The Official Shark Divers :: Guadalupe Island 2011

August 2011, Isla Guadalupe

The 2011 white shark season at Isla Guadalupe is winding down with just a few more weeks of incredible shark encounters and thrilled divers from around the world.

Once more Isla Guadalupe has delivered the finest combination of animals and education.

Here's a small sampling of the faces and trip reports from the 2011 white shark season. There's more to come and we haven't yet called an end to the fun.

"Day  two had gotten off to a great start, but it got even better, when a few hours later, we had a juvenile get a little frisky with our cage. Seeing a great white that close to the cage, mouth open, ready to have a go, was priceless!  I could not have asked for more!"

- Michelle M

September 2011, Isla Guadalupe

"Shredder is definitely the comedian of the shark world!  Occasionally he would give a smaller shark the chance to say hello but chased them off the minute he felt he was missing the attention of his adoring public.  For eight hours he was cruising around the boat and cages and once the cages had been lifted for the night, he breached next to the boat almost as if to say, ‘hey guys, what are you doing, I’m still here!’  Apparently this was the best ‘sharking’ day of the season so far as 13 different sharks were identified."

- Bev D


"Most importantly, every member of the crew seemed to be there because they love the sharks and love what they do.  They made sure we had almost as much fun out of the cages as in them."


- Sarah F

As we wind down 2011 and look forward to 2012 we have to give a big kudo to our divers and the entire crew of the M/V Horizon.

October 2011, Isla Guadalupe

For the past decade the Horizon and crew have been the longest running dive operation at Isla Guadalupe.

The first vessel to ever do shark cage diving at this remarkable dive site and we are proud to be working with them still - after all these years.

And to our new minted Shark Divers and to all those who have come before them. It is your good cheer, lust for adventure, and love of sharks that has allowed Shark Diver to be the company that it is today.

We honor all those with a dream and say, "If you dream, dream big".

To those who fly halfway around the world, to those who have saved every penny for the past two years in a jar, and to those whose experience with the white sharks of Guadalupe have lead them to  help save sharks around the planet.

You are Shark Diver, and we are proud of you all!

Gulf of the Farallones White Shark Disaster Redux

The following images are as shocking as they are hard to comprehend. The damage to this shark is simply stunning.

They are purported to be "before and after" images of a protected white shark that was mauled at the Farallone islands in 2009.

A shark by the name of Junior.

The shark was badly hooked by a hybrid shark research/film crew in the fall of 2009. The hook was set so badly in the animal that a pair of industrial bolt cutters had to be pushed through the gills of the shark to cut the hook.

Two thirds of the hook was left inside the animal.

If this is in fact the same animal and these images can be verified, it is clear evidence that this brand of hybrid film and television shark research should be banned from the Sanctuary.

Permanently.

Maria Brown, Farallones Sanctuary Manager, gave the following assessment in 2009 of this kind of research:

"I equated it to, it felt like what it's like when I go to the dentist; when you go in, you get a cavity filled, it's something that maybe you don't want to go do, but you do it, it's quick, it's over, it's done."

This blog will be following up on the series of recent images we have uncovered featuring an emaciated white shark with what looks like a tumor on the side of it's mouth and will be reporting the details as they can be verified.

Stay tuned.

Update Gulf of the Farallones White Shark Policy - Stunningly Poor Management Decisions?

Update Gulf of the Farallones White Shark "Junior" - It's Official, Now What?

Great White Shark Research Internship 2011

Interns will be joining dedicated scientists who are conducting accredited research projects in some of the world’s most challenging, beautiful and remote environments.

The projects demand significant scientific and practical responsibilities from participants, however, the demands are well within the capabilities of most students, and whilst being challenging, are enjoyable and exciting. As part of this program, interns can expect to be important members of a focused and dedicated research institute and partake in ground breaking research. It is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to exciting marine research, as well as experience the frustrations, the highs and the lows, and the achievements associated with ambitious and challenging marine research in Africa.

Oceans Research has established a strategic network of two research stations situated within the unique marine biomes of southern Africa, namely, Skeleton Coast Marine Lab and Mossel Bay Marine Lab. At each laboratory, researchers are conducting ambitious ecological, physiological and biological studies on resident marine top predators and their associated ecosystems.

Mossel Bay Marine Lab is the flagship and most established research laboratory within the Oceans Research network. It is also home to the institute’s central office and management. The research laboratory is situated along the southern coast of Africa in a warm temperate marine biome that attracts numerous temperate water fish species. At the top of the food chain is the Cape fur seal that resides on Seal Island, the Great white shark that frequents the bay to hunt fur seals, numerous fish species and a semi resident population of bottlenose dolphins.

Interested interns can also get involved with our educational program, where we educate mostly underprivileged schools regarding the importance of ocean conservation and the vital role sharks play in both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Skeleton Coast Marine Lab is situated along the desert coast of Namibia at Walvis Bay, a worldwide mecca of dolphin watching and desert tourism. The Benguela current is the driving force behind one of the world’s most abundant marine environments and attracts dense populations of marine mammals such as the Heaviside’s dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Cape fur seal and humpback whale. The Namibian coast line is considered one of the most undeveloped, beautiful places in the world. The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and is characterised by the conjunction of large fields of sand dunes meeting one of the world’s richest marine environments, the cold currents of the Benguela ecosystem.

The internship program is aimed at assisting in the development of students training in the area of biological science. However, we willingly invite applications from all students and enthusiasts who have a passion for the oceans and want to extend their knowledge through real life experience.

Further information is available on the Oceans Research website.

