Tuna Clipper

Location: Catalina Island, California

Wreck/Site: Tuna Clipper (San Vito)

Divers:

Team 1: Karim Hamza, Curtis Wolfslau

Team 2: Jung-han Hsieh, Norbert Lee

Team 3: Shane McWilliams, Rene Tetter

Surface Support: Juan Torres

Mission Impact: 500 square feet of net recovered

Ghost Divers headed back out to the Tuna Clipper to continue our steady progress at this significantly impacted site.

The divers planned to work in teams of 2. They all planned to descend together and then make their pre-planned dives working on 3 separate sections of net. As a routine part of the mission, our divers will make a lap around the nets to see if there is anything caught in the nets. While on the lap around the site, Shane and Rene made a very unfortunate discovery. They found the carcass of a harbor seal wrapped up in the net. Jung and Norbert found the carcass of a crab and a fish in the net on their lap of the site.

The animals lost their lives to the silent predators that are the nets. Sadly, Catalina Island is home to multiple rookeries or places where sea lions have their babies. While we are always very sad to find animals wrapped up in the nets, we are also reminded that these grim discoveries are what drive us to continue our mission. While we cannot save every animal, we can work towards being a proactive part of the solution.

Despite the grim discoveries, the divers were able to maintain their composure and return to their mission after documenting the animals in the nets. They successfully removed 500 square feet of net.

Video of both carcasses included below. Viewer discretion is advised.