the air to give him a chance to fly away only to see him crashing into the surf.

Seeing that he couldn’t handle the breakers I raced into the water up to my waist to keep the Osprey from drowning and then put him on my arm.

To my surprise he was so gentle that I had only minor pressure marks when we reached the beach even though he could have ripped my arm with those razor-sharp powerful talons.

Still enjoying this extremely rare interaction with a wild predator bird I took the Parrotfish and placed both of them high up on a rock where the waves could not reach them. After another good look and still amazed about this tame behavior we parted company. Getting home I called Aurel the (then) director of the Iguana Station. He was excited as I told him about my rare encounter especially since he had worked with birds before. I described the spot where I left the bird and he told me he would check it out.

Hours later I got a call from Aurel and he told me he couldn’t find the bird. Wonder if he flew away. After several hours of indecisiveness I decided that I had to see this bird again to find out if he was ok. So braving the rain again, out I went. In full marching speed I reached the spot and Voila, there he was right where I left him.

The only difference was that the parrotfish was almost gone, a good sign. Moving closer slowly he fix his big yellow eyes on me again. Then at about 10 feet with a powerful swoop of his huge wings he took off to go to his nest. Watching him disappear, I thanked him for this incredible rare wildlife experience I had the pleasure to have that Sunday afternoon in a rainstorm at Big Bight.

Several weeks later, on my morning run, I found a dead bird, which looked similar on the road. I hope it wasn’t him. The great variety of birds we have on this island could also pose as a great source of income for the community.

Bird watching is big in a lot of countries and can be a great source of revenue for Utila. Of course that would mean to dampen the enthusiasm of our trigger-happy hunters a bit. It could bring a different class of tourists, which we so badly need on this island.

Just a though. Till next time. Let’s take care of our natural resources.

Gunter

There are few more iconic dishes of Utila than grilled lobster, grouper filet, or conch chowder. These are the life and soul of the areas culinary heritage, traditionally using locally caught, incredibly fresh seafood, to create truly great food. As tourism has swelled local sales and international export added new markets, local stocks of these animals have unfortunately not managed to keep pace with the demand. What used to be caught locally now often comes in frozen from other parts of Honduras or from even further away. What were once so abundant that they were every day staples are now starting to be considered luxury treats; with a price tag to match.

However, beyond an increasing restaurant bill or the disappointment of the phrase "sorry no lobster today" lies a much greater concern… what role were these animals playing on Utila’s coral reefs, and what will happen now that they are disappearing?

Conch; these marine snails are essential cleaners of the sand that surround coral reefs. As they feed they remove fine organic material and harmful bacteria from the environment and a recent study showed that conchs are highly effective at removing bacteria associated with human faeces and are essential to improve localised water quality.

Grouper; Groupers are the top predators on coral reefs. Their presence maintains the structure of the food web below them ensuring balance to the whole coral reef ecosystem. For example grouper eat damsel fish preventing them from taking over the reef and in their absences damsel fish can turn coral reefs in to dull algae farms. Grouper reproduce at predictable times and locations during spawning aggregations. This makes them very susceptible to over-fishing. Targeting a spawning aggregation removes the entire reproductive output of the fish and if uncontrolled can collapse a fish population within a matter of years. The Nassau grouper for example, once an icon of the Caribbean is now critically endangered with less than 1% remaining in the region.

The signs are here... these animals are almost gone from local waters and as a result both the fisheries and the coral reefs on which the island depends are suffering. This problem however is solvable, but not without us all making some informed choices; For example, when to catch or buy a certain fish, what size fish to leave and what size to sell or buy...

Very simply, if we continue to eat the animals that are scarce, if we remove all the small animals before they can reproduce, or remove them whilst they are reproducing, there will be none left very soon. Local fisheries management can recover the populations, but this management is a process that every person living on, or visiting this island needs to be involved with. Innovative programmes are currently being designed to help solve the fisheries crisis facing Utila and with the help of the community the animals that are essential to the islands waters can start coming back.

