Bigfoot Found? Nothing Sharky About It

The blog sphere just lit up with the unexpected news that Bigfoot has been found...and no this is not a joke.

According to SearchingForBigfoot.com-and about 320 alternate sources-Tom Biscardi, Bigfoot hunter and part time huckster will unveil DNA, video and images, but not the actual specimen he "collected" in Georgia on Friday.

The supposed discoverers, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, are believed to have shot the 500lb critter in the woods of northern Georgia. Whitton is a Clayton County police officer who has been on medical leave after being shot himself in July and Dyer is a former correctional officer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

As of this morning, Pacific time, Biscardi's website had crashed (there's a lot of cryptophiles out there) with few further details. We loves our monsters.

We'll keep you updated-actually we won't-but you can check in for regular updates at these sites. After all, we're all about sharks, not Bigfoot:

eFlux Media

Crunch Gear (Images)

More Sharks "Than You Can Shake a Stick At"

Santa Barbara, California is known for many things-casual shark encounters are one of them. This week the Santa Barbara Independent has local shark coverage unlike any news source we have seen in a while. Rarely do news sources take on the subject of sharks and rarely do they get any depth on the subject.

It's called shark immersion, and for anyone who loves sharks the Santa Barbara Independent's coverage is simply fascinating reading.

Here's this weeks sharky line up:

• Sharks and Humans Getting to Know Each Other in the S.B. Channel — by Ethan Stewart

• Sharks and the Chumash — by Matt Kettmann

• World War II, Santa Barbara’s Waterfront, and 2,000 Shark Livers a Day — by Ethan Stewart and Nick Welsh

• Scary Shark, Tasty Lunch — by Catherine Meagher

• Shark Bite: A Love Story — by Drew Mackie

• Are Sharks Really the Eating Machines We’ve Made Them Out to Be? — by Ethan Stewart

• Sharks of the Channel — by Indy Staff

Big Fish Utila-New Whale Shark Film

Utila (U-Tilla), Honduras is home to dollar beers and one of the coolest bars set in a tree in the entire region. It is also home to Whale Sharks and a nascent shark diving industry.

Now, a new film has come out that tackles the many issues of commercial shark diving head on. If the films trailer is any indication-this should be a landmark documentary:

Big Fish Utila does more than impress the audience with breath taking pictures and fantastic music. It is a look at a shark and an island, and how the two are intrinsically linked and inter-dependant. It is not an advert for the whale shark tour industry or for Utila. The filmmakers strived to create an honest account of a habitat that is being damaged by a population that is growing too fast. It looks at both the fishing and tourist industries with a view of making them more accountable for their actions, whilst trying to understand their point of view. It also gives space to in-depth information about the shark and on emerging technologies that are helping to give us more vital information.

Sonja Fordham-If you don't know her you should

This years Shark Week enlisted the help of notable shark advocate Sonja Fordham to help dispel the myths surrounding sharks. What they got was one of our brightest voices in the world of shark conservation, tourism, and sustainable seas:

Sharks for Fun

As top predators, sharks have helped keep oceans in balance for hundreds of millions of years and have provided food, leather, oil, weapons and decoration for thousands. Much more recently, sharks have emerged as a source for recreation, through diving, snorkelling, fishing and viewing in aquariums. There is no shortage of controversy surrounding these relatively new uses of sharks.

For starters, many people have concerns about shark-feeding dives; they fear such activities might alter shark behavior and condition sharks to associate people with food, resulting in bites that could fuel the already negative perception of sharks. On the other hand, shark ecotourism can dispel myths about sharks and may inspire action on their behalf. Revenue from shark diving supports powerful economic arguments for keeping sharks alive (see this blog's entry on devil rays). Most proponents of shark ecotourism agree that strict guidelines for conduct should be in place.

Recreational fishing can have a significant impact on sharks. Scientists note a substantial dent in East coast shark populations in the 1970s, after "Jaws" sparked interest in sport fishing for sharks. Since the early 1990s, the government has increasingly limited U.S. Atlantic recreational shark catch while the popularity of catch-and-release fishing has increased. In recent years, the Humane Society (www.hsus.org) has gained attention and support for their efforts to end shark "kill" tournaments in the U.S. Atlantic. Of particular concern is tournament take of porbeagle sharks, as this species is regionally endangered.

Some groups have criticized aquariums for keeping wide-ranging sharks, such as great white and whale sharks, in captivity. Others say that the public needs to see these creatures to appreciate and fight for them, and that the number of individuals in aquariums pales in comparison to the number killed in the wild each year.

These are indeed controversial issues. We're wondering where you stand and invite you to share your perspectives.

PHOTO: Porbeagle shark, Seapics

Great White Shark-We Told Ya!

Oh, about that little shark that washed up in Nantucket last month? It was a Great white:

Fair Trade Tourism Position Paper 2008

South Africa's Fair Trade in Tourism recently tackled the ongoing debate over white shark cage diving.

Their February 2008 position paper on the matter is a "must read" for shark diving operators worldwide.

Globally shark tourism is a 300 million dollar industry and growing.

Greenland Shark Eats Polar Bear?

No, this is not one of your classic "man bites dog" headlines this is the real deal.

By the way, Greenland Sharks are rapidly becoming one of our all time favorites around here:

Scientists researching how far sharks hunt seals in the Arctic were stunned in June to find part of the jaw of a young polar bear in the stomach of a Greenland shark, a species that favors polar waters.

"We've never heard of this before. We don't know how it got there," Kit Kovacs, of the Norwegian Polar Institute, told Reuters of the 10 cm (4 inch) bone found in a shark off the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

Isla Guadalupe Trip Update 8.2008

Club Cantamar and the MV Sea Escape opened the 2008 white shark diving season this year.

We just got off the phone with them and here's the update:

The sharks are once again back at Isla Guadalupe. Day one was slow, with two sizable Mako's making an appearance and then disappearing into the clear waters and not returning.

Mid afternoon-Day one-three great whites show up and for the next two days the crew and divers on board the MV Sea Escape are treated to sharks, sharks, sharks!

It looks like another shark filled season this year. For those few of you who'll be joining us out there we look forward to showing you a shark or two. August 18-22 cannot come quickly enough!

42 Countries in 4 months-A blog to watch

We get tipped off to some amazing blogs and websites. Today was no exception. Discover and join the team from Moving Sushi-Marine Resources Expedition as they kick off their 42 country 4 month land based ocean odyssey with a visit to South Africa's sharks:

The world’s oceans are in deep trouble. From the northernmost reaches of the Arctic Circle to the Southern Oceans surrounding Antarctica the seas are been stripped at an unprecedented rate. Since the 1900’s, many species may have declined by nearly 90%, and unfortunately it does not stop there. Every aspect of the ocean is being mined for its resources; coral reefs are being destroyed by dynamite and cyanide for both food and the aquarium fish trade, which is suggested to top a billion dollars a year. Seamounts have been targeted due to the aggregation of high market value pelagic species associated with them, like the tuna. Kelp forests, sandy shores, estuaries and the deep ocean are all relentlessly exploited by a range of fishing strategies and advanced technologies with subsequent devastating effects.

Isla Guadalupe, Mexico-Meet the Locals

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 13 foot fellow is called "Chompers". For reasons that are obvious, he's also one of the luckiest white sharks on site.

Two years ago Chompers had a violent run in with Shreddder and came close to loosing his eye in the fight. Early season divers often see male on male violence and posturing. We're still trying to figure out why this is.

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!

Thanks to Christie Fisher for the shot.

When Jellyfish...Attack!

More from the files of the absurd this week. The last place you want to be fishing these days is the Philippines :

A fisherman yesterday died of “cardiogenec shock” after he was attacked by a jelly fish in Brgy. Tiling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, a report from the Provincial Heath Office said.

The victim was identified as Emilio Lindayao, 40, and a resident of the barangay. Lindayao, and his brother went for a swim in the coastal area of Brgy. Tiling in Cauayan, when he was attacked by the jellyfish.

Police reports said Lindayao was declared dead on arrival at the Cauayan District Hospital, because of jellyfish stings.

Sea Shepherd Issues Arrest Warrant For The Japanese Whaling Fleet-"Bread and Circuses"

The Romans had a saying for what Sea Shepherd have become the absolute masters of: "Bread and Circuses".

This term aptly applies to the ongoing misdirection and political theatre Sea Shepherd has foisted on to unsuspecting and well meaning donors worldwide.

We were once supporters of Sea Shepherds seemingly tough brand of eco-enforcement. Their self styled "take no prisoners" brand looked for a time like the real deal.

Finally something would be done, changes would be made, and the world's animals saved. If Greenpeace was getting too soft these guys would changes things.

Sadly, this was not to be the case. Sea Shepherd quickly devolved from mighty warrior to theatre of the absurd and continues along these lines to this day.

The main culprit behind Sea Shepherds lack of credibility turns out to be the bloated and ego centric Captain Paul Watson and whoever stage manages his media for him.

Claiming to be shot in the chest during this years whale hunt in the Southern Ocean, and producing a fake video to back this absolute and image costly fabrication up was the last straw for us.

In the end it all comes down to money. With dollars for what Sea Shepherd is attempting to do drying up worldwide they have chosen to "ratchet up the noise" or "wag the dog" in hopes of attracting more money for further ineffectual and costly efforts to stop the continuing pillage of our oceans.

If one takes a good look at Sea Shepherd and can navigate beyond the outright fabrication of story lines, if one can leap over the growing "chasm like" credibility gap they have adopted like self inflicted wound, one would discover an ineffectual eco group that has failed repeatedly to stop any of the ongoing slaughter. They trot out numbers and make bold claims that they have slowed things down, but the slaughter continues.

Take your pick, whales, seals, sharks, fish, all continue to be slaughtered to this day, none of it has been stopped. If Sea Shepherd was a for profit company, and this was their metric for success, no one would would invest in them. Add to that anyone's ability to actually believe what they say and what you have is...nothing. A black hole for financial backers who demand success, not "Bread and Circuses".

I Hate Sharks-L.A Times

From the Op-Ed in the L.A Times today. Before you get all crazy-read the whole article:

I hate sharks

When we learned some were endangered, I tried to hate hyenas or anacondas instead. It didn't work.

By Joe Queenan
August 8, 2008

Like most people in this country, I have long hated sharks, largely because of what they did to Robert Shaw in "Jaws." For years, I thought of sharks as mindless, demonic eating machines, an attitude reinforced by the harrowing story Shaw told Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider about the 1945 Japanese torpedo attack on the U.S. cruiser Indianapolis. Although many of the 880 casualties died because of exposure or drinking saltwater, many were eaten by the tigers of the deep. So, all in all, it seemed almost unpatriotic not to hate them.

