"Azores again" - OR - "No Mako... again"

I'd like to share some highlight from my recent trip to the Azores.
This year I did not have much luck with my health and the weather.
Paranasal and frontal sinuses been blocked and I had no chance to
enjoy the pre booked boot trips as I would have loved to.
And additionally the weather was not the best for that that time 
of the year. 

We did two trips for seeing the Mobula's and two for the Blue shark's / Mako's 

1. Mobula = 3 Mobulas
2. Mobula = 41 Mobula's and a small Whale shark

1. Blue shark = 2 Blue, one around the boat for over 3h!
2. Blue shark = stayed nearly 8h on the boat and not even one. 

This year is by fare the worst year the local operators saying.
3 Mobulas on one trip is one of the lowest rates they ever had
for a very long time and the dropping number of sharks...

For sure we all know why the number of sharks is decreasing.
If not, there are plenty of papers and articles to find online.
Just one which is related to the Azores and which will help to find the right
busswords to dig deeper into this wil be this one.
http://www.sharkproject.org/
But after hearing different opinions from local fisherman, I guess
it could be a mixture of some more factors, all coming together 

1. El Niño / North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

• We know 2015 could be one or the worst El Niño's as recorded till now. And we also know that El Nino can effect NAO.

• Water temperature is warmer around the Azores as normal the locals say.

• Fisherman say sad this year is a low for Tuna fishing. Especially The Number of Bluefin Tuna catches around the Islands was very low this year. 

2. Shark Fishing 

• We know the portuguese fisherman are catching more sharks then ever.

3. Birth cycle of Blue sharks? 

• I heard a couple of story from spearfisher's that they encountered many baby/juvenile Blue Sharks around the Islands this year 

At least all of this points make sence and are very interesting from a
science perspective. I would love to get some insight into some science data
about this points and hopefully someone is releasing some papers about this soon. 

But now enjoy

(Thanks to Rike for the first Picture)

Okinawa

I booked a room via AirBNB at Aki's place. She picked me up at the
Station and showed me the apartment.

 She asked me what me plan are and I told her I'd like to eat some Goya (typical Okinawa food) and
also wanted to go to the Churaumi Aquarium. She decided to join for lunch and helped me finding out the 

fastest way, which was by public bus transport. The way to the Churaumi Aquarium via Bus is over 2,5hours 

and you  have to change bus at least two times.

Finally there, the clock was already ticking  As I don't wanted to miss the
last bus or be around my apartment later then 11pm.
The Aquarium is impressive and way better than the Kaiyukan in Osaka
mostly because of widely corridor

 

 

 After visited my second Aquarium in Japan, I know that the lack of Information's is on purpose, which I think is really sad and
shows exactly how our society is interested in stuff like this. Superficial, extremely superficial!
If it would be my Aquarium in a technologically very advanced country as Japan, I would add for example a QR Code and behind this,
you would get all Information's about the Animal in Japanese, Chinese and
English. Thats not a big deal, but will at least satisfy the few who wanna know.
But sure, it a minority, why do anything when there is no big demand...

 I'm not starting any discussion if this is good or not, keeping Whale sharks,
Mantas, Tiger Sharks in captivity, but I have to admit
it is impressive and like a hypnosis session, just sitting in front and
watch.

Beside the huge tank my highlights been the shark-jaws and the shark-skin
which you are allowed to touch.

Impressive, specially feeling the different grade of sharpness

Nearly 24h Stopover in Osaka ...

...

no earthquake, tsunami, nuclear reactor accident so I'm still alive ;) I hope Japan is

now prepared for Claudia's and my arrival in February, after we planed it two times

going there in the past and every time a disaster happened right before.

What to do if you only have the forenoon? I knew there is one of the biggest Aquariums

in the world located at the harbor in Osaka. I booked an accommodation very close

to the Airport and left my bags there during my trip to the Kaiyukan Aquarium.

Once you understand the subway plan, it's very easy going there, even if you

don't understand japaneses.

It took me 80 minutes one way and as I had already overslept, I only had two hours

at the Kaiyukan left, before I had to pick up my bags and going to the airport.

Good that I bought the entry ticket together with the railway ticket before, otherwise I

had spend there approximately another 45minutes, because it was "Family Day" and

crowded all over the place. Nobody told me that ;)

So straight to the entrance, skipping the queue and I was in.

I will make it short. Never been to an Aquarium like this before and I mean this in a

negative way.

Sure it was nice to see some GT's, Whale Sharks, Japanese Bullhead Sharks, ..., 

touching some Rays (felt like a mixture between fish and shark), but the whole facility

was build more like one long floor where they wanted to avoid, that you went back to have a

look on some of the exhibits again. For the most species they have, they only display a

picture, the Japanese and English Name and the taxonomy. They do not provide any other

single detail.

You take a long elevator and walk down in circles through the hole facility. In

the middle you have the big pacific tank and on the other side some smaller tanks

with different animals, mostly grouped by continent

You walk down the floor in one direction till you where on level -1, take a small

elevator again and pretty much, that's it.

What I expected, was not only the third or forth biggest tank in the world, I

expected way more information about nearly everything. And more about taking care

about our environment and what impact our lifestyle has to the sea.

They had a small part with that at the end, but nearly everyone was skipping that,

because it was not on the walking path anymore... really sad