For more information on these and other reef essentials, please contact Utila Centre for Marine ecology Tel: 425-3026 or see our website:

There has been an outrageous assault on Utila’s iron shores destroying an ancient Paya Indian historical site and nature reserve, which for years has offered natural protection from the fury of hurricanes.

For many years I have enjoyed the peace and tranquility of hiking the cliffs at the iron shores from Big Bight to East End Point and other beautiful areas on the rock. In the process I have discovered anything from the most bizarre formations of ancient reef, lave rock to a deep coral canyon where the waves boil through a narrow crack from a tunnel below which connects 2 caverns to numerous Paya Indian historical sites.

According to geologists, Utila has been submerged 3 times and then pushed up by volcanic forces. That is why we have ancient reef systems in the middle of the jungle and so many caves. Unfortunately, that precious inheritance is now being destroyed and sold as land fill and building material.

I have filmed with several documentary and TV crews from Germany, one of them the well-known Baaden Baaden Sud West Funk, in and under water, in caves, etc. One of the films was shown on channel 21 several times and in Europe. Each of the groups traveled thousands of miles to film the magnificent natural beauty of Utila, which many don’t appreciate, protect or even know about.

In my years of exploration I have come across breathtaking caverns and caves, one tunnel at 300 feet at Black Hills, awesome to say the least. Many caverns have magnificent stalagmite formations with the biggest in a cave system north west of the island measuring 20 feet. Anybody who knows about stalagmites knows that they don’t form underwater. This means that either Utila was at one point in time higher or the sea lower. For a 20 feet stalagmite formation to form takes thousands of years.

There must have been a major earthquake at one time since the ceilings in most caves are collapsed with big boulders at the bottom as proof. The majority of caverns and caves are on the Old Airport, Red Cliff, Iron Shore, Blackish Point, Turtle Harbour and Don Quickset. There are also numerous land caves, some containing large amounts of pottery chards, remnants from a sizeable Paya Indian population.

Many times I passed our site in question without realizing its secrets. One day I decided to have a closer look so I scaled razor sharp cliffs and crawled through extremely narrow passages. To my surprise there were thousands of pieces of broken pottery in the mud. Later when we filmed there was a Boa Constrictor on the top of Indian Pottery that I was filmed with. I found deeper areas where the Indians must have lived. There is even a hidden stalagmite cave system in the area.

During hurricane Mitch that natural bull work protected us from the fury of 40 feet waves that were assaulting the north east side of the island. I have plenty of pictures of those killer waves breaking huge pieces of cliff off.

The Ship Stern in Red Cliff is a typical example of the incredible destructive force of those waves and the importance of that rock for protection.

When it was discovered that this historical site, which is an important archeological site and if controlled could be a good tourist attraction, was destroyed by some unscrupulous cliff rock vultures, I could not believe my eyes.

That very cave we filmed in virtually gone, destroyed by sledge hammers and pick axes to be used for landfill. Outrageous, a natural coral garden with beautiful cactus flowers of rare beauty, an additional site which should attract travelers, and most importantly a protection for Utila from hurricanes.

Look at the pictures or perhaps take a walk and see the destruction yourself. Should individuals be allowed to destroy those ancient reefs, our great inheritance?

Well, I rest my case and let you decide. Believe me; I have spoken to many people from all over the world who got to love this place and its beauty.

Protect the reefs, the beaches, the jungle, etc. That is all you have got. Without it Utila is nothing. Our very future and existence hinges on protecting and managing your natural resources.

Intervention and conservation, how best to help coral reefs?

As awareness grows of the problems facing coral reefs, the desire of many to "do something" to help also increases. This is great and should be encouraged whole heartedly, but how can we best channel this enthusiasm and make the biggest difference? Projects advocating direct intervention on coral reefs, from removing algae, to killing coral snails, to removing other animals that compete with corals, are increasingly popular and understandably so, because we feel that we are doing something to directly help the reefs we love.

