Laguna Bluebelt » Marine Protected Areas https://lagunabluebelt.org Working Together for a Healthy Ocean Tue, 07 Oct 2025 23:04:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Leopard Sharks, Bat Rays and Me https://lagunabluebelt.org/2025/03/leopard-sharks-bat-rays-and-me/ https://lagunabluebelt.org/2025/03/leopard-sharks-bat-rays-and-me/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://lagunabluebelt.org/?p=2683 If you’re (fool) hardy enough to get in the water to snorkel or scuba in the late fall/early winter, you can be rewarded with amazingly clear water and “Lake Laguna” conditions. Typically the best water visibility of the year occurs at this time. The conditions the last month or so have been phenomenal, with many days having 20-30 ft visibility. If you can handle the 56-59 degree water and have been out there, you know what I mean. If you can’t imagine doing such a crazy thing, I will share my experience from one epic day of snorkeling earlier this month.     I swam from Main Beach to Monument Point through the existing Heisler Park State Marine Reserve and the visibility was a phenomenal 30 Feet+. I must have seen ~50 leopard sharks and 100-200 bat rays in the kelp bed. I swear I’m not exaggerating. I still can’t quite believe what I saw. I felt like I was floating over an Underwater Serengeti.  
The leopard sharks were everywhere and the bat rays were in the kelp bed off Bird Rock/Rockpile Beach. But the best leopard shark jamboree was just south of Monument Point. I lost track after 12- there were easily 2 dozen, 3-6 footers just doing their shark swimming around thing. It was probably only 15 ft deep there so I had a great view and so clear they were casting shadows on the sandy bottom. Neither leopard sharks or bat rays are dangerous- they usually stay near the bottom where their prey lives. Their diets includes mollusks, crustaceans and fish.   I also saw a horn shark resting on the bottom and found a few abalone and the kelp itself was just beautiful.  
      Check out these short videos of the leopard sharks, a bat ray, and diving down to check out a horn shark and an abalone: Swimming with Sharks in the Laguna Bluebelt Bat Ray gliding through the Kelp Forest Horn Shark resting on the bottom Abalone         25 years of snorkeling here and its one of my most memorable days. To see more photos from that day, visit Laguna Bluebelt’s Facebook page LIKE our page to stay updated on the Laguna Bluebelt and to enjoy more beautiful photos from above and below the water.   The existing Heisler Park Marine Reserve is one of my favorite places to snorkel. The difference between the habitat in this no-take reserve versus some of the other nearby coves is dramatic.  The rocks are covered with kelp and coralline algae. There are urchins but you have to look for them. The fish are more abundant and larger. I routinely see fish species within the reserve that I rarely see outside the reserve. So even on this minuscule scale, Marine Reserves work- I have seen it with my own eyes right here in Laguna Beach. We know from the science that this very small reserve is far from the size needed to effectively allow fish to reproduce and replenish to the levels needed to allow spillover to surrounding areas for consumptive users.   One can only imagine this healthy marine habitat multiplied along the entire Laguna coastline as the expanded Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve takes effect on Jan. 1st, 2012. With the combined effects of stopping extraction, abalone and kelp restoration, urchin mitigation and improved water quality it will be exciting to witness the restoration first hand over the coming years.   There are many examples of successful marine reserves: Channel Islands MPAs: Report on the First 5 Years of Monitoring: 2003-2008 and the recently released study from scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography on the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park in Baja: New study shows that Cabo Pulmo is the “most robust marine preserve in the world”   Scientists will be monitoring the new MPAs and we’ll be looking forward to their findings in the coming years. In the meantime I will be swimming out in the Laguna Bluebelt doing my own “observational research” and letting you know what I see. I plan to start on Jan. 1st at noon by swimming out to the kelp bed from Main Beach and perhaps up to Monument Point to see if I can recreate this experience or have a new one. Anyone care to join me? If you don’t want to get in the water, bring your paddle board or kayak . We’ll meet at noon at the Lifeguard tower. Let’s celebrate the new year and the start of the restoration of the marine habitat in the Laguna Bluebelt.   ]]> https://lagunabluebelt.org/2025/03/leopard-sharks-bat-rays-and-me/feed/ 3 We Can Celebrate! https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/07/we-can-celebrate/ https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/07/we-can-celebrate/#comments Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:37:40 +0000 Jinger http://lagunabluebelt.org/?p=2097 Laguna and the rest of the South Coast will see their new marine life protections go into effect on January 1, 2012. The Fish and Game Commission continue to show their commitment for our new marine reserves.