Disliking sharks was hardly a minority opinion; it's one reason the Discovery Channel's annual "Shark Week" is such a hit. But in recent years, as many species of sharks have become endangered, their image has undergone a radical change. Shark attacks are nowhere near as common as most people think, and fatalities are rare. When a shark does attack a human, as Smithsonian magazine recently pointed out, it usually does so because it has mistaken the human for a seal. That's why it usually only takes a bite, then when it realizes its error, sheepishly wanders off before its colleagues notice its deteriorating feeding technique.

I was disappointed at not being able to hate sharks anymore, as I had previously jettisoned the Big Bad Wolf (wolves hold down the moose and elk populations), grizzly bears (they mostly stick to themselves and generally only attack humans armed with video cameras making self-referential films) and pit bulls (loyal, peppy animals that only go off the rails because of depraved trainers or owners). That cut the supply of high-profile animals it was OK to despise down to rats, vultures and hyenas.

But then the New York Times' Science section did a big expose on hyenas, reporting that they are surprisingly bright and highly social. Sure enough, the Smithsonian chimed in with a hyena-rehabilitation report. Contrary to their image as craven parasites, hyenas kill 95% of what they eat, unlike lions, which would kill hyenas just for laughs.

When I mentioned my dismay about the dwindling number of species it was acceptable to hate, a friend took issue with the other entrants on my list. Vultures, she said, dispose of carrion. And rats not only provide a valuable source of food for many other predators but do a yeoman service to mankind as lab animals. (My friend didn't go as far as to say that urban rats performed any useful function, other than as weird pets; she said that I should react positively or negatively to rats on a case-by-case basis. Duly noted.)

I started looking at anacondas. A friend went to Brazil last year to interview a man who spent about an hour machete-ing an anaconda to pieces after it wrapped its mouth around his grandson's head and tried to eat him. The anaconda clearly hadn't mistaken the child for a dog or a jaguar; it was merely showing off. Which seemed to make it OK to hate the entire species.

The problem is, I don't come across anacondas very often in my daily life, whereas rats and pit bulls are a constant, and vultures and sharks are always out there somewhere. I am thus being denied my right to engage with an animal nemesis at the local level.

This is no fun at all, either psychologically or cardiovascularly; it's like trying to give yourself the heebie-jeebies by waiting for those marauding hordes from Monte Carlo to show up and put suburban New York to the sword.

I have tried hard to substitute deer and mosquitoes for sharks and rats in my house of horrors, but it's just not working. Even though deer ravage my wife's garden, they are majestic creatures and difficult to dislike, if only because of their cultural ties to Bambi. And mosquitoes are too puny to loathe, as they are not especially scary-looking; bees would make a more formidable adversary, but bees pollinate flowers and produce honey, so disliking them is culturally verboten.

In the end, I have decided to go on hating sharks in private while toeing a politically correct line in public. The last time I took a dip in the Atlantic, I announced to friends that if a shark ate me, I would accept this as a misfortune I set in motion as soon as I intruded into an ecosystem in which all animate creatures are a potential source of nutrition. But I was lying, as I have just as much right to be in the ocean as any other animal and would never deny a shark his right to amble down Broadway or hike through Yellowstone, if he pleased.

I only hope that if a shark ever does eat me, he does so because he detects that I am a shark-loathing reactionary and deserve to die. I'd hate to get eaten just because some shark mistook me for a seal.

Sable Island Mystery - Revisiting a Shark?

We were speaking with the guys from Nat Geo Critter Cam this week and the topic moved from recent projects to one of our favorites, Sable Island.

There's an ongoing mystery surrounding recently dead seals that wash up along the shores here with predation patterns on them not seen anywhere else on the planet.

It's as if these animals have been "corkscrewed" to remove just the fat layer. So surgical are these attacks researchers at at a complete loss to even begin to ascertain what's killing these seals. Is this the work of a shark in the surf line?

Time and perhaps a motivated film crew or two will once and for all open this mystery up. For the money, we think it's a shark.

We also think it may be the work of an International Sub Aquatic Soap Mafia...but that's just the coffee talking.

Wolfgang Leander-Quotable

We ran across the following blog post the other day from the shark world's Wolfgang Leander. Always in the thick of controversy and never willing to pull a punch, we have come to admire old Wolf's "man against the machine" take on everything from shark fining to filmmakers who do bad things with sharks. That's not to say we always agree with him, but he's on target this week.

Being nice to a tiger shark...

(Photo: Felix Leander / 2008)

I recorded all the Discovery Shark week episodes this week, and unfortunately I found myself fast forwarding through most of them. How absurd was Myth Busters and Surviving Sharks. It is really unfortunate - watching the show almost had a reverse effect on me; I began to doubt if I should dive with Tigers again...that is just crazy talk! Of course I will, actually this coming November.

On the flip side, a friend of mine also watched the show and has become very interested in sharks; he actually came diving with me in the hopes of seeing one - each to their own I guess.

Around the same time that Shark Week aired, Richard Theiss sent me a copy of his film Island of the Great White Shark - and how refreshing it was to watch. It reminded me of what Shark Week used to be - informative, scientific, and not in the least bit sensational.

