Marlin Expeditions

January 12, 2023 — WINTER PARK, FL — Marlin University, which hosts a series of all-inclusive and fully curated immersive fishing trips around the world, has relaunched as Marlin Expeditions, kicking off a new era of experiences and exploration. 

Since 2002, Marlin University has been taking anglers to some of the world’s top billfishing destinations. As the program heads into its 21st season, it’s announcing a new name, a new website, and an ever-expanding list of expeditions for 2023.  

“We’re rebranding to showcase this franchise’s primary calling card: adventure,” said Sam White, editor-in-chief of Marlin magazine. “While we will retain the program’s concept of providing professional instruction aboard top boats in the finest destinations, our attendees tell us that what they value most is the opportunity to share adventures with like-minded anglers. Those experiences happen on the high seas and not in a classroom.”

The reboot of Marlin Expeditions is the first of several expansions of the Bonnier Expeditions franchise planned for this year.

“Given Bonnier’s portfolio, and its deep connections with passionate anglers, hunters, boaters, sailors and motorsports enthusiasts, we have come to recognize that there is a significant appetite for highly curated, peer-to-peer skill-development programs,” said David Ritchie, Bonnier CEO. “Our consumers have an insatiable desire to learn and to experience, and to do so within an environment of luxury and full-service. Those have always been Marlin University’s hallmarks, so we’re excited to use that platform as our base of a new suite of Expedition offerings.”

This year’s Marlin Expeditions calendar is filled with both past favorites and new adventures. New for 2023 are Cape Verde, where anglers will be fishing the waters off western Africa during peak Atlantic blue marlin season, and the Dominican Republic, fishing for white marlin out of Cap Cana, one of the top destinations in the Caribbean. Due to popular demand, Marlin Expeditions is offering two trips to Los Sueños Resort and Marina in Costa Rica to chase billfish aboard the famous Maverick “Fly” boats. The program is also returning to Guatemala’s Casa Vieja Lodge, including a Ladies Only trip, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to hunt for giant black marlin. More dates and locations will be added throughout 2023.

Marlin Expeditions is part of Bonnier LLC’s outdoor media and events portfolio, which includes Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Boating, Yachting, Offshore World Championship, Bermuda Triple Crown, Scrub Island Invitational, Los Cabos Billfish Tournament and SFTV.

For more information about Marlin Expeditions, visit marlinexpeditions.com, and follow @marlinexpeditions on Facebook and Instagram. 

About Bonnier:

Bonnier LLC is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Bonnier publishes Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World, and Sailing World; produces award-winning SFTV television programming; and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas, and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia, and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.

A fishing team celebrates a win.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – The participants in this year’s Los Cabos Billfish Tournament enjoyed perfect weather and a great bite at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. The fleet of 53 teams caught and video-verified 138 billfish, including 91 striped marlin, 26 blue marlin, 19 sailfish and two black marlin. A total of $862,350 in cash was awarded.  Team Reel Cast, a 48-foot Cabo with Capt. Zach Morrow, mate Hiram Ruelas and teammates Bill Pino, Doug Berg and Javier Ruelas earned 1,225 points from one weighed 500-pound blue marlin caught by Bill Pino, one blue marlin, five striped marlin and two sailfish—all released—to win the 2022 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. The team’s blue marlin, caught on the second day, earned all levels of the Daily Marlin Jackpots and first place in the Largest Marlin Jackpots, a total of $354,000. They also took home an invitation to compete in the 2023 Costa Offshore World Championship.

Team El Suertudo, an 80-foot Weaver with Capt. Greg Distefano, mate Oswaldo Ortega and teammates Guy Yocom, Scotty Walker, Jeff Richardson, Bruce McDonald, Alan Ortega and Alfonso Ortega scored 1,000 points from two blue marlin and 16 striped marlin releases to place second in the tournament. El Suertudo picked up a Daily Release Jackpot and First Place Overall Release Points Jackpot, earning a total of $94,800. Team Salty K, fishing aboard a 78-foot Garlington and led by Capt. Keith Hilton, mate Ryan Thurner and teammates Harry Okuda, Bryan Zulka, Antonio Colorado and Ed Noonan scored 925 points from three blue marlin and one striped marlin release to place third in the tournament. Salty K added a second-place Overall Release Points Jackpot to win a total of $48,900.Team La Chingona, a 46-foot Viking with Capt. Antonio Bojorquez, mate Luis Gonzales and teammates Milinda Smith, Richard Bradbury Jr., Jeff Zimmerman, Kirk Russell, Sergio Aviles Cota and Marcos Aviles Cota started the tournament in a big way weighing a 349-black marlin caught by Cota to win the Day One Daily Marlin Jackpots and third-place Overall Marlin Jackpots, winning a nice check for $189,810. Team Stella June, a 46-foot Jarrett Bay with Capt. Evan Salvay, mate Darian Silva and teammates Ivan Van Ortwick, Jakob Gonterman, Jazz Moorhead, Hugo Pino and Paco Ruis landed a 389-pound black marlin on the second day, caught by Moorhead. The team earned second-place Overall Marlin Jackpots of $80,190.

