this guy is insane, from the titles I thought he was some kind of guys who digs up corals and sell them illegally but turns out he grows them then sell them to make money funding his research on corals. This dude is a self-taught scientist, he is more aware of the ocean than the so called "naturalist". I hope he make it big, make it through the security.
lol shut up. Of the hundreds of years that scientists have been studying corals this guy has the audacity to say "I do it for science and they don't know anything!" It's like growing weed for science, except science is actually money.
It's not 100% illegal technically speeking you can sell and buy coral in certain parts of Colombia but you need a special permit and or paper to own, sell, or buy them.
All the dude want is it to be legal, or at least have the government actual explain what he can't or can do. If Columbia makes it completely legal, I can see him opening up an aquarium so people can see and learn why coral is an important part of our ecosystem.
Imagine all the tips, information, and just knowledge he could be sharing with the rest of us. I hope he never gets caught, it would be a shame to lose all those amazing corals
America has one of the largest coral farms in the world, he comes the the US and get's information from the US. It's the other way around..... what a weird thing to say.
He seemed like a great spokesperson for the hobby and really seemed like a conservationist who was concerned for the welfare of the corals....what a shame that he has to hide in the black market
I live in south florida where we are faced with the challenge of preserving a lot of our ocean's reefs. thankfully we have the aquarium trade and snorkel tours that not only boost the economy, but also raise awareness and education here.
Amateur divers are one of the main reasons coral reefs get damaged. Having tourists feed businesses doesn't help the coral reefs. The money is going to the wrong people while conservationists are struggling with funds.
Crazy that he does stuff responsible but would face the same charges as someone in the exotic pet trade. Eventho this here is harmless af and the exotic pet trade is at fault for the near extinction of a lot of animals.
But he literally showed his location there are agents and people in governments that can pinpoint your location using geological scenery and everything else lol
I hope this man finds himself in a marine lab someday, what an absolute prodigy in the field. A field of which is VERY important to the ecosystems of the sea and life itself. I wish this man a prosperous future.
He won't, because he doesn't care about the field. It is just something he does for fun. The whole "you should study the animals" is just his excuse for taking coral. Otherwise he would have gone to a lab.
@@fxDELTAx He couldn't have gone to one even if he wanted to lmao it's a third world country and me being from there I can already tell you the opportunities the country has to offer are scarce.
@@fxDELTAx otherwise he would go to a lab... yeah because in countries like colombia everybody can just study for free and go to a lab because they want to. You do realize the world isnt like your homecountry...bet even there its not that easy.
There are TOO many clues contained in this footage! You showed his height, weight, part of his hair, highlighted surrounding areas of his home from the mountain view to the truck used and MORE! Detectives have found ppl with less info than all that’s contained in this.
@@Djp1989 I am from Colombia and you are right, although you must be careful in case they discover it, the Police are only interested in the bribe you can give them, if you do not have enough they will take EVERYTHING and that monumental effort will have been in vain
These issues are hard because you can see the solid reasoning on both sides. We need to have these in nature but the fact is our oceans are sick. Right now in Florida there is something killing all the coral and they are saying that it could kill the whole reef. If they hadn't gotten coral from this and grew it in captivity which means even if the whole reef dies we could possibly repopulate it.
facts. i think the governtment should regulate the harvesting of coral but theyre missing an opportunity there by banning the hobby entirely. I'm actually surprised because so much of the freshwater trade is from this area but governments allow companies to pollute the waterways and wipe some fish to extiction. there are multiple south american fish that are extinct in the wild and only survive through the aquarium trade.
The oceans aren't sick because of coral harvesting it's because country's like china and India treat rivers and oceans like dumps. India throws human bodies in rivers
@@brianredban9393 I never said that the ocean is sick due to coral harvesting. I said that if they hadn't harvested corals in Florida we would have lost them all to some bacteria that is killing them. I think regulated harvesting should be done.
@@happychappy27 It's been calculated time after time: The amount of people isn't the problem. It's the governments and big business ruining literally everything. Stop letting yourself be gaslit by corporate shills.
Fantastic video, this guy knows his stuff, and he definitely is making valid points regarding coral keeping in Columbia, maybe one day the coral keepers in Columbia will rise from the darkness to shine bright, good luck and all the best for the future guys. 👍🏴
One of the absolute best collections of corals I’ve ever seen, been in the hobby for over a decade. This guy has sheer DEDICATION. Sad he has to hide his beautiful tanks.
@@GrimTactics No, it's illegal whether you get caught or not. It's your choice to do something illegal. Just because no one knows doesn't mean it's any less legal.
we need more people like him, coral reefs all around the world are dying from pollution and over fishing, if this becomes a mainstream hobby humans could grow and transplant coral where we need it for environmental purposes, corals are very important for little fish to become big and they help keep tsunami's low
He is actually helping to Preserve Corals that are near extinction. He should have been given an award for this. So it makes absolutely no sense what so ever why this is illegal.
