Brave or brainless? Shark swimmer's rising profile

We blogged about maverick shark diver Mark Rutzen a while ago. Now some in the media and in the blog world are beginning to ask the same questions:

Diver Mark Rutzen is increasingly making a name for himself across the globe as a man who's willing to get closer to sharks than any other.The free-diver and former fisherman, who is currently diving off the coast of South Africa with Great Whites, touches and even rides the massive predators - in the wild.

Rutzen says the key to staying alive is a matter of manners.

"You have to introduce yourself to the animal, you can't just go up to it and grab hold of it," he told News Ltd. "The biggest mistake any free-diver could make would be chasing the animal through the water."

Rutzen says he relies on experience and a "telepathic understanding" to avoid becoming a meal.

Editors Note: After reading that last statement Rutzen is beginning to sound like both Erich Ritter who once claimed he could swim with big bull sharks after slowing his heart beat down-and Tim Treadwell who claimed he could walk with Grizzlies after adopting their posture. Fact is these animals allow us access on their terms and their terms only. It is a matter of time and one fatal decision on the part of the animal that always changes this equation.

"Just because you can do a thing-does not mean you should".

SharkWeek 2008-Shark Diver, Ocean Reef & Bathys Hawaii celebrate

Luke Tipple, Marine Biologist and Adventurer, is developing his own Science based show with GRB Entertainment of Los Angeles. While the show is coming together Luke continues to offer his technical and scientific knowledge to top research and entertainment teams worldwide. This year Luke was asked to be the dive safety officer and shark behavior specialist on Discovery Shark Week's premier show MythBusters.

Since this is Luke's first time on Discovery, and since he is working very hard on a show of his own at the moment Luke's sponsors got together to celebrate by giving away some cool gear.

To win just watch MythBusters on Shark Week during July 28th through August 3rd, 2008, go to our contest page and answer a simple question related to the show (HINT: check out the dive gear… we are his dive sponsors after all!).

You could win the prizes above, a great dive watch, an amazing dive mask, or a chance to get face to face with a great white shark.

On behalf of all of Luke's sponsors, we look forward to seeing him in many more great shows in the future and thank all of his fans for watching, it has been our pleasure to believe in and support Luke's efforts in both entertainment and educating people about sharks and science. Please tune in and sign up to win some great gifts as a token of our appreciation for your support.

Island of the Great White Shark-Can't Wait for Shark Week 2008?

The most anticipated white shark documentary of the past decade is Island of the Great White Shark.

Shown to early rave reviews at select Aquariums nationwide this film is now available to the public, just in time for Shark Week.

The film is visually stunning with a deep and personal look at both the sharks and the research efforts to study them at the far flung and remote island of Isla Guadalupe, Mexico:

"There are so many films about great white sharks that show the animal being aggressive and attacking its prey. As a shark enthusiast, I am tired of this type of portrayal. I want to see movies that show the great white in its natural behavior. I want to actually learn about the shark. This DVD does exactly that... it teaches me... about the shark, about the science being conducted, and about what it's like to actually be in the water with these magnificent creatures. Kudos to the filmmaker for taking a risk and making a movie about real research".

"This is a very good film on the reality of the Great White. It gives the other side of the story. The one the media forgets to tell".

Ensenada Fish Market, Mexico Y.O.Y

We have been keeping track of the Ensenada Fish Market for the past three years.

The issue here is the sale of white shark pups as "swordfish". We have been documenting each and every trip we take down to this market with images of the animals we find on site.

Typically we are seeing a minimum of up to 3 animals for sale at any given time. We also enjoy the local Baja Fish Tacos (non white shark) while we're here...if you have not yet had a Baja Fish Taco in Ensenada, go here first.

Over the years we have uncovered one family who are the prime shark fishery here. These are hard working folks who know where to find sharks and how to fish them. For them it's a tough livelihood-they barely make a living.

Where some people see a travesty, we see an opportunity. Very little is known about young of the year in Mexican waters. Monterey Bay Aquarium is leading the charge along with TOPP's and a small group from Mexico working the Sea of Cortez.

One of the primary goals for this fish market should be DNA sampling of these sharks. As a ready made sampling site this fish market is more than the final destination for white sharks, it could also be useful to research.

Shark Week 2008-Shark Trust Wines

We got the following email from the folks over at Shark Trust Wines. As huge supporters of this plucky shark brand we're more than happy to pass on the offer to our shark fans.

As far as we know this is the only shark branded wine on the planet...this is why we serve it proudly on all our shark vessels:

Greetings!

It's here...our favorite week of the year...SHARK WEEK! Stock up on Shark Trust Wines this week and get ready for 7 full days of shark programming on the Discovery Channel. With every case of wine purchased this week at sharktrustwines.com, we will include a shark topper. No need for special codes online. We will automatically send the topper.

