Get to know the Great White Sharks of Guadalupe

 
It's been 16 years, since we started diving with Great White Sharks at Guadalupe Island and we have identified well over 200 individual sharks. Nicole Lucas from the Marine Conservation Science Institute is the scientist that started and maintains the photo ID database for all the sharks at Guadalupe, which allows us to know all the sharks we encounter.

Quite a few of these sharks have been seen every year since 2001 and we got to know them quite well. Some of them are easily recognized and have become celebrities, not just for the divers lucky enough to see them face to face, but to a worldwide audience, thanks to videos on Youtube and sharkweek on TV.

I'm going to introduce you to some of my favorite sharks and show you what makes them special to me.

Since the adult female sharks have a 2 year visitation cycle at Guadalupe and the males show up every year and typically much earlier in the season, we get to know the males a lot better than the females. So I'll start my introduction with a male.

Meet "Bite Face"

Bite Face has been around every year since 2001. He has grown quite a bit over the year and has mellowed out considerably. When we first met him, he was a sub adult who often got into some altercations with other sharks. That is how he got his name, when we first identified him, he had a big bitemark on his face from a run in with another shark. Nowadays he is much mellower and can be seen cruising around calmly, even when pestered by a sealion.

Bite Face is also famous on wikipedia, where you find this picture of him.

source wikipedia.com

If you look closely, you'll notice that his dorsal fin is intact in this picture and in the photo on top, the very tip of his dorsal is cut. This is a mutilation that is not going to change and is one way to identify Bite Face today. For accurate identifications, we use the color patterns in the transition from white belly to grey top, which is like a fingerprint. (more on that in a future blog).

Bite Face was also one of the first sharks tagged by Dr. Domeier from MCSI, which was filmed for the television series "Expedition Great White" and seen by million. The satellite tag that was attached to him showed that he is heading offshore, towards Hawaii in the summer, before returning to Guadalupe in the fall. He's been doing this every year, since we first met him in 2001.

I can't wait to go back in August and see him again for the 17th year in a row. Come join me and get to know him personally. He loves to swim by the cage and look the divers straight into the eyes.

Find out more info on www.sharkdiver.com, call us at 619.887.4275 or email crew@sharkdiver.com

Let's go shark diving!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 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 crew@sharkdiver.com. Phone 619.887.4275

Are These the Killer Seychelle White Sharks?

The answer is no. These are Lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) fish eaters.

But that has not stopped the Seychelles gov from engaging in a wide spread Jaws style shark hunt in an attempt to prove to their tourism base that they do not have a "shark problem."

To the Seychelles credit and a country that depends of 50% of it's GDP to tourism dollars they had to do something, but an old school shark hunt targeting every shark species within 20 miles of an attack site?

That's not in keeping with modern tourism values, nor does it fully recognize the intelligence of today's tourist who understands more about sharks now than 20 years ago when a full court shark hunt was de rigueur.

The Seychelles even went to the extreme lengths to hire several South African Shark Mercenaries to hunt down their Killer Sharks.

What has transpired over the past several weeks in the Seychelles has been a farce.

At first this was not a shark attack, then it was deemed a shark attack, then the animal without any scientific proof was identified as "not a local animal." From there various sources within the Seychelles gov said this was a white shark, again no proof was offered but it worked nicely with the desperate storyline that the Seychelles did not have sharks in its waters.

Along with this weeks Lemon shark haul, Seychelles shark hunters also came back into port with two large Tigers, so much for the Seychelles storyline that they don't have sharks in their waters.

It's evident that the Seychelles have no clue how to deal with their sharks, even though these animals have been living in a peaceful coexistence with swimmers for the past 30 tourism filled decades.

At this point all that can be done is to watch the unfolding disaster and plan for the next gov reaction to a shark attack. We can learn from the Seychelles media disaster as a case study on how not to react and deal with the aftermath of a shark attack.

While shark attacks are unfortunate, and deaths from shark attacks tragic, they remain rare events and we can do a lot better than South African Shark Mercenaries, and media reports that attribute attacks to species that most likely no where in the region at the time of the event.

Great White shark carried out fatal Seychelles attack?

