Guadalupe a gathering place for great white sharks-disconnected

L.A Times writer Peter Thomas came out with a blog post this week reviewing a recent newsletter from one of the operations on site who make no bones about their ability to conduct "shark chumming". The newsletter includes images of chumming and several references to sharks eating hang baits.

As we have been reporting according to the MX Navy who were at Isla Guadalupe at the start of the 2008 shark season, chumming has been banned:

1. Chumming banned 5.10.2008

2. Trip update 8.20.2008

This month Scuba Diving Magazine picked up the chum ban and went into some detail on this issue. So, the question is, what's the deal?

As we have been looking into this it seems there's the beginnings of a shift. Mexico's Navy says one thing and certain vessels that operate out of Mexico openly and blatantly do another. The vessel in question was boarded by the navy in August and according to the navy told the same thing as US vessels "no chumming". The implication here is that this vessel has acquired the sole permit to chum while the rest of the fleet has not. It's an interesting claim we would like to see that paperwork-and run it by the navy.

We wish we had some sort of definitive answer for you. We can say that according to the navy the chum ban is still in effect, no operation has received permits to discharge, although as this is Mexico, everything is just a signature away.

Hat Tip: Image Derek Heasley