SharkDiver.com-Top Underwater Onions of 2008

O.K so we're flying into San Diego tomorrow for the day and will not be at the office, nor will we be blogging. We will have the trusty mobile office so feel free to email and call.

For our many daily blog fans don't despair, we thought you would be amused-along us-with few of the Underwater Onions we created in 2008.

These were sharky and underwater stories that might be believable but for the fact we made them up:

Sperm Whale Hunt Closed-Japans Fleet Turns Back

China Olympics: Speed Whale Shark Champions

Japan: Whale Hunt Causes Fashion Crisis

Competitive Eating Champion Sets New Record-36 Pounds

White Shark Discovered in Hotel Pool

DNA Disaster-Scientists Add Seal DNA to Asian Caterpillar

Editors Note: Eh, it's a work in progress.

£9.5million Tiger Shark Underglass Anyone?

A Tiger shark in formaldehyde sold for £9.5million today.

What is wrong with the planet?

According to the one who bought this item it's called "Modern Art". We call it a travesty. O.K maybe that's a strong word, but you get the point...extreme displeasure.

The artist formally known as "The Undertaker", actually Damien Hirst, is known for putting all manner of wildlife in containers filled with strange liquids so you can view them in whatever dank and dark cellar you call home.

Kinda like a sick and twisted Limey version of Noah, except Noah let all his critters go from his O'ject D'Art-and they went on to propagate...that's if you follow the bible-this blog is exclusively non denominational.

So that's about it. A dead Tiger is now worth £9.5million in the U.K which in U.S dollars today is about 30 Billion or so.

Diane's Marines From Habbiniyah Iraq to Isla Guadalupe

The Marines are coming!

We're T-minus three weeks and counting to meet some of the coolest guys we know fresh back from their second tour in Iraq and looking to kick back with a few cold ones on the back deck. When we got the call a few months ago from Marine mom Dianne she asked us if we could show them a good time.

Our answer was "hell yes!".

To make these guys feel at home we shipped them a box of Shark Diver Schwag (see image) and a few copies of RTSeas documentary Island of the Great White Shark shot over the past three years at the island and featuring Mexican shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos.

To Diane's Marines - we loaded up some Cuban Cigars for you and we'll see you at the docks in a few weeks from now.

Let's go shark diving!

Making the Case for "Sustainable Shark Diving"

Editors Note: The folks over at Beqa Adventure Divers have one of the better shark blogs out there. What sets them apart is an ability to look critically at our industry...when a critical look is needed.

We posted a video that was sent to us a few weeks ago at what looked like a disaster in the making. A shark feed that had little to no control of the situation, and a shark that was in total control.

This is when things go bad. We appreciate and applaud the stance that that Beqa Adventure Divers is taking to make this issue "an issue". This is called industry leadership and Beqa Adventure Divers should not have to apologise for being "unprofessional".

It goes to the heart of our industry. Bad control of media=a black eye for the entire worldwide shark diving industry. Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in the world of You Tube. Events that once transpired under a cover of darkness for the commercial diving shark world now find the light and a waiting audience of millions sometimes within hours of the event.

If these events go south and a diver is hurt or worse killed the ensuing media storm sets the perception of sharks back to the stone age, and severely damages our industry. It has happened in the past and no amount of spin after the fact changes things.

We have two choices as an industry. Clean up, or get smart about media:

From Beqa Adventure Divers
Upon my last visit to Fiji, we were blessed with a visit by Scarface, always a wonderful and endearing experience, and a privilege on top of that. But this time, far from being her majestic self, she barged in fast and furious and it took several minutes for her to calm down and resume her habitual circular feeding pattern. Needless to say that we were intrigued and alarmed.

But now I think I know what's going on.

What I'm about to do may be considered to be highly "unprofessional".

Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. Will it lead to unending aggro? Most certainly!
And for you out there who already feel the blood pressure rising: for once, please, use your brain and not your gonads. This is an opportunity for reflection and ultimately, for self-preservation - both of us as individuals and Shark Diving in Fiji in general.

So there: there's a controversial video clip out there.

Having now had to answer the fourth e-mail asking whether this is our dive (and Andrew having had to gone thru the same exercise), the answer is unequivocally:

No, absolutely not, this is not our Shark Dive by any stretch of the imagination!

I've blogged at nauseam about the need for unequivocal and stringent Safety Procedures, so I won't bother you with any further rants.

In our case, they encompass -to name but a few- the clear separation of spectators and protagonists, full dark body suits and gloves, steel mesh gloves for the feeders, safety poles to push away any trespassing Sharks and a choreographed and predictable routine so that the animals know what is expected of them.

Our Fijian staff, wonderful as they are, have a penchant for improvisation and exuberance and Andrew has been spending countless hours reinforcing the message that this is all about being professional, Respectful and safety-conscious - not some macho game by reckless village kids!

Thankfully, at BAD, the message is sticking.

As to the following, you be the Judge of it.

Hat Tip: Stunning shark image Terry Gross