Ocean Ramsey and Deep Blue?

For the last couple of days, the internet has lit up with postings of Ocean Ramsey diving with Deep Blue.

source

While Deep Blue was actually spotted and filmed by Mark Mohler and Kimberly Jeffries, the female Great White Shark that Ocean Ramsey was diving with was not Deep Blue, but another massive female named "Haole Girl" by the diver who first reported her. Check out her markings at the pelvic fin vs. the ID picture of Deep Blue. You can clearly see that it is not the same individual.

Right side pelvic area Deep Blue

A lot of people have commented that it really doesn't matter if it was Deep Blue or another shark. So what's the big deal?

While it certainly didn't make a difference in the experience the divers had with this shark, it matters greatly when Ocean Ramsey claims to be a scientist and doing these dives for research. From a scientific perspective, it is far more interesting to know that there are other massive females out there than to "show how harmless these sharks are". The whole reason we do have a database of these sharks is so that we can have population estimates and find their migration patterns. I also find it puzzling that people portray great white sharks as either mindless killers or as harmless. They are neither! Why can't we just love them for what they are? Awesome predators, neither out to get us nor wanting to be our "friends"! I love these sharks and I'm not afraid to say, it's not a mutual feeling!

A completely different problem with the diving taking place around this shark is described by "Doc Domeier", one of the preeminent shark researchers at Guadalupe Island. Doc, along with Nicole Lucas-Nasby are the scientist at the Marine Conservation Science Institute, the first scientists to tag and catalog the great white sharks at Guadalupe Island.

Here is what he has to say on Facebook

Ocean Ramsey has Jumped the Shark...Literally and Figuratively
I was going to let others chastise O. Ramsey for riding the white shark in Hawaii, but then I saw her post this: "I waited quietly, patiently, observing as she swam up to the dead sperm whale carcass and then slowly to me passing close enough I gently put my hand out to maintain a small space so her girth could pass." Take a look at this video and see if you feel her words are consistent with her actions. Years ago she came to social media fame by illegally riding white sharks at Guadalupe Island. Not only is it illegal in Mexico, it is unethical the world over. The number 1 rule of legitimate shark diving operators is DON'T TOUCH THE SHARKS! This is not shark advocacy...it is selfish, self-promotion. Look at all of the other people in the water hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime experience...instead they can't even take a pic of the shark. And lastly...posting selfies with white sharks is really the wrong message..these are very dangerous animals. Yes, in this case they were very satiated and unlikely to bite...but the average person should not be hopping in the water with them. Would you go on a safari and ride the lions? Remember what happened to the bear whisper in Alaska???...he thought he knew them so well that he was part of their family. One day one of the bears killed him and the poor woman that was with him. And FYI, despite what she says, that’s not Deep Blue she’s harassing. It’s a newly discovered shark that has been named Haole Girl by the diver that first reported her to us. 

Before you claim that this is just sour grapes and he simply doesn't like Ocean Ramsey, read his reason for not approving of Ocean's behavior.

Many people who saw my last post may wonder: "Hey, what's the bid deal...the sharks weren't hurt by people riding them." Let me give you a bit of background on white shark life history. Females only give birth once every two years, and sometimes the process is so energetically taxing that they will skip a breeding cycle. All 3 sharks observed feeding on the whale were female...and there's a 50% chance each one was pregnant. In fact, Deep Blue is almost certainly pregnant since she has been pupping on odd years recently. Pupping time is just 4 months away, meaning these big girls are currently feeding about 500 pounds of babies in their uteri! These sharks spend almost their entire 18-month gestation in the deep offshore waters between the mainland and Hawaii, where food is very, very scarce. I led the very first expedition to that area, sometimes referred to the White Shark Cafe or Shared Offshore Foraging Area (our preferred moniker), and we found almost nothing that we would recognize as white shark food. We did find quite a lot of sperm whales, so maybe the occasional encounter with a dead sperm whale is the majority of the caloric intake for these huge sharks! Harassing a pregnant white shark while she is trying to feed could cause her to leave the meal...impacting her ability to successfully carry her pups to term or reproduce the next cycle. Did you know that the very next day after all the videos went viral there were about 60 people floundering around that dead whale in hopes of having their encouter with a white shark? Guess how many sharks were observed: ZERO! Don't you think all those people in the water might intimidate the sharks?? And if they try to come in and feed they have people climbing all over them, all wanting to be like O. Ramsey? Think about that....

