Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Great Annual Fish Count Ends

Each year for the past 16 years, REEF organizes the Great Annual Fish Count, and Bonaire has been included now for many years.  This event kicks off each July with a dive from Dive-Friends’ Yellow Submarine location, and it’s a good time for everyone.

At this year’s Kick-off Dive, prizes were given in the following categories: Most Species Found and Coolest Species Found in the following REEF Levels II, III, IV-V. Prizes were provided by REEF Station Dive Friends Bonaire. The group total for the GAFC was 129 verified species found on the Yellow Submarine house reef with a record set in the Level II category by Cassandra Franklin and Susie Stanhope with 77 species. Todd and Lynn Fulks took the Level IV-V prize, and Walt and Honoree Cooper took the Level III prize. Gerrie Fokke, manager of Dive Friends, offered an exciting prize of a underwater camera to the buddy team who found a new species to the Yellow Submarine Reef.

The event was organized by Linda Ridley and Angela Eylander, who thank judges Chile Ridley and Muriel Spyhala for their time, as well as all the REEF certified divers for their efforts. Pictured are the following REEF surveyors: Franklin Neal, Cassandra Neal, Melissa Stockwell, Buddy Stockwell, Linda Ridley, Walter Cooper, Candace Grove, Honoree Cooper, Grant Grove, Lynn Fulks, Todd Fulks, Susie Stanhope, Joy Johnson, and Paulette.  REEF would like to thank Dive Friends’ Gerrie Fokke and Angela Eylander for their help and support.  For more information concerning REEF, visit their web site by clicking here, or call Linda Ridley at 785-6779.