Strange though it may sound to folks who know white sharks, apparently the Seychelles gov has proof that a recent well documented shark attack was that of a great white.

Now we're not conspiracy theorists, but when you look at this a little closer somethings rotten in Denmark.

We point to the fact that almost from day one Seychelles gov officials said repeatedly that the shark involved "was not one of theirs," hoping to shift blame to a "rogue shark theory".

The recent discovery of a white shark tooth and confirmation from South African experts seems to back the gov assertions that a rogue shark is in the waters of the Seychelles, an island nation that relies on tourism revenues for 50% of GDP.

No mention of the typical tropical species like the tiger and bull sharks that frequent the waters of the Seychelles - there goes Occam's Razor.

We would like to see the tooth and find out who the SA shark experts were who signed off on the "rogue white shark" in Seychelles waters, anyone know who these folks are?

The whole thing doesn't sound right, and when it comes to high profile shark attacks in major tourism waters shark attack experts fly in by the truck load and everyone has a theory.

The hard facts are sometimes harder to come by.

Can A Magnet Repel A Shark Attack? No, No, No and Ah, No

Take it from us, we're experts, we know sharks. We also know shark feeding events commonly known as "shark attacks" and there's nothing on this planet short of prayer that will "Repel a Shark Attack."

Sharks are wonderful predators with a simply fantastic suite of senses designed to confirm when or not a shark should make an attempt at feeding. If these triggers are set, either by mistake, poor visibility, or by predatory design there's nothing some rare earth magnets can do to save you.

Did you read that Shark Shocker guys?

This video is one of the best examples of bald faced shark hucksterism we have had the misfortune of seeing in a long while and a complete disservice to the swimming public at large:

Tiger Rip Fest Nom, Nom, Nom

A pack of tiger sharks take turns to attack the carcass of a dead humpback whale in Onion Bay on Palm Island, near Townsville. The sharks, some up to a 5m in length, stick their snouts out of the water to rip the blubber off the carcass.

Yes we love this video, watching sharks do what they do "au naturel" is a sight to behold.

Behold:

Cabo san Lucas Shark Munch 2011

Pete Thomas has the scoop on a 300 pound sushi shark buffet in Cabo this week.

Seeing shark "on predation" is perhaps one of the most awe inspiring moments you can witness, for Tyson Seeliger of Houston, Texas, aboard the Great Escape Jr, this event was one of a kind.

"This tuna never dove but stayed up on the surface the whole time," Tracy Ehrenberg, the Pisces general manager, said in a report posted on the company blog. "After another two hours they had the fish 20 feet from the boat, when it was attacked by four pilot [or silky] sharks. They ripped into it, devouring it in large bites, as Tyson frantically reeled as fast as he could to try to save his sushi."

Sharm El-Sheikh Shark Attacks: Update

Global Shark Attack File

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release

Sharm El-Sheikh Shark Attacks: Update

Between November 30 and December 5, 2010 there were 5 unprovoked shark attacks reported from Sharm El-Shiekh, Egypt. Following these attacks the Egyptian government assembled an international team of experts to conduct a forensic analysis of the attacks: Ralph S. Collier, President of the Shark Research Committee and Director of the Global Shark Attack File; Marie Levine, Executive Director, of the Shark Research Institute; Moustafa Fouda, MSEA; Mohammad Salem, EEAA; and Nassar Galal, CDWS.

The team gathered eyewitness testimony, examined the attack locations, and reviewed the forensic evidence, including all environmental factors present prior to each of the attacks. The following is a list of those factors they believed to be contributor to the attacks:

* The illegal dumping of sheep carcasses by animal transport vessels within 1.2 miles of the shore.

* The unique underwater topography of the area; i.e., deep water very close to shore allowing pelagic sharks and humans to swim in close proximity.

* Although fishing is restricted in the Sharm El-Sheikh region, unrestrained fishing in the Red Sea has depleted fish stocks and reduced the amount of natural prey available to sharks.

* Shark and human population dynamics, i.e., 5 million people visit Sharm El-Sheikh annually and numbers of sharks migrate through the area each year.