Unfortunately, coral reefs are very complicated systems and knowing how best to help them is often difficult. This complexity often means that there are likely to be no simple, quick fix solutions and a more difficult and concerted effort on many fronts is needed to solve these problems. This complexity also leads to another problem, if we try to start manipulating coral reefs directly, are we going to help or harm the system and do we really know what is going to happen?

However, that is not to say that we should sit back and do nothing. The greatest threats to coral reef are actually land based and human induced. Rubbish, water quality, mangrove destruction, sediment run off, over fishing, sewage, they are all a much greater threat to the survival of reefs than coral eating snails, chicken liver sponges or damsel fish. Imbalances on a reef are the result of our actions, trying to change things back without first solving the root cause is only ever going to be a temporary solution. To continue with the example of the chicken liver sponge, it is a bacteria filter feeder and likely thrives in poor water conditions; so rather than trying to rip it up, a better and longer lasting solution would be to collectively improve coastal water quality.

So the take home message here is let’s try and intervene with our own lives and manipulate ourselves and those around us and we will likely have a much greater impact on the health of coral reefs than trying to do the same under water. Manipulating the environment with hands on, exciting projects seems far more interesting, but are we really solving the problem or just making ourselves feel better by taking action, no matter what that action is? Identifying and solving the root cause of the problem is the only real long-term solution, changing our own behaviour, a far more difficult yet useful goal.

The hot item on many Christmas lists this year will be a new flat screen TV. Yeah, it’s true, the days of the big, heavy CRTs (Cathode Ray Tube) are all but over. Computers have led the way using LCD monitors on notebook computers for years. Desktop PCs have followed suite for the last 5 years or so. The television manufacturers have been switching over for about that same amount of time. Now that they have, good old competition is driving the prices to a level where most people can now afford to switch.

Currently there are two kinds of flat-screen TVs: plasma and LCD. Both technologies have made it possible to build very shallow, relatively lightweight TV screens with large picture areas. However, there are differences between plasma and LCD TVs that you should consider before purchasing one or the other.

Plasma

All plasma displays are wide-screen designs, meaning they have a 16:9 ratio of screen width to screen height (also referred to as aspect ratio), which is the standard for HDTV and very close to the ratio used for most modern movies. This makes them more rectangular than the traditional, almost square 4:3 displays. Virtually all current plasma displays offer at least near HDTV (High Definition TV) resolution. Screen sizes start at 42 inches diagonal and range up to 63 inches. Prices start at around $1000 and top out at more than $5000..

You get what you pay for in plasma, which means you can’t expect to get the same picture quality from a $999 42-inch display that you would from a same-size model selling for $2000. The budget model will usually have lower contrast and poorer reproduction of black and of dark grays, yielding a picture with less punch and detail; in addition, it may not do as good of job upconverting regular standard-definition (SD) TV programs and DVDs to a higher resolution.

The most expensive plasmas in a given screen size are typically the new 1080p models, which offer 1920 by 1080 resolution. Whether this provides a visible improvement in picture quality over lower but more typical plasma resolutions, such as 1366 by 768 or 1024 by 768, depends on screen size and viewing distance. The smaller the screen, the closer you must be to it to see the benefit of a higher display resolution. For example, with a 50-inch screen you would have to sit within about 10 feet to perceive the difference between 1080p and 720p.

Like CRTs, plasmas use phosphors to generate light, which means they can be subject to "burn-in." When a static image is left on the screen for a long time (a station logo or a text banner, for example), it may not completely disappear when the image changes. This could be an issue if you watch a lot of standard TV programming on a wide-screen display or play a lot of video games with static backgrounds as they both can generate black bars in order to make the image 4:3 resolution. You can minimize the risk by keeping contrast and brightness settings lower and/or by using stretch modes to fill the screen when you’re watching 4:3 programming.

LCD

LCD screens range from 10-inch models (designed primarily as computer monitors) up to 65-inch wide-screen. A 32-inch high-definition LCD might range in price from about $700 to $1500 depending on its manufacturer and features. (A 32-inch wide-screen display has about the same screen height as a 27-inch TV with a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio.) LCDs are now price-competitive with plasmas at screen sizes smaller than 50 inches. For larger displays, LCDs are still more expensive for the most part, though the gap is narrowing.

Though improving, LCDs still tend to have lower contrast ratios than plasmas, primarily because they have a harder time reproducing deep black and dark grays. In addition, they have slower response times, which can sometimes cause blurring of fast-moving action, such as in sports. LCD makers are improving in this area as well and some of the most recent, high-end models refresh the display 120 times per second instead of the standard 60.

LCDs are often one to several inches thicker than plasmas and have a somewhat narrower effective viewing angle. (Plasmas, like CRTs, are easily viewable from well off to the side and do not exhibit any change in brightness as you stand up or sit down.) On the other hand, LCDs are completely immune to burn-in, are easier to view in brightly lit rooms, and more often include all the standard features of a conventional TV. LCDs also run cooler than plasmas, minimizing the need for potentially noisy fan cooling. An LCD is a particularly attractive choice for a sunlit room or in situations where a plasma would be too large.

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio refers to the brightest and darkest light values a display can produce at the same time. All else being equal, the higher the contrast ratio, the better. Pumping up the maximum light output, can increase contrast, but it won’t do anything to overcome poor black level. Take contrast ratings as a rough guide to be supplemented by eyes-on evaluation. That said, LCD contrast-ratio specs start at about 600:1, while those for plasmas start at about 1000:1 or better.

Resolution

Plasmas and LCDs, are fixed-pixel arrays, which means they have rows and columns of individual picture elements that turn on and off to produce the necessary patterns of light. Digital content currently is delivered in one of five formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Notice the word ‘digital’. Analog formats (traditional TV broadcasting) have been 273 (Americas) and 282 (Europe). DVDs and satellite raised the bar and gave us 480p lines. The "i" following the lines of resolution means interlaced and the "p" means progressive. Interlaced is older technology and displays information every other line on the screen – hence the yield of 273 lines from 480 (roughly half) of content. Progressive displays all the lines each time. Both happen 30 to 100 times a second so most people don’t even notice. The newer and what marketers have dubbed ‘high definition’, 720p and 1080i formats are used by satellite, cable, and over-the-air-broadcast high-definition content providers, as well as some advanced DVD players that upconvert 480i and 480p content.

Generally speaking, a display is considered high definition if it is wide screen and has a total pixel count approaching 1 million. So 1920 by 1080, 1280 by 720, 1366 by 768, and 1024 by 1024 are all examples of high-definition display resolutions. Small differences are not very consequential at greater than 1280 by 720, the specified resolution of the 720p high-definition format. Any resolution of 1280 by 720 or greater is best for viewing high-definition broadcast and DVD content; if you sit close to a large screen (50 inches or greater), you may prefer one of the new 1920 by 1080 (1080p) displays, but the increased picture detail afforded by such a high-resolution display will be difficult or impossible to see on a smaller screen unless you are sitting very close to it (less than 10 feet).

Video Inputs

The number and type of video inputs determine which sources you can use with the display.

Composite video: This input type has the lowest quality but the broadest compatibility. Any device that has video outputs will include composite video among them. Connection is made with a single cable between RCA jacks.

S-Video: S-Video offers better quality than composite video, and most video sources except standard VCRs now have S-Video outputs. Connection is made with a special cable and multipin sockets.

Component video: This high-quality option is the minimum standard for connecting HDTV tuners and progressive-scan DVD players. It requires three cables of the same type (usually RCA jacks) used for composite video.

RGB+H/V: This is another high-quality input type. An analog red-green-blue horizontal/vertical connection is sometimes used instead of component video. This input requires five cables of the same type.

VGA: Video Graphics Array is a high-quality analog RGB connection used for computer connections and sometimes in place of RGB+H/V.

