Bimini Bull Run - Big Sharks, Bahamas

The Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina today announced plans for a unique one-day guaranteed shark encounter experience that will also help fund regional shark tagging and conservation efforts through a partnership with the Shark-Free Marinas initiative.

Bimini Bull Run is a first for the global shark diving industry, providing divers and non-divers with an up-close and personal adrenaline packed thrill of shark encounters from the safety of specially designed cage systems attached directly to the docks at The Big Game Club Marina. The system will employ a unique “Hooka’ air system, allowing non-certified divers to experience the opportunity in addition to those certified divers who would prefer to SCUBA.

Michael Weber, Big Game Club General Manager, said the Bimini Bull Run operation will feature safe encounters with Bull Sharks at the marina and offshore species like Tiger and Lemon sharks.

The site will also act as a film and television hub for U.S based shark productions seeking ease of access to the wild world of sharks.

“As a Shark-Free Marina member we only welcome live sharks at our docks,” said Weber. “We are very excited to be able to partner with conservation organizations like The Shark-Free Marinas initiative to help fund regional shark research and the ability to introduce the world of sharks in their own environment and in a manner that is safe both for the sharks and humans.”

Weber said the Bahamas, a collection of 700 islands sweeping across 240,000 square miles of territorial waters was recently declared a Shark Sanctuary with the government banning commercial shark fishing. One of the premier shark-watching destinations for divers, reeling in $800 million over the past 20 years for the Bahamian national economy, sharks in the Bahamas are big business and certainly worth more alive than dead.

Globally, sharks are under attack with estimates of up to 90 million harvested annually commercially for their fins, considered a delicacy in certain areas of the world.

For more information, visit www.biggameclubbimini.com.

Press Release here.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

What's More Dangerous Than a Great White Shark?

Cookie Cutter Shark

According to an article in Shark Year Magazine,  a study by the University of Florida shows that small cookiecutter shark feeds on flesh of great white.

While diving at Guadalupe Island we have observed, not only Great White Sharks with  Cookie Cutter bites, but also Elephant Seals and Beaked Whales. 

The way this little shark gets away with biting much larger animals is very unique. They produce bio luminescence, (living light) to attract predators at night. When the much larger predators come near the Cookie Cutter Shark, it takes a bite out of them. 

Unlike most predators, Cookie Cutter Sharks don't kill their prey, they just take a bite or two. I guess their feeding habits make for a sustainable food supply.

It just goes to show that even the feared Great White Shark is not immune from predators, and that size doesn't always matter. 

There is so much we don't know about the oceans and the creatures that live in it. Humans entering the water tend to be afraid of the unknown and that's why it's important that we keep researching and discovering the secrets the oceans hold. 

Seal with Cookie Cutter Shark bites

When it comes to making beaches safer for the public, hopefully a greater understanding will lead to policies and actions that are based on facts and knowledge instead of irrational fear.

The lead researcher for this study is Dr. Maurico Hoyos-Padilla, the main shark researcher at Guadalupe Island a man I have known for 10 years and am proud to call a friend. 

Way to go Dr. Mau!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director 
Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Chris Fisher and South African Government at its best?

I've been diving with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe for 11 years now. During that time I've gotten to know a lot of people in the field, from dive operators to researchers and government officials.

A lot has changed since we first started our shark diving operation. We've gotten to know individual sharks and learned that they show distinctly different behaviors and personalities. We learned that we didn't need to throw half a cow into the water to attract the sharks. Researchers learned where the sharks migrate to, what kind of tags work and don't work, we all made mistakes and learned from them.  During that time there were a lot of documentaries produced that showed what we learned and tried to educate the public and government officials.

It pains me to see, that after all we learned there is still a "Jaws" perception in the public opinion and governments are ignoring scientific discoveries, and are using drum lines and nets along with targeted shark killings to "protect" the beaches.

Fin mutilated by one of Chris Fishers tags

It's not just the public and governments that don't seem to learn. There are "scientists" that are still living in the past, using antiquated methods to tag and track sharks and seem more concerned with promoting themselves on TV than with doing some real research and protecting the sharks.

Sometimes those misguided government actions target the same shark as do those questionable research methods. A recent drum line catch in South Africa not only killed a beautiful animal, but it also exposed some brutal research methods. The shark that was caught had a dorsal fin that was badly mutilated by an attached transmitter. Chris Fisher, a self proclaimed shark expert with a "research" vessel is responsible for that transmitter. Come on Chris! This is the 21 century, there are better methods to catch and tag a shark. Stop mutilating and killing sharks to promote yourself and your show.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Eco-fugitive Paul Watson resigns from Sea Shepherd

Canadian-born environmentalist and wanted fugitive Paul Watson has stepped down from several positions he held at the Sea Shepherd Society, the eco-group he founded.