Huge Respect to Unnamed for sharing your work in such a risky position, I hope your work continues as you are doing fantastic work mate. Thank you man! George, great work as always mate, I respect & appreciate the lengths you go to for your content. Big ups team :)
And tbh he’s saving some corals that are eventually going to be extinct so in some part he is helping and saving sea life ❤️❤️ very cool hobby and I have always loved salt water aquariums, I hope to one day own even a small one with real corals
This guy is doing the world a favour! I hope the laws change, and his hobby becomes legal. Blessings to you, and hope your coral farm grows beyond expectations! :D
This guy is a living legend. Risking his future and finance to study and get to know more about the current and future climate problem. Hats of to you Sir!!
this guy is soo valueable to the coral seen his probably keeping some of those breeds alive in a clean tank in the future his collection could help regrow more coral in the ocean
this young man is amazing! love your drive and so happy to see you passionate about something so wonderful. Life is beautiful and I am thankful that there are people like you who care so much about taking care of life that is so fragile. This is beautiful to see. PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS!
Really glad I came across this video in my feed.it definitely raised my awareness of this hobby. A salt water coral aquarium is something I will definitely want to add to my list of hobbies
@@671Neuhof no they’re animals, like jellyfish. This is obvious in deep sea species which have very large polyps (the individual animals) and will overpower small fish. Flowers don’t do that, at least not in the same way.
I really really like this, a dude who just follows he's Heart even when it is illegal. It makes me happy how he's so invested and happy for the corals... such a humble thing
It’s interesting to see a black market hobby that isn’t drugs. You know, I’ve had people disagree with me before, but I think that a major part of conservation is cultivation. I don’t think there’s much hope left for saving nature. Instead, I think a necessary aspect is the cultivation and eventual repopulation of endangered species. People like this are essentially seed banks for the future.
It’s minds like you which has taken nature to where it’s at… saying you can’t save it so let’s steal some and grow it and raise it in enclosed spaces. You make me sick
Such a great presentation! Great! Great! Greaaaaat video! I came knowing nothing about coral and now find myself so intrigued by his infectious passion !
What a shame , I’m from colombia and I did not now this corals were illegal , I knew about reptiles and a lot of other species . Luckily I live In California but I feel bad for my people from colombia that are not able to enjoy the Hobby 😢😢
This video is going to get this guy sent to jail. They show the local valley in the background of the shots leading up to his house. They don’t change his voice, and they don’t maintain the facial blur in close ups.
I think the columbian police have bigger fish to fry, no pun intended, especially in his neck of the woods. Ever hear of the Medeine cartel? Now, maybe if he was shipping cocaine packed with coral they would take some interest.
He actually never mentioned jail. He just said they take all your coral which leads me to believe it’s not that serious of an offence. George definitely did him dirty with the filming though if he was truly trying to keep it secret.
You can tell that its not about money with this guy. He genuinely loves his corals and will do whatever it takes to learn more about them and take care of them. Good luck dude! I hope u never get caught
You really do inspire sooo many though for real! Thank you for inspiring our 14yr old son he has bought beautiful corals for his saltwater tanks with his allowance money and with his 8th grade graduation money! Thank you!
Another problem here in Colombia, is that it's not allowed to import animals, many of fish that we can get here from other countries most of the times come from Ecuador and they have to travel for many hours to get the final destination. We export fish but import it's not that easy.
Man, this guy needs to be seen as a treasure or something because he is doing it correctly. It shouldn’t be illegal, he should be able to get a license or a degree or something and work in the field. He obviously loves it and cares about it.
in colombia is not as easy as said everything is fucked up over there i tell you cuz i have family there and i havent been able to go to colombia another way of it being fucked up country if yu 18 yu can get caught by sum type of military and they will basically kidnap you n make yu a soldier yu dont get paid or nothing just a soldier forced to work under them
Hi What are the dimensions of his fragtanks, what lighting and ligjting schedule is he using.His husbandry techniques would really be a bonus. Trying to start a fragtank, any help will be much appreciated. Your livestock looks super healthy. Thanks in advance.Love what you doing. Hello from South Africa.
Dude's literally got a coral seed bank... such a sad world we live in. You should get all the other reef keepers in colombia to start a petition and declare yourselves as seed banks of endangered species or something. I have a similar issue with cannabis here in the UK, government are fine with you going and necking 50 whiskeys but grow a little medicine and you're fucked.
Weed and coral are totally different ballparks. One's a drug you can get pretty much anywhere and the other is a group of symbionts that could be key to staving off a near-future extinction for so many species including ourselves. This guy is no marine biologist, trust me. Not when he knows his price for each of his specimens. He's no researcher. He just has a few well-maintained tanks that are hardly going to 'seed' the world's oceans should / when we get round to killing them. What next? Maybe we should entrust gamekeepers around the world with the future of persecuted raptors??? Sad, sad, world, we live in, indeed!
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD CORAL IS TO GROW?!?!?!? this man is amazing the government should be taking pointers from this guy to save/develop coral reifs they should be putting so much money towards this guy this is insane....