While Richard directed, wrote, produced, and edited the film - he did not narrate it or appear in front of the camera...unlike a recent docuMEntary... :-)

So Discovery Channel - go back to the roots, take a look at Richard's film and some of your old tapes, and make a comeback in 2009.

Sharks and Kids-Changing the playing field

In 2007 the Nautilus Explorer hosted several wide eyed children at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. If the world is to see sharks remain in our oceans it is this next generation who will carry the torch for these amazing animals. Kudos to Mike and Roberto.

Here's the video:

Shark Experts-Found on The Internet

Seems our blog post from a few days ago is taking on a life of it's own or this is just a case of sharky zeitgeist.

The shark expert should really be called a shark biologist. That's the correct name for his occupation, but when he is asked to provide his opinion on shark-related matters for TV or newspapers, they just call him an expert. Maybe expert is a better word, for this shark biologist also cares about the sharks's soul.

Every day the shark expert observes and studies the sharks. He sees how they communicate, how they mate, how they define their territory, how they occupy their spare time, how they hoard their possessions, how they aspire for a better life, how they avoid the taboo subject of death, and so on.

He has known them since childhood. When one of them dies, whether naturally or grotesquely, the expert feels a bit sad. But this feeling doesn't last long as he knows that death is natural and part of living. Besides, there are lots of sharks in the sea anyway, and the tendency is for the population to increase.

The shark expert is fascinated with these animals, but no matter how much he likes them, he wouldn't want to live with them.

Lowly Leopards in La Jolla-Chris Bahnsen

Chris Bahnsen, shark writer and adventure seeker extraordinaire, has just completed another article about shark diving for the L.A Times.

His subject this time-the lowly Leopard Shark-a shark species in our opinion that gets virtually no play in California, even though this critter is simply gorgeous to look at.

You'll remember Chris from the expose he did on Shark Diver a few seasons ago for the L.A Times:

As many as 30 sharks skulk around these waters most of the year. Those numbers grow to more than 200 animals during the hottest months of July through mid-September, when water temps max at 70 degrees. Locals explain away the summer shark phenomenon as a breeding ritual, but, among scientists, this behavior is not fully understood.

Dr.Leonardo Castillo Mexico's Shark Advocate

When it comes to shark conservation in Mexico there's few champions like Dr.Leonardo Castillo. He oversaw and wrote the proposed Isla Guadalupe rules and regulations regarding white shark diving and is a tireless campaigner for sharks.

Recently he and his team were responsible for the averted slaughter of sharks off the coastlines of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo-after a series of shark attacks this spring that enraged locals and resort owners:

Mexico begins tagging sharks to prevent attacks

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Scientists say they have begun tagging thousands of sharks off Mexico's Pacific Coast in the hopes of preventing new attacks on humans.

Shark expert Leonardo Castillo says scientists will attach transmitters to two sharks and track them by satellite.

Castillo says that 15 another sharks will get sonar transmitters and 2,000 more will get plastic tags that can be tracked by fishermen.

Sharks recently killed two surfers and wounded a third near the southwestern resort of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, about 240 miles (150 kilometers) north of Acapulco.

Editors Note: Just goes to show you how "one person", with enough drive and conviction, and willing to get out ahead of an issue can effect change in a positive way for sharks. Kudo's to Dr. Castillo.

MythBusters - Filming and Swimming with Sharks

In our industry you get to work with some very unique and remarkable people.

Some more than others.

This spring Luke Tipple dive operations manager for Shark Diver and crew kept Jamie and Adam-The MythBusters-out of harms way at Tiger Beach, Bahamas while they explored the wild world of sharks.

The show was a complete success as the following video from "the boys" will attest:

Mythbusters Talk Sharks

Is it any wonder why this show is one of the most popular on Discovery?

From the crew here at Shark Diver-Thanks guys!

Sharks at 3300'-Molokai Hawaii

Got an an email from Andrew Krebs-Smith over at the National Aquarium in Baltimore this morning. They have an ongoing blog and keep in touch with us. We're always on the lookout for sharky content. He sent the following video link over, it's an oldie, but what a video:

Shark’s bite more powerful than T. Rex’s

We don't normally cover Megalodon those 50 foot monster sharks that once "owned" the earths oceans over 100 million years ago.

The reason? With the exception of a few plate sized teeth our divers keep showing us these animals are the stuff of myth and legend. Researchers don't even know what they looked like.

Fast forward to this week. Using CAT scans of modern day Great whites (now you're talking) researchers are now suggesting these ancient sharks had a simply stunning bite force, able to take the tails completely off their 120 foot prey.

As soon as time travel is invented, and perfected, Shark Diver will be leading the pack in Megalodon Dive Adventures-oh yeah!

Snopes.com-Busting Shark Stories Wide Open

Another day another 15 emails from our shark blog fans with the following story. For the record this shark ain't what you think:

Hey Shark Divers,

Have you seen this?! Holy Crap!

OCEANSHORES, WASHINGTON
While the ocean vessel 'Dawn Raider' was commercial fishing for dogfish, this Great White Shark was hooked in the mouth.

It only resisted slightly for 15 mins before it came up alongside the boat to have a look; just long enough for one of the crew members to slip a rope around its tail! And that's when the fun began. The Shark took off towing the 42-foot fishing boat backwards through the water at an estimated 7 knots. Just like in JAWS, the boat was taking on water over the stern and the crew watched in horror as the shark would actually jump completely out of the water at times. This went on for an hour before the shark finally drowned.

She weighed in at 1,035 pounds. It is suspected she followed a weak El Nino current into local Washington waters in search of food. Although mid- 60 degree water is considered ideal for these sharks, the larger ones can tolerate water in the low 50s.

Editors Note: Snopes.com busted this story wide open back in 2004...and that's not a Great White it's a "Honkin' Big Mako".

7 Gill Sharks-Monsters of San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is known for many things...monster sized sharks are not one of them.

We covered the 10 foot long critters that inhabit the waters off our shores last month, talk about an education...who knew?

Now researchers (the same lab involved in our Isla Guadalupe Project) are beginning to track and study these denzines of the deep. Better to know where these critters lurk so you can best avoid taking your dog for that Sunday swim:

The project, a collaboration between Aquarium of the Bay and the Biotelemetry Laboratory at UC Davis, began in May and could last five years. It will provide information about the history, behavior, movements, spatial distribution and migration patterns of the sevengills.

"Are they moving together? Are they moving individually? Do they have territories?" Slager asked. "We're also going to tag juveniles and see if there's age or size segregation."

San Francisco Bay might be the only nursery ground on the American Pacific coast for sevengill sharks, she said, which lends the project added urgency.

GEERG-You want to dive with the Greenland Shark?

Canada is fast becoming the "land of sharks" and none more sexy than the ice cold Greenland Shark. Turns out an estimated 100 million sharks live off Canada's shores...good luck seeing any of them as the waters here tend to run from pea soup to Beijing smog on a good day.

We blogged about this unlikely critter a few months ago and now would like to introduce you to the cutting edge guys who make shark diving with these cold water animals a reality:

The mission of GEERG is to study the Greenland shark and other Canadian shark species in their natural environment in order to better understand and protect them. The results of our work are made available to the scientific community and to the general public, in particular to sport divers, educational institutions, schools and museums.

Editors Note: Kudos to GEERG's webmaster. The video player is a nice touch and we're impressed with the mission statement. Overall great website, pro shark and hugely informative.

Sharks-Working the "Zowie Kapowie"

If it's hip, cool, new the guys over at Super Fun Patrol got it covered. Seriously, they got it covered.

We recently found out we're their favorite Shark Blog...but lacking a little on the "Zowie Kapowie" factor we once had. Ouch!

Well, we read ya loud and clear Yoshi...let's light this firecracker!

Zowie Kapowie Factor 11-This is the only footage we know of this happening...ever. One of our crew members accidentally dropped a two lb can of Chock Full O' Nuts coffee over the side and a huge shark ate it. The dramatic results were filmed for posterity:

Oceana.org-New Report

From RTSea's Blog again. If it's perfect the first time why change anything:

If you have been trying to convince your friends and relatives about the importance of shark conservation but are being dismissed as "that crazy shark lover" - Oceana.org has issued a great report that puts the issue in perspective with easy-to-read terminology and documented examples.

Predators as Prey: Why Healthy Oceans Need Sharks makes a strong case for the need for shark conservation by explaining the impact on marine ecosystems when shark populations decline. It covers the cascade or domino effects and the impact on shark intimidation (detailed in my July 15th posting). A quick read and visually attractive, it's available in .pdf format for easy emailing to any skeptics or Doubting Thomases you may know.

Editors Note: The easy-to-read terminology and documented examples are key to the ongoing battle for the hearts and minds of the public and of the shark diving community which in many cases still sees sharks as little more than biological ATM Machines. Perhaps this strident report will begin change minds across the spectrum, only time will tell. One person. One website. One blog at a time.

HR 5741-RTSea's Blog Keeps the Torch Lit

Over at RTSea.com's Blog:

One step at a time . . . HR 5741 - the amendment to close an important loophole in the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 - has passed the House of Representatives and has moved on to the Senate for a vote. This is important legislation that will help put a dent in the taking and processing of shark fins.

The Humane Society is running an online support drive whereby you can email your state senator requesting support and passage of this important piece of shark conservation legislation. To send your senator an email, click here.

Give HR 5741 your support so that we can see it pass through Congress as quickly as possible. One step at a time, but every vote . . . and every fin . . . counts!

HR 5471 (background info)

Fish Research Divers at 400'-Warning

The guys over at Neutral Dive Gear posted this video of two research divers at 400'. We decided to post this after we had finished spraying coffee out of our noses. Apparently it's cold down there:

Canada-Maple Syrup, Nice People and Sharks?

According to a recent study more than 100 million sharks inhabit the cold dark miserable waters off Canada's Atlantic coast.

Here's a quick run down of what you might see if you were to dive there:

SHARK SPECIES

Of about 400 species of sharks found in the world’s oceans, 19 of those species are regularly found in or are occasional visitors to Atlantic Canadian waters:

•Atlantic sharpnose shark

•Basking shark

•Black dogfish shark

•Blue shark

•Deepsea cat shark

•Dusky shark

•Great white shark

•Greenland shark

•Oceanic whitetip shark

•Porbeagle shark

•Portuguese shark

•Rough sagre shark

•Sand tiger shark

•Shortfin mako shark

•Smooth dogfish shark

•Smooth hammerhead shark

•Spiny dogfish shark

•Thresher shark

•Tiger shark

Editors Note: The critter in this picture is the Porbeagle shark, a close relative of Alaska's Salmon shark and a distant relative of the Great White shark...the thing coming out of it's mouth is a strawberry flavored liquorice whip. Shark researchers have found this flavour calms the sharks so they can work on them better.

Whale Shark Breeding Site For Industrial Development

Maldives Whale sharks under threat:

The Maldives is a party to the Biodiversity Convention, Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Under these treaties the Maldives has obligations to ensure the conservation and protection of habitats and species in both national and international context.It is believed to be‘one of the very few places in the world where whale sharks congregate to mate.’ Divers might have known the bay very recently. However, the fishermen of Baa Dhonfanu and other nearby inhabited islands had known the place for centuries, not as a dive spot, but as a whale shark fishing point; whale sharks, caught for their liver oil and/or fins, used to be an important source of livelihood for them.

It is a sad irony that the Fisheries Ministry, which is empowered by the Fisheries Law to establish special sanctuaries, has recently leased Hanifaru to a private party on a long term basis, to be developed for industrial purposes. Furthermore, the island was not put on tender, and no Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) was done.

Whale Shark Mega Aquarium-Japan

Question: Where do you hide a Whale shark in Japan?

Answer:You hide it in a Mega Aquarium..and then add three more:

It certainly beats watching a lonely goldfish swimming round its tiny bowl.This is one of the world's biggest fish tanks - so big that it's even been named the Kuroshio Sea.

Located in the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan, the enormous tank is some ten metres deep, 35 metres wide and 27 metres long.

It holds a staggering 7,500 tonnes of water - roughly equal to three Olympic-sized swimming pools. But the daddy of them all is the world's biggest fish, the whale shark - which can grow to be 12 metres long and needs a quarter of a tonne of food every week.

Only three aquariums in the world have tanks large enough to house these giant creatures.

Blue Sharks Beat the Odds?

This is one of those classic East coast/West coast stories about sharks that fail to address the overall look at the health of a species.

According to Discovery Blue sharks are not as bad off as once thought:

Although many sharks are experiencing population declines of up to 90 percent now, a new study on western North Atlantic blue sharks has found that numbers of the colorful species there are currently down, but not out.

Other reports had concluded that the region's blue sharks were declining by around 60 percent, but the new analysis reduced the estimate by half, finding that populations of the 12.5-foot-long sharks have dropped by only 30 percent since the mid 1950s, when large-scale fishing practices began in that part of the Atlantic.

Editors Note: The main problem with this story is that "localized good news" from a major new source like Discovery gets transmitted to a huge audience. The facts on the ground point to a worldwide Blue shark population that is in serious decline. Especially hard hit off the West coast where these animals have been tracked migrating to Japan and back...mostly migrating to Japan, fewer and fewer animals ever make it back leading to a virtual collapse of the adult population off our shores.

Sushi for Great Whites

Isla Guadalupe as you know, is simply "infested" with great white sharks. This is the last place on the planet you want to be taking a morning swim.

Which makes fishing for Yellowfin tuna here nearly impossible. What you are looking at is an 80lb tuna caught a few seasons ago who was having a really, really bad day.

The single shark bite from this tuna took almost 40lbs of prime grade sushi away (click image). The shark in question was about 14 feet long. Not huge by Guadalupe standards but an impressive critter none the less.

The U.S Marines Are Coming to Isla Guadalupe

We got a call a few months ago from Diane. She was looking for an adventure for her "Marines".

Turns out Diane is the hub for a group of hard core city rumblers stationed in Iraq and they wanted to go meet some great white sharks when they came back.

Diane had been searching the Internet, spoken with a few "other" shark diving companies and decided after speaking with us-we were just the thing for her boys.

We could not agree more.

Fast forward to last week. We sent a pile of Shark Diver T-shirts, hats and DVD's over to Iraq for these guys and this morning a series of very cool images showed up (click on image and check out the belt-fed grenade launcher on top of that Hummer).

Here's part of the email we got this morning:

"If I told you the trip came up everyday, I'd be lying because it comes up at just about every meal, or after every patrol. Right now we are all kind of working our through the last few miles klicks of this deployment with that vacation in our sites, and of course the layover on the way back to Chicago in Vegas...but mostly the Sharks. Thanks again!"

There's something about Shark Diver gear and weps. We cannot wait to meet these guys, Semper Fi!

The Montauk Monster-It's Got a Name!

If it's strange, weird, cool or an Underwater Thrill you'll find it here.

Right now there's nothing more exciting than this ugly critter who washed up on the East coast last week.

Dubbed the "Montauk Monster", this dead whatever has an Internet full of bloggers screaming about secret government labs, Dick Cheney's bastard son, and a good ol' summer hoax...did anyone notice this critters middle finger?

Here's round the clock coverage for you-in case you happen fall into any of the above categories:

1. Gawker.com

2. Huffington Post

Our money is on the hoax and a damn fine one at that. Wonder if we could attach sharkdiver.com to this one? 600,000,000 downloads and counting!

IEMANYA's First Annual Northern California Bash!

We're big fans and supporters of Iemanya Oceanica here at Underwater Thrills: Swimming with Sharks.

So, naturally when they throw a fundraiser, we're there. See you on August 8th:

IEMANYA's First Annual Northern California Bash!

August 8th, 2008
8 o'clock pm
Fuel Restaurant and Lounge
San Jose, California

Join Us For A Special Evening Of Drinks, Raffles and Dancing

Hosted by
Matt Johnston

Buy Your Tickets Here!

