Great White Sharks, Dolphins and a "Sea Monster"

We just finished another awesome expedition to Guadalupe Island. After 14 years of diving there, it never ceases to amaze me, that we keep encountering new things. We had a pleasant trip down to the Island, with mostly calm waters and were accompanied by a pod of pilot whales that stayed with us for a while.

On our first day of diving, we had "Herman", a good sized adult male white shark, swim by our cages, just as 2 adult bottle nose dolphins and their baby showed up. As soon as he saw them, he took off like a top fuel race car at the 1/4 mile track. Score one for the dolphins! (unfortunately we don't have any pictures of this)

At the end of our second day, the local researchers came by with a "sea monster" they found floating on the surface. I had no idea that these things existed in our waters. Anyone knows what species this is?

Our "Sea Monster"

We encountered a total of 16 different sharks on our trip and some, like "Legend" and "Herman", really put on a show, swimming by the cages and looking our divers straight into the eyes. Another sea turtle checked out our divers and showed us that they are not afraid to swim with great white sharks.

 

The trip home was again flat calm, a fact that was greatly appreciated by our diver. We are leaving again in a few hours for another exciting expedition to Guadalupe Island. What will we be seeing this time?

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.

"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

Is everything what it seems?

My last blog sure has stirred up some emotion and sparked some debate. Some people have taken it very personal and have ripped, not just the activity, but also the character of Jean-Marie Ghislain. I always try to be fair and tell things the way I see them. If someone does something that I think is stupid, like riding a great white shark at Guadalupe Island, I call them out. When someone is lying to me, about what they did, I call them out on that, but I try not to question their character.Shark diving, cage diving, shark adventure, diving with sharks, swimming with shark, seeing sharks,
So what do I do when someone I called out for doing something stupid and lied about it,  does something good?...... I give them credit, obviously! I stand by everything I said about the activity at Guadalupe. What I'm about to write here, has nothing to do with it. It doesn't justify or change anything that happened there, but neither does what happened at Guadalupe take anything away from it.

Ironically, one of the actual pictures that we talked about, has been used to promote a new technology that could save thousands of sharks around the world.

Mike "da shark" has made me aware of that new technology "Aquatec" is developing. It could mean the end of drum-lines and nets, if successful. Jean-Marie Ghislain is one of the guys behind that company! I don't know, if ultimately this technology will be successful and replace drum-lines and exclusion nets, but I sure hope it does. Regardless, I applaud Jean-Marie for this effort!

Here is a pretty cool video, showing the Aquatec technology.





What we do have to keep in mind is this. Most of us really have the best interest of the sharks at heart. Some of us may do something that others disagree with. We may have different reasons for doing what we are doing. In order to accomplish our goal of saving the sharks and making sure that generations from now, divers will have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in the Ocean, we have to keep in mind that we will all make mistakes. If we see something we don't like, ask them why they are doing it and be willing to listen to what they say. Even if you disagree, don't vilify them. It's rarely black and white and by seeking a dialog we are much more likely to get results, than by vilifying those we disagree with. Just look at how much doesn't get done in politics, by playing the blame game.

To Jean-Marie Ghislain, thanks!

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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Response to "What's going on at Guadalupe?"

I got this response from the person who says he took the photos that I posted in this blog.

Here is what he said: "Hello Martin, I am the owner of those images and I was very surprised to see them on the blog article you posted. I would like to ask you to immediatly remove them from the web as well as the comments that concerns them- which dont correspond to the reality in that specific situation. The person who is facing the shark had to push the shark away as it was a very intrusive personality and he touched it as little as he could and the dive was aborted immediatly. I don't want the images to be used in a provocative way when they don't reflect the reality of what happened. And I especially don't condone or encourage physical contacts with sharks, but in this specific instance, it could not be avoided by the diver- as I said, he got out of the water right away after the occurence. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, Thank you, Jean-Marie Ghislain"

I removed the pictures from the blog at his request. When posting the pictures, I linked the source, which is a blog, discussing what's going on at Isla Guadalupe, which I believed to be covered under the fair use of a picture. I'm sorry for the mix up.

As to how Jean Marie Ghislain describes the incident, it confirms my statements, that diving outside of the cages is a bad idea. It's not the shark that was intrusive, I mean, it is in his own space. It's the divers that were intruding into the sharks home! Aside from it being a bad idea to go outside the cages, it is also illegal!

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

What is going on at Guadalupe?

The secret is "out of the cage" now! The news has traveled all the way to Fiji!  "da shark", just wrote this blog on diving outside the cage and manhandling great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe.

It has gotten worse and worse over the last few years. What started out as going outside of the cage, has gone all the way to touching, riding and even trying to flip a great white shark.  It seems like some unscrupulous operators are trying to "out-crazy" (if that is even a word) themselves, always looking to top what they did the last time.

Pictures like this and this (I removed the actual pictures by request of the photographer)
are not what we want to see coming out of Guadalupe! They are nothing but self promoting, "Look at me!" kind of stunts, that do nothing to help shark conservation, but everything to hurt it. What's next? Do a dental exam with a cleaning?

Mike got it right when he says "Somebody commented on another post somewhere else,  

Like a high stakes game of musical chairs, (that person) is at the end of a long record that has been playing for almost a decade. When the music runs out someone will find themselves and the sharks in a completely untenable situation. There will be plenty of blame to go around. 

Could not agree more. 

We at Shark Diver completely agree with Mike. We are diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe and would never allow any of our divers to leave the cage, leave alone touch or handle the sharks.

We also dive with bull sharks in Fiji. We don't use cages there, but do absolutely not allow any of our divers to touch or handle the sharks.

In the Bahamas, we dive with tiger sharks. Again, we don't use cages, but would never allow any of our divers to touch, flip or harass those sharks.

Some people are skeptical of us in the shark diving industry and make wholesale accusations, that we are doing anything for money. Let me assure you. Shark Diver has turned down many individuals, as well as film companies, who wanted to do some of the stupid things we are talking about here.

If you are curious about sharks and want to experience what it is like to come face to face with them, if you want to learn more about the sharks and want to dive with a researcher, if you respect those sharks for the predators they are and don't feel the need to touch, ride, flip or harass them, then we are the company for you. If you want to do the things we are talking about here, go somewhere else! Actually, I take that back, I would prefer you'd stay out of the ocean!

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.

The killers just off our shores!

Here is another stellar piece of journalism! The "Mail Online" has an article with the headline "The killers just off our shores" 

Now what creature do you think they are talking about? Shark diving, swimming with sharks,  
.... yep, a blue shark. In the article they state two things. 

1 "The recent heatwave is thought to have brought killer blue sharks closer to the coast of Cornwall than ever before" 

and

2 "Swimmers aren’t in danger from these sharks. They are highly unlikely to bite humans." 

Hmmm, say what? Killer blue sharks that are not a danger to swimmers!? Now I know about sensationalistic headlines, but contradicting your headline in your article seems to be something any self respecting journalist should avoid!

The article also has plenty of pictures of those "killers", calmly swimming amongst humans. 

The article also incorrectly states that 4 people have been killed by blue sharks in the last 5 years. According to the international shark attack files, there have been 5 fatal bites since 1910! So aside from contradicting his own headline, the author shows a complete lack of interest in getting his stats correct.

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.