Damn ! This is amazing !! Thank you buddy for introduction this video to me man ! Totally like minded people and if he ever come to Singapore ! I will personally bring him around and give him some cool frags back 👍🏻
I pray he NEVER gets caught. This man loves these animals. He adores them so much he's studying them on the daily basis. The knowledge he has can help corals in the wild. Proof, that politics are ruining good people from becoming great and helping the Earth. Colombia is the #1 country in the world that eats Sea Turtles 🐢. Yes, they have festivals that are specific to eating sea turtles. Why not stop that... oh no because it brings money right. Yet this guy, harming no one, NAY, helping... gets treated this way. This world is getting even more twisted by the decade.
Loved this video and how this guy thinks. We need more people like him in the world to understand and study corals and other living things. Thanks for this interesting video!
Seems like the illegal part stems from grabbing corals from the wild for personal aquarium use or to trade and sell. Making it "legal" to possess any type of coral, especially the rarest opens up the gate to collectors who want to have them for selfish reasons, depleting the ocean of them. If collectors are propagating all these coral, I've not heard any mention of restocking the ocean. Furthermore if that is done doesn't it create the risk of introducing disease from hobbyists tanks.
To the point of the "ignorant" naturalists, a lot of the corals and fish are wild caught, if everyone did what he does with it it wouldnt be much of an issue but there are thousands of fish tanks that are just animal abuse through and through. If you take the time and love the hobby like he does its no problem but the reality of the situation is that 90% of the people that partake dont do it like him. Ruling them out like he does is unfair to the validity of the dont touch dont intervene mentality, with pretty much everything but corals, which are pretty much safer in captivity at this point, it is really the way to go if we want to preserve our planet and if we want to avoid further crimes against animals. Id rather be in a situation where i cant keep live animals than in a situation like the one being experienced in brazil where everything that moves is to be consumed in the name of the economy.
Have you watched George's other videos in Columbia? Freshwater fish are being decimated in the wild. Only by creating a broader aquarium hobby in many parts of the world, will many species have a chance of survival
@@adammyers380 While true i still dont think that should be the solution to the problem, the solution is protection for these animals in the wild not preservation through captivity and selective breeding. Time and time again we have been able to maintain extinct species in captivity only for them to never be able to be reintroduced in the wild.
I think you really need to look up some statistics on the things you claim before claiming them in a long winded rant. Wild collection and mariculture of coral are sustainable if done properly. It’s also a big economic boom to third world countries with not many other options. You sound like a pie in the sky idealist. Do you realize how hard it is to take an extinct animal with very few left in captivity and then repopulate an area with them? Like I said it’s all pie in the sky type stuff you really need to take a step back and look into what you are talking about.
I am from Panama, a marine aquarist for 28 years, in our country they have just passed a law that prohibits the importation of corals and in terms of fish, you can only import the fish that exist on our coasts and it is prohibited to fish them from our reefs a law created on the whim of environmentalists who know nothing about the sea. The hobby will be hard from now on
@@TheOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO It should be like that , risky species but despite the fact that to import fish you must obtain permits in Cities and the law exists , a group of lawyers who do not know about the sea argued that the importation of all species not native to Panama should be prohibited . In addition to a government entity that without prior analysis attacked and said that no fish could be imported for aquariums, in the end and after many struggles the law was that only species that exist in our mares can be imported, absurd but we have a government that is useless
It would be nice if you'd do an interview with real coral restoration and conservation scientists, instead of being so tendentious and giving misinformation about the legislation of a country with multiple threats to their environment, fighting to conserve their natural structure. You have an impact in people's view, should be more responsible.
He put out a video a few days or a week ago with a Florida aquarium that's trying to restore a dying reef off the coast. The people he spoke with said that coral keeping hobbyists have been a huge resource in learning how to replicate their natural conditions well enough to successfully breed corals in captivity. It changed my perspective on hobby keeping of certain exotics. The reality of our current social and economic systems is that places like professional aquariums have to do too much with too few resources. They've been struggling to breed corals in captivity for decades. I didn't even know it was possible until his recent video about it, because aquariums have struggled to do it for so long. But there's big money to be made if you can breed captive corals for hobbyists, so producers have been working like crazy to figure out how to do it, and they've had great success. Places like the aquarium in Florida are now able to adapt the knowledge that hobbyists have gained to successfully breed and grow huge numbers of corals for eventual transplantation into places where reefs are dying faster than they can naturally replenish. Regulation is definitely important so that poachers aren't decimating reefs, but outright banning the hobby won't help places like Columbia in the long term.
He literally made a video documenting the various marine biologists and institutions that are creating a coral bank to grow/store corals from Florida's dying reefs whilst they are trying to work out what's causing the diseases.
@@suchnothing All due respect, I doubt you know what is the reasoning, the science or the work behind a legislations like the one COlombia has in place. You need years of work and study in conservation, ecology, sociology and thousands of hours of field work. Something that any person in this video has. This is like listening Paul Logan talking about boxing. Regulations in animal husbandry aren't only for poachers, are mainly for irresponsible hobbyist.