DVI: This is one of the highest-quality types of inputs. Digital Visual Interface is a digital video connection, commonly used for HDTV tuners and occasionally for DVD players; it may also be used for computer connections. Requires a special cable and multipin sockets.

HDMI: Also of the highest quality, High-Definition Multimedia Interface is basically DVI plus a digital audio and control link, and it normally incorporates HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection); it can be mated to DVI with adapter cables. This connection is provided in most current outboard HDTV tuners, HD satellite receivers, HD cable boxes, and up converting DVD players, and it is the standard video connector for Blu-ray and HD DVD players.

Next month, we’ll talk about the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVDs and how they relate to your new flat screen TV.

On the 22nd of October the Utila Adventist School held their annual Science fair among students from the 1st and 2nd course batch participated. The course batches were divided in groups with a leader each and all groups picked subjects from different fields of science. The completed projects were handed in to be judged.

There were 3 prizes given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place which were won by:

3rd place: Recycled paper by Alisha Bush, Corina Godoy, Aida Mejía, Meris Zelaya and Michelle Buckley.

2nd place: Protecting the ozone layer by Seidy Rivera, Grecia Ramón, Reba Jackson and Erin Howell.

1st Place: Effects of oil spills on Utila by Tatiana Dilbert, Sharla Cooper, Justin Hill and Ernest Castillo.

Dear people of Utila, or for those who care to read this. Go out and ask any person with a common knowledge what the key success is in building a house. They will surely tell you that it is essential to have a good, strong foundation. A house without a sturdy foundation can be easily shook by the slightest breeze, but how many houses, with sturdy foundations, stood still even after the winds of Hurricane Mitch shook the whole of the Bay Islands?

The reason I write this is not to talk about the structure of our houses, but the structure of Utila. Utila, in a sense, is a house. It is a home, a home to many good, loving people, and it scares me to say that the structure of Utila might be collapsing right before our eyes. In the Bible, there is a story, where there are two houses. One is built on rocks, and the other is built on sand. Sand washes away easily, but rocks are sturdy and long-lasting. This story can be found in children’s literature also "The Three Little Pigs". The pig that built his house with brick was able to stand inside his house, without fearing the wolf. His brothers took refuge with him.

I consider this Island of Utila my home, even now, as I write this from the States. People will ask me, "Where are you from?" I will proudly declare, "I am from Utila." A look of bewilderment will pass over their face and I will have to explain its location. After I tell them all the wonderful things about my home they always say they would love to come here.

I am concerned, and this is why I write. I am concerned that one day when these people come here, they will not see the true majesty of the island. Not only them, but even worse, the small children of the island today, and their children tomorrow will not know the absolute beauty of the island. Utila has changed so much from when my father was a child, and it has changed even more since I lived here as a child. Every year, every month, every week, day, hour, and minute… this island continues to change. It is evolution, it is progression. I fully support evolution and progression. As long as it is controlled properly and it conforms to the environment that it is in. I am worried that if the progression we all search for is not kept in balance with the environment the foundation that supports the progress might collapse. The more you add onto a house, the higher you build, the stronger the foundation needs to be. Utila’s foundation is its reef.

I went and spoke with some people at the "Utila Center for Marine Ecology," or "U.C.M.E.". This group, among many other preservation and conservational groups, are the engineers that are trying to make the foundation of this island strong and sturdy so that it doesn’t collapse on itself. Their main objective is to do research on the environment, and then educate the people of Utila about their findings. Once this is done, granted people listen and act accordingly. Utila will be able to properly sustain itself and will be able to prosper for years to come. If this effort is not successful, if no one listens, most of the coral surrounding and supporting Utila will be gone in as little as five years. This is essential information for people to know. Why, because an estimated 85% of the Utilian economy is fueled by the reef. What would happen if we had no reef?

