5 Questions with Wolfgang Leander-Shark Diver-Eco Warrior

We had a chance to speak with Wolfgang Leander of the underwater photo website Oceanic Dreams When not getting quality face time with sharks of all kinds Wolfgang tirelessly champions the plight of sharks and the ongoing eco disaster of global shark finning.

1. What was the moment that got you "hooked" on sharks?

Sharks fascinated me since I was six years old. I still have the book with the first shark photograph I ever saw - it was a mako shark with its huge black eyes and some very impressive teeth. At the same time I got hooked on diving seeing photographs of glorious helmet divers in that fateful book ("Danger is my Busines" by John D. Craig)

2. One of your most exciting moments over the years of shooting sharks years?

Every time I photograph sharks I have the sensation of a climax or rather a virginal moment - as if I did it for the first time.... That is something you cannot have in 'real life' , can you? hahahahaha... During my last dive in November I photographed a large tiger shark coming straight up to me from the bottom, I shot the pic, and then put my hand over its head to push it away from me gently. Now, that is something an old freediving photographer would call an exciting moment. Hahahahahaha! I absolutely loved it!!

Photographing tiger sharks is always exciting, it's a real treat. Apart from the fact that these majestic sharks just look fabulously, they move slowly and gracefully which is great for composing winner shots. What is so attractive about them as models are their distinctive stripes, their blunt heads, and those incredibly inquisitive, intelligently looking dark eyes. Tiger sharks simply have a lot of character - when they are around, you know they are there; they establish presence more than any other shark, perhaps like the great white shark with which I have not had yet the pleasure of diving.

3. Your take on the shark diving industry?

What turned me into a shark lover was diving and interacting closely with sharks. I did it mostly on my own which, in a way, tells you what kind of a guy I am. I am basically a loner, and I do not feel that I have to share my shark diving adventures with others. Most people like company, and as they would not know where and how to dive with sharks, they need the expert guidance of professional shark dive operators. If these operators are responsible, and do not consider the sharks as a mere commodity, I very much support this type of diving activity. Diving with sharks is the best shark education people can get. Many divers have turned into shark lovers once they had the privilege to dive with them. So, yes, I am definitely in favor of diving with seasoned shark operators. Once people see how beautiful these magnificent animals are experiencing them "live" in their habitat, not just in documentaries, they will become aware of the fact that sharks need to be protected as highly endangered species.

Small countries like the Bahamas have realized that shark diving can generate substantial revenues for them and enhance their attractiveness as a top dive destination. That is why sharks are so effectively protected in the Bahamas, not like in other diving places such as the Galapagos where fishermen are allowed to catch them for their fins. If the Ecuadorian government would finally get their act together and prohibit shark fishing, and mercilessly enforce the laws, the Galapagos could turn into a real shark paradise. That, in turn would, would attract more shark diving operators, which, if properly regulated, could easily boost the image of the islands as one of the best shark diving spots in the world.

Ultimately, the shark diving industry benefits the sharks - the operators already are staunch shark conservationists, and so will be their clients.

4. Peoples overall perception of sharks, still cause for concern?

Absolutely, "Jaws" is still with us, unfortunately. That movie has caused an immeasurable damage to the sharks, no matter what the "Jaws" apologists say. On the other hand, it would be unfair to suppress the fact that "Jaws" has at the same time ignited real interest in sharks, and that there is now much more awareness about two essential facts: first, sharks are not mindless killers, and second, sharks are in peril of being exterminated to the point of no return which is what extinction is all about. I am not a scientist, and I could not convincingly argue the precise effects of the disappearance of the sharks from our oceans, but I am sure that the consequences would be devastating, and would directly affect our very lives in the end. For me, the issue of shark conservation is, above all, an emotional one. What would I do, how lost would I feel if my fellow sharks would not be around anymore, killed off by the species I am beginning to loathe the older I grow: my fellow humans....? These are dark thoughts that weigh heavily on my soul. I cannot say more.

5. Shark fining, what's the issue here?

The killing of sharks for their fins should be outlawed everywhere. Period. Unfortunately, shark finning is a billion dollar business, and it is partially controlled by criminal organizations, not unlike the international drug cartels. How can you fight brutality, ignorance, and boundless greed when you see highly successful companies such as Alibaba.com, the largest Chinese virtual trading firm with the ambition to become the largest internet shop on earth, not minding at all to fuel the international shark fin trade by offering the fin traders a most convenient platform to buy and sell shark fins online? And if you consider that Yahoo!, an American internet giant, who have a 40% plus stake in Alibaba, believe it is OK to be engaged in that shameful business, then you have to come to the sobering conclusion that there seems to be very little corporate responsibility toward the health of our planet wherever mammon reigns.

If we could just blame the Chinese, but we can't single them out as the only bad boys. I believe that Spain is the largest provider of shark fins. Spain! A European country, not a poor and corrupt banana republic! Gosh, I might sound radical even though I was a fairly well functioning corporate man all my life. But it is true, when it comes to moral issues, and shark finning boils down to a moral issue, you will not find much receptivity in the supposedly civilized world.