Bizzare - Shark Nets Used as "Census" Shark Finning Blamed

For the past several years we have been vocal opponents against shark nets and drumlines along the Gold Coast of Australia.

Drumlines and shark nets are antiquated shark protection systems, a 1950's solution to issues between sharks and commercial tourism.

Frankly, we can do better.

The image featured here is a Gold Coast caught white shark from 2009 on a drumline set to "protect" bathers from these animals. Typically these sharks are disposed of at sea, the public is largely unaware that just off their pristine beaches, sharks are being killed indiscriminately.

So you can imagine the head shaking going on after reading an article this week where shark net managers along the Gold Coast are noticing smaller numbers of sharks caught in their nets...and are blaming commercial shark finners for sharks disappearance.

"Startling figures yesterday revealed shark nets had caught 40 less sharks in the past 12 months compared to the same period in 2001/02"

"In the 2001-02 financial year 78 sharks were caught in nets off the Coast but by 2009-10 the number had dropped to 37."

You can files these observations under "WFT".

Perhaps shark finning has something to do with the drop in numbers, or perhaps breeding populations, after close to 50 years of slaughter in the name of shark free beaches, are finally crashing. Perhaps it is an ugly combination of both factors and a few not yet identified.

The point is, this weeks article from shark net and drumline mangers is a bit much, even to the eyes of the most jaded shark conservationist.

Let's start rebuilding local Gold Coast shark populations by removing the shark nets and drumlines, because any data coming from these "merchants of death" is suspect and absolutely not a solution, except for smaller populations of sharks.

Le Méridien Al Aqah Joins Sharkwatch Arabia targeting the first wild whale shark tagging in the region

Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, 20.11.10- A team of divers and marine scientists will be down under the east coast waters and Musandam region of Oman looking for a suitable whale shark to satellite tag on 21st and 22nd November 2010. This will be the official start for the first ever wild whale shark tagging program in the region.

The sophisticated tag is sponsored by Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort who are supporting the Sharkwatch Arabia research project lead by Chief Scientist, David Robinson. Successful tagging will provide essential data on how these animals utilize the region's waters and beyond.

Sharkwatch Arabia www.sharkwatcharabia.com is a post-graduate study in association with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and part of The Shark Project Oman based at Sultan Qaboos University. Sharkwatch Arabia also runs in collaboration with the Sharkquest Arabia Initiative and Emirates Diving Association. Dive schools have been notified to be on the lookout for sharks in the coming week.

Patrick Antaki, General Manager, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, said, "The personal gratification I get from being a part of Sharkwatch Arabia is as important as the CSR involvement of the resort in this continued quest for environmental understanding and protection. Additionally, the conscious support of our team members who are avid divers that support the cause and voluntarily contribute to similar activities is commendable. We wish the dive teams all success in the tagging programme."

Undertaking the initiative to tag a wild and free swimming whale shark is a hard process that requires the fulfilment of several parameters and possibilities of many attempts to attach a satellite transmitter. The Sharkwatch Arabia teams will live up to the challenge and work towards making the tagging of a whale shark successful and play an important role in adding value to the overall programme.

One of the aims of the Sharkwatch Arabia project is to tag five whale sharks each year over the next five years to provide data on the movements of the animals in the region and help understand why they visit these waters and where they migrate to.

The whale shark is the largest known fish in the oceans, they are listed as vulnerable to extinction partly due to the increased demand for shark products in the Asian markets. The Sharkwatch Arabia project will make a valuable contribution to provide key insights into the ecology of the species and assist in providing necessary steps for their conservation.

Tagging a whale shark with a satellite transmitter helps to track their movements and behaviour in the wild with little interference. The tag that trails behind the animal gathers important information over a 120 day period and subsequently detaches itself from the whale shark. The data involves information of water temperatures, duration of dive, depths, etc. On detachment and touching the surface of the water, the tag begins to transmit the collected data to orbiting satellites that will later be interpreted by ARGOS, the French satellite uplink company who sends the data to research teams for evaluation and further study.

White sharks making a comeback off California, expert says

Outdoor reporter Peter Thomas surprised us this week with his latest expose on sharks.White sharks and growing population numbers off the California coast.

Rising shark numbers? Appearntly so.

From Peter Thomas Outdoors:

It might come as unwelcome news to swimmers and surfers, but great white sharks appear to be mounting a comeback off California.

"I think there are more sharks," Christopher Lowe, a professor at Cal State Long Beach and director of the university's Shark Lab, said during an exclusive phone interview. "And that's not a bad thing; it's a good thing."

It's the first declaration by a prominent shark researcher that a recovery of the embattled great white shark -- the world's most notorious predator -- seems to be occurring.

A longstanding statewide ban on fishing for white sharks, an increased survival rate among young white sharks because of fishing gear restrictions, and an expanding sea lion population as a prey source are chief reasons for the comeback.

Lowe, who has performed extensive tagging of juvenile white sharks off Southern California and has pored over data dating back generations, said personal observations and increased incidental catch rates of small white sharks by commercial fishermen help support his contention.

Salvador Jorgensen, leader of the white shark research team at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, did not disagree with Lowe's assessment but was more guarded when asked for a response.

Complete story.

Great White Shark caught off Mass. coast

(NECN) - A Great White Shark was captured on Stellwagen bank on Saturday morning.

The crew of the SWEET DREAM II, a sportfishing charter boat out of Gloucester, Mass. tagged and released the 7-foot Great White. The identity of the shark was confirmed by Dr. Greg Skomal, according to the vessel's captain, Capt. Bruce Sweet.

The video of the shark, provided by Capt. Sweet, is looped in the companion video player.