The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is just one of the big-game tournaments in the Bonnier portfolio, which also includes the Bermuda Triple Crown, Scrub Island Invitational and Costa Offshore World Championship. 

About Bonnier: Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Bonnier is the publisher of Salt Water SportsmanMarlin, Sport Fishing, BoatingYachtingCruising World and Sailing World, produces the award-winning TV series SFTV, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.

A Guy Harvey magazine cover for Spring 2022, featuring an illustrated image of swimming tuna.

July 21, 2022 – Bonnier LLC and Guy Harvey Enterprises have entered into a new partnership for the custom publishing and production of the award-winning Guy Harvey Magazine, the official publication of the Guy Harvey brand now in its 12th year. Bonnier will act as Guy Harvey Magazine’s full-service publishing house, handling all aspects of design, production and sales for the title.

“Having worked with the Bonnier team on a number of projects for many years, I’m truly excited about this new partnership,” Dr. Guy Harvey said. “They are consummate professionals and leaders in the marine media genre. Bringing together our expertise in research, education and conservation with their knowledge and broad reach to our collective audiences is a perfect partnership.”

Guy Harvey Magazine was launched in 2010 with an editorial focus on the Guy Harvey lifestyle, specifically on marine conservation, education, fishing, boating, scuba diving and adventure travel. It is distributed to readers nationwide, as well as to numerous teachers and students interested in marine science and conservation. A primary source of readership is members of and donors to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. The GHOF is dedicated to promoting, fostering and funding ocean conservation and research, and nurturing the next generation of marine scientists and guardians of our seas. The magazine is also used as a teaching tool at schools around the world.

“For more than 30 years, Guy Harvey has established himself as one of the sport’s preeminent figures, first through his art and photography, but later through his philanthropy and advocacy for the marine environment and its many inhabitants,” said David Ritchie, Bonnier CEO. “Through this partnership, Bonnier will be in a position to help power that message of sustainability to benefit the anglers of tomorrow.”

This is not Harvey’s first collaboration with Bonnier. Together they produced two of Harvey’s books: Guy Harvey’s Underwater World and Portraits from the Deep. Harvey and Bonnier also co-produced the Portraits of the Deep TV series from 2003-2007.

About Bonnier: Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Bonnier is the publisher of Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World and Sailing World, produces the award-winning TV series SFTV, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.

About Guy Harvey Enterprises: Guy Harvey Enterprises is an international organization comprised of Guy Harvey Inc., the Guy Harvey Research Institute at NOVA Southeastern University, and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the company. While the for-profit company markets lifestyle apparel and numerous Guy Harvey-branded products, the GHOF and GHRI conduct scientific research, create and distribute marine science education programs, and fund scholarships for students interested in the marine sciences.

July 08, 2022 – Hamilton, Bermuda – Team Overproof, a 50-foot Topaz based out of Bermuda led by Captain Peter Rans with mate Morgan Outerbridge, came from behind to win the 2022 Bermuda Billfish Blast. Overproof angler Jason Friedman released one blue marlin on the first day of fishing but the team scored a blank on the second day. The third and final day of competition started well with angler Martin Estis releasing a blue at 9:16am. Team Overproof was tight again at 9:35am with Estis back in the chair. After an hour-long battle, Captain Rans called in the boated fish that ultimately weighed 610 pounds to bring their score to 1,610 points, giving them first place team honors and winning them $38,587.50 and an invitation to the Costa Offshore World Championship. Captain Rans has weighed seven qualifying marlin over the many years he has fished the Bermuda tournaments but this is his first outright win of a BTC series event. Team Overproof leads the Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship with 1,610 points heading into the second leg of the series.

The 35-team field of 197 anglers caught 73 billfish including 44 blues, 26 whites and three spearfish over the three days of fishing. The tournament culminated with the traditional gala awards banquet in the Harbourview Ballroom at the historic Hamilton Princess Hotel. The tournament awarded $303,000 in purse plus prizes. 

The Bermuda Billfish Blast is sponsored by many industry leading companies including: Bermuda Tourism Authority, Hamilton Princess, Bacardi, Costa, GPlink, CAT Marine, Gregory Poole CAT, Pantropic Power CAT, Foley CAT, Ring Power CAT, PW Marine, Miles Market, The Waterfront Residence, HAWKINS, Satcom Direct, Garmin, YETI, Lindgren-Pitman, Bodo Muche Studio, Butterfield & Vallis, Spar Yard Marine Solutions, Dassalt Aviation, Viking Yachts, Merritt Boat & Engine Works, Spencer Yachts, Willis Custom Yachts, Blue Water Desalination, Steve Goione Marine Artist, WEDCO, Royal Naval Dockyard, AFTCO, King Sailfish Mounts, Release Marine, Fishing Tease, Island Construction, IWS Scales, PENN, OluKai, AIRMAR, QUICK, Island Glass, Vanmark Jewelery, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Rego-Sotheby’s International Realty, MEATER, City of Hamilton, RUBIS Energy Bermuda, Big T Lures, Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing and Out Your Front Door.

About Bonnier: Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Bonnier is the publisher of Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World and Sailing World, produces the award-winning TV series SFTV, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.

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