Oh Shark Week-What Happened to You?

Sigh. It's come down to this. We all knew it would eventually, and here we are. Last nights Shark Week show was...scratch that, could have been...scratch that.

We don't even know where to start with last nights show "How Not to Become Shark Bait". Overall some great images, but the clown suit, oh, the clown suit!

We'll let reporter and blogger Grant Butler review this show for you. He's got a better way with words and right now we're just all hung up on the damn clown suit and no use to anyone...like the damn clown suit this monkey is wearing right now-what the hell? WHAT THE HELL!?

New Shark Dive Site-Nantucket Island

We got the following email from a new shark diving outfit in Nantucket. For our blog fans on the east coast, your shark diving choices have just grown:

Hey Patric,

I'll be conducting shark dives here in Nantucket every week until the season ends in October. Here are pic from our dive on Sat.

I'm operating on a 23' Grady White privately owned boat. We average 10+ blues a day,1-3 makos, and occasional sightings of dusky, tiger, hammers, and threshers. With this years water temps it is possible to dive in 65 -78 degree water in one day so their is opportunity for multiple species. The big players are Blues & Makos. Been doing this for along time and have the operation down to a science. Like I said we run anywhere from 15 - 30 miles offshore depending on the viz...sharks are guaranteed with us!

The pictures attached are from our dive last Saturday, I will keep you guys updated with new material after each trip.

Much Thanks Shark Diver,
Bryce Rohrer
Contacts
Phone: (203)-273-1748
E-Mail: bryce.rohrer@gmail.com
BLOG: www.brohrer.blogspot.com

4 Reasons to Consider Shark Diving

Shark diving adventures have grown in popularity since 1990 with more operators and more dive sites than ever before. Safety and the understanding of sharks and shark behavior have led this unlikely revolution in scuba diving. Prior to the 90’s almost all species of shark were considered dangerous, even the beautiful Black Tip reef shark which today is the proud star attraction at many Shark Rodeos. Here is a short list of why you should consider a shark diving adventure on your next dive.

1. Safety first. Shark diving Rodeos have set the bar for safety and accessibility. This is when sharks are regularly baited to the same place at the same time with a small amount of fish carcass each day. Not enough to feed the sharks but just enough to keep their interest. Sharks will often come to places where they might get a chance at food. Operations like these have acclimated sharks over the years to the presence of divers. This is your chance to get close and personal with a shark, safely with trained professionals watching over your encounter.

2. Sit back and taken in the view. Caged encounters offer a more exciting way to view some of the top big shark species like the Great White and Tiger sharks. Newer cage designs and larger vessels have lead to an ongoing revolution in big animal encounters. Most operations do not require you to be scuba certified and run operations with either snorkel or with a Hookah or surface supplied air systems. With larger vessels divers can now visit more and more remote and pristine shark sites and offshore islands. The era of long range shark expeditions has just begun.

3. The “Eco Factor”. Shark dive leaders are a wealth of knowledge about the sharks you will be encountering. Operations worldwide are tuning to collaborations with shark research and will often have shark biologists on site as crew available to answer your questions. Dispelling the many negative myths surrounding sharks is the foremost concern of shark diving operations. For years the public have only seen the media’s view of sharks. With the help of trained shark staff and a marine biologist, you’ll come to learn that sharks are in fact in decline worldwide. The rewards of a shark encounter like this will change forever the way divers see big sharks. From the media hyped “killing machine”, to a more subtle understanding of the oceans top apex predators and the roles they play in today’s oceans.

4.Time is running out. “The Great White shark is, more importantly, endangered as the apex predator among fish.” Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, wrote this in response to the unregulated mass killing of sharks worldwide for just their fins. Sharks in the hundreds of millions are being taken each year to fuel the growing shark fin soup trade and many species are on the brink of collapse, never to be seen again. Sadly, shark diving encounters may be providing a last look at some of these magnificent predators that have been on this planet prior to humans. The good news is where ever you’ll find a shark dive company, you’ll also find a tireless champion of the species and with that comes eco protections from a growing chorus of thrilled divers and shark fans alike.

White Shark Tagging-SPOT Tags

Very cool white shark tracking data coming from Dr. Salvador Jorgensen's shark team out of Monterey.

What we know and what is being learned about y.o.y (young of the year) is rewriting the book on the entire Western Pacific white shark story:

Dr. Salvador Jorgensen, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, belongs to a group which tags and monitors White Sharks.

Dr. Jorgensen has provided us with the SPOT tag track which was attached to Monterey Bay Aquarium's most recent White Shark resident. June 25th was the last time the research team heard from the SPOT tag. Dr. Joregensen says this is possibly because "water temperatures have increased and the shark may be avoiding the surface, or possibly the tag is no longer working. We can't be sure."

Editors Note: The Sea of Cortez is turning out to be a major player in the long term health of the great white shark population and long term survival of the entire species in the Pacific.

PETA Marketing Message

To PETA regarding your latest ad campaign we're going to take a page from the script of Office Space here.


"Umm yeah, we're going to have to ask you to take that, ahhhhhh, ad down now and, ahhhhh, and go ahead and work though Saturday on another one, m'kay?"

