Key West - 656 Pound Mako Caught

While a few forward thinking industry leaders are developing new shark tournament models in Florida complete with research tagging and tracking, some have yet to understand the basics of catch and release.

Another reason for Shark Free Marinas in Florida and around the world.

Sharks Finned in Florida - Images

Tarpoon Dive Centers posted grizzly images of finned sharks in Florida's waters this week.

These images were picked up by Scotty Grey from Blue Iguana Charters and a host of shark conservation groups.

Scotty's response to these images was typical of those who have seen them.

We contacted Jake Shekels manager of Tarpoon Dive Centers and he said this was not the first time he had encountered finned sharks at his dive site:

"These Photos were taken last weekend while diving on a reef off Key Biscayne. Unbelievable this is happening so close to home. In April of last year we saw two hammerheads and perhaps a tiger shark, this was a nurse shark around the same area and depth and I am beginning to wondering if this is a coincidence?"

Typically shark finning is done by one or two persons who run small to medium shark fin operations in Florida. Some are busted, some are not. These are lucrative operations (see link).

With conservation leadership from Tarpoon Dive Centers and help from others in the conservation community perhaps these sharks will not have been finned in vain.

See post "When One Dead Shark."

Hanging with the Vandenberg

Local Florida dive boat captain Scotty Grey has been closely following the twists and turns of the Vandenberg Project soon to be the second largest reef project in Florida's history and an amazing dive site. Scotty has worked with us on a few film projects over the past two years in the Bahamas:

Hi Shark Diver,

Today I got to take a private tour of the Vandenberg. She is sitting at the Truman waterfront in Key West. Thanks so much to Joe Weatherby of Reefmakers, your twelve years of hard work and dedication has really paid off. Joe took Captain Slate of Atlantis Dive Center, Mike Hanna of Tusa Dive Gear and myself for a private tour from bow to stern. All I can say is the old girl sure is impressive. There are so many rooms and hallways; it’s going to be a diver’s paradise. We took lots of pictures so be sure and check them out on the Blue Iguana webpage photo gallery.

The biggest diving event of the year is happening in Key West near the end of May. A chance of a lifetime to see this magnificent vessel slipping into the sky blue waters of Key West to become a major attraction for millions of divers to explore. This multimillion dollar event is a onetime offer for the bragging rights to say “I was there” and be among some of the first to get to dive the old girl. This will be in every dive magazine in the industry for years to come, don’t read about it, live it, and be a part of history.

Blue Iguana Charters is offering you a chance to be a part of this with ring side seats. We will be as close as possible so bring your cameras and let’s watch history together from atop of the lido deck of the MV Kate .

We are going to spend ten days diving some of the best shipwrecks the world has to offer right here in the Florida Keys. We will dive all the major wrecks from Key Largo to Key West with the Spiegel Grove and Vandenberg being the anchor ship at each end. The price for this trip is $3,500 per person. This price includes all your meals, lodging and diving onboard the liveaboard vessel MV Kate. We will have nitrox available for an additional fee on this wonderful journey. We only have a few spots left so if you are interested please contact us as soon as possible.

If you would like more information about this trip just drop me a email at info@blueiguanacharters.com or you can give me a call at 561-385-2385.

Thanks,
Capt Scotty

Florida and Commercial Shark Diving

It's a commercial shark diving industry sore point we have harped on for a while now.

The ban on chumming and shark diving in Florida waters was poorly conceived back in 2001. This complete ban was conducted under a negative media storm by a well organized anti-shark diving lobby.

At the time a nascent US shark diving industry was comprised of just two operations.

Today Florida's waters teem with commercial shark diving species. An estimated 10-20 million dollar tourism industry sits idle as hotels and restaurants across the region shut down under one of the worst recessions in recent history.

Meanwhile, Florida's sharks are relegated to weekly news reports that do little to dispel the Jaws mythos with recent titles like "Shark Frenzy Caught on Tape" and the ever popular "Shark Alert". The state of Florida's-state of sharks-is at an all time low with an ever present perception that the waters of Florida are filled with rapacious predators waiting to strike.

The reality could be further from the truth and only the commercial shark diving industry can, if given a chance, work to dispel that media fabrication about sharks.

It is high time Florida reconsidered commercial shark diving operations off it's waters. Done right, with serious and lasting species interactive protocols, and even the threat of fines for industry infractions, Florida could ramp up a shark diving industry in less then two years that would feed local communities desperately needed tourism dollars.

If the ban on shark diving in Florida was in part done to stop the fear of shark attacks on humans, we would suggest the bans goals have failed. It is time to rethink sharks in Florida.

CNN Good-MSNBC-Bad

Got an email from Jeremiah over at Neptunic SharkSuits yesterday about the following video. For those of you who do not know Jeremiah he's an "industry gray beard" a guy who's been around the block and few million times and whose time in water with sharks commands respect.

MSNBC's coverage of a dead Great Hammerhead caught in Florida this week could have been taken from any script written in 1977 for a local anchor. Missing is the "sympathy for the devil" and any basic understanding about shark conservation. Now take CNN's coverage of sharks this month and you get the feeling that perhaps MSNBC is pulling anchor scripts from 1977:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

End of era for Florida Sawfish?

As Florida continues to disregard sharks as little more than raw product a new alarm has been sounded at the state of Florida's Sawfish population.

Once, one of the worlds healthiest populations, back in the 1920's and 30's today this rare and unique critter is all but vanishing from the coasts:

"Sawfish are disappearing all over the world for basically the same reason, which is that their big saws snag very easily in fishing nets, they have become despised as net wreckers because obviously a fisherman doesn't like getting one in his net. So over the years most sawfish that were captured were killed."

Editors Note: As we have mentioned Florida's continued ban on shark diving activities changes the value of sharks and rays in Florida's waters. Without safe commercial shark diving operations who see sharks as a sustainable and valuable resource-the value of sharks and rays is degraded to fishermen and one time use of these species.

Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail-And a Couple of Sharks

We have come to admire Scotty Gray owner/operator and driving force behind Blue Iguana Charters in the Florida Keys.

Scotty was the calm cool captain behind a few of our Tiger shark film shoots last season in the Bahamas. If it's sharky-Scotty will know about it or can take you there.

He recently sent over a dive offer he's calling the "Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail". We asked Scotty if this 3 day live aboard dive adventure was also "sharky" and his answer was-yes. Join him and his crew at a discounted rate of $285 per day and dive the following wrecks and a whole lotta reefs...plus a few sharks in between:

• USS Spiegel Grove

• USCGC Duane

• USCGC Bibb

• The Eagle

• The Benwood

• The City of Washington

Scotty can be found here tell him the Shark Diver Guys sent you to get the special dive rate and good hunting!