* Feeding of fish by glass bottom boats and swimmers drew the sharks close to the beach.

* Elevated sea temperatures resulted in higher metabolic rates of the sharks and increased their energy (food) requirements.

* Although prohibited, it is believed that some dive operators have been feeding the sharks, which could have habituated the sharks to humans as a source for food.

It was determined from forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony that two species of sharks were responsible for the attacks; shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, and oceanic whitetip, Carcharhinus longimanus. Historical data obtained from the Global Shark Attack File for Egypt confirmed additional incidents from 2004 to the present (www.sharkattackfile.net).

Suggestions to reduce the potential for such future events were provided to officials for review and implementation.

Shark-Human Interactions – Aggression?

If you want to fully understand our continued support for Beqa Adventure Divers in Fiji it has a lot to do with Da Shark and his in depth look at the fundamentals of our industry covering topics that get almost zero coverage elsewhere.

This week was a fine example.

Da Shark on Human-Shark Interaction:

One of the most frequent questions our customers ask is whether our Sharks are aggressive.

Our standard answer is to tell them that in our experience, they are not aggressive as in wanting to bite us but rather, that they may sometimes be assertive, meaning that some will try and barge in to get some food and that in doing so, they may display a degree of posturing.

Granted our definition may be threading a very fine line – but words are powerful and we want to steer the conservation away from the usual stereotypes and towards a more neutral mindset.

Complete Post.

Image by Christy Fisher

The Problem With "Shark Identities"

A post over at Da Sharks blog about Eric Ritter caused me to think out loud about Sharkitarianism.

Distilled down to its simplest form Eric Ritter's entire raison d'être is sharks. Not necessarily such a bad thing as many fine folks identify with sharks and use that passion to ultimately do fantastic things for the species in one form or another.

What Ritter and far too many others, as far as I am concerned, suffer from is what Da Shark has aptly coined Sharkitarianism, a complete shark identity.

Without it, these people who are in every facet of our industry, would be just "regular folks" with job descriptions ranging from welders, to bank clerks.

With Sharkitarianism people interact with sharks to heighten an identity, or to become someone new, more exciting, more interesting.

These people use sharks, they do not interact with sharks. Sharks are a conduit for media attention, industry attention, and attention at dive shows. Sharks are the unwilling silent partner to grander ego ambitions, a dangerous stage set by which those who suffer from Sharkitarianism perform stunts with sharks calling these stunts shark awareness, or worse shark conservation and research.

Sharkitarianism is a bane to our industry.

To be a self styled sharkman or professional shark diver (unless you're Christin Zenato who is a complete professional) is the highest point of conceit in a relationship with these animals that should always have a moment where the dive gear is rinsed, put away, and you go back to your life, not take that life back into the terrestrial world seeking gratification for deeds done, days, weeks, months and even years ago.

This deep identity attachment to sharks clouds judgement, shuts down rational thought, and causes the individual to pursue sharks in ever more creative means to fill and build their ego, maintaining the identity.

Sharkitarianism.

As an industry member take a step back today consider your shark identity, are you Sharkitarian?

Atlantis Resorts Shark Care in Dispute

When alcohol, breeding, and sharks come together generally the result is a toxic stew of gobsmackingly stupid behavior with sharks. Thanks to Jenny our web eyes for these videos purported to be from Atlantis Resorts in the Bahamas March 25th, 2010.

The question on everyone's mind, where was security?

Video One - The Discovery

I'm pettin' it, I'm pettin' it yo"



Video Two - Stupidity with Sharks

"I'm gunna pull your leg, I'm gunna punch you in the face"



Editors Note: Felix over at Oceanic Dreams suggested you contact the PR folks at Atlantis to inquire as to the ongoing safety of these animals and guests. Could be worth the phone call:

You can send an email or call Megan Marchesini - public relations contact for possible answers:

Megan Marchesini
Phone: 212-659-5203
Email: Megan.Marchesini@kerzner.com

Shark Hoax Enjoys Airtime - Embarrassingly so for Dale Kobetich

Not even April 1st yet and photographer/surfer Dale Kobetich unloaded a whopper of a shark tale on an unsuspecting surf and shark crowd this week.

In this semi tragic story Dale faces off with a deadly mako (the one in this image) and manages to take some stunning images in the process.

The problem with this story and sadly for Dale is that he mis-judged his audience...completely.

The shark image world is a pretty savvy place and anyone can tell this animal is as dead as they get. A dried out stage prop for a completely faked story of man vs shark in California.

Why did he do it?

Who knows, who cares, suffice to say Dale must be wondering the same questions right about now as well. With April Fools still a few months away, this story would have been a world class contender - instead it is a world class bogus effort.

Editors Note: Click here to see a live mako shot notice the difference?

Editors Other Note: Dale comes clean, admits fakery, of course we already knew that.

Jaws 3D - Blog Reader Notices and Reports

Shark Diver Gabriel Beyrent sent in this story.

As the JAWS franchise slowly slid into the realm of comedy (sharks with personal vendettas?) there's a movement to bring back shark horror in next generation 3D.

As the industry knows there's a titanic footrace at the moment to provide 3D content to both cinema and television, with most of the major players looking for good franchise programming. Alas, Jaws would be the last 3D effort that would make any sense with today's smarter more sympathetic shark public.

We have evolved a long way since the 197o's.

Story by Monika B at Cinbematical

When we hear a ridiculous rumor, it's quite easy to become either incensed at the sheer audaciousness of the claim, or laugh it off as too stupid to be true. Take this latest goodie: Cinema Blend reports that a source at Universal Pictures claims that since audiences are expecting more from their movies, the studio wants to tap into the franchise pile for 3D magic, and are "strongly considering" a remake of Jaws "in hopes of dazzling younger audiences with new special effects."

The notion makes sense. If there's one movie that would look downright gorgeous in Real D 3D, it's Jaws. However, folks, that's not all. That same insider claims that Tracy Morgan has been considered for the role of Richard Dreyfus' Matt Hooper, but it's "uncertain" whether he's still in the running. To hedge their gossip bets, Cinema Blend states that this is a new source and could be hooey just as much as it could be truth.

It's easy to shudder when thinking of a comedic Jaws led by Morgan, because the thought sounds downright terrible, but let's back up. See that shark up there with the super-visible robot metal in his mouth? That's the big beast of Jaws 4. After that monstrosity of moviemaking, is it really that ridiculous to imagine Morgan facing off against a 3D shark?

It's either the stupidest, most moronic rumor of the year, or a sad reminder of where Hollywood is heading in the future. You make the call ...

Law of Attraction - Baited Cams

Currently being passed around the blue blogs some interesting research video from Australia:

Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) have been developed by AIMS scientists in order to monitor the vast areas of deeper inter-reef and shelf habitats inaccessible to research divers so that important bioregions there can be included in marine protected areas.

BRUVS consist of tourist-grade “HandiCam” video cameras in simple underwater housings made of PVC sewer pipe and acrylic, with a canister of minced pilchards on the end of a bait arm in the field of view. The housings are held in steel frames, and are deployed in strings of four to six under separate ropes and floats, to be picked up after one or two hours filming at the seabed.

Baited videos record species attracted to the bait plume or camera station, species attracted to the commotion caused by feeding and aggregation at the station, species occupying territories within the field of view of the camera, and species indifferent to the station but present in or passing through the field of view during the deployment.

The range of fish, sharks, rays, sea snakes and other animals sighted on BRUVS tapes has been remarkable – over 300 species to date, from 3cm leatherjackets to 3m hammerhead sharks.

White Sharks - Isla Guadalupe - Video Snack

Over at the Dorsal Fin Blog a very nice video expose on the perils of fishing at white shark hot spot Isla Guadalupe.

Catching a 100lb tuna at this site is exciting, having said tuna "whomped on" by a 15 foot great white? Priceless.

Shark Attack - Save Our Seas Response

As a general rule we do not get involved in hyped media surrounding shark attacks, unless they are industry driven.

Today a well researched and thoughtful response to the recent shark attack media hype in South Africa caught our attention.

Save our Sea Foundation have taken an ongoing leadership role in many issues surrounding sharks and conservation.