Cheers,
Melanie CEO
Shark Trust Wines

Georgia Aquarium P.R Backlash

We have been updating you on the Georgia Aquarium's efforts to bring the public to their captive Whale Sharks in a new and some say...yes we say-ridiculous manner, with the addition of paying "thrill divers".

Those in world of commercial aquariums dance a fine line between captive animal ambassadors and commercial exploitation.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has managed that fine line with their ground breaking white shark program. If there was ever a road map to follow this program would be it. Unfortunately the folks over at the Georgia AQ have not seen this map.

Meanwhile the rest of the research and whale shark community remains unimpressed and in some cases in open rebellion:

Georgia Aquarium invitation riles some conservationists

Isla Holbox, Mexico — Georgia Aquarium officials want to hold the next international whale shark conference in Atlanta, but some conservationists bristle at the idea because the world's largest indoor aquarium exhibits the huge polka-dotted fish.

Full story.

Editors Note: One look at the Georgia AQ website and the Monterey Bay AQ website shows how P.R is won and lost by pushing the envelope from captive animal ambassadors to commercial exploitation. Georgia AQ needs to make a decision fast. Either break with traditional aquaria completly and become a full fledged commercial operation, or cease allowing "thrill divers" into captive whale shark enclosures. Clearly there's little room for a hybrid operation that seeks to maintain credibility within the research and traditional aquarium communities.

Croc vs Leopard...Now THAT'S Interesting!

Our shark fans need us like their "morning latte" because of unbelievable stories like this one and you know we cannot pass on a story like this.

Yes, it's a bit far away from the world of sharks, but heck we covered a similar story Croc vs Shark a few months ago.

No, this is not the same croc and no, this did not happen in Australia...land of dangerous wildlife and the crazy people who live with them.

Shark Fishing Vessel Ho Tsai Fa No. 18

We blogged about this mystery illegal shark fishing vessel off the coast of Bali last week.

At the time rumors of a dead and or missing captain and a murderous crew were part of the ongoing story. Now that story is beginning to firm up and the details are amazing. Which leads us to the simple conclusion "shark fining is bad business".

Dark oil and darker rumours seep from Bali beach's ghost ship

ATTEMPTS to refloat a Taiwanese "ghost ship" that ran aground on Bali's best surf break have foundered, prompting fears of an environmental disaster.

Police have described the vessel as a crime scene, confirming its captain may have been murdered. Taiwanese investigators have arrived in Bali to carry out their own inquiry.

The Ho Tsai Fa No. 18 has a chequered history. It was apprehended off Costa Rica in 2003 with 60,000 kilograms of illegally caught shark fin. Early this year, Greenpeace activists intercepted the ship fishing illegally in the Pacific.

We're Baaaack-Now 30% Sharky-er

It's tough having a job that takes you away to the US Virgin Islands for a "site inspection", but that's where we have been for the past 7 days. Our email is filled with a heap o' shark stories we need to cover.

Let's begin in South Africa:

Startling Great White discoveries

Scientists now know exactly how much time each shark spends waiting for takeaways at Seal Island.

Long considered a mysterious monster from the deep, the great white shark is actually from the shallow — and no longer all that mysterious.

That’s according to a group of pioneering researchers who, using sophisticated electronic tracking equipment, have compiled the first-ever detailed swim-maps of several great white sharks in Mossel Bay.

So far this year five sharks — Zulu, Kiddo, Pasella, Roxanne and Sampla — have been fitted with electronic tags that show not only the shark’s position, but also its depth and the surrounding water temperature.

Shark Heroes-Australia's Sea World Vet Team

You gotta hand it to the team from NSW Sea World who dramatically saved a shark after it had "swallowed" a fishing gaff...complete with embedded hook. The entire crew here at Shark Diver salute this team.

What transpired in Australia this week is perhaps the greatest shark rescue story in the past ten years:

Scuba divers snapped these photos of the gentle shark swimming near Julian Rocks in the Cape Byron Marine Park when they first thought the shark had attempted to swallow a broomstick.

"It was swimming along, it looked quite healthy and didn't seem to be suffering but it became obvious if that thing stayed in its mouth, it would be the death of the shark - it couldn't be eating too well," diver John Natoli said.

Full story with images and video.

Josh Lay-Found-Nice Guy Too!

Got a phone call at the office, this time from the real "Josh Lay".

You know the old saw "the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction?", well we pretty much proved that today.

Turns out Josh is a real person, and was really looking to book 3-6 divers to go white shark diving at Isla Guadalupe.

While we were wondering why the entire world was suddenly calling us looking for Josh-Josh was wondering why his new cell phone had gone dead and no one was calling him.

A perfect case of cellphone-itus, when new tech get's you when you least expect it.

Oh, and by the way Josh is a nice guy with a great sense of humor;)

Who's Josh Lay? We'll Take the Thai Massage!

This week we got a call from a "Josh Lay" wanting some information about a white shark diving trip for 3-6 divers to Isla Guadalupe. On the outset it sounded like an honest phone call, we gave him our standard sales pitch and closed out the conversation.