 

This decision comes at a critical time. Recent reports from the United Nations and NOAA highlight the urgency of ocean habitat protection, while pointing out the benefits of marine protected areas like the one Laguna is working to create.

 

The South Coast network was designed to protect sea life and habitats at special coastal areas like Laguna, south La Jolla, and Point Dume while leaving nearly 90 percent of the coast open for fishing.

 

The Bluebelt, local environmentalists and community groups are already working to complement state enforcement efforts. Residents and visitors are invited to participate in this exciting opportunity to restore our ocean. Join the Bluebelt and become part of this momentous effort.

 

The science is clear: marine protected areas work.

 

Marine protected areas allow fish, mammals, and other marine life a safe place to breed, feed, and succeed. Extensive scientific research demonstrates that MPAs can help bring back big fish and restore habitats — especially in highly protected marine reserves, where fishing is prohibited.

 

In a scientific survey of more than 100 marine reserves worldwide by the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), scientists found:

 

  • 446 percent average increase in biomass of animals and plants
  • 166 percent average increase in number of plants or animals
  • 1,000 percent increase in biomass and populations density of heavily fished species

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    Marine protected areas not only harbor more fish—they harbor older and bigger fish that can produce up to 200 times as many offspring as younger ones. These fish can, in turn, repopulate depleted species that migrate out to places where they can be caught.

     

     

    Our thanks to Jim Patterson for the use of his gorgeous photograph on this Post.
    © Jim Patterson Photography]]>     https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/07/we-can-celebrate/feed/ 0     Marine Reserves Established! https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/05/marine-reserved-saved/ https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/05/marine-reserved-saved/#comments Sat, 07 May 2011 22:27:22 +0000 Jinger http://50.22.18.189/~lagblue/?p=567

     

    Laguna Bluebelt members attended the Fish and Game Commission meeting in Ontario on May 4th urging the implementation of the reserves without delay.

     

    We were excited to hear the Commissioners voice their strong support and continued commitment to establishing our marine protected areas. It was explained that the legal process requires the Office of Administrative Law to provide a 30 day review before approving the new MPAs.

     

    Commissioners estimate that the process will be concluded in the Fall, before lobster season in October. When implemeted, it will be illegal to take or kill marine life including from our tidepools between Abalone Point in North Laguna to Secret Cove in South Laguna.

     

    We agreed we would all like it finished yesterday, but, at the same time, realize it needs to be done correctly so it is supportable and legally defensible.

     

     

    See the Video of the Fish and Game meeting and hear our comments.
    Laguna Bluebelt members testify at the beginning of the meeting during Public Comments.
    It takes several minutes for the video to load. ]]>     https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/05/marine-reserved-saved/feed/ 1     One World One Ocean https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/04/one-world-one-ocean/ https://lagunabluebelt.org/2011/04/one-world-one-ocean/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:13:06 +0000 admin http://50.22.18.189/~lagblue/?p=735 MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation launched their ‘One World One Ocean’ awareness campaign. You are invited to join the movement to restore and protect the health of the world’s oceans.

    The ocean gives us life. 50-70% of our oxygen comes from the ocean. That’s more oxygen than all the rainforests combined.

    The ocean is the #1 source of protein for the world’s population. But we’re not taking care of our oceans. 90% of the large fish are already gone.

    We can reverse this trend by joining together and working to increase marine reserves worldwide.

     

     

    Learn More About One World One Ocean and Why We Need to Act

    If You Don’t Know, You Can’t Care

     

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