Today's Op Ed was one more example of industry leadership with a nice blend of pro shark pro conservation messaging. Kudos.

"Hollywood catapulted the great white shark into the world’s consciousness in 1975 when Steven Spielberg’s JAWS hit the big screen. Previously confined to an obscure world below the ocean’s waves, the box-office hit created a monster with a lust for wanton killing in the terrified minds of its audiences. As shark-attack hysteria gripped the world a great white shark killing frenzy ensued. Population numbers plummeted and an apex predator with a history 200 million years older than the first dinosaur started swimming towards the land of the dodo."

Complete Post

"Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus"

One of the highlights of 2009 was the introduction of the Dorsal Fin Blog to the world of sharks, conservation and media.

It would seem that 2010 will be as informative and amusing under their "seasoned media eye."

Kudos for this weeks media find, Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus. A film that has plenty of cheese for everyone:

Tiger Shark Eats Video Camera

From You Tube December 17th, 2009:

"Tiger Shark eats diver's video camera while it is still rolling. Get a first hand view of what it looks like to be chewed up by a giant shark. Filmed By Stuart Cove and his team from Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas and documented with still photography by world renowned underwater still photographer Stephen Frink."

Casting White Sharks as Villians...Again

We have been keeping tabs on a new production in the works called The Reef.

This mornings news from Australia confirms suspicions that another "white shark attack film" is in the offing, just in time for 2010:

AN overturned hull is causing some consternation near Shelly Beach but the person most affected by the makeshift shipwreck is a movie character. Thankfully.

The character shall remain nameless. Best to say he or she meets a “grisly demise” in the waters of Hervey Bay this week and a great white shark is probably involved at some level.

Complete Story

Research on "shark risks" South Africa

With the anti-shark diving lobby in Hawaii now in "full hysteria mode," pushing shark attacks and a somewhat nebulous public safety argument - South Africa is quietly setting an example.

Missing from the Hawaii debate about commercial shark diving is definitive data. The anti-shark diving lobby has little interest in research and data, while in other countries, some might even suggest, more enlightened countries, the balance between sharks and man is one that will be decided by long term research and study:

WITH Nelson Mandela Bay positioning itself as the water sport capital of Africa, the municipality has given the go-ahead for research on sharks in the city.

This follows reports over the years of shark attacks at coastal towns around the country. At a sports, recreation, arts and culture committee meeting yesterday, councillors agreed the research was necessary to reduce the risk of attacks.

The committee agenda, signed by executive director Zolile Siswana, said “the objective of achieving the position of water sport capital of Africa could be threatened by the possibility of frequent shark attacks in the city”. “A single shark attack would have a negative impact on water, sports and tourism"

“This has prompted various interventions by the KwaZulu Natal Sharks Board and Cape Town Uni-City Shark Spotters programme. These efforts (shark nets and drum lines) reduced shark attacks tremendously.” Marine scientists in Nelson Mandela Bay do not have enough information on Great White sharks or data to establish the possible risk to the public and open-water events in the city.

They do, however, have information on shark populations, migration and behavioural patterns. According to Siswana, the economic development and recreational services shark contingency plan addresses the first-response aspect of shark attacks.

“This emergency plan is simulated regularly. As great white sharks are the biggest threat to the public, safety research would ensure a more efficient response time by our lifeguards and emergency services.” The municipality will commission a shark specialist and marine scientist to conduct the research.

Complete Story

Fiji - Evolving Shark Tourism

Shark tourism is a $300 million dollar worldwide industry. Done right, shark tourism has long lasting positive effects on local economies, shark conservation, and regional fisheries.

Fiji has been at the forefront of the evolution of commercial shark diving thanks to the tireless efforts of a few industry visionaries who pushed for change.

Worldwide, shark tourism efforts run the complete spectrum from "business only models" where the sharks are the subject of for profit enterprise, to a newer breed of operation that includes shark research, conservation and outreach.

Change to any industry comes slowly and is lead by risk takers and industry movers.

As a template for sites like Tiger Beach, Bahamas the set aside Shark Reef Marine Reserve Fiji model is in need a few regional champions.

Welcome to industry change.

Welcome to Fiji (click image)