Here's where it went south. All yesterday, and part of today we have been getting phone calls asking for "Josh Lay". In fact a good buddy of ours from Main who owns www.sharkdiving.com
called us to say he had a hot lead for a party of 3-6...you guessed it "Josh Lay".

The number Mr.Lay left behind to contact him is 323.240.9xxx that number is linked to our home office number here in California, so when you call it you get us!

Amusing? Yes. Whoever this "Josh Lay" is, he knows all about call forwarding, and has a great sense of humor. We have spoken with half the fleet in South Africa, a small shark diving operation in Honduras and a crazy German from Thailand who's got some kind of shark diving and beach massage service...for our money the Thai operation sounds like the winner!

Live Giant Squid Dissection-Museum Victoria

You just know we can't pass up a giant squid story so when news broke that there was going to be a live dissection of one, we just about went all kaddywompus here at the office:

Scientists are hoping to learn more about a giant squid, when it is dissected in Melbourne tomorrow July 17. 2008

The 245 kilogram squid was caught by fishermen off the coast of Portland in May.

The giant squid will go under the knife at Museum Victoria.The procedure will be open to the public and streamed live on the internet.

Call us geeks, but this sounds like a a whole lotta fun. If the servers do not crash we'll see you tomorrow in Melbourne!

Illegal Shark Fishing Vessel Ho Tsai Fa No. 18

After months of hunting, two documented sightings, and a high seas chase the Ho Tsai Fa No. 18 has surfaced...this time buried into a reef-minus her captain.

Greenpeace reported this illegal longliner working off the coasts of Java and the hunt has been on ever since.

Locals scavenging the ship have discovered holds full of tuna and shark. The captain is also missing reportedly killed by his own crew.

June 2008 Commercial Shark Landings in Ecuador

The following numbers come from Instituto National de Pesca, Ecuador. These are the official reported numbers of shark Landings for June.

The actual numbers are much higher and do not reflect illegal shark fining where the carcass is dumped.

June 2008 :

Pelagic Thresher : 281,9 tons (t).
Silky Shark : 74,8 t .
Blue Shark : 53,7 t .
Smooth Hammerhead : 25,7 t .
Scalloped Hammerhead : 10,8 t .
Shortfin Mako : 3,0 t .
Carcharhinus spp : 0,5 t .
Thresher (Alopias spp): 0,2 t .
Brown Smoothhound : 0,1 t .
Bigeye Thresher : 0,1 t .

TOTAL : 450,8 t in the month of June 2008

Ref. : Instituto National de Pesca.

One country. One month. One total. 901,600 pounds of sharks.

Y.O.Y Great White Washes up at Nantucket

Let us be the first to absolutely identify this critter as a great white-young of the year.

Monday July 14, 2008

By Jason Graziadei

Martha's Vineyard may have shark sightings, but Nantucket now has the real thing.

A seven-foot shark washed up on a beach off Sheep Pond Road Monday, and Marine Department officials believe it is either a young great white shark or a mako shark.

Representatives from the Division of Marine Fisheries will travel to Nantucket Tuesday to inspect it and attempt to identify the shark.

"It could well be a white shark, but we're not going to confirm what it is until we take a look tomorrow," said Lisa Capone, a spokesperson for the Division of Marine Fisheries.

After being discovered by several children on the beach, DPW workers along with an ATV police officer towed the shark off the sand and into a front-end loader parked on Sheep Pond Road.

Lifeguards and ATV police officers pulled swimmers out of the water at beaches along the south shore earlier on Monday after beachgoers reported seeing a shark in the water, beach manager Jeff Carlson said. A similar shark sighting was reported near Miacomet beach on Sunday afternoon.

Where The Basking Sharks Are...4146 feet!

Researchers using the latest tracking tech have discovered a quirky window into the ongoing mystery of the Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus.

They dive deep, in one case to 4146 feet. Another mystery revealed is the bi-coastal nature of these critters- turns out these animals are both citizens of the U.K and Canada.

Worldwide tracking efforts are discovering this to be the case with almost every pelagic species tracked, making regulations and management all the more challenging.

We're just hung up on the 4146 feet deep dive. What are they doing down there?

Heidi Klum-Shark Chick Spawns Shark Diver Hood Craze

The guys from Neutral Dive Gear posted this Heidi Klum story today. It quickly answered the burning question of why dive hoods like this exist.

They're not just a fashion statement. Ya wanna to go shark diving with Heidi? Get the gear:

There is only one thing that can really be said in regard to this story; there are roughly 45 very, very, very happy sharks swimming around the Bahamas these days. Supermodel Heidi Klum swam in shark infested waters in a bid to make her a stronger person.

The 35-year-old took part in the brave challenge for a documentary for the Discovery Channel. She tells America's OK! magazine, "I jumped into the water with 45 sharks without a cage in the Bahamas. That was a really good experience."