Editors Note: It's not like we have anything against PETA, but this poorly conceived ad campaign serves to makes sharks the "bad guys" once again. Of course PETA knows this already. Perhaps if carrots or eggplants were being harvested for just 5% of their total body weight and the rest of the plant was being dumped on the side of the road by poor illiterate farmers with quasi ties to Asian distributors PETA would be up in arms?

Shark Week-We Got That!

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 fellow is called "Fat Tony". For reasons that are obvious, he's also one of the "toughest" white sharks on site (check out the scar above his eye).

We have been lucky enough to dive with him over the past four years, and he's usually the first to join us on any given day.

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 simply massive Great White will change the way you look at them, trust us!

Sea Monsters-This Ain't No Unicorn Shark Kids!

We love our blog, especially on days like these.

Today's news, sent into to us by blog reader Dave Harper, is from the Jersey shore-some sort of beaked half pit bull half...WTF!?

We're not exactly sure what this thing is but the image alone is enough to keep us up at night. You just gotta zoom in on the head for that extra creep factor.

Oh, and by the way, if you think this could not possibly wash ashore "as is" we'll remind you of the crazy Unicorn Shark we have been blogging about for the past three months.

The ocean is a scary place kids, always swim faster than your buddy.

Shark Week Gets Dirty-Shark Vivisections?

Mike Rowe's upcoming 2008 Shark Week show will feature an "in depth" look into the mysterious Greenland Shark:

Shark gutting lures TV crew

It's enough to turn you off sushi for good.

In the name of science, University of Windsor's Aaron Fisk hauls monster Greenland sharks out of the frigid Arctic depths, then guts them to see what they had for dinner.

Somebody has to do it, says Fisk. And it's why Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs came calling last spring.

Editors Note: The sharks and film crew were under the guidance of an ongoing research project headed up by the University of Windsor's shark team lead by Dr. Aaron Fisk.

Shark Found in Australian Pool-What? You Expected a Turtle?

We blogged about this months ago and at the time (April 1. 2008) it was a big joke. This mornings news shows you that sometimes-the jokes on you:

SYDNEY (AFP) - A shark was found in a swimming pool at one of Sydney's most popular beaches Friday, apparently swept into the baths by a freak wave.

The one-metre (3.3 foot) shark turned up in a rock pool situated next to the open ocean at Cronulla beach.

Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club spokeswoman Robyn Cole said fisheries officers netted the shark and released it back into the sea unharmed shortly after members of the public reported its presence in the pool Friday morning.

"It was quite calm, just swimming happily up and down at one end of the pool," she told AFP.

"It's funny, though, because we have swimmers who come here at 6am every morning to do laps. It's still dark then and they mustn't have even noticed it was there."

Cole said the shark must have been swept into the pool overnight by a large wave.

"It's the first time we've had a shark in the pool," she said. "We've had seals sunbaking there before, and get dolphin at the beach all the time, but I've never heard of a shark getting caught in a pool before."

Shark Diving East Coast-Sea Turtle Charters

Sea Turtle Charters can get you where the shark action is this summer on the East coast. Home to graceful Blues and Mako's these guys have become quite popular:

"You missed some makos and blues yesterday, they were all over the cage," mumbled a still seasick Noelle Hancock. Noelle is a writer friend of mine whom I invited along due to her interest in conquering a fear (sharks) and because of how she looks in a bikini (good).

Full story

Shark Tech-Really Bad Idea

In the world of undersea gizmo's that a diver can get a hold of-this one ranks as the worst idea we have seen in the last ten years since the "underwater soup straw".

Welcome to the "Wasp" a standard dive knife with a kick.

Pumping several thousand psi of compressed air into whatever you decide to stab that's swimming by, it's guaranteed to baloon-i-fy even the most curious, bass, seal, nurse shark, or Al Qaeda type you may encounter in today's vicious oceans.

WTF!?

Bad idea-interesting video. Frankly there's just not anything all that scary diving these days to warrant something this crazy in the hands of any diver at 60 feet.

Sharky Commercial Aquarium Trends

We have blogged about the current trend of commercial aquariums that allow "divers" into their enclosures for face to face encounters with sharks.

Like it or not this is a trend-and a poor one at that. Commercial aquaria were never constructed and designed as underwater public encounter spaces. In 98% of them-these for profit public encounters-are an afterthought. Basically these aquaria are becoming hybrid organizations at best.

Why not build a state of the art public dive encounter site complete with sharks, safety and education? Seems like a far fetched idea? We're closer than ever.

Here's the growing list of aquarium adventure dives for your review:

Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta. A whale shark, the world's largest fish, is the prime attraction. One 30-minute dive daily. There is also a swim option, with no diving experience required ($290; www.georgiaaquarium.org).

Florida Aquarium, Tampa. Dive with the Sharks. One 30-minute dive daily ($150; www.flaquarium.org).

National Aquarium, Baltimore. Wings in the Water and Atlantic Coral Reef tanks are available for diving. One 30-minute dive in each tank, every other Saturday. ($295; www.aqua.org).

Epcot Center, Orlando. Epcot Dive Quest, sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, plus 60-plus fish species, 40-minute dive twice daily. ($150; disneyworld.disney.go.com).

Underwater Adventure at the Mall of America. Offers dives to Fisherman's Hollow and Shark Cove on Wednesday evenings and Saturday and Sunday afternoons ($195). There is a swim option for those without diving experience: snorkeling Rainbow Reef, on Friday afternoons and Saturday and Sunday mornings ($80; www.underwaterworld.com).