Hope for the Bull Sharks of Playa del Carmen?

We have been watching the unfolding tragedy in Playa del Carmen with great interest. Both as a object lesson in shark site development and as an internal discussion within Mexico as to the fate of it's sharks.

As you might recall a new shark site featuring Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) exploded onto the scene a few years ago with great fanfare. Shortly after, a series of regional takes by fishing interests surprised many.

These takes devastated the local shark population.

The good news is that these few animals did not die in vain as a new NGO, Xooc, has taken on this regional tragedy and has produced a mini documentary about it. The first step, and may we say, great step in protecting these animals.

Kudos to everyone involved, this is first rate work:

Playa Bagdad Back in the News 50,000 Sharks?

Back in 2009 we posted a story about a small fishing camp called Playa Bagdad in Mexico, a place where shark fishing was rampant and perhaps a suitable candidate for a shark tourism conversion, similar to what we have seen in places like Isla Holbox.

This week Playa Bagdad made the news again, this time with biologists warning that 50,000 sharks a year are taken from this one small camp to fuel the shark fin trade, a trade which is now spilling illegally over into U.S.waters.

The Washington Post has an in depth look into this issue.

“Those guys are north of the line,” said Petty Officer Andrew Watzek, squinting at the 25-foot Mexican skiff and then at a radar screen, where the border is a bold line extending off the coast. “They’re definitely in American waters.”

Complete story here.

Mobbing a Whale Shark - For the Right Reasons

After a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) beached itself at Nayarit, Mexico, last month locals got together and tried for several hours to free it.

There's no news on the final outcome, but we like to see folks helping sharks when they can, great video: