SeaWatch was founded in 1993 by group of people concerned with the rapidly declining fish populations in the Sea of Cortez. Since then we have initiated, petitioned and gotten regulations enacted benefiting all Mexico’s ocean waters.
It is only through your generous donations we are able to fund organizations vital to the regeneration of the Espiritu Santo National Park, The Sea of Cortez and The Bay of La Paz.
The Fang Ming
The Fang Ming rotting away in Bahia Magdalena
in
1999 is now a major dive attraction at
Espiritu Santo National Park in La Paz.
The first vessel in Latin America to be sunk intentionally as an artificial reef.
On April 18th, 1995, the Mexican Navy impounded a Chinese ship found in its territorial waters, carrying 157 illegal immigrants who had crossed the Pacific Ocean in search of a better life. The ship, named Fang Ming, had been underway for two months and, on inspection, the passengers and crew were found to be in poor health, in overcrowded conditions, with very little food and water. The vessel was directed to Puerto San Carlos, in Baja California Sur, and the crew and passengers were transported to the United States, where they were deported back to China.
The last minute of the Fang Ming in the surface.
After that the Fang Ming was anchored in Puerto San Carlos along with another confiscated Chinese ship called Lapas No 3. Mike Mcgettigan of Seawatch saw them while fishing in Magdalena Bay, and thought they could be sunk to make excellent artificial reefs for diving. Mike shared this idea with his friends and SeaWatch board
member John Riffe, one of the pioneer divers in La Paz, and with Miguel Sanchez Navarro, former president of Pronatura, a Mexican non-government, conservation organization. Together they formulated a plan to make this idea a reality.
Pronatura assembled a coalition of donors to help with the funding, investigated the legal requirements, and managed the acquisition of the two vessels. These were never claimed by their owners, and in 1999 the Ministry of the Navy granted the transfer of rights of owner-ship title to Pronatura
John Riffe worked for months with his friends in the Navy
preparing the Fang Ming and Lapas to be
safe and clean dive sites in the bay of La Paz.
Fortunately, John Riffe was a close friend of the admiral in charge of the Navy in La Paz and convinced him to join the project. The Navy consequently transported the two ships to Puerto Cortes on Isla Margarita in Bahía Magdalena and then cleaned and removed, by hand, hydrocarbons and other pollutants and toxic materials.
The vessels were then towed into the Sea of Cortez to the port of Pichilingue near La Paz, where the Navy spent 4 months preparing them for safe diving. Wide cuts were made in the hull for more light penetration and easy access for divers. Obstacles and loose materials were removed to create a safer diving environment.
The place chosen for the Fang Ming artificial reef was on the west side of Espiritu Santo Island, in an area protected from winds and swells, near a natural reef and outside the navigation channels.
On November 18th, 1999, the Fang Ming was towed to the site of the sinking. Anchors were used to fix the orientation of the hull in the direction of the dominant currents. The navy brought a fire fighting frigate to flood the hull compartments, and the bottom valves were opened, flooding the chambers of the vessel with thou-sands of litres of seawater. Two teams of divers and cameramen were inside the boat while it sank to be able to document the process. All of them described the experience as like being in a “giant washing machine”. In less than two minutes the Fang Ming sank to the seabed and the divers that sank with it came out shaken but unharmed!
Click here to see the results and read more about the process...
What's New at SeaWatch:
SeaWatch Annual Raffle
Scott Hanson donated his popular 19" bronze limited edition sculpture "Smooth Sailing" that retails between $7,700. and $9,250 depending on the gallery. Only 150 raffle tickets were sold!
Fish Traps Devastate Marine Environments
We at SeaWatch see the evidence of the devastation caused by fish traps on reefs and reef fish over time.
These traps are legal in Mexico and tragically used in Espiritu Santo National Park.
Sea Lions and Fish Nets
It is not unusual to see the entanglement of sea lions in fish nets and fishing gear in the Sea of Cortez. "Is this what we want in the Espiritu Santo National Park?"