The positions included, "Grand Bloviator," "His Supreme Obfuscator," and lesser titles of, "Most Excellent Mush Mouth of Lyndale," and "Paulie the Bear."

Watson is wanted in Costa Rica to face charges in connection to a violent confrontation with a shark-finning crew in 2002. He remains on the lam after skipping bail in Germany, where he was arrested in May.

Watson has spun many differing accounts of his 2002 shark-fin encounter, blaming the entire episode on the "Yakuza," an organization that as a small child Watson would often blame for missing pastries, candies, and jellied donuts everywhere he went.

The Sea Shepherd skipper said he fears eventual extradition to Japan on account of the "Yakuza," where he's also a wanted man for skipping out on expensive restaurant tabs across the country in 1978.

In order to comply with a recent court injunction, Watson, now an American citizen, said he resigned as president of the organization in both the States and Australia, and as executive director in the U.S.

In response the U.S. Government asked Canada to take Watson back. Canada refused citing several laws concerning the expiration date of cheese products and their conservationists.

"I will hold no paid position with Sea Shepherd anywhere Sea Shepherd is registered and operates as a non-profit organization in any nation," he wrote on the group's website in day glow crayon along with several lines of atrocious poetry.

The injunction issued in December, which names Watson personally, bars Sea Shepherd U.S. from intervening in activities by Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR), which the environmental group calls "a front for illegal, government-subsidized whaling."

The IRC countered by claiming that Sea Shepherd was "a front for illegal, ego-subsidized media mismanagement, masquerading as a well oiled 'double happiness' conservation donation machine."

However, according to another statement on the SSCS website, Watson will remain on board the SS Steve Irwin to document the campaign against ICR, which involves sailing to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica. As it turns out he cannot leave his ship for fear of  "Yakuza" and will probably end up melding with sections of it like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean.

"I will participate as an observer within the boundaries established by the (court)," Watson wrote.

"For the 35 years since I founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society I have strived to act non-violently and within the boundaries of the law, and when that has failed, which is most anytime I get motivated enough to waddle from my writing desk on the Steve Irwin, I have endeavored to lie my ass off about pretty much everything in my life. You see, when it comes to getting honest people to give me money so I can behave like a complete lunatic, making up stories about being shot in the chest by the "Yakuza" or how they are after me all the time, or how they sneak on board the Irwin at night and raid the community fridge taking pies away, the bigger more outrageous the lie the better...wait is this thing on? Crap I thought this was OFF the record...can we delete this?....no?....ummm the "Yakuza" said that."

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Can One University Student Save Sharks?

The idea of shark conservation has been around for many years but are we winning?. Shark finning seems to keep going, despite efforts to ban it. Poachers catch sharks illegally and few countries have the will or means to enforce their own protection laws for sharks.

Don't get me wrong great strides have been made to protect sharks over the years but I get the nagging feeling we're not quite there yet.

So what is the answer? Do we need more laws? Do we need more sanctuaries?

Of course we do, but will that solve the problem? What can we as individuals do?

Chelsea Stephens, a student at the University of Rhode Island came up with an novel idea made with 49cents worth of pvc pipe.

She developed a "hook-blocker", a device that reduces the chances of a Sand Tiger Shark, a protected and rapidly declining species, getting gut hooked and dying.

The device is a simple pvc pipe attached to the fishing line about 7 inches above the hook, preventing Sand Tiger from swallowing baited hooks.

In my view, that's how to do conservation. Real world and immediate solutions that save sharks now.

It's frustrating sometimes to look at the big conservation picture and intuit progress, but if we look at many small and regional things that we can change, we can all make a difference.

Hopefully these kind of pictures become a thing of the past

Last year China announced that it will stop serving shark fin soup at state dinners - starting in 2 years.

At first I thought, why do they have to wait 2 years?

But after a little reflection I realized that even though it's just a small step, and those state dinners don't exactly use a lot of shark fins, it signals a change in attitude. Maybe if the government stops serving shark fin soup, then the people will follow suit and stop serving it at weddings and little by little, the demand for shark fins will get smaller.

Sharks conservation is a muti headed hydra of ideas and conservation programs for sharks.

I guess I am old school when I believe that many small, smart conservation efforts can actually lead to big changes for sharks. Chelsea Stephens showed us how, with a piece of pvc pipe and an imagination, you can be part of the progress.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Really Australia? Again?

Australia is at it again. This time they destroyed a 15+ ft pregnant female Tiger Shark in Queensland!

Here's the article by Peter Hall, The Courier-Mail.

Now keep in mind that this animal has not attacked anyone. Stands to reason that at 15 plus feet long, she's been around for many years. Now if she really was a great danger to surfers, don't you think she would have attacked a few times by now?

They destroyed a magnificent creature, just because she was big and happened to be a Tiger Shark. Sad!

If you look like this, they'll kill you in Queensland

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Has Paul Watson Been Done In?

So, Paul Watson is stepping down as the leader of "Sea Sheperd Conservation Society".

A step that many, myself included, thought would never happen.

Has he finally seen the light?

One could only hope.

He said that he's stepping aside to honor an injunction by a US court, banning him from coming within 500 yards of  and interfering with any Japanese Whaling Ship. On Sea Shepherd's website it states that: "Paul Watson will remain aboard to document the campaign." 

I'm sure that he'll only be documenting and not doing anything else. I mean he's Paul Watson, self appointed enforcer of international law! He wouldn't violate those international laws himself.

Nope, not Paul Watson!

Take his current status for example. He's not really a fugitive from the law, with a warrant out for his arrest by Interpol. He didn't endanger a fishing vessel in Costa Rican waters, when he tried to force them into port, to face the Costa Rican justice system, the same justice system that he's now not really running from.

So why did he really step aside from Sea Shepherd? I suspect is has more to do with a story that got less media attention. The fact that he's being sued by Ady Gil, the owner of the famous ship that was supposedly hit and sunk by a Japanese whaling ship. Ady Gil alleges that Paul Watson ordered the sinking of the ship, rather than bringing it back for repairs, for publicity reasons.

 A video on youtube clearly shows the "Ady Gil" just drifting in the water, alongside the Japanese ship. Then, at around the 19 second mark, the video shows whitewater behind the props, a clear sign that the "Ady Gil" engaged the props and propelled itself into the path of the whaling ship. So it was actually the "Ady Gil" that rammed the whaling ship, not the other way round no matter how many press releases from Sea Shepherd say otherwise.

His stepping aside is most likely an attempt to prevent Ady Gil's suit from potentially getting a lien against Sea Shepherds other ships.

So why do I think that the story about this lawsuit is really important? This is the first time that a big time supporter has come out against him. Someone who's given him a 5 million dollar vessel is now disenchanted by his actions to the point that he's suing him.

Maybe this will be a catalyst for other Sea Shepherd supporters to also take a closer look at how they operate. Hopefully this will signal a start to more support for mainstream conservation efforts. Efforts that can affect real change, instead of just media hype and self promotion. Efforts that have not only lacked financial support, because of money that's going to Sea Shepherd, but efforts that have also been undermined by the extreme and often fruitless actions taken by Sea Shepehrd.

Again, one can only hope, but when it comes to Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson, hope is something that's running in short supply these days.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver
Sharkdiver.com

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Australia to kill Great White Sharks?

A article in the "Australian" reports that: "WEST Australian Fisheries officers are determined to catch and kill a great white shark suspected of having established itself at unpatrolled swimming beaches along the southwest coast since Christmas."
  
Wow, I guess the shark should know that it is not supposed to swim in an unpatrolled swimming area. They want to hunt and kill the shark simply because it's a shark, not because it has attacked anyone. The article further states:

Tony Cappelluti, from the Fisheries Department's shark response unit, said his team was almost certain they were seeing the same shark. "Our assessment is there's a shark of 3-4m, and it's a white shark, which is high risk, in the area," Mr Cappelluti said.

Almost certain? Well, I'm almost certain that a 3-4 m white shark is a juvenile that's still eating fish. Mr. Capelluti concludes by saying:

"(So) we've deemed it to be an imminent threat under the guidelines because there's possibly going to be people in areas we can't get to or can't guarantee we can mitigate the risk by getting them out of the water and keeping them out of the water."

Wouldn't it be easier to advise people not to go swimming in unpatrolled waters?

I wonder if this has to do with how we portray sharks in the media. "Shark Week" type shows and news outlets seem to cater either to those who find the most creative ways to get a shark to bite a gopro or anything else in sight, or those fools who go and ride the sharks to show how "docile" they are. Reporting how sharks really are seems to be almost non existent.

As I'm writing this I'm watching the local CBS news in San Diego, reporting that a 16 white shark that was tagged on the east coast has been spotted 17 miles off the coast of Florida. Their "expert" says that people have been advised to stay out of the water. ..... they spot a shark 17 miles away and advise people to get out of the water? .... really?!

Maybe, if we want to protect the sharks, we need to focus on educating the media, as well as government and beach safety officials, to give them an accurate description of the sharks. We should respect them for the wild predators they are, but there's no need to fear them!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.