The reef is befallen by many problems, one of which they highlighted for me was over-fishing. They told me that the reef is dependent upon the fish, and the fish dependent upon the reef, and that if all the fish are gone, it will be hard for the reef to flourish with the beauty its had in years long since past. Now, another question, what tourist will want to come and see a dead reef completely void of colorful life?

I have a scenario that has been running through my head of what might happen if and when (hopefully not) the reef is gone. The life above the sea will shortly after grow and become more like reef itself, dull and listless, with such a lack of vibrant life that no one will want to visit. Hotels will be empty, the restaurants will serve only themselves, and bars will turn from happy places full of joy and ecstasy, to places where only few will sit and ponder the tragedies that have happened. They will try to find the answers at the bottom of the bottle, but they will only be drowning their sorrows, because the answers they seek are here and now. All you need to do to find the answer is ask. This is the talent that God gave to all of us. The talent of curiosity, I ask, and I ask you reader to do the same and to be curious. Ask these people trying to help the island. Say, "What is your purpose here? What should I do? Is there any way I can help?" It is human nature to be inquisitive, so don’t be ashamed to ask others questions, especially if it concerns your potential well-being.

On a Saturday morning in July, 1 year old swampers were taken into the mangroves so that they could start their life in the wild. It was a very emotional moment, feelings were mixed and lots of questions crossed our minds. Happiness was around because it is good to know that these young swampers are strong and healthy enough to be on their own but you can’t help feeling worried because they will have to face many dangers. You have hope as well, you wish they are able to get old enough to have their own babies but you also feel a bit nostalgic because you enjoyed watching them grow up. But now these young swampers have a mission: survive to preserve their species.

But as everything in life, for every ending you know a new beginning will come. After more than two and a half months of waiting we 76 newborn swampers were finally born. I still remember seeing their moms pregnant. I was there when the lady swampers laid their eggs, picked them up with as much care as I could and took the fragile eggs into the incubators and then just waited. Some eggs did not make it till the end but finally I got my reward, baby swampers were born.

Now everything starts all over again, all the care and time for a year, with the hope that all these baby swampers will be able to find a home in the mangroves.

To all our WSORC supporters, we are excited to announce that there are some significant changes going on at WSORC.

Regrettably, our fearless leader, Kelly Schratwieser, has resigned in order to pursue advanced dive training. During Kelly’s tenure she instituted the school program allowing WSORC interns to create and provide weekly presentations at the local schools to increase awareness of Marine Ecology for the local school children along with a number of other projects.

All of us at WSORC wish Kelly the best and we will miss her terribly. The new WSORC team is committed to continuing her programs and build on her past efforts.

Taking over the helm in this interim period are Dr. Loretta Potts, her husband, Rodger Mehrer and Dr. Robert Davis (who has joined the staff as our International Director).

Dr. Potts is a Veterinarian with a Masters degree in Biology. Her interest in Whale Sharks began six years ago while assisting Dr. Alex Antoniou of the Shark Research Institute (SRI). She was so charmed by the gentle giant and the island of Utila, that she and her husband have been returning to the island ever since. "Dr. Loretta" and "Mr. Rodger" have built a home on the island and are now permanent residents here.

When not working in their "donation only" veterinary clinic, both Loretta and Rodger have been volunteered in the WSORC office.

Dr. Loretta completed her Dive Master program and Whale Shark Specialty Course, giving her the knowledge and experience to lead locals and tourists on the boats for Eco Tours so they can experience once in a lifetime encounters with whale sharks, dolphin, Manta Rays and Sperm whales. This experience for tourists adds to the awareness of preserving the species and teaches them the correct manner in which to encounter the "gentle giants" without harming or harassing them. Under her direction Loretta will continue the work already in place and add a new dimension to the already exciting work being done at WSORC.

His vision for WSORC is also to continue awareness and preservation of Whale Sharks, our reefs and all species that call Utila home. He has been leading the Eco Tours for some time now and is excited about continuing the Whale Shark tissue sampling and especially, the photo ID that is done through Eco Ocean. This "finger printing" will allow us even more information on the migratory patterns of this illusive creature.

Dr. Robert Davis joins WSORC as its Director of International Development. He has been diving for 40 years with 4500 logged dives, 600 in the Bay Islands. He spent time in the Navy after graduation from college as a UDT(S) officer. He has been a college professor and administrator for 20 years and brings that wealth of knowledge to WSORC.

Dr. Robert Davis and many other volunteers that live here on Utila, along with Loretta and Rodger, will be working diligently to continue the dream that WSORC’s founder, Jim Engel, had envisioned. All of us at WSORC are very excited and driven to see Jim’s dream stay alive. Please help support our efforts. We can assure everyone involved with WSORC, that it is very much alive and we are very excited about the future.

In conjunction with the already existing programs offered through WSORC we will be working to expand the operation through a variety of new programs and offerings.

Kisty, through her never-ending generosity has committed to providing the equipment to permit local school children to become actively involved with the sea life and reefs that surround their island home. The vast majority of these children have never been on a boat, snorkeled on the reefs or seen a whale shark! Our goal is to advance their knowledge and instill conservation into their way of life.

It is in these children that we need to increase awareness and through them, reach the adult population of Utila.

Second, we are enlisting help from part-time and full-time Ex-Patriots who now call Utila ‘Home’ to expand the ranks of volunteers available to WSORC.

Third, PADI’s "Project AWARE" program will become a significant part of our efforts to educate Utila’s local children.

Fourth, "Dr. Rob" will be working from his home base in San Diego, California to encourage universities and colleges to sponsor rotational internships at WSORC.

Fifth, we will increase our emphasis of photo ID and tissue sampling as a means to track these elusive creatures. Although physical tagging is still an option, we believe less invasive options are where our efforts should primarily be focused.

These are just a few examples of what we are striving for in WSORC’s near future. As always, we invite anyone with suggestions or comments to email us or come on down and lend a hand. We are open to any and all ideas to make WSORC better than ever.

In closing we are excited to announce that the "Gentle Giant" is back for the season! We had our first encounter on September 8th and got this great picture taken by Sue Beerman, our volunteer photographer. The Whale Shark was 5 to 6 meters. It appeared to be a female but may have been an immature male.

On the 10th of September at about 15.30 Utila Centre for Marine Ecology (UCME) received a phone call saying that a dolphin had been stranded close to the Chepes Beach. After arriving at the stranding site the dolphin was found to be already dead, although some bystanders reported that it was alive when it came up, and although they had tried to return it to the sea it kept coming back up.. The UCME team then started a necropsy to investigate what may have caused the animal to strand itself.

After primary inspection the dolphin was found to be an adult female long-snouted spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris of about 1.80 m in length. Only minor external injuries on the skin were observed such as cuts and abrasion on the tail flukes, tailstock as well as on the pectoral fins and leading edge of the dorsal fin. However, these injuries could have been caused by the rocks in the shallow waters when the dolphin was moving towards the shore and there were no signs of entanglement or other external injury that could have caused its death.

While performing the necropsy the internal organs were examined. The uterus and mammary glands showed that the female was not pregnant or nursing. Stomach and intestines did not contain any food leading to the conclusion that the dolphin may not have been eating for several days, but it is too early to conclude that starvation was the primary cause of the death. Small tissue samples of skin were collected for genetic analysis, blubber to look at the toxicology (heavy metals and pesticides), and the lungs, liver, kidneys, and ovaries for the microbiological analysis (bacteria and viral contamination).

There are not many reports of spinner dolphin stranding in general and especially in this area. Nevertheless, dolphins can strand for many reasons, and experts are not always able to identify a single cause for a stranding. Contributing factors can include poor weather, illness, parasites or injury. Some strandings appear to be simply accidental. Dolphins are open ocean creatures and shallow, silty conditions in shoreline areas can cause problems for navigation by reducing the effectiveness of the animals’ echolocation.

Interestingly just prior to this event UCME had been contacted by a research group in Costa Rica who are investigating the spread of a bacterial infection "brucellosis" in the marine mammals of Central America.

If you find a live stranded or injured whale or dolphin on the beach you must send for help quickly. The speed of response by a professional rescue team is perhaps the most crucial factor in determining whether or not an animal can be returned to the sea. If in Utila please call UCME on

425 3026 or 33036322

While waiting for help to arrive. Try to keep dogs and members of the public at a distance to avoid any further stress to the animal. If you can find adequate help, gently roll the animal over onto its front and keep its skin wet by dousing with seawater. Do not pull the animal by its fins or tail and be very careful not to get water down the blowhole (the opening on the top of the head) which is where the dolphin breaths. Also, be extremely careful of the teeth and tail.

Whales and dolphins are powerful animals, and they can carry diseases that are transferable to humans. If in doubt, wait for help. A dead animal may also be highly contaminated with bacteria so do not touch them without gloves.

If you find a dead whale or dolphin, (in any condition) secure the carcass, if possible, above the high water mark; make exact notes on its location; and contact UCME.

Utila Centre for Marine Ecology is a Honduran, non-governmental organization. At UCME we are interested in the dynamics and behaviours of cetacean (whale and dolphin) species that frequent the islands waters. These include semi-resident populations of rough-toothed dolphins and long-snouted spinner dolphins, offshore population of bottlenose dolphins as well as migratory species such as long-finned pilot whales, orcas and sperm whales. UCME researchers employ photo recognition techniques to record and identify individual animals, their distribution and behaviours. This data is further utilized to determine group composition, association patterns, habitat range and population dynamics over time.

For more information please contact UCME at cetacean@utilaeclogy.org or visit our website www.utilaecology.org

Hurricane Dean did its best to upset the world Whale Shark community, although Dean was never on track to hit Utila it was looking as if it was going to be a direct hit on Holbox Island, Mexico. This was just days before the International Whale Shark Conference was to be held there, organized by The Domino Project in Mexico.

Hurricane Dean passed us here in Utila with no disturbance, but the Whale Shark conference was cancelled as it still appeared as if Holbox would get a direct hit, despite this a few people still decided to go.

Even though Mexico is relatively close it is not an easy place to get to, after spending 14 hours in airports and planes and going from here to La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Mexico city, Cancun and finally to Holbox Island we arrived to find that the place had been evacuated due to

Hurricane Dean !!!!!!

One of the main reason to go was that people from Mexico who work on the Domino project had been to stay with us at Deep Blue Resort earlier in the year and also people from Belize. We had not only all agreed to use the Ecocean.org system to track Whale Sharks along the Meso American reef but Dr Rachel Graham had made an agreement with ourselves, and of course where she lives and works Belize, the Domino project in Mexico and a Marine Biologist from Cuba to deploy an acoustic array in all countries.

What this means is that acoustic receivers will be anchored around Utila and every time a acoustically tagged whale shark passes within 500 meters of a receiver, a signal will be sent giving information about the Whale Shark.

With these tools that we now have to find out more about Whale Sharks our knowledge of them could expand quickly. Remember no one in the world has ever seen them mating or giving birth, for what is the worlds largest fish not a lot is actually known.

You can help any photos you have of Whale Sharks can be submitted to the Ecocean library, at www.Ecocean.org.

We are hoping that the new UCME and ourselves will be collaborating more in the future and can work together on these projects and more.

Mexico was amazing. 20 miles of Holbox island in just 30ft of water, yes 30ft, we were swimming with six Whale Sharks who were just feeding around our boat, apart from this we also had schools of large Manta’s. If you get the chance this is a must do trip, it is expensive and there is no diving but for a couple of days I would highly recommend it.

On the 9th of August Utila Centre for Marine Ecology (UCME) Cetacean Research team encountered 11 orcas on the north coast of Utila close to Turtle Harbour. The orcas were traveling east at a constant speed, swimming in formation and surfacing quite