Mission Blue: Malpelo Island Hope Spot

June 27, 2023

Sandra Bessudo is the embodiment of a Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion, local conservationists supported by Mission Blue in their protection of critical marine areas. In Bessudo’s case, her work began years ago, in the unique ecosystem of Malpelo Island, with incredible results. Her work has contributed to Malpelo first being declared a Fauna and Flora Sanctuary as part of Colombia’s national parks, then as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and most recently, in 2016, as a Mission Blue Hope Spot.

In 2010, Bessudo met legendary oceanographer and Rolex Testimonee Sylvia Earle. When Earle explained her vision of a worldwide network of protected Hope Spots, Bessudo knew her beloved Malpelo Island was the perfect candidate. Hope Spots are ecologically important areas of the oceans considered vital to the preservation of species or places where communities rely on a healthy marine environment to survive. Through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex is supporting Earle’s non-profit Mission Blue in its goal to create this global network.

“I agreed so strongly with Sylvia’s vision that I knew I had to apply for Malpelo to be included. it’s important to not feel alone on this journey, so I’m grateful to be part of a group of people who are so dedicated to marine conservation.”

Sandra Bessudo, Founder and Director of Fundación Malpelo Y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos, and Hope Spot Champion

In 2022 Bessudo worked with the Colombian government to expand the Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora to 47,000 square kilometres, which helped Colombia become the first nation to reach the UN’s 30 by 30 goal, with 30 per cent of their oceans protected eight years in advance of the 2030 deadline. This is a target scientists believe is necessary to prevent catastrophic loss of marine life and a preservation benchmark that Bessudo could barely have dreamt of when she took her first dive at Malpelo in 1987.

Located 500 kilometres off the coast of Colombia, Malpelo is recognized as one of the best diving sites in the world. It is home to a unique population of animals, including hammerhead sharks, groupers and hawksbill turtles, but its extraordinary ecology is under threat from uncontrolled and illegal fishing. Now, with the help of Mission Blue and its global network of Hope Spot Champions, Bessudo is gaining the vital knowledge and support needed to preserve Malpelo’s spectacular biodiversity far into the future.

GROWING PROTECTION

Over the past decade, Bessudo and colleagues in the region (including fellow Hope Spot Champions) have been sharing data and findings to gain a better understanding of the movement of endangered species around the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This collaboration has formed the basis for their latest conservation mission, to establish “swimways” in the region; corridors that help safeguard migratory species as they travel between protected areas.

In 2021, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica began joining protected waters with swimways, but both Mission Blue and Bessudo are calling for more. Bessudo believes that swimways between Malpelo and other islands are key to improving the numbers of migratory species such as the hammerhead shark.

“Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative helps those working tirelessly for the future of our planet. They have helped hope spot champions from around the world work together to protect the oceans.”

Sandra Bessudo, Founder and Director of Fundación Malpelo Y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos, and Hope Spot Champion

CONSERVATION THAT COUNTS

Twice a year, Bessudo arranges scientific expeditions to the island, which only accepts one boat at a time, be it a scientific research vessel or a tour boat. Though there’s also a strict limit of 18 divers at any given time in the area, scientists from a range of different fields, including ichthyoplankton, oceanography, and marine invertebrates, join Bessudo in her vital year-on-year monitoring of the unique ecosystems.

Sharing this annual data with the local government has not only led to the continued growth of the conservation area, but has also prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to place greater protection on several species of sharks.

ABOUT THE PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE

For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers pushing back the boundaries of human endeavor. The company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet, committing for the long term to support individuals and organizations using science to understand and devise solutions to today’s environmental challenges.

This engagement was reinforced with the launch of the Perpetual Planet Initiative in 2019, which initially focused on individuals who contribute to a better world through the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, on safeguarding the oceans as part of an established association with Mission Blue, and on understanding climate change via its longstanding partnership with the National Geographic Society.

An expanding portfolio of other partnerships embraced by the Perpetual Planet Initiative now includes Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen in their work as conservation photographers; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organizations of Tompkins Conservation, which are protecting landscapes in South America; Coral Gardeners, transplanting resilient corals to reefs; Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, exploring the continent’s major river basins; the Under The Pole expeditions, pushing the boundaries of underwater exploration; the B.I.G expedition to the North Pole in 2023, gathering data on threats to the Arctic; and the Monaco Blue Initiative, bringing together ocean conservation experts.

Rolex also supports organizations and initiatives fostering the next generations of explorers, scientists and conservationists through scholarships and grants such as Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and The Rolex Explorers Club Grants.