"I'm not saying that everyone should swim with sharks, but sometimes you have to jump over your own shadow in order to learn something that you will never forget for the rest of your life. Then you know you can conquer your fears."

Teamshark California-What Became of Them?

Off the coast of California there used to be a company called Team Shark. They were one of the original blue and mako shark operations in California.

We say "used to be" because aside from a cool website this company has effectively dropped off anyone's radar.

So we ask the question of the day:

What happened to Team Shark?

If you happen to know or work with these guys feel free to alert us, we're as curious as the next shark blog... and that would be all three of us!

Bill Wieger-Shark Artiste

Shark diver Bill Wieger joined us a few years ago at Isla Guadalupe.

At the time he was fresh face in another week long batch of excited divers we see each season, but we quickly came to know Bill as an artist.

On his first expedition to I.G he was introduced to a simply stunning female shark we named "Mystery" for her ability to just appear when she wanted to and vanish just as quickly.

As you know by now the I.G site is known for 100 foot visibility-so that's a pretty neat trick considering this animal is simply huge.

Bill went home and reproduced "Mystery" as a sculpture and now produces limited editions for interested divers and shark fans worldwide. As you can see from this image, he's got talent!

Right about now about 20% of you have your credit card out and we're pretty sure he will not mind if we post his email for interested buyers: billwieger@att.net

Old School Sharks-Renewable or Raw Product?

We have come a looong way with sharks. Just 60 years ago these animals were considered the "bane of man" to be exterminated at every opportunity.

With the advent of commercial shark diving brought about by the adventures of those few plucky early pioneers like Rodney Fox and others-sharks slowly evolved from "mindless man eater" to understood and respected wildlife.

At least as far as the diving public saw them.

You have to look at this image from 1946 with a bit of nostalgia. We're in a different world with sharks now. The abject fear of these animals is gone for the most part, and commercialization of them both in terms of renewable eco tourism and raw product (fins) have replaced that fear.

Now it's a race. Will we lose these animals to the raw product guys or will we save these animals with tourism?

Thailand Fish Cakes Anyone?

There's a big shark, then there's this critter. We're not sure which is more "concerning" for your average swimmer.

Found exclusively in Thailand these giant catfish feed an anything they can get into their gobs. Including, people.

Here's the caption:

Two Thai fishermen show off a 646-pound giant catfish they caught in the Mekong River in the Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand in mid-May 2008. The fish reportedly scared some tourists.

Editors note: Yeah, no doubt over a few Red Horse beers.

Shark Diving-Beqa-Leading the Pack

In the world of non caged "monster sized shark encounters" one site, bar none, has been leading the pack-Beqa Fiji. You have heard about this site on a day boat dive in Florida, seen it in magazines, and cannot move an inch on You Tube without seeing another stunning video.

The company who's also been leading the pack in conservation at this site is Beqa Adventure Divers.

Now on to the video, feel free to say "Holy Mother!", after watching this clip, we did:

Island of the Great White Shark-Harvard

From Richard Theiss CEO of RTSea Productions this afternoon:

There will be a screening of Island of the Great White Shark on July 17th at the Harvard Museum of Natural History

I'd like to think that it's because the documentary resonates with people other than die hard shark lovers. Hopefully the realistic portrait of white sharks, the ongoing research, and the conservation message presented in the film will reach as many people as possible, especially those people who are convinced that great white sharks are the Darth Vader of all sharks.

I will not be in attendance at the screening, but Dr. John Mandelman, resident shark expert from the New England Aquarium, is scheduled to be there for follow up questions and discussion about shark issues. Things couldn't be in better hands.

So, if you're in the Boston/Cambridge, MA area next Thursday, check it out.

Shark Productions-Case in Point

This email came in this morning. Not sure where we'll go with this one as at least one of our hard and fast criteria for good shark productions does not seem to be there, the all important "budget". Although it does seem "interesting":

Hello there,

I have a film crew and actors all of which are at the very least dive master certified, and one of which is a marine biologist specializing in shark research. We are filming a television show that showcases our travels and adventures across the world. Right now half of our crew is out in Koh Tao, Thailand filming and due back at the end of August. We are low budget and high thrill show with a crew and cast ranging between 5 and 8 people. I saw on xxx that you are offering exclusive trips for film crews and was curious if you would accept our company on one of these voyages. Hope to hear from you soon.

Cheers,
XXX XXX
XXX Biscayne Blvd, Suite XXX
North Miami Beach
(317) XXX-XXXX

Remember that "Unicorn Shark?"

We blogged about one of the most unlikely looking critters we have ever seen a few months ago. At the time only a few images of the deep water "Unicorn Shark" were available. Now a video has surfaced with even more shots.

Either this is a hoax, or as we said back then, a new shark "we're hoping get's to 20 feet in length so we can go dive with it!"

Hunt on for shark in Tuggerah Lake

Remember that 21 foot white shark discovered lurking about Tuggerah Lake, Australia? We blogged about it last week.