You can read all of Doc's posts here
I have to agree with Doc. There are far too many "researchers" who are more interested in getting media exposure than doing actual research. In their zeal to get attention they often do things that not only don't help shark conservation, but actively hurt it. I've been diving with Great White Sharks for over 20 years. We discovered the sharks at Guadalupe while SCUBA and freediving, so I know firsthand what it's like to come face to face with a great white shark and I can say that the experience is no less exciting when you are safely in a cage. Sharkdiver will never allow out of cage divers at Guadalupe Island. It is illegal and dangerous. There is no reason to go outside of a cage, other than to brag to others about having done it. That's why we call what we do "Safe and Sane" Shark Diving.

If you want to experience coming face to face with a Great White Shark, give us a call at 619.887.4275, email crew@sharkdiver.com or visit www.sharkdiver.com for more info.

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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Shark Attack in Australia? What really happened.

Shark Attack in Australia? Part 2


Yesterday we talked about the teenager who got "attacked" by a shark here

Today he admits that it wasn't really the sharks fault. Watch the video below.
Sam Smith now says that the shark would have ignored him, had he left him alone.






Funny, how the commentary still refers to it as an attack.

I'm glad the kid is going to be OK and that they reported what actually happened. Hopefully that will reduce the hysteria that usually follows an incident like this.

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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Japanese Whaling Crew eaten by Killer Whales?

Journalism standards, and I'm using the term "standards" very loosely, have pretty much disappeared in a lot of cases. Take today's headline on the "worldnewsdailyreport" which proclaimed "japanese whaling crew eaten alive by killer whales 16-dead"

Now for those of you who don't know about the World News Daily Report, this is how they describe themselves.

"World News Daily Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within worldnewsdailyreport.com are fiction, and presumably fake news. Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are based on real people, but still based almost entirely in fiction."

So basically, they are like "The Onion", a satirical publication. That didn't stop other "reputable" news organizations, like the "International Business Times" from putting up headlines like "Killer Whales Gobble Japanese Whaling Crew" even AOL in the UK put up a headline "Pod of Killer Whales apparently attacked whaling crew". After I wrote to the editor of the International Business Times, they changed their story to say that it was a hoax. AOL in the UK followed suit, citing the correction in the "IBT"

This explains a lot about how the news business works. Someone comes out with a story and everyone else just picks it up, without checking any sources or facts. 

Japanese Whaling Crew Eaten Alive By Killer Whales, 16 dead - See more at: http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/japanese-whaling-crew-eaten-alive-by-killer-whales-16-dead/#sthash.6hQvDwjd.dpufjapanese-whaling-crew-eaten-alive-by-killer-whales-16-dea

Then of course, stories like these also bring out some crazy responses like this.

"Pretty gruesome scene, my sincere condolences to loved ones for your loss. As tragic as this may be, hopefully the Japanese will see this as a sign that Gaia’s had enough of Japan’s cavalier, inhumane stance on whaling – “ENOUGH”!

If you live here on the Hawaiian islands long enough, before long it becomes evident almost everyone that spends time here that the consciousness of our “Earth Mother” is everywhere, in every moment, every drop of water every cloud, in every little thing and in every living creature – we co-exist in a conscious world.

This tragic event was no coincidence."

source 

So the bottom line is. Don't believe everything you read. Check things out for yourself.

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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

"Expert" advice on avoiding a shark attack?

The Huffington post had this nice article yesterday, telling their readers  "What Not To Do Around Sharks, According To The Experts"

I have to admit, I was curious as to what we should not do around sharks. After all, we can always learn something new.

The first think they mention, "Don't freak out!"  Fair enough, splashing and thrashing around wildly, is definitely not advisable in the company of sharks.

The second thing is "Don't try to escape by swimming and splashing away furiously". Kind of like the first one, but again, not bad advise.

Third "Don't turn your back to the shark!" OK, good idea. Not that I think you have to be an expert to come up with that, but like I said, good idea.

Fourth, "Don't completely rely on shark repellents" I don't think the general public relies on shark repellents anyway, but with those snake oil salesmen or women, trying to sell shark repelling wetsuits, (pictured below) it's good to point out, that there is absolutely no proof that they work.

Fifth, "Don't force a moment! touching, riding or forcing any type of unnatural interaction with a shark should be completely off limits. The growing number of videos featuring shark and human interactions can give the average swimmer the false impression that sharks can be easily approached"

Wow, now we are getting somewhere. This is really good advise, specially considering all the people who get bit by nurse sharks, because they pulled their tails. I really thought the experts nailed that advise.

But,.........  they didn't leave it at that. They had to go on and qualify that last statement by saying
"Unless you're an experienced professional or your name is Kimi Werner (pictured above)"
Wait, you are saying if you are an expert (and Kimi Werner certainly qualifies as an expert, this being her first visit to Guadalupe and all) you can go and touch the sharks?!

