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Sharks and Rays of Monterey

When the oyster fishery off Moss Landing, California was facing collapse, local oyster fishermen reasoned that if they got rid of the oyster-eating sharks and rays in Elkhorn Slough, they oysters would bounce back. Armed with pitchforks, shotguns, and dynamite, an enthusiastic citizenry descended upon this rich estuary off Monterey Bay in 1946, and killed hundreds of sharks and rays. The oyster population collapsed anyway. However, the shark and ray hunt continued. In 1988, collaborating organizations replaced the derby with a tag and release program. Since 1991, researcher Sean Van Sommeran and colleagues at the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation have… more

Sharks and Rays of Monterey

When the oyster fishery off Moss Landing, California was facing collapse, local oyster fishermen reasoned that if they got rid of the oyster-eating sharks and rays in Elkhorn Slough, they oysters would bounce back. Armed with pitchforks, shotguns, and dynamite, an enthusiastic citizenry descended upon this rich estuary off Monterey Bay in 1946, and killed hundreds of sharks and rays.… more

Trip at-a-glance

Price: From $2,449* per person
Lodging: costal_property
When: June-August
Number of days: 10
Group size: 6

This trip is offered by:

Earthwatch Institute

Call them at 800-776-0188 about this trip and mention you saw it at TravelDragon, or contact them.

Trip details

Working from small boats and the shoreline, your team will don wetsuits and set nets to capture sharks and rays in Elkhorn Slough, as well is in the nearby Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Teams will focus on seven species: leopard sharks, gray and brown smoothhound sharks, bat rays, thornback rays, shovelnose guitarfish, and round stingrays. These species are particularly abundant during their mating season (April-October). Once you capture an animal, goes into a temporary holding pen, where you'll record species, size, gender, presence of an ID tag, and help take a tiny fin clipping for DNA analysis. Animals without ID tags will be tagged, or may be fitted with a radio-transmitter for tracking. All animals are released unharmed. On your day off, the Monterey Bay area offers a variety of diversions, from kayaking to fine dining.

You will stay in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-story house near the beach at the Pajaro Dunes Colony, between the town of Watsonville and Moss Landing Harbor. The house has a fireplace, washer and dryer, VCR/DVD player and high speed internet. The house is within easy access to the beach. Meals will be prepared by staff with the welcome help of volunteers, and will include typical American fare, such as cereals and yogurts for breakfast, and simple pastas and oven-baked dishes for dinners. Teams will take bag lunches of sandwiches, fruits, and drinks to eat in the field.

As an Eons member, you'll get a free, 1 year membership to Earthwatch — a $35 value — when you sign up on any expedition. And members pay $100 less on their expedition contribution — so you save $135! Just put code EONS2007 in the comment field on the signup form, or, if you call, tell the Expedition Coordinator that you found us on Eons.

Earthwatch expedition-related costs may be tax-deductible in the US as volunteer expenses. Please check with your tax adviser.

*TRAVEL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER: Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.

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