You gotta hand to to the Aussies. When not battling all the "things that will kill you" in their country, they are alternately grilling, drinking beers...and hunting down the "things that will kill you".

Case in point a semi-serious effort is being mounted-as we blog-to catch that 21 foot white shark:

THE hunt is on for a huge 7m "son of jaws" great white shark cut loose from a fishing net off Canton Beach on Wednesday.

It is the second great white found in Tuggerah Lake since 2005. It comes on top of three other shark sightings in the lakes system in as many years. Experts fear the great white may be trapped in the lake unable to reach the sea because The Entrance channel is too shallow.

Of course the crew here at Shark Diver are available as "consultants" if anyone down under wants to hire us as white shark experts. Unlike George Burgess-we work for BBQ and beers. Given that this "hunt" should last well into the summer, we're thinking that's a pretty good deal!

Florida Surfers and Sharks

A pretty cool news story out of New Smyrna Beach, Florida this morning as local surfers share the waters with leaping sharks of all sizes:

It happened in the blink of an eye, but some people told Eyewitness News they still don't believe the tale of a wave-jumping shark in New Smyrna Beach even though it was caught on camera."He said, 'I hope I got it,'" said eyewitness Skipper Eppelin.It was three frames, one half-second of photography and a once-in-a-lifetime shot."I looked at the camera and go, 'You've got to be kidding me,'" said professional photographer Kem McNair.

Of course there's a catch and that is about 73% of the people who have seen this image set believe it's faked. Since we're not experts we'll let you decide.

Shark Projects - Passing on "Night"

We passed on an "interesting shark project" a while back.

About twice a month we get hits from various production companies who want to shoot sharks. A few of these projects we decide to pass on for various reasons from non existent film budgets to outright crazy shark production notes.

The projects we do work with are all A-list crews who approach us with shark productions that make sense.

This latest shoot for Animal Planet (the production company will remain nameless) is set to go in the Bahamas. Called "Night" they wanted to take their show host at night-in a baited situation-with Tigers.

Cages? Minor detail.

Now this is do-able and not as crazy at it sounds, but here's where it started to go south for us:

1. The show host was not certified and had no shark experience
2. Their primary DP was not certified and had no shark experience

That's not to say they have not proceeded with this shoot. In fact it looks like they will film "Night" as planned. One thing we learned a long time ago about adding your name, or your credibility to any shark shoot - beware.

As industry members it is up to us to guide production to better production values. Sometimes you have to say "no" because in the end poor productions hurt everyone, the industry, and the sharks that we spend years trying to portray in a positive light.

Industry blow back from these productions is growing...and more often than not you'll never see it coming, especially at "Night".

Shark Animations CGI

Long time shark fan-Tom from Texas sent this in today with the following email:

" Hey Shark Divers, I know I should be working right now but I would rather be playing with sharks. Here's something i found on You Tube to pass the hours until closing time".

Editors Note:This is a pretty hypnotic time waster:

Digital Images-Untrustworthy?

We love being on the "subject of the day" and right now it seems digital media is front and center.

Yesterday we dove into the ongoing debate about underwater digital photography for commercial use.

Knowing that with the basic tools available anyone can doctor an image-how does the commercial industry police it's self? Or does it even try?

We suggested a unique approach, one we're pretty sure will be shot down by those who make a living from slightly doctored images. But where is the credibility in digital and how do we move from "Here's the image" to "Here's the true image?".

In case you're wondering how prevalent this problem is, take for example the latest issue with Iran. This morning accusations of a fourth mystery missile in a digital shot seen round the world.

Underwater Photography-A Case for Photoshop

We booked a diver the other day to Isla Guadalupe who turned out to be an "old school film photographer".

As we discussed the relatively recent and meteoric rise of commercial digital photography in the industry he said, "90% of those commercial images are photoshopped".

Which opens an interesting debate about the current trend in commercial underwater photography, and elegant solution.

Underwater shooters are without a doubt a rare breed of photographers. With the advent of digital shooting along came the ability to change and modify the images ad hoc. Long gone are the days where the final image was the final image causing those that had honed their craft on film to cry foul. Now a decent photographer can be a fantastic one by changing the image after the shoot with powerful tools available throughout the marketplace.

Exactly what makes a great underwater image? How many modifications are acceptable? And will we as consumers of those images ever know?

The answer to that has an elegant solution. Digital media allows each image to be tagged. The solution would be for a software program (typically the same program that allows you to modify the image) to keep track of each and every modification, and for those who use these images commercially to share with the public each and every change.

This would change the current digital underwater photography paradigm from "here's the image" to "this is a true image".

Case in point, the image we started this blog post with. Fake.

Shark Week-Aquarium of the Pacific

We don't normally post events-but since we really like the guys at the Long Beach AQ and it's Shark Week related:

This Shark Week visitors to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach can embark on their own shark adventures.

