Comments on: Dollars vs. Danger in the Caribbean

By: Noa

Noa — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:04:00 +0000

I don’t like your article. I live in Puerto Rico and I know you have to be carefull when you dive, and the lion fish is a minor danger, it is rare to see them. What happend is that any Carlos in Puerto Rico want to waste their time explaining the gringos that.

By: Doug H

Doug H — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:43:32 +0000

Great article. I have a lot in common with Carlos, I am a Charter Captain in St. Thomas USVI, and I take tourists snorkeling every day. We are now dealing with the lion fish here in the VI. We do not, however, tell the same lie. Every dive shop on the island has a sign posted with a picture of the lion fish and a request to divers to “make every dive a lion fish dive”. There have been over 100 lion fish found and captured or killed between the three major islands (90% in St. Croix). All of us locals are now on the look out for lion fish on our reefs, not because they might give a snorkeler a sting (there are inherent risks that we take every time we dive into the ocean), but because they are an indiscriminate feeder that will eventually kill enough reef fish to un-balance the delicate reef ecosystem and eventually kill our already struggling local reefs. We need to understand that these fish aren’t out to get us, but will eventually kill our reefs which are irreplaceable.

By: Conner

Conner — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:08:01 +0000

Great piece Julie! We’ve been dealing with the lion fish here in Cuba as well, as I’m sure you know!

Another “green” tip for readers/swimmers: applying sunblock 20 minutes before entering the water prevents “greasy slicks.”

Happy travels!

By: July 2010 Update: Puerto Rico, Cuba, and a New Website in the Works » Collazo Projects

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:26:42 +0000

[...] projects come to fruition. In the meantime, you can read about violence on the island and the problem with lionfish on PR’s Southern coast over at Matador, and take a look at photos from Yauco (one of [...]

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:45:51 +0000

Really great article. I think, what Carlos did, is actually quite common. We kind of lie or overlook dangers a lot, and people who are experts in their fields, as Carlos is, tend to know best that though a lionfish is dangerous, the danger does not outweigh the experience.

By: Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:43:21 +0000

Doug-

After the trip, I did some reading about the lionfish, and you’re right. They’re actually quite shy, as is the case with many venomous animals. But as with jellyfish, or sharks, or any other animal that has come to be perceived as threatening, it’s hard for many people on these trips–especially kids–to have a rational conversation about the relativity of danger.

By: Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:41:05 +0000

Simone-

Exactly. For Carlos, I think it’s all three of those variables. For me, it’s really wanting to help people be less afraid of the world. I know that some people would argue that that’s precisely why we should tell the truth- so people can make “informed” decisions. But they generally don’t. When I looked at the risk-benefit ratio of the situation, I really felt that the potential benefits far, far outweighed the risks. And at the end of the trip, it’s always the snorkeling excursion that kids cite as the most incredible experience. And teachers always remark that they see those traits of courage and openness in their students in a way they’d never seen them before.

By: Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:38:46 +0000

Eileen-

Totally fair question.
No. I wouldn’t have pulled the plug on the snorkeling excursion. The first reason is because even with the lie, I really *do* trust Carlos. I know that if he believed lionfish to be a serious threat to snorkelers, he wouldn’t take them out. From what I learned afterward, the lionfish aren’t yet in the area in significant enough numbers to warrant much more than a warning. If Carlos sees a lionfish-or any other “danger”- he’ll steer the group clear of it.

Also, I’d been in the spots where we snorkeled dozens of times before this trip. To be honest, the greater danger is not seeing something there.

By: Simone

Simone — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:54:48 +0000

Really wonderful ending, Julie.

I saw lionfish all over the ocean when I was snorkeling in Indonesia. It took a couple months until a fisherman who took me out pointed at one next to where I was swimming and said, “Oh those, yeah, they’re poisonous.”

I think the kind of lying that goes on in guiding situations is definitely complicated — a mix of needing the money, wanting to inspire and impress, and feeling that it’s really not all that big of a deal. (Westerners don’t usually jive with that last sentiment.)

By: eileen smith (bearshapedsphere)

eileen smith (bearshapedsphere) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:48:44 +0000

I’m curious to know if you thought at any point of pulling the plug on the trip. On the one hand, you’re responsible for the kids. On the other hand, life brings us in harm’s way on occasion with or without lionfish. I don’t want to minimize what it could have meant to one of those kids to be stung, but in our overly-litigious, danger-averse society where so much regulation is bandied about in the name of safety, maybe Carlos’ perspective is quite a bit more sensible.