Martin aka Bata4 – Aruba

About Martin aka Bata4

Hi there, my name is Martin aka Bata4. I’m living in Aruba, working as an orthopedic technician at the Hospital.

In 2017 I moved from Nijmegen, The Netherlands to Aruba, to work in the Hospital. The native language is Papiamento, so I went to a school to learn it.

There I met Erik and Anita. They were members of a group of Lionfish hunters. So that’s how it all started.

With a refresh/introduction dive on the 18th November 2018, nowadays 2-3 Dives a week. They got me infected with the Hunting virus, and I’m really enjoying it.

In September 2020 we started with a bunch of people a new foundation, to “save the reef” and learn and educate interested people about why we do what we all do, in the Lionfish hunting community. Hunt the LF and save the reef.

Our foundation is a nonprofit foundation. It’s called CLA, Caribbean Lionfish Alliance. The lionfish we catch we Sell to Patrick from the Lionfish Snack Aruba, (he is also in this comic)

Awareness and education is very important. To explain to unknowing people why we kill this beautiful Fish. I had the opportunity to work for a while in the Netherlands again, when I was 4.5 months “Off the Island”.

It’s very strange when your working space has a painted wall with an Ocean environment on it with a Lionfish.

When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them I’m living in Aruba and Hunt that fish over there, and I point out the painted Lionfish on the Wall.

WHYYYY….. should you kill that beautiful fish they ask…, and then the story begins. The story we all in this community tell the people who ask why we do what we do.

What do you like about lionfish hunting?

I like the fact that by “killing” this invasive fish, we save the reef, so juvenile fish get the chance to grow big enough to be safe, and do their thing to keep the reef healthy and beautiful. Without this “hobby” I would not have been diving that much as I used to do nowadays.

What do you like about the lionfish community?

I like the fact that the people in this community all have one goal. To get as much LF out of the water.

For me it’s not a competition, I like to be high in the rank (who doesn’t?) but I also point out LF for rookies and people whom I’m diving with, with much less “numbers” than I have.

It gives me pleasure when “newbies” get a LF… I can observe how they do it, and can give them feedback. So they can be as “good” or even “better” than I’m.

I had the opportunity to meet Scott. This man is really a walking library, and very committed to the Lionfish community. We made a nice podcast together with my dive buddy “Moby-Dick”. I hope to see him again when he is visiting our “one happy Island” Aruba.