Aquarium guests will discover that sharks are as diverse as the ocean they inhabit, as they see sharks of all shapes and sizes found throughout the Pacific Ocean from Palau to Southern California. They'll find out why sharks are important to the planet and how individuals can help
protect them.

SHARK WEEK ADVANCE SCREENING OFFERED LONG BEACH SEA FESTIVAL

In partnership with the Discovery Channel, the City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, and Charter Communications, the Aquarium of the Pacific will gear up for Shark Week with an advance FREE screening of a new episode on its front lawn on Sunday, July 20 at 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to bring their family and friends to watch the episode as it is projected on a large outdoor screen. Picnics are encouraged, and people can bring their own food or purchase it from the Aquarium. There will be opportunities to visit the sharks and other animals at the Aquarium with a special admission rate of only $10 from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

WHEN: Shark Week at the Aquarium: Sunday, July 27 through Sunday

August 3, 2008 Advance Screening of a new Shark Week Episode: Sunday, July 20, 2008

WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach,CA 90802

COST: Sunday, July 20 outdoor screening on the Aquarium's front lawn is FREE

Australia's White Sharks-Now 20% Bigger and Lakebound!

How many times do we have to remind you that pretty much everything in Australia will kill you.

It seems even an innocent dip in the local lake will kill you with the "discovery" of a 21 foot Great White shark cruising the local waters there. If dodging Salties and Freshies (crocs) wasn't bad enough

Yes that's right, a 21 foot Great White shark.

Here's the full news report for your review and as Fox News would put it " We'll Report. You Decide"

Great white shark 'in lake

Police issued a warning today after a seven-metre great white shark was reportedly netted and freed in a Central Coast lake.

A commercial fisherman reported to police that he netted the monster in waters at a popular school holiday vacation spot at Tuggerah Lake.

The fisherman reported snaring the seven-metre shark in nets he had cast off Canton Beach, at the northern end of the lake about 5.30am today.

Monster Sharks in San Francisco Bay? Heck Yeah!

A few years ago on a flight out of Oakland we noticed something "sharky" below the plane. It was spring and as the plane banked back over the airport we looked down and saw "hundreds" of shark outlines in the muddy water moving slowly up and down the rock breakers at the airport. At the time we thought "these must be large Leopard Sharks".

Little did we know at the time there's a much bigger shark species lurking in San Francisco Bay.

Fast forward to last week. On a visit to our local Aquarium of the Bay, lo and behold there was the monster that we had seen in previous years from 15,000 feet...all ten feet of her!

San Francisco, CA, June 20, 2008 – Aquarium of the Bay today welcomed a nearly 10-foot long female sevengill shark, believed to be the largest of its species in captivity. The Aquarium, which conducts extensive research on sharks in the San Francisco Bay, has more than 50 sharks among its family of more than 20,000 aquatic animals.

Bringing the over 330-pound shark into Aquarium of the Bay required many skilled hands including the Aquarium’s husbandry team, as well as other Aquarium of the Bay staff members. Volunteer Steve Shirley of Team Fishfinder also played a major role in bringing the shark to the Aquarium.

Shark Introduction "Cuddles" Isla Guadalupe

For those of you who will be joining us this year at Isla Guadalupe we thought we would introduce you to some of the "locals" that you'll be meeting this season.

This gal is called "Cuddles". For reasons that are obvious, she's also one of the "nicest" white sharks on site.

We have been lucky enough to dive with her over the past three years, and she's usually the last to join us on any given day, seemingly content just to have divers gaze at her.

Not all animals at this pristine and unique site are the same and many have "distinct personalities" that become evident once you spend enough time with them. It's a strange way to look at Great Whites, purported to be the "ultimate killing machines". One week with this little gal will change the way you look at them, trust us!

Amusing-Bollywood Dancing and Sharks...Never a Good Combo

Word from the Bahamas this week that Akshay Kumar Bollywood's premier leading man and recipient of more Om Shanti Awards than any other human on the planet has suffered a head injury on his newest underwater set.

Insiders say while in the Bahamas, which involved a sunken vessel and many Lemon Sharks swirling around at 75 feet, his wild Bollywood gyrations and flowing outfit got caught, causing him to hit his head and bleed profusely. To get an idea of what we're talking about imagine the following Akshay video...underwater and covered in sharks:



Editors Note: We could not have made this up.

Shark Researchers-California

We're running through the images of the month here at Underwater Thrills and this one came up.

What you are looking at is a "rejected" white shark from the Monterey Bay program. Turns out this little critter had a slight eye infection and they tagged and released him instead.

Only the "best and the brightest" make the actual aquarium exhibit, and only after going through a gauntlet of researchers, lab guys, and vets.

Think of it kind of like American Idol for White Sharks-except no one on the Monterey team has a smarmy British accent or used to be a dancer...as far as we know anyway.

Sharkbookings.com-Another Great Week in S.A

Got the following email and very cool image today from Dave owner of Sharkbookings.com

White shark diving in South Africa is always hopping, and last week was no exception:

I went out the other day and have a nice sequence of a shark trying to breach the bait. See attached. Need to get out again and as soon as the weather improves will be back out on the boat again for some more photos.

