The 5th – 13th of March is Seaweek in Aotearoa New Zealand! The sea/moana is a wonderous place, infused with mystery, power, and peace. It is home to many weird and wonderful marine species, and is a playground and foraging haven for humans. Unlike space, 80 percent of the sea remains undiscovered and unexplored by humans. One individual who has seen more of moana than many is Luke Suen (Sea Society’s Vice President). For the past decade he has travelled the world and worked as a Dive Instructor. Trained as a chef, I asked Luke once what led him to become a dive instructor, “Because I love the ocean. But I don’t like being at the surface where I can’t see what is below me,” he said. Recently in Baja, Mexico he photographed two California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and a striped marlin (Kajikia audax) interacting.
Did you know.. striped marlin are built for speed? They are pure muscle, with a sword-like bill and a large crescent shaped fin, which can propel them up to 80 kilometres per hour. Striped marlins and sea lions have proven to work together and will cooperatively hunt for sardines and mackerel. The sea lions will wait on the outer edges for their turn to join in and the moment the marlin stand down, they will race into the hunt. Striped marlin are classified as ‘Near Threatened’ and California sea lions are classified as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This Seaweek, we challenge you to consider what is it about the moana that interests you, and how you can work together with others to conserve it. Check out Seaweek at https://www.seaweek.org.nz/ for information on events.
Photo: Luke Suen.