The article goes on to say "But even the most experienced divers consider the huge risk factor when approaching a shark and only do so after making an educated assessment." So even though it's a huge risk, even for the most experienced divers, it's OK for them to do it? Even though it's illegal at Guadalupe to dive outside the cages, it's OK for them?

Of course, I get it. This is no longer about conservation or what not to do around sharks. This is simply  another one of these "do as I say, not as I do" kind of crap. What I really want you to do is "look at me, because I'm so cool!"

When they go on to say "More importantly, Werner and her dive partner never intended to 'ride' the fish, saying that the interaction happened naturally" , they really loose all credibility. They must have read my blog here, where I talked about how a photographer explained a picture showing a diver riding a shark by saying that the shark had a "very intrusive personality" Right, the shark wanted Kimi to ride her! I call BS on that!

This whole Huffington post article is exactly why these idiots are doing these stupid stunts. They get into the media. They get their 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately it's those kinds of "experts" that the media relies on, when it comes to covering anything shark related.  How can they quote an "expert", that tells people not to do what they themselves do? Aside from giving hypocritical advice, by giving these guys the publicity they seek, the Huffington post actually promotes the illegal diving outside of cages and riding sharks at Guadalupe.

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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Monster Shark in China?

I came across a headline on the shanghaiist website. "JAWS NOW IN SHANDONG" Shandong fishermen haul in horrifically giant shark!

The article states: "Fishermen in Rizhao, Shandong Province, hauled in an utterly massive 10-meter-long (32 foot) whale shark on Sunday, and took plenty of photos as a friendly reminder that oceans are terrifying places full of monsters. The giant fish weighed some 10,000 kilograms and was dead on arrival, but the fishermen brought it back to land where, with the use of a crane, dropped it into a truck." 

The ocean is a terrifying place, full of monsters? Now just in case someone is not clear on this, whale sharks, while indeed massive animals, are feeding on plankton and are NOT a predatory shark! What is terrifying, is the fact that there are still "journalists" out there that write this utter rubbish, without having any understanding of what they are talking about and a newspaper publishing it, without checking any facts about these gentle giants.

The article concludes with:  "This shark, along with that terrifyingly massive beast a few years back, serve as steady reminders to never go into the ocean ever."

The "terrifyingly massive beast a few years back" was also a harmless whale shark, a fact the author actually alluded to a few times in that blog post. Is that journalist, Eric Crouch, actually as stupid as his article suggests or is he just looking to create controversy?

Idiots like these try to scare people, instead of informing them. They never let a good fact get into the way of a headline!

We at Shark Diver are trying to educate people and give them a first hand look at how sharks really are, by taking them to Guadalupe Island, Bahamas  or Bequa lagoon in Fij to dive with and experience sharks first hand. We also started shark free marinas to raise awareness of the declining shark populations. It is frustrating to see, that there are individual "journalists" out there who either don't take the time to research  the subject of their article, or worse, purposely spread misinformation, simply to be able to create a sensational headline.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO

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 sharkoperations@gmail.com.

Sharksploitation or Conservationsploitation or Both?

Free-diving with a Great White Shark, being one with it is a great idea if you're a self proclaimed shark conservationist, right? You're showing just how non aggressive, nice and cuddly those sharks really are.

They love humans and are just misunderstood.

This is the message Ocean Ramsey is trying to get out in this video. Or is she?

Great White Shark at Isla Guadalupe after interacting with another Shark

I've been observing and diving with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe for 11 years and have literally spent thousands of hours watching them, observing their behavior and interactions. I can honestly say that I love those sharks and the one thing I can absolutely state is, that that feeling is  NOT mutual. While the sharks are definitely interested in us, seem to recognize individual people and swim by just to check us out, looking each diver straight into the eyes, they do not have warm fuzzy feelings towards humans.

Let's put this in perspective. Everything in the Great White Sharks society is, by human standards, extremely violent. Their interactions range from giving each other space and and respecting the others size, to violently biting each other. I have never seen two sharks touch each other, without any violent response. They do not form human like bonds and get touchy feely with each other. Even their mating involves biting each other in order to hold on.

So back to Ocean Ramsey and her video. Not only do I not agree with the portrayal of the Great White Shark as a harmless creature, I think that diving down and holding on to the sharks can actually make them more dangerous to humans. If they don't like being held onto, they might start to associate humans with being a nuisance and treating them accordingly.

Where do these stunts lead to? What is the next person that wants to get their 15 minutes of fame going to do? Open the sharks mouth and brush it's teeth? Her video is not about shark conservation but simply an attempt at self promotion. If we really are concerned with shark conservation, we need to accurately show what these magnificent creatures are like. They are neither mindless killers, nor are they pets.

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.

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.