Conditioning to the baited environment

It's pretty dry reading-but as far as it's impact on an entire shark diving industry the following report is nothing short of "revelatory".

This is also a good case for the addition of shark research in tandem with commercial shark diving operations. This school of thought is being lead into the industry by a few forward thinking operations and is slowly making headway.

Moving away from treating sharks as little more than Biological ATM's and more as sustainable resources is both a lofty goal and the future of shark diving worldwide.

The fine folks over at Rodney Fox in Australia commissioned a multi year study to see if sharks habituated to chum. An ongoing debate that sometimes reaches a fevered pitch between the anti-shark diving community and commercial shark divers, here's a quick look:

Our Findings

Chumming cannot habituate or condition sharks in any way since sharks cannot feed on the chum, since it is finely minced and highly diluted. Thus, it does not constitute a reward of any kind.

However, baits can constitute a reward and, if sharks do succeed in consuming some bait, conditioning is theoretically possible under certain circumstances, but would require frequent visitations over a relatively long period of time, with sharks receiving substantial rewards in each of these visits in order for the conditioning response to be established. However, the data showed that sharks actually receive more negative reinforcement than positive reinforcement under baited conditions since the bait is pulled away from them much more often than not.

Whale Sharks in the "Millions" we tells ya!

Maybe not in the millions, but for an increasing number of divers and tour operators this site has become the defacto "Valhalla for Whale Sharks".

Kind of like finding the lost City of Atlantis, or the fabled African Elephants Graveyard, except this site is in Mexico.

Here's one the the latest operations to join the pile. The cost? $2995...oh and do not forget that $695 Singles Supplement (makes you want to get married, right?) :

Just off the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is a small island largely untouched by tourism, despite its proximity to Cancún. Isla Holbox might go unnoticed entirely, except for some unique visitors who come to its warm ocean waters each summer. Their presence is hard to ignore, since they are 40 feet long and weigh 15 tons. These are gentle whale sharks – not whales at all, despite their size, but actually the world’s largest fish. Docile and unafraid, they allow us to swim close enough to observe the checkerboard pattern of pale yellow dots and stripes covering their thick gray skin.

Shark Diving Trends-We Hate Being Right

Last week we blogged about the next big idea for shark dive encounters. All things considered we see it as an emerging trend.

Seems a group of developers in Turkey had the same idea. They open to the public this week:

Turkey's new sea park opens

Turkey's first sea park is ready to open in the Aegean resort town Kuşadası. The park, which was under construction for two years, will be inhabited by 2,000 tropical fish. The sea park only has one equivalent, in the United States.

Visitors to the park can dive in with the ocean fish, swim with dolphins, see alligators at close range and swim in the same pool with a shark while inside a cage. Based on the slogan "We fit the ocean to pools," the Adaland Sea Park is expecting visitors who are interested in sea creatures and adventures.

Those who want to experience a shark at the closest possible range will dive inside the pool within a cage to meet the terrifying white shark. There will also be three baby alligators behind wire fences in the park. The most eagerly anticipated part of Adaland Sea Park, besides sharks, dolphins and multi-colored fish, is the section that includes Nemo, the hero of the award winning animated movie "Finding Nemo."

Isla Guadalupe, Mexico-Capturing "The Moment"

As we speed to another amazing season at Isla Guadalupe we always spend a few days hunting through old cd's stacked full with images shot by our lucky divers.

In all the years we have been going to this unique site together, we have seen some pretty amazing things. The image you're looking at is one of them.

As far as we know this is the only full shark breach image every captured at I.G...and it was entirely a fluke.

The animals at this pristine site give absolutely no warning when they are going to breach, so it was another extraordinary day when this photographer happened to have her camera resting on the ships rail and this magnificent 14 foot animal came blasting out of the water.

Her finger reflexively hit the trigger and "voila", the perfect shot including the morning sun blazing off this critters belly.

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference. In this case 210 miles off the coast of San Diego-at an island time forgot called Isla Guadalupe.

U.S. Shark Conservation Act - Act Now!

Melanie from Shark Trust Wines sent in this email this morning.

While the rest of America celebrates the 4th today please take 5 minutes out of your day to do something for the sharks. They need your help more than ever:

U.S. Shark Conservation Act

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 on Tuesday, July 8. The bill aims to close loopholes in the national fining ban, prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea, and encourage international shark conservation.

U.S. citizens wishing to support the bill should contact their Representatives as soon as possible. To find yours, go to www.house.gov and type in your zip code in upper left corner of page.

Wyland and his plates-gimee my money!

We blogged about this sad event last week. In terms of poor public relations "the artiste" Wyland dropped a media art bomb on California with all the expected results.

Now others in the blog world and even the LA Times has responded with a pithy Op-Ed skewering the artist in a way that only the LA Times can.