@@fenrisejsl Oh, I definitely know nothing Columbia's wildlife legislation. I was explaining that he has talked to conservationists in the USA, and it changed my opinion on the role of hobbyists in ocean conservation. Also, when I say "poachers" I include people who take live animals for the exotic pet trade, not just people who illegally hunt or kill animals. I understand now that you meant you want him to talk to conservationists in Columbia specifically, which would be really cool to see. While there will be similarities between the issues in Florida and the issues in Columbia, there will be lots of differences too. The reality may be that he doesn't have those connections right now, and we may have to wait to see content like that. It's good to tell him you want to see it though, it might push him to do it!
This guy is fascinating! He is funding himself and growing them himself to fund research about them. I really hope he's doing well and never gets caught. He honestly needs to move somewhere that it's more accepted but it's understandable as to why he stays and does it in secret. You can tell they are well taken care of and that he cares about each coral. Truly a wonderful person, who is breaking the law for the greater good.
Straight up ! Why isn’t some one with money scooping this kid up helping him create an aquarium a world renown place he has skills ! He is talented! Alley
This is cool! It blows my mind that governments and their policies/regulations in trades and industries cause the most damage to corals and for some reason growing/cultivating and research for coral is illegal! I would go as far to say that we need more people like this who can grow/cultivate coral for the longevity and prosperity of coral!
![World's *LARGEST* CORAL Collector... [Tour] Inside!! (Australia)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gefvvCr9ox0/mqdefault.jpg)
this guy is insane, from the titles I thought he was some kind of guys who digs up corals and sell them illegally but turns out he grows them then sell them to make money funding his research on corals. This dude is a self-taught scientist, he is more aware of the ocean than the so called "naturalist". I hope he make it big, make it through the security.
100TH LIKE
lol shut up. Of the hundreds of years that scientists have been studying corals this guy has the audacity to say "I do it for science and they don't know anything!" It's like growing weed for science, except science is actually money.
He did say that he might have Zoanthids that no one else has because he got some from a diving expedition.
It's not 100% illegal technically speeking you can sell and buy coral in certain parts of Colombia but you need a special permit and or paper to own, sell, or buy them.
All the dude want is it to be legal, or at least have the government actual explain what he can't or can do. If Columbia makes it completely legal, I can see him opening up an aquarium so people can see and learn why coral is an important part of our ecosystem.
Imagine all the tips, information, and just knowledge he could be sharing with the rest of us. I hope he never gets caught, it would be a shame to lose all those amazing corals
He should go to court and found innocent
Ironically if he got caught all of those corals would probably be destroyed by the law.
@@TankManHeavy exactly, which is why I hope he doesn't.
Are I love @@dinogamerandcoder5007 ;-
maybe he will never share his knowlage, keep in mind that he make that for money not for science.
Illegal to grow corals, and not an aptasia to be seen anywhere. This guy could teach legal coral farms in the USA how to do it. Very impressive.
America has one of the largest coral farms in the world, he comes the the US and get's information from the US. It's the other way around..... what a weird thing to say.
Why is it illegal to grow them I don't get it
@@33incognito because in the beginning it’s a bio resource so you can’t harvest it
Pretty sure the coral farms already know what they are doing. lol
@@Mudes126
yeah only America can harvest /s
He seemed like a great spokesperson for the hobby and really seemed like a conservationist who was concerned for the welfare of the corals....what a shame that he has to hide in the black market
because every legal person out there wants to steal his work, product and credits.
he seems more of a collecter then a dealer
@@OsamaBinBombin da coral plug
You think this is a good thing? Theres laws to protect nature from this type of business. Im sure the Ivory trade would appreciate your support. Dummy
@@yeahman1756 Exactly greedy scientists that don’t want “normal” people showing them up
I live in south florida where we are faced with the challenge of preserving a lot of our ocean's reefs. thankfully we have the aquarium trade and snorkel tours that not only boost the economy, but also raise awareness and education here.
Yes but unfortunately you have Miami which ravages the ocean with trash and tourists destroy the reef
Amateur divers are one of the main reasons coral reefs get damaged. Having tourists feed businesses doesn't help the coral reefs. The money is going to the wrong people while conservationists are struggling with funds.
This is awsome. Talk about self made. This dude is a prime example of how far a passion can take you.
Honestly kudos to that man doing this. He is going through way more to hide his identity then probably other specific crime categories there
Crazy that he does stuff responsible but would face the same charges as someone in the exotic pet trade. Eventho this here is harmless af and the exotic pet trade is at fault for the near extinction of a lot of animals.
But he literally showed his location there are agents and people in governments that can pinpoint your location using geological scenery and everything else lol
@@aceneto9386 something tells me the Colombian police has other stuff on their plate
@@hjertrudfiddlecock4394 the "other stuff" is probably what pays for the police force in the background so im sure theyre not that focused on it
@@r2Kd0ugernaut you really had to slap me with reality like that?
I hope this man finds himself in a marine lab someday, what an absolute prodigy in the field. A field of which is VERY important to the ecosystems of the sea and life itself. I wish this man a prosperous future.
He won't, because he doesn't care about the field. It is just something he does for fun. The whole "you should study the animals" is just his excuse for taking coral. Otherwise he would have gone to a lab.
@@fxDELTAx man you must be related to him or something, you seem to know everything about him!
@@fxDELTAx He couldn't have gone to one even if he wanted to lmao it's a third world country and me being from there I can already tell you the opportunities the country has to offer are scarce.
@@fxDELTAx otherwise he would go to a lab...
yeah because in countries like colombia everybody can just study for free and go to a lab because they want to. You do realize the world isnt like your homecountry...bet even there its not that easy.
@@anonymousbanana204 Privileged wokers as usual thinking the world revolves around them, right?
he is amazing its incredible how he's risking everything for these corals keep up the good work
Oh please
@@brianredban9393 Do you risk losing everything for any of your hobbies? I thought not.
@@brianredban9393 shut up brian
How is he amazing? He’s only doing it to make money. No other reason.
@@happychappy27 4:41 Maybe you should actually watch the video.
Hope you can update us on this guy again in the near future. Really enjoyed what he had to say about his business
There are TOO many clues contained in this footage! You showed his height, weight, part of his hair, highlighted surrounding areas of his home from the mountain view to the truck used and MORE! Detectives have found ppl with less info than all that’s contained in this.
Yeah seriously tf?
bro even said "here in Medellín" i hope its a bluff tho lmao
@@aryanvalor on second take I honestly think there is probably much more corruption in that area that they probably can't stop a couple reef farmers.
@@Djp1989 I am from Colombia and you are right, although you must be careful in case they discover it, the Police are only interested in the bribe you can give them, if you do not have enough they will take EVERYTHING and that monumental effort will have been in vain
I thought the same thing a few seconds in.
These issues are hard because you can see the solid reasoning on both sides. We need to have these in nature but the fact is our oceans are sick. Right now in Florida there is something killing all the coral and they are saying that it could kill the whole reef. If they hadn't gotten coral from this and grew it in captivity which means even if the whole reef dies we could possibly repopulate it.
facts. i think the governtment should regulate the harvesting of coral but theyre missing an opportunity there by banning the hobby entirely. I'm actually surprised because so much of the freshwater trade is from this area but governments allow companies to pollute the waterways and wipe some fish to extiction. there are multiple south american fish that are extinct in the wild and only survive through the aquarium trade.
The oceans aren't sick because of coral harvesting it's because country's like china and India treat rivers and oceans like dumps. India throws human bodies in rivers
@@brianredban9393 I never said that the ocean is sick due to coral harvesting. I said that if they hadn't harvested corals in Florida we would have lost them all to some bacteria that is killing them. I think regulated harvesting should be done.
Nah, we humans have fucked the planet too much and it only gets worse day by day. We’re all responsible. Too many people on the planet.
@@happychappy27 It's been calculated time after time: The amount of people isn't the problem. It's the governments and big business ruining literally everything. Stop letting yourself be gaslit by corporate shills.
Fantastic video, this guy knows his stuff, and he definitely is making valid points regarding coral keeping in Columbia, maybe one day the coral keepers in Columbia will rise from the darkness to shine bright, good luck and all the best for the future guys. 👍🏴
I'm Colombian and hope this guy really makes it!! This is on going problem around the world and this could be a big solution to this problem!
One of the absolute best collections of corals I’ve ever seen, been in the hobby for over a decade. This guy has sheer DEDICATION. Sad he has to hide his beautiful tanks.
Always a shame on what governments deem “legal or illegal” .
it's called control son.
A stranger controls every part of our lives
Its only illegal if you get caught. Your choice to make.
@@GrimTactics No, it's illegal whether you get caught or not. It's your choice to do something illegal. Just because no one knows doesn't mean it's any less legal.
Give thanks to the #MATARIFE for that, it is the origin of all evil in our beautiful country
its always a question of tax, if they don't know how to make money from it but you do, its illegal
This was groundbreaking!! Thank you for your content! You just took this thing to another level 👊🏽 keep working and God Bless
Incredibly intelligent knowledgeable guy. He should be celebrated.
we need more people like him, coral reefs all around the world are dying from pollution and over fishing, if this becomes a mainstream hobby humans could grow and transplant coral where we need it for environmental purposes, corals are very important for little fish to become big and they help keep tsunami's low
He is actually helping to Preserve Corals that are near extinction. He should have been given an award for this. So it makes absolutely no sense what so ever why this is illegal.
Huge Respect to Unnamed for sharing your work in such a risky position, I hope your work continues as you are doing fantastic work mate. Thank you man!
George, great work as always mate, I respect & appreciate the lengths you go to for your content. Big ups team :)
And tbh he’s saving some corals that are eventually going to be extinct so in some part he is helping and saving sea life ❤️❤️ very cool hobby and I have always loved salt water aquariums, I hope to one day own even a small one with real corals
This guy is doing the world a favour! I hope the laws change, and his hobby becomes legal.
Blessings to you, and hope your coral farm grows beyond expectations! :D
This guy is a living legend. Risking his future and finance to study and get to know more about the current and future climate problem. Hats of to you Sir!!
its very impressive how clean and organized those frag tanks are. Man knows his stuff
this guy is soo valueable to the coral seen his probably keeping some of those breeds alive in a clean tank in the future his collection could help regrow more coral in the ocean
So sad ppl have to do stuff like this behind closed doors, love the vids missed ya!
this young man is amazing! love your drive and so happy to see you passionate about something so wonderful. Life is beautiful and I am thankful that there are people like you who care so much about taking care of life that is so fragile. This is beautiful to see. PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS!
This is gonna blow up, great work finding and researching this
Really glad I came across this video in my feed.it definitely raised my awareness of this hobby. A salt water coral aquarium is something I will definitely want to add to my list of hobbies
Hello fish vice, I actually love this format, great stuff
Much respect for that man!!! Humble resilience is overpowering.
Wow how he learned from your videos, CoralFish12g has inspired many people to enter the hobby, Keep up the great work! 😁
It's crazy to think that saving and cultivating these "animals" is illegal, in the knowledge that they are facing extinction due to pollution.
Why are you quoting animals
Why the "" on the animals?
Agreed, but it's not just pollution. It's commercial fishing, and dredging also. Seaspiracy is well worth a watch.
Corals are flowers bro not animals
@@671Neuhof no they’re animals, like jellyfish. This is obvious in deep sea species which have very large polyps (the individual animals) and will overpower small fish. Flowers don’t do that, at least not in the same way.
I did not know there was a "black market" for corals in my country! Ive never seen saltwater stuff in Colombia actually. 😍
I really really like this, a dude who just follows he's Heart even when it is illegal. It makes me happy how he's so invested and happy for the corals... such a humble thing
I honestly miss George. Glad to see another upload
He’s so passionate. It’s amazing, I hope one day he can do so legally and thrive.
It’s interesting to see a black market hobby that isn’t drugs. You know, I’ve had people disagree with me before, but I think that a major part of conservation is cultivation. I don’t think there’s much hope left for saving nature. Instead, I think a necessary aspect is the cultivation and eventual repopulation of endangered species.
People like this are essentially seed banks for the future.
It’s minds like you which has taken nature to where it’s at… saying you can’t save it so let’s steal some and grow it and raise it in enclosed spaces. You make me sick
Such a great presentation! Great! Great! Greaaaaat video!
I came knowing nothing about coral and now find myself so intrigued by his infectious passion !
What a shame , I’m from colombia and I did not now this corals were illegal , I knew about reptiles and a lot of other species . Luckily I live In California but I feel bad for my people from colombia that are not able to enjoy the Hobby 😢😢
Give this young man a medal for his bravery and talent.
Politicians are well know for their idiotic incompetence in Latin America.
This video is going to get this guy sent to jail. They show the local valley in the background of the shots leading up to his house. They don’t change his voice, and they don’t maintain the facial blur in close ups.
I don’t think they are being 100% truthful
I think the columbian police have bigger fish to fry, no pun intended, especially in his neck of the woods. Ever hear of the Medeine cartel? Now, maybe if he was shipping cocaine packed with coral they would take some interest.
He actually never mentioned jail. He just said they take all your coral which leads me to believe it’s not that serious of an offence. George definitely did him dirty with the filming though if he was truly trying to keep it secret.
@@KnarBurger Well he is obviously trying to keep it secret or he wouldn't be attempting to hide his identity.
@@rawbmar1166 which is why I said George did him dirty showing what he did.
You can tell that its not about money with this guy. He genuinely loves his corals and will do whatever it takes to learn more about them and take care of them. Good luck dude! I hope u never get caught
He sells them. It looked to me like they all had a price.
This is a cool video, it's crazy how reefing is outlawed in so many places. Just goes to show there's outlaws and blackmarkets for everything
You really do inspire sooo many though for real! Thank you for inspiring our 14yr old son he has bought beautiful corals for his saltwater tanks with his allowance money and with his 8th grade graduation money! Thank you!
Really makes you wonder what other illegal activities might be going on in that country 🤔
idk if that's an actual question or a joke
Really? Lol. It’s Columbia. Gotta be a joke
Drugs/ Prostitution /Kidnapping/ Guns/ Black market /Murdering🤷🏻
@@TailEndCustoms that's what I'm saying but then there's people in the world who don't know much about other countries
This comment made my day
The passion for his craft is beyond anything I could aspire to, much respect.
Another problem here in Colombia, is that it's not allowed to import animals, many of fish that we can get here from other countries most of the times come from Ecuador and they have to travel for many hours to get the final destination. We export fish but import it's not that easy.
We live in a very fragile ecosystem. Fish and other animals imported and exported to another area can quickly destroy an ecosystem.
Great Video! My family comes from Medellin. It’s beautiful out there. It’s really sad that it’s not legal out there
Man, this guy needs to be seen as a treasure or something because he is doing it correctly.
It shouldn’t be illegal, he should be able to get a license or a degree or something and work in the field.
He obviously loves it and cares about it.
in colombia is not as easy as said everything is fucked up over there i tell you cuz i have family there and i havent been able to go to colombia another way of it being fucked up country if yu 18 yu can get caught by sum type of military and they will basically kidnap you n make yu a soldier yu dont get paid or nothing just a soldier forced to work under them
It's his business. He takes coral out of the ocean and sells them.
@@douglasr.c.5622 *farms coral
@@hakimmahardhikaproductions5160 OK, appreciate that.
Hi
What are the dimensions of his fragtanks, what lighting and ligjting schedule is he using.His husbandry techniques would really be a bonus.
Trying to start a fragtank, any help will be much appreciated.
Your livestock looks super healthy.
Thanks in advance.Love what you doing.
Hello from South Africa.
Dude's literally got a coral seed bank... such a sad world we live in.
You should get all the other reef keepers in colombia to start a petition and declare yourselves as seed banks of endangered species or something.
I have a similar issue with cannabis here in the UK, government are fine with you going and necking 50 whiskeys but grow a little medicine and you're fucked.
Weed and coral are totally different ballparks. One's a drug you can get pretty much anywhere and the other is a group of symbionts that could be key to staving off a near-future extinction for so many species including ourselves. This guy is no marine biologist, trust me. Not when he knows his price for each of his specimens. He's no researcher. He just has a few well-maintained tanks that are hardly going to 'seed' the world's oceans should / when we get round to killing them. What next? Maybe we should entrust gamekeepers around the world with the future of persecuted raptors??? Sad, sad, world, we live in, indeed!
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD CORAL IS TO GROW?!?!?!? this man is amazing the government should be taking pointers from this guy to save/develop coral reifs they should be putting so much money towards this guy this is insane....
Col. Gov always wants a piece
This is gonna be good
Damn ! This is amazing !! Thank you buddy for introduction this video to me man ! Totally like minded people and if he ever come to Singapore ! I will personally bring him around and give him some cool frags back 👍🏻
I pray he NEVER gets caught. This man loves these animals. He adores them so much he's studying them on the daily basis. The knowledge he has can help corals in the wild. Proof, that politics are ruining good people from becoming great and helping the Earth.
Colombia is the #1 country in the world that eats Sea Turtles 🐢. Yes, they have festivals that are specific to eating sea turtles. Why not stop that... oh no because it brings money right. Yet this guy, harming no one, NAY, helping... gets treated this way. This world is getting even more twisted by the decade.
They aren’t animals
@@younggoose7315 They are.
Loved this video and how this guy thinks. We need more people like him in the world to understand and study corals and other living things.
Thanks for this interesting video!
Seems like the illegal part stems from grabbing corals from the wild for personal aquarium use or to trade and sell. Making it "legal" to possess any type of coral, especially the rarest opens up the gate to collectors who want to have them for selfish reasons, depleting the ocean of them. If collectors are propagating all these coral, I've not heard any mention of restocking the ocean. Furthermore if that is done doesn't it create the risk of introducing disease from hobbyists tanks.
He is saving corals and stopping them from going extinct! Well done.
Time to call my boy and get me some of that Columbian Coral
Gotta get that columbian good stuff! XD
great....now i want to be an international coral dealer...
To the point of the "ignorant" naturalists, a lot of the corals and fish are wild caught, if everyone did what he does with it it wouldnt be much of an issue but there are thousands of fish tanks that are just animal abuse through and through. If you take the time and love the hobby like he does its no problem but the reality of the situation is that 90% of the people that partake dont do it like him.
Ruling them out like he does is unfair to the validity of the dont touch dont intervene mentality, with pretty much everything but corals, which are pretty much safer in captivity at this point, it is really the way to go if we want to preserve our planet and if we want to avoid further crimes against animals. Id rather be in a situation where i cant keep live animals than in a situation like the one being experienced in brazil where everything that moves is to be consumed in the name of the economy.
Have you watched George's other videos in Columbia? Freshwater fish are being decimated in the wild. Only by creating a broader aquarium hobby in many parts of the world, will many species have a chance of survival
@@adammyers380 While true i still dont think that should be the solution to the problem, the solution is protection for these animals in the wild not preservation through captivity and selective breeding.
Time and time again we have been able to maintain extinct species in captivity only for them to never be able to be reintroduced in the wild.
I think you really need to look up some statistics on the things you claim before claiming them in a long winded rant. Wild collection and mariculture of coral are sustainable if done properly. It’s also a big economic boom to third world countries with not many other options. You sound like a pie in the sky idealist. Do you realize how hard it is to take an extinct animal with very few left in captivity and then repopulate an area with them? Like I said it’s all pie in the sky type stuff you really need to take a step back and look into what you are talking about.
@@KnarBurger i dont think i ever said the opposite of what youre saying here, youre so angry at me for saying something i didnt
Super cool video, it’s so sad he’s unable to share his awesome collection and knowledge with all of us in his own videos…
How is it illegal to help the planet
Americans need to think about the freedoms we have and stop complaining about what bathrooms to use. Awesome video
I am from Panama, a marine aquarist for 28 years, in our country they have just passed a law that prohibits the importation of corals and in terms of fish, you can only import the fish that exist on our coasts and it is prohibited to fish them from our reefs
a law created on the whim of environmentalists who know nothing about the sea.
The hobby will be hard from now on
I don't know anything about marine life but aren't those laws generally passed for risk of invasive species?
@@TheOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO It should be like that , risky species but despite the fact that to import fish you must obtain permits in Cities and the law exists , a group of lawyers who do not know about the sea argued that the importation of all species not native to Panama should be prohibited .
In addition to a government entity that without prior analysis attacked and said that no fish could be imported for aquariums, in the end and after many struggles the law was that only species that exist in our mares can be imported, absurd but we have a government that is useless
2:25 Love how the guy just says exactly what the coral guy says lmaoo
It would be nice if you'd do an interview with real coral restoration and conservation scientists, instead of being so tendentious and giving misinformation about the legislation of a country with multiple threats to their environment, fighting to conserve their natural structure. You have an impact in people's view, should be more responsible.
He put out a video a few days or a week ago with a Florida aquarium that's trying to restore a dying reef off the coast. The people he spoke with said that coral keeping hobbyists have been a huge resource in learning how to replicate their natural conditions well enough to successfully breed corals in captivity. It changed my perspective on hobby keeping of certain exotics.
The reality of our current social and economic systems is that places like professional aquariums have to do too much with too few resources. They've been struggling to breed corals in captivity for decades. I didn't even know it was possible until his recent video about it, because aquariums have struggled to do it for so long. But there's big money to be made if you can breed captive corals for hobbyists, so producers have been working like crazy to figure out how to do it, and they've had great success. Places like the aquarium in Florida are now able to adapt the knowledge that hobbyists have gained to successfully breed and grow huge numbers of corals for eventual transplantation into places where reefs are dying faster than they can naturally replenish.
Regulation is definitely important so that poachers aren't decimating reefs, but outright banning the hobby won't help places like Columbia in the long term.
He literally made a video documenting the various marine biologists and institutions that are creating a coral bank to grow/store corals from Florida's dying reefs whilst they are trying to work out what's causing the diseases.
@@suchnothing All due respect, I doubt you know what is the reasoning, the science or the work behind a legislations like the one COlombia has in place. You need years of work and study in conservation, ecology, sociology and thousands of hours of field work. Something that any person in this video has. This is like listening Paul Logan talking about boxing. Regulations in animal husbandry aren't only for poachers, are mainly for irresponsible hobbyist.
@@fenrisejsl Oh, I definitely know nothing Columbia's wildlife legislation. I was explaining that he has talked to conservationists in the USA, and it changed my opinion on the role of hobbyists in ocean conservation. Also, when I say "poachers" I include people who take live animals for the exotic pet trade, not just people who illegally hunt or kill animals. I understand now that you meant you want him to talk to conservationists in Columbia specifically, which would be really cool to see. While there will be similarities between the issues in Florida and the issues in Columbia, there will be lots of differences too. The reality may be that he doesn't have those connections right now, and we may have to wait to see content like that. It's good to tell him you want to see it though, it might push him to do it!
Great collection 👌👍👏😍
Woah! So much dedication 😊 love it!!
If anything this guy is a hero for adding more coral into this world
Here in the USA, Hawaii has such a policy! I MISS my coral garden!
You can Tell he Loves his Hobby💯💯 I hope he Never Gets Caught🤙
This guy is fascinating! He is funding himself and growing them himself to fund research about them. I really hope he's doing well and never gets caught. He honestly needs to move somewhere that it's more accepted but it's understandable as to why he stays and does it in secret. You can tell they are well taken care of and that he cares about each coral. Truly a wonderful person, who is breaking the law for the greater good.
I could just sit in that room all day and look at them great job and good luck 🤞
had to come rewatch this amazing coral. Might start aa collection or TRY lol
Thought this was an episode of vice at first. Fantastic video skills man!
Straight up ! Why isn’t some one with money scooping this kid up helping him create an aquarium a world renown place he has skills ! He is talented! Alley
Beautiful collection
This guy is a legend. not bothering no one. leave him beee
I've waited this for a while, thanks 😄
This is cool! It blows my mind that governments and their policies/regulations in trades and industries cause the most damage to corals and for some reason growing/cultivating and research for coral is illegal! I would go as far to say that we need more people like this who can grow/cultivate coral for the longevity and prosperity of coral!
God finally i was really waiting for your new video and finally got the new video . I had watched your every videos really love them.
Bless this man and his work.
This is dope! Love how hard dude works for his Coral
Now that’s cool 😎
Bro imagine asking someone why the started an illegal coral business and they say YOUR UA-cam VIDEOS LMAO
One of the dopest videos!
He has some AMAZING corals 🤩
Watch this video many times, this is an incredible coral collection
growing coral seems like a cool hobby! i wish you the best, friend.
This is really an amazing hobby!!! Love the video!!
Love your vids
SO COOL. I dont know much about coral but it is so intresting, what a wonderful guy
becoming a Vice pt 2 ? 😂 That's goated !
Warm heart man! This guy cares about corals!
Really nice and LED driven. so nice. i loved cyphastrea too, so delicate and beautiful
I love how every different type of coral has a weed-like street name. Fairy tale, reverse hallucinations, Radioactive eagle eyes 🤣