Here's a short outtake:

Wyland has his own nonprofit foundation and wanted 20% of the state's profits from his plates -- about $700,000 a year -- donated to it. He worked out a similar deal, for 10%, with Florida, but for California, this is a load of blubber. The Wyland plates have been prettifying cars for years, but the state Department of Motor Vehicles isn't a marketing tool for any individual's ventures, for profit or not. No commissions in return for the use of intellectual property.

"The whale tail is my art and my idea," Wyland spouted off to The Times. "I'm sticking up for artists' rights, for the common person."

Not that common people generally travel the world painting gigantic cetacean murals, but we get the concept. Wyland's donation of the license plate design, however temporary, was a terrific gift -- for the state, its drivers and for him. He's had thousands of free mini-billboards all over the freeways this last decade.

Editors note: Perhaps Wyland should invest in a few "Oompah Loopahs" to help him haul around that massive ego of his.

The futue of commercial shark diving?

Let us consider the thorny issue of commercial shark diving and Aquariums. Recent trends would suggest that the public's demand to meet sharks in almost any situation has created this new and emerging market.

This morning another Aquarium joined this growing trend:

Dive with sharks at the Florida Aquarium

Dive with the Sharks gives you the opportunity to SCUBA dive with shark species from around the world in our incredible Shark Bay exhibit. We provide the sharks and all of your gear for this experience of a lifetime. This experience will put you up close and personal with the ocean’s top predator on every dive.

PURPOSE: The Dive with the Sharks program is designed to dispel the commonly held myth that sharks are man-eaters and to convey a strong conservation message to our guests. Essentially, this is an extension of our very successful and popular dive show "Sharks! From Fear to Fascination!"

The question now is why not? Why not create entire commercial "shark parks" where divers from around the world can interact with sharks from all corners of the planet diving in man made environments filled with both ocean and freshwater critters.

The idea may seem far fetched, but we're almost there, what is missing is stunning backdrops that redefine the entire dive experience. Imagine recreating unique dive sites like Truk Lagoon filled with sharks, or sunken ruins from long ago civilizations. Imagine learning to dive in what amounts to a man made wonderland of wildlife and dive site re-creation?

What is missing is vision. As long as Aquariums continue on this path the next step is not too far down the road.

Australia-Things that kill the things that will kill you

We have blogged about it over and over and over again.

Australia is a dangerous country. If local critters are not out trying to kill you, they are out to sting, maim, or incapacitate you for consumption at a later date.

Case in point. Cane Toads are not just a recreational drug anymore, they will kill you. That's the latest finding in Australia (no surprise there) as hundreds of freshwater crocks have turned up dead, that's right, from Cane Toads.

Oh and by the way, Cane Toads were imported in 1935 into Australia because someone thought the country did not have enough crazy, dangerous wildlife to avoid at all costs.

Shark Finning-A big idea to "Chew On"

A while back we had a conversation with the CEO of Wild Aid Peter Knights. Wild Aid is the "master of the message" getting major players in the entertainment and sports world to come forward and do pro wildlife PSA's (Public service announcements).

We spoke about an idea we had about viral PSA's for a cash prize. Here's how it works. In the USA alone there are hundreds of small, upcoming, digital media production houses all looking for work. These folks are, in a word, brilliant-but they lack the main stream exposure they need to get the entire world to see their talent.

What if someone offered a $50,000 cash prize for the best anti shark finning viral video based on several criteria, one of which would be the number of downloads.

It's called a force multiplier. Now hundreds of PSA's that catch the eye and showcase raw digital talent would be all over the place, spreading the message in multiple languages, and multiple formats-being seen by the world.

$50,000 may seem like a lot-but when you consider a single Wild Aid PSA has a donated value of many hundreds of thousands, you get the idea. Here's an example of a commercial shark video that has become viral. Imagine if you changed the message slightly how many people would be affected. By recent counts 87,000 and growing:

Airline safety...tagging of a different sort

Yeah, we know it's a major departure from the regular format and we apologize in advance.

A Note on Airline Safety

You would assume after 9/11 that the airline security situation had improved. O.K, so you're not a dummy and you know the airlines security situation has not improved .

But what about Air Force One? You know, the plane POTUS (President of the United States) rides around in stationed at Andrews Air force Base?

One would assume the security there is "otherworldly". Prepare to be disappointed. As this video would suggest getting the message across is as simple as two skate punks, a 2 dollar can of paint and some cajones the size of a Whale Shark:



Oh and by the way this is a brilliant fake. Welcome to the new media-"viral videos". Something we know a little about.

Shark Tagging Continues at Isla Guadalupe 2008

We got word this week that the final year of a 4 year tagging and tracking effort at Isla Guadalupe will proceed. The team lead by Mexican shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos expects to publish their findings in 2009.

Of course we here at Underwater Thrills have a "good idea" about what the data will show, and we can tell you it answers many of the questions posed at this unique site over the past 7 years: