"Frozen Shark" Falls From Private Jet

SILICON VALLEY, California (CNM) -- A massive frozen shark dropped out of a clear blue sky Tuesday and demolished a house on Granson Street south of the Yahoo! campus today.

The shark fell from a private jet chartered by CEO Jerry Yang of Yahoo!, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the Silicon Valley County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Homeland Security.

"The airplane, a 747 converted transport craft, was en route from China and the campus of Alibaba.com a web portal that sells sharks fin and many illegal sharks products," a joint statement said.

Police said the area has been sealed off pending an investigation.

Representatives from Yahoo! Inc quickly pointed out that the shark was a "cultural practices issue" for Mr Yang and company and he did not want to discuss with authorities how the 17 foot frozen shark had come to be on board the private jet chartered by Yahoo! or if the shark was indeed a threatened/protected species or not.

Emergency personnel were on the scene quickly, no one was hurt in the bizarre accident, authorities said.

The following Underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver. Seriously-Yahoo! Inc continues to invest in and support Alibaba.com a 2 billion dollar web portal that has become the New York Stock Exchange of dried sharks fins and shark products.

Echinochimera-Flying sharks?

Taking a moment here to look back a few hundred million years ago into the world of sharks.

It's ironic that we humans, who have only been around a few hundred thousand years, have evolved the ability to to recreate the ancient world of sharks to a high degree of probability. With the advent of television we can now show future generations of humans what ancient sharks once looked like (see video).

Meanwhile we're rapidly destroying the ancient sharks evolutionary prodigy, our modern sharks, in a manner that might well see a total worldwide reduction of 60% by 2020.

Take a moment and think about that one.

Guadalajara Aquarium’s White Shark?

It's been the subject of much back chatter over the past few months. Will Mexico's Guadalajara Aquarium source and exhibit a Great White shark this year or not?

We first heard this news from a small group of interested NGO's from within Mexico last year. Now here's the first blog report:

Guadalajara Zoo’s New Aquarium in Jalisco, Mexico: $2.5 million addition to existing zoo with 95 species of fish. The main attraction is the aquarium’s great white shark, previously only temporarily exhibited successfully by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. No details on the Guadalajara Aquarium’s exhibit just yet...

Editors Note: It would be difficult to source any animal without someone knowing about it. The group of people with the first hand knowledge of an effort like this...is about 30.

My best day ever diving with a great white shark

Some better news from the always forward thinking crew on the NEX. This is their trip report from last weeks turmoil on site. From the sounds of things it's not half bad out there w/o chum especially when you factor in a Lexan cage floor:

Location: Shark Bay, Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico

Dive day 2 of this trip and it was a doozie. The Mexican navy frigate is still anchored on site in Shark Bay and we are getting to know the crew. They are good guys and very interested in the experience of diving with great white sharks. Heck, I think the great whites are even swimming around the back of their boat. The Captain of the frigate extended a very kind invitation to myself and the television crew that I am hosting onboard to go for a 2 hour steam with them to the south end of Guadalupe and then ashore for a tour of the island with the local NGO. I would have LOVED to have gone but it would have been irresponsible of me as Captain of the Nautilus Explorer to be off the ship, onshore 20 miles away, with a full load of guests and crew left behind.

DANG as I’ve never gone for a ride on a navy frigate before and the remote volcanic oceanic island of Guadalupe is always a fascinating place to go ashore. I consoled myself by taking our new submersible cage down for my first dive in it. It is very cool. The lexan deck is fabulous. When you climb down the ladder into the cage and look down, it is completely clear. There doesn’t appear to be anything between you and the bottom 250 feet below. I am definitely thinking about converting our other 4 cages to lexan decks as well!! And as I discovered during my dive, it is pretty amazing when a 15 foot great white shark swims by 1 foot underneath the cage and you have a clear and unobstructed view of him from VERY close up. Submerging the cage is a blast.

I made sure that my divers were ready and signalled ok to the deck crew. And then it was blow the ballast tanks with a big whhooossh and we were on our way down to 40 feet. What an amazing perspective - we could see the 4 other cages above us and the anchor line was clearly visible 125 feet in front of us. Best of all, a nice big 15 foot male great white shark showed up 2 minutes into our dive and started circling us. And circling us. I found it to be a very different experience from watching the sharks from the surface cages as it is obviously far more 3 dimensionable (is that a word??).

The pattern the white shark was following became clear and predictable after a while - he would circle tightly around us for 3 or 4 revolutions and then disappear off the front of the Nautilus. And then reappear in a tight vertical climb towards the boom and transom cages and do a close pass in front of those cages and then gliiiiiiiide down towards us, circle us another 3 or 4 times and then head off to the bow of the Nautilus again. Always more or less the same pattern with just small variations. Fascinating. And boy did this guy swim close to us - we could literally watch the pupil of his eye swivel back and forth as he swam past the cage (when you see a great white shark close up, you realize that their eye is not the black “hole” that it appears at a distance - there is very clearly a brown pupil surrounded by a lighter coloured background).. All too soon, our 40 minutes were up and it was time to put some air in the buoyancy tanks and be hauled up to the surface. What a great splash and my good fortune that Sten and Buzz decided to let me do a second back-to-back dive.

We’re happy to take 2 divers and divemaster in the submersible cage and I decided to ask the navy lieutenant who was onboard the Nautilus if he would like to go for a dive with me. It took him all of 30 seconds to chuck his khaki uniform and jump into the cage in his shorts!!! We blew the ballast tanks and went back down to 40 feet to find that the same shark was still hanging around. Our friend from the Mexican navy had a huge smile on his face and kept on reaching out to try and touch the white shark as it swam past. Today was a very good day and all of our guests are very, very happy.

Captain Mike

The Chumming Debate

From the Blog Gansbaai-News today the issue of "chumming" in South Africa. This is one of the better pro shark looks into this issue. It also highlights the need for pro industry PR:

Blood and Guts

Different perspectives on attracting sharks using chum and bait.

Perceptions are interesting, all depends on where you are coming from.

Underwater photographers always want that great photo, and here is veteran photographer, Steven Frink’s take on bait :

“Speaking of chum (called “burley” in this hemisphere, as in “hurly-burley”, as in “puke”), Rolf had the good stuff. Tuna gills full of blood and stomachs still holding sardines, plus a blood and tuna oil secret-sauce added to the mix. In my opinion, scrimping on bait on a white shark charter is a crime. One can spend thousands of dollars and days of their life travelling to where great white sharks are, spend big bucks on charter boats to find proximity to great white sharks, only to find yourself out at sea with desiccated fish carcasses that no self-respecting shark would eat. The right bait is a critical component of white shark photography.”

Steven also says:

“As important as the quantity was the quality of the action, for these were players. These sharks were not put off by bubbles, or proximity to the cage, or sunshine, or lack of sunshine, or the profile of the boat, or the size of the wave, or the colour of my jacket. All of these and more have been offered as excuses by various shark wranglers at various times in various places as to why the sharks won’t come close to the boat. But here we had good bait, sharks eager to take it, and savvy wranglers able to lure the sharks close to the cage.”

Steven Frink is based in Florida, USA and he is describing a trip he did to Australia.

It is worthwhile noting that Steven had been to South Africa twice between 2001 and 2004, and did not not get that special day. On the other hand, he had also got skunked in Australia. Twice. Third time lucky ? The point of this is not to try and compare Gansbaai with Port Lincoln.

The issue here is the chum and the bait. Clearly photographers like Steven want lots of nice bait, they demand it.Californian Sean Van Sommeran is a fierce critic of Gansbaai cage diving operations, particularly the way baits are used. His standard line is ” don’t feed the wildlife”.

He does not want baiting to take place, not because he thinks sharks are being taught to attack people, but because of possible entanglements and resulting injuries to the sharks.

Unlike Steven Frink, Van Sommeran has never been to South Africa or Gansbaai, he was mainly relying on what self styled ” shark researcher ” and “expert” Craig Ferreira was telling Sean’s “envoy”, or rather his buddy that then went back to California and gave Sean his own warped ideas.

Later Van Sommeran decided that well known False Bay operator Chris Fallows was doing it exactly right, and held Chris up as an example of how things should be done.

Ironically, and apart from towing a decoy at sunrise, the methods of Gansbaai operators and False Bay operators are identical. It seems Van Sommeran is extremely jealous of the fact that South Africa, and particularly Gansbaai became the number one White Shark destination in the world.

Van Sommeran claims to be concerned about the conservation of White Sharks and over the years had a great deal to say about how terrible the Gansbaai operations are, his main concern was injuries to White Sharks .

Yet, and this is very strange… In more than 10 years he has never ever said anything, not one single word about the biggest threat to White Sharks in South Africa.

The Natal Shark Board netting programme.

One of the biggest killers, if not the single biggest killer of sharks on the South African coastline. That is apart from turtles, whales and dolphins.

In 10 years .. Not one a singleword about this from Sean van Sommeran! He claims to know what is happening in South Africa.. Yeah right Sean.

In South African White Sharks Cage Diving operations the aim is not to create shark action by feeding the sharks.. On the contrary , the sharks are not fed.

The sharks do manage to steal baits, particularly if the sun is coming in at an angle and the water is murky. It is important to note that there is no feeding effort taking place, crews do their best to keep the sharks from taking the bait.

The University of Cape Town has an excellent Oceanography Department.

Their web site is here : http://www.sea.uct.ac.za/index.php

On this web site they have a poll :

“There is much debate surrounding the increase in shark attacks occurring around the coast of South Africa. A possible reason is that it is a result of the ‘baiting’ of sharks during Shark Cage Diving activities.

Do you think that Shark Cage Diving is responsible for the increase in Shark attacks?”

About 70% of participants voted Yes, that Shark Cage Diving is responsible for the increase in shark attacks.

Oops, but what is wrong here ?

INCREASE IN SHARK ATTACKS ?

Unfortunately there has been NO INCREASE.

Imagine , a well respected University Department of Oceanography , having a little poll on their web site based on factual mistakes.

This example illustrates the perceptions that are out there, and it is clear that the South African Cage Diving Industry need to increase their PR effort.

The truth of the whole matter is that the cage diving operators are actually restricted on the amount and type of bait they are allowed to use.

No part or blood from any mammal may be used. This includes all land animals as well as seals, whale blubber or any blood or part of any sea mammal.

The operators are restricted to fish , this mains mainly sardines and tuna. They are also restricted to how much ( expressed in kilograms) they may use on a given day. For now this is all that I am going to say about this issue, comments are welcome, and I am quite sure that this topic will be examined in full detail.

Editors Note: Nicely written!

Hawaii Sharks-This Weeks Tiger Soup

Looks like Hawaii has a "Tiger problem". For us in the shark diving world a "Tiger problem" is completely subjective. To discover up to 15 large Tigers aggregating within a mile of shore is not a problem:

For the past week, up to 15 large tiger sharks have lingered along five miles of the Big Island's Kohala Coast, near the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, coming within 20 yards of shore.

Several beaches have been closed on O'ahu in the past two weeks because of sightings. And a shark attacked a surfer Tuesday at a popular Ka'a'awa surf spot called Crouching Lion.

There is no definitive reason why there are more sharks near shore, though experts suggest explanations ranging from shark mating season to clearer water — which increases shark sightings, even if there are no more sharks than usual.

Frank Mundus-Shark Killer- R.I.P

One of the most reviled characters to ever grace the world of sharks-Frank Mundus- is dead this week.

A local legend, shark hunter, and some say the background character of "Quint" from "Jaws". His was a career that moved through the shark hysteria of the 70's and into the new world of shark conservation, all without changing, or adapting to the new paradigm of sharks:

They called him the Monster Man. His business was the stuff of tall tales. Gear for the day might include a harpoon, buckets of blood and the patience to wait for a shark to come along and take a bite.

"I was the pioneer of sport fishing for sharks," Frank Mundus, a legendary shark hunter, said in his trademark blunt style on his Web site.

The Monster Man's own words sum up perfectly a life said to have inspired the movie "Jaws" and its roguish Captain Quint, played by the late Robert Shaw. Mundus died Wednesday of complications from a heart attack suffered Sept. 6, just after he returned to his Hawaii home from a fishing trip in Montauk. He was 82.

East Coast Shark Diving-Nantucket Report

Got another update from our pal Bryce at Nantucket Shark Divers this evening. Seems the waters on his side of the continent are filled with our snappy friends as he carves out world class shark diving operation:

Hi Patric,

Epic day on the water today. With the waters chilling with fall season settling in the sharks are becoming very active. Water temps have dropped in the 60's and the big offshore pelagics are feeling the crunch. We are having to run a bit further offshore to find good water but overall productive water is all around us. Today was a classic late season day with huge amounts of action in the water. The small weather windows available during these stormy months mean less trips but big days when the weather breaks. Today we had packs of big blue sharks around the boat for hours along with several large bluefin tuna that were hyped up and in feeding mode. This time of year it is not uncommon to have several sharks and large tuna in one spot. We still consider ourselves very lucky to have seen these endagered and prized fish coming so close to us with little fear whatsoever. Amazing day on the water with a steady stream of 8+ bluesharks and 80 - 100 pound bluefins crashing the party, often chargeing sharks for baits.

Editors Note: Pretty much the way we like it mate!

Isla Guadalupe - Eco Tour "Bizzaro Land"

With the with the MX Navy at Isla Guadalupe now physically enforcing a ban on chumming at the islands North Bay, we're going take a moment to look at this situation in context.

One word comes to mind "unprecedented".

In the 25 year history of commercial shark diving worldwide no navy has ever effectively attempted to shut down sustainable shark diving operations.

Not in Australia, not in South Africa, not in the USA.

Simply put this is a first. The question that comes to mind is why?

Why would the MX Navy, PROFEPA, SEMERNAT and CONANP want to see chumming stopped, or do nothing to help, work with, or effectively direct a nascent $3.1 million dollar, multi vessel, cross border, eco tourism business within Mexico?

You might say "this is not their job", and you would be right. But these agencies all know that this Bio-Sphere is in desperate need of funding and infrastructure. They are also aware this site has a built in and thriving eco tour machine-based on sustainable shark diving.

Unprecedented yes, with worldwide implications as well. As we have been reporting there's a growing shift within the NGO community from World Wildlife Fund to Ocean Conservancy towards sustainable shark diving as a bridge solution to sustainable shark management. No where has this been demonstrated better than Guadalupe.

Isla Guadalupe, with it's extreme isolation from any human population, stable and seasonal white shark migrations, and ease of site shark research is a perfect test bed area to enable shark diving programs within Mexico. This site could, with some attention, proper management and funding become one of Mexico's undersea jewels.

One might argue this has happened already already.

Mexico, unfortunately, has a terrifically poor record of resource management as seen by a recent illegal 2.5 ton shark fin take at another Bio Sphere the Revillagigedos Archipelago. Anywhere you look Mexico's track record on the oceans shows a failure to support existing laws that quickly enable short term resource takes over the long term sustainable gain.

For Mexico to pull Navy vessels into Isla Guadalupe to essentially "guard" eco tour operators suggests that much larger forces are now involved at this site.

What their intentions are is anyone's guess at this time.

Isla Guadalupe Trip Update 9.2009

The situation at Isla Guadalupe remains unchanged at this time. As we have been reporting the chum ban for all fleet vessels is in effect. That's the latest news.

There are many efforts right now within Mexico to get clarification on this issue and to get it resolved and we may see a break as soon as next week.

We got a trip report from one of our divers yesterday. Steffen is from Europe and was literally "in the area" when he booked his trip with us on board the MV Horizon last month. This was his first encounter with the Great Whites so he had big expectations.

Regardless of the recent shark site politics this has been a great season down there as always:

Hey Patric

I't was a fantastic trip. We saw alot of sharks (on every dive, except one) and it was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. They are truly facinating animals. Also, everybody in the crew was both very proffessional and helpfull, and they were a big part of making this trip an unforgetable experience. Thinking back on this, one thing that really stands out, was the level of information we recieved about the sharks and the respect they were handeled with by the crew. All in all, it was truly an unforgettable trip, and I'm am certainly not done with shark diving. So I want to thank both you and the crew for making this happen.

Best regards
Steffen Nielsen

Editors Note: Happy to help Steffen-where are you this week?

Wales Great White Shark Hoax?

The most unlikely shark news this last week is from Wales-that's in the U.K.

Caught on a "camera phone" at 100 yards this image is meant to be a Great White shark breaching off the coast. Camera phone?

About as likely a shot as the Moon Landing...wait, they did land on the moon in 1969 right?

Fisherman David John saw the monster emerge 100 yards from his boat. He took the pic on his mobile — but only realised how close he could have been to a killer Great White when he examined it later.

Maneater ... beasts can grow to 20ft

David, 40, said: “At first I thought it was a seal. It wasn’t until I got home that I looked again and realised what I’d got. “You can’t mistake the shape of the head and can see an eye and the mouth. And from what I understand, Great Whites do break the water like this.

Editors Note: Yes they do. They also do not look as photoshopped as this image.

National Aquarium in D.C- New shark pups

From Andrew at the National Aquarium in D.C this morning:

Hey Shark Divers,

You have one of the most active blogs I have ever seen! How do you find the time for all those entries?

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that there are Swell Shark pups at the National Aquarium in DC, and we just wrote a blog entry about Cute Shark Pups

Thanks, talk to you soon!
Andrew

Editors Note: The joys of the PDA. Blogging can be done almost anywhere and at anytime. We are often out of the office with ten minutes to spare in between meetings and work related projects...as our shark fans have come to discover you can cover a lot of ground in just ten minutes.

Farallons White Shark Tours-Add One

On the subject of shark diving...looks like there's one more white shark watching tour option for thrills seekers here in Northern California, Silver Fox.

We got an email from a diver this week asking about these guys, our response was they are new to us. Great White Shark Expeditions have streamlined the experience and do not offer caged encounters, cutting the cost down to $275-125 for the day and relying on natural predations for the actual shark viewing. Other operations have cages, but they are not allowed to chum or tow decoys, so they too are relying on natural predations. We wish the new guys luck:

Witnessing a very large great white shark consume a 300 lb. sea lion can be a very dramatic experience. These particularly violent acts are as natural as the rising of the tide for the shark.During the Fall months (Sept – Nov), thousands of marine mammals migrate to the Farallon Islands, which are approximately 27 miles from the San Francisco Bay to breed and calve their young. This event attracts the largest great white sharks in the World. The Farallon Islands, located in the red triangle, are the known feeding ground for the great white sharks before their long Pacific Migration. We have had many dramatic encounters from great white attacks from the safety of the vessel. These events are purely natural and part of everyday life at these islands. This is an event that is truly unforgettable.

Oceana.org-Value of Sharks to Eco Tourism

From Oceana.org to a shark friend today. We have been covering the growing policy shift of NGO's worldwide toward commercial shark diving as a viable bridge solution to the protection of sharks.

Dear xxx,

As a scuba diver, I revel in the rare opportunity to see a shark swimming in the wild. In fact, according to our new report, most scuba divers are willing to pay additional money to dive with sharks and other marine life. Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers shows that shark conservation has economic value and that divers have a stake in conservation efforts. Fortunately, the Shark Conservation Act of 2008, a bill which would strengthen protections for sharks, recently passed the U.S. House, and is now awaiting action in the Senate. But we need your help to get it passed into law, so write to your senator today to protect sharks.

Our report reveals that shark conservation has economic value, with sharks being worth more through ecotourism ($212 million) than in fisheries ($19 million). But these top predators continue to be victims of shark finning, in which fishermen cut off their fins and discard the body at sea. This practice, as well as other unsustainable fishing practices, have decimated many shark populations, reducing some by as much as 99 percent. Smaller populations of sharks reduce the chance of seeing one in the wild, subtracting from scuba divers' experiences in the water.

Currently only sharks in the Atlantic Ocean are required to be landed with their fins attached. The good news is that recently more than 11,000 WaveMakers like you took the time to contact Congress, and as a result the House of Representatives passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2008, which requires U.S. fishermen to land sharks whole, with their fins naturally attached.

But the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 will not become law unless it is also passed in the Senate. Senator Kerry introduced the Senate companion to the House bill, S. 3231. This legislation will improve existing laws that were originally intended to prevent shark finning and will allow the United States to continue being an international leader in shark conservation.

So dive in and tell your senators to Sea the Value and support the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 today!

Isla Guadalupe Update-No Chumming

This morning the NEX arrived on site to discover a MX Navy frigate sitting in the North Bay with members of the MX government agency PROFEPA on board. This is the same frigate that boarded the Solmar V yesterday.

The NEX has been informed-by the navy-the 2008 no chumming ban is in full effect. The chum ban stems from a series of EIS (environmental impact studies) submitted by each vessel and now not recognised by the MX Navy.

As we have been reporting this situation is fluid and the NEX is the only vessel on station at this time.

There is some confusion between operations right now as to what the implications are for ongoing operations this year. That is to be expected. We are choosing to bring you updates as they come in from as many sources as we can so you can make informed decisions, and be aware.

The overall implications are very grim. If the MX Navy is successful in essentially banning chumming at this site, the eco tour vessels that act as "shark sentries" here will be gone-opening this robust population up to illegal fishermen who will come to this island for both it's proximity to the mainland of Mexico and ease of animal acquisitions. It is too much to hope that Mexico will leave a navy frigate on site for each season to protect these animals.

Right now hard decisions are being made by the various eco tour operators along with full court conversations within the various governing agencies inside Mexico. This is the latest news. It may change and we will keep you updated.

Dual Passports-NZ White Sharks are Aussies Too!

Recent exciting white shark news from tracking teams in the South Island of New Zealand. Much to the surprise of everyone sharks from NZ migrate to Australia and back each season to feed on young Humpback whales:

New Zealand's great white sharks migrate to tropical waters off Australia and islands in the Pacific to feed on baby humpback whales, scientists say.

After tracking tagged sharks using GPS, New Zealand fisheries scientists have concluded the giant ocean hunters appear to be regular winter visitors to tropical waters.

One of nine great white sharks to have GPS-linked tags attached this year, a 3.5m specimen nicknamed Thomas, migrated to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

He turned up within 100km of where a 4.4m female great white, nicknamed Kerri, arrived last summer, setting a distance record for a New Zealand shark.

Both swam more than 3000km to the reef after being fitted with tags which record location, depth and temperatures.

The tags are set to pop off the shark and float to the surface to transmit data to a satellite linked to scientists' computers. Other tags have popped up in New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and halfway to Tonga and these trans-oceanic migrations to tropical waters have changed perceptions of the sharks as cold water, coastal creatures.

"We think they may be searching for newborn humpback whale calves, because all tags have surfaced in or near known humpback calving sites," National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research fisheries scientist Malcolm Francis said. Because sharks tagged in Australia have also turned up in New Zealand waters, scientists think that white sharks in the southwest Pacific may comprise a single population.

The shark tagging was started in 2005.

Free Tickets to Sea Fare-A.Q Pacific

Shark Diver is one of the proud primary sponsors of the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Sea Fare event.

Sea Fare is an evening of culinary delights prepared by top local chefs accompanied by wines and incredible brews by local providers at the aquarium.

This fun filled evening also includes a silent and live auction and our popular “Go Fish” opportunity game, live music, dancing, and an open bar.

To view several of our hot auction items, click here. You can purchase tickets at our special 10th Anniversary price of $100 each by calling (562) 437-FISH(3474) (offer ends September 19).

Special Note: Shark Diver has been given 10 Sea Fare admission tickets to give out to our sharky friends. The event is in Long Beach, Ca October.18.2008. If you would like to go please email us for a free ticket to this exceptional black tie event.

Vote for Cocos Island-Wolfgang Leander

From Oceanic Dreams Blog today a reason to send in a few clicks:

Two weeks ago I was in Costa Rica – work related. As my father mentioned in a previous post, I work for Burson-Marsteller, and one of our clients in the Costa Rica Tourist Board. During my visit to San Jose I was introduced to Fundacion Amigos de La Isla del Coco and Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion – Costa Rica (SINAC) which are responsible for the up keeping of 160 protected areas including the Island.

We spoke in length about the park and some of the problems it faces – the most obvious and personal to me: shark finning and overfishing. Then the conversation shifted to Cocos Island being one of the nominees for the New 7 Wonders of Nature and how we could generate more awareness and votes for Cocos Island.

The New7Wonders Foundation is behind the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign which currently has over 200 nominations of natural wonders around the world.

People are asked to support and vote on various nominees until December 31, 2008 – at this point a total of 21 candidates will be shortlisted for the final voting stage which will run through autumn of 2010 when the winners will be officially declared.

Aside from Cocos Island, there are other locations that deserve our attention and our vote: The Galapagos Islands, Malpelo, Belize Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef among others.

Each email address (one person can vote multiple times) can select seven locations to vote for. While the vote does not have a direct impact on saving sharks – it will bring worldwide attention to these “Paradise Lost” places.

To vote, either click on the Cocos Island badge on the right or click here.

Isla Guadalupe 2008 chum ban update-Another vessel boarded

We have been keeping track of the chumming ban at Isla Guadalupe and as we have been reporting the situation this year is extremely fluid.

Recently one of the operations on site sent out an ill timed newsletter talking at great length about their continued chumming efforts at the island.

This came after the MX Navy had boarded all vessels on site in August and had clarified that "no chumming" was in effect. The L.A Times ran with that newsletter this weekend and this morning the Solmar V was boarded by a team from SEMARNAT "Mexico City" and the MX Navy.

Here is an except from an internal email we got this morning:

Note: Due to the volatility of the following email we have been asked to paraphrase it.

Sent: Sep 8, 2008 1:15 PM
Subject: guadalupe island boarding

Solmar V was boarded told not to chum by the MX Navy today. They pulled their cages and were doing island tours with their clients. The charter master has serious concerns about future operations at this site.

Editors Note: We'll keep you updated by the minute as things develop. All vessels are effected at this site at this time. Feel free to call us if you have any questions.

Shark Conspiracies-Rocking the boat in Sharky Waters

Shark Conspiracies’ host Kevin Harris is a 10 year veteran reporter who has jumped into the wild world of sharks, shark attacks and commercial shark diving with his monthly Pod Cast.

Depending on who you speak with Shark Conspiracies is alternately the work of the Devil himself, or a seasoned look into the soft underbelly of peoples shifting perception of sharks, shark diving, and shark attacks.

We're on the fence with Kevin Harris. He does take an unflinching look at our industry and often comes to conclusions that we agree with. We also disagree on many things. One thing is for sure-his voice-like it or not is needed as a counterpoint and topic starter for many of the debates that need to be had about humans and sharks.

An industry is only an industry when people discuss views, organize, and debate topics affecting that them. Kevin Harris provides the starting point for many of those debates for the commercial shark diving industry.

Click here for this months Pod Cast.

Hat Tip: Jessica J for the image.

Island of The Great White Shark Documentary

One of the most critically acclaimed new White Shark documentaries is Island of the Great White Shark an RTSea Production.

Shot entirely at famed white shark site Isla Guadalupe this film has been garnering rave reviews all summer long. It can also be purchased here:

"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."

Challenger Banks Bermuda-Tiger Central?

It's no secret that Big Tigers can be found in Bermuda. In fact next to the Bahamas this site shows a lot of promise for a new commercial site application.

It's called Challenger Banks and unlike the Bahamas Tiger Beach, this site sits in about 400 feet of water making it similar to what you might find with Mark Addison's Blue Wilderness in South Africa.

Thus far this playground is one for just a few shark researchers and the odd filmmaker. Time and desire from shark divers will tell if it see's commercial development or not.

Click here for videos

MillionairesConcierge.com-Strategic partnership with SharkDiver.com

We got a call three weeks ago from adventure industry powerhouse and CEO of the Millionaires Concierge Doug Turner. He wanted to know if we could service high end yacht clients to the Bahamas to cage dive with Tigers and Lemon sharks...of course the answer was "yes".

Shark Diver has been providing cage systems and private yacht services to mega yachts worldwide since 2003.

The Millionaires Concierge is a unique site that covers almost every adventure imaginable from mega yacht charters to fighter jet experiences. These adventures are specially tailored to meet the growing demand for exceptional adventures for those who can afford it.

We're excited about the coming months with Millionaires Concierge and will keep you updated on the latest projects with them.

Guadalupe a gathering place for great white sharks-disconnected

L.A Times writer Peter Thomas came out with a blog post this week reviewing a recent newsletter from one of the operations on site who make no bones about their ability to conduct "shark chumming". The newsletter includes images of chumming and several references to sharks eating hang baits.

As we have been reporting according to the MX Navy who were at Isla Guadalupe at the start of the 2008 shark season, chumming has been banned:

1. Chumming banned 5.10.2008

2. Trip update 8.20.2008

This month Scuba Diving Magazine picked up the chum ban and went into some detail on this issue. So, the question is, what's the deal?

As we have been looking into this it seems there's the beginnings of a shift. Mexico's Navy says one thing and certain vessels that operate out of Mexico openly and blatantly do another. The vessel in question was boarded by the navy in August and according to the navy told the same thing as US vessels "no chumming". The implication here is that this vessel has acquired the sole permit to chum while the rest of the fleet has not. It's an interesting claim we would like to see that paperwork-and run it by the navy.

We wish we had some sort of definitive answer for you. We can say that according to the navy the chum ban is still in effect, no operation has received permits to discharge, although as this is Mexico, everything is just a signature away.

Hat Tip: Image Derek Heasley

Update from Nantucket Shark Diving

A while back we introduced you to Nantucket Shark Diving and owner Bryce Rohrer for those of you on the East coast with the shark diving itch.

Here's the latest site update from him. Summer's still here and the waters fine:

Hi Patric,

Been about a month and wanted to give you a report from the North
East. We've been capturing some great footage of mako sharks this
season. We have been averaging 2-5 makos a day and 1-3 blues.
Usually its the reverse, more blues than makos. With the water temps
falling a bit and fall right here the blues are coming back. We had a
large 300lb fish stick around the boat for about 3 hours last saturday
acting just like a big shark. Slow methodical passes once every 10-15
mintues, knowing exactly where to go.

Most of our makos have been in the 80 - 200 lb. range and have had a few buzz me pretty good while shooting, the fish out here are used to eating swords and tuna bigger than them so they can get pretty sporty. I am still on the hunt for Great Whites and will start making trips east of the island in the coming month to try and chum one up...Hope all is good on your end...Will keep you updated on a hopefull Sept. and Oct. with some big fall sharks.

RGRDS,
Bryce

Deepsea Expeditions-Needs Your Email Today

Eco Tourism Under Siege- Honduras

Friend and fellow eco-adventurer Karl Stanly reported some bad news this month. Seems the state of eco tourism in Roatan, Honduras has quite a long way to go with "small island politics".

The good news is that you can help with an email today:

I am sorry to report at this time I am not able to operate my submarine.

In a nutshell, the vice mayor of the island attempted to create a berth for her new yatch in front of my family's land. The situation escalated completely out of control to the point where my life was threatened by her husband, both verbally and by showing a gun. Despite doing everything required legally, I have been unable to obtain an operating permit and cannot get a straight answer out of anyone in government as to when (or why not) this may occur.

I want you to know that I am doing everything in my power (including hiring three lawyers and a massive PR campaign) to rectify this situation and am confident I will once again be able to provide affordable direct access to the deep ocean for all interested.

How can you help?

Wish you could book an expedition to explore the unknown? Don't want to see my mission to provide the public with cost-effective, direct access to the deep water environment come to premature end? Please contact the following departments of tourism and let them know. I greatly appreciate any help I can receive during this difficult time. Thank you.

Honduras
Col. San Carlos, Edificio Europa
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Apodo. Postal No. 3261
PBX: (504) 222-2124 Ext 502, 503
FAX: (504) 222-2124 Ext 501
E-mail: tourisminfo@iht.hn

United States
Honduras Institute of Tourism
2828 Coral Way
Suite 305, Miami, Fl. 33145
Tel.: (305) 461-0601/02
Fax: (305) 461-0602
E-mail: hondurastourism@aol.com
Tel.: 1-800-410-9608 (USA/CANADA toll free)

Editors Note: As we have mentioned many times in the past this submarine is the only one of it's kind allowing everyday adventure seekers into the wild world of deepsea sharks. We urge you to send an email today to keep Karl in business. Thanks!

Underwater Photography-Capturing "The Moment"

The world of underwater digital photography is fast becoming an epic horse race. At the front of the pack you have several well known faces and shooters who make a living from the imagery they bring to the world.

For the most part it's stunning stuff. Case in point Ethan Gordons recent work in Scuba Diving Magazine on Chuuk Lagoon. Almost every month new images surface that take your breath away from the pack leaders.

Then there are guys like Derek Heasley who are less well known but shoot with a cool eye towards brilliance. It's not easy to "capture the moment" when it happen with wildlife. But rest assured when the "moment" happens-if Derek is within lens shot of it, he'll nail it.

Here's his website Sea Pixels

Shark Shield Announces New Strategic Partnership

In response to increased use of Shark Shield technology by film and television companies, Shark Shield Pty Ltd has appointed Shark Divers as its official regulatory authority for the Northern Hemisphere. Director of Operations, Luke Tipple, will oversee all production issues concerning Shark Shield while Ian (shark) Gordon will represent the Southern Hemisphere. Our mutual goal is to ensure safe and effective use of our product while ensuring our strict standards of use are maintained.

Northern Hemisphere contact: staff@sharkdivers.com
Southern Hemisphere contact: ote@ozemail.co.au

Shark Shield TM is a unique shark deterrent system utilizing a technologically advanced three-dimensional electronic wave form. Shark Shield units are designed for recreational users and water sports professionals alike and aim to help all people enjoy and work in the ocean with a new dimension of peace of mind for themselves, their families and employers.

Shark Shield provides proven protection against all predatory shark species including Great Whites, Tigers, Zambezi's (Bulls), Makos and Bronze Whalers, among others. The electronic pulse emitted repels the shark by inducing muscle spasms via stimulation of the Ampluae of Lorenzini, the sensory organs present on sharks' snouts. There is no permanent damage to the animal, or harm to the environment. Shark Shield products are proven to repel sharks.

Filming shark sequences for commercial use frequently requires manufacturing an unnatural environment to attract sharks which can change their behavior and create a heightened danger for humans. The incorrect deployment of a Shark Shield product either intentionally or unintentionally could reduce the effectiveness of our products. For both safety and legal reasons we cannot and will not permit this to occur and have implemented a film and television usage policy which is conditional.

Shark Shield products must only be used by film and television productions after written approval is obtained from either of our official authorities or Shark Shield Pty Ltd itself and Shark Shield products must only be used in accordance with the conditional terms provided by the authority. Both authorities are recognised authorities in the field of working with sharks and understand Shark Shield technology.

Legal action may be taken against film or television companies using a Shark Shield for shoots when approval has not been granted.

Important Note

No shark deterrent system should be a replacement for the understanding of sharks and the site you are operating in, as well as the safety crews you employ. Shark deterrent systems are and always will be a last line of defense for any shark shoot or shark site you have in place. Certain water activities inherently involve the danger of potential shark encounters or attacks. Shark Shield has proven effective in deterring said instances however, due to the variables present with ocean and animal behaviors it should not be considered a completely foolproof system.

Shark protestor hangs own skin on hooks-Tasteless

And THIS will save sharks?

No-it will not.

As the months grind on for the seemingly rudderless Sea Shepherd organization they continue to resort to more frantic, ill timed, ill advised "stunts" to raise awareness and ultimately collect money from donors.

The litany of outright fabricated news and bad eco theatre goes back a few years but the desperation in this latest stunt set in London is sadly almost palatable. This is an organization whose messaging has become more important than affecting actual change.

Darwin was right and Sea Shepherd is proving, in a most spectacular manner, that evolution is a fickle mistress. What you are seeing here is the death throes of an Eco Dinosaur who's time on this planet is coming to an inglorious end. Like the reign of the dinosaurs Sea Shepherds demise will be slow and sad to watch, but the first coughs, staggers and sputters are here.

Suffice to say the final days will not be pretty.

Story here

Devils Teeth-Ron Elliot-Who is He?

In the world of shark diving "originals" there's those who self-promote and then there's the true professionals.

Our world, that of commercial shark diving, rarely pays homage to those who make a living not from these animals but beside these animals. They are without a doubt pioneers in every sense and becoming rarer as each year passes.

We would like to introduce you to one-Ron Elliot, right about now you're saying Ron Who?

Off the coast of San Francisco the Farallon Islands holds one of the world's largest populations of Great Whites. By large we mean simply massive animals in the 18+ foot class. This site is also a commercial shark diving site with limited success rates. While the commercial shark diving efforts are relatively new-a solo urchin diver Ron Elliot has made these cold, low visibility, shark infested waters his home for the past 15 years.

Ron's been diving this treacherous site without any protection into waters that he can see only 20 feet on a "good day" with predators that the rest of us would never consider diving with...without a cage. Recently a short documentary was made of Ron at this site. The visuals are simply stunning. Almost unknown to anyone outside the diving community here in California, Ron and this new documentary features underwater footage of these massive sharks as they glide past him on a typical day harvesting the urchins he makes a living from.

All for about $10.00 a pound.

Hat Tip: Shark diver Sean Kendrick for sending this in.

Hawaii Shark Diving-Got Sharks?

There's actually two shark diving companies in Hawaii of note both operate to the same sites and both come loaded with sharks, and more sharks:

The tour leaves Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor starting at 7:00 a.m. and lasts two-hours. Tours are available throughout the day Shark Adventures uses a custom 32-foot Anderson boat with a swim step on the transom of the boat. Tours are limited to six persons so there is no overcrowding.

Safety of our passengers is our first priority. A safety briefing is given at the start of the tour. People may bring their own mask and snorkel, however, fins are not necessary. Masks and snorkels are also provided on the vessel "Kailolo II". "Kailolo" means water crazy. Once we get to the area, the shark cage is placed in the water. The cage floats on the surface of the water. The water is a cobalt blue and visibility is approximately 200 feet or more. You can actually see the sharks come up from the deep.

Editors Note: Count us in!

Action Labs, Inc. Conducts Recall of Shark Cartilage Capsules Because of Possible Health Risk

One more reason not to consume sharks in any form:

Contact:
Action Labs, Inc.
1-714-630-5941

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Anaheim, CA -- September 2, 2008-- Action Labs, Inc. of Anaheim, CA, is voluntarily recalling its Sentinel brand Shark Cartilage Capsules manufactured in 2005 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Routine testing performed recently at NBTY, Inc. (the manufacturer) shows that the recalled capsules have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Although multiple lot numbers may have been involved in the recall by NBTY, only NBTY lot number 64951 was purchased, repacked and distributed by Action Labs, Inc.

The Shark Cartilage Capsules were sold in bottles of 60 capsules and labeled as Sentinel Shark Cartilage 750mg. A sticker with lot number 064951 and expiration date 07 2009 is located on the bottom of the bottle. The Shark Cartilage Capsules were distributed to retail establishments in Southern California and internationally to Hong Kong.

Shark Research at Tiger Beach, Bahamas 2008

Recently Doc Grubers team from the Bimini Shark Lab went to Tiger Beach, Bahamas to conduct some "tagging and tracking"of the locals there.

Is it just us, or in a field of shark researchers, these guys seem to have more fun?

Here' the expedition report, it's a must read:

We anchored up and started to put chum in the water to attract the sharks. It didn't take long to get a good slick of menhaden oil and blood fanning out from the stern in the current. I went inside the boat to prepare my camera gear and wait for sharks to find their way to us. Steve had hung a huge snapper carcass off the back of the boat, so I was confident we would have some hungry customers showing up real soon. Within an hour we had six lemons circling the back of the boat. We started throwing bait in to them and drew them close to the boat with pieces of bait on lines. When they got within range we popped them with a pole spear to take a small skin sample for DNA analysis. More lemons joined the fray until we had approximately a dozen prowling off our stern. As we glanced around Steve and I saw a large dark shadow making a large arc about 100 meters behind the boat. We looked at each other and excitedly shouted "TIGER!!!"

Sharks in San Francisco Bay

We blogged about this weeks ago-10 foot "Monsters in the Bay" we tells ya!

While Great Whites may get all the attention off the coast of California-we can tell you where your dog "Scraps" disappeared to that day at the beach:

Growing number of aquariums open tanks to divers

We have been blogging about this ongoing debate for the past year. This morning the Associated Press has come out with an article that takes on the newest trend in scuba diving-Commercial Aquarium Diving:

1. Sharky Commercial Aquarium Trends

2. The futue of commercial shark diving?

3. Aquarium's Get Into The Action $$$ For Sharks

4. Georgia Aquarium-Calling Bullshit!

AP Report:
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Still enthralled, Debra Kurtz described how a 6-foot-long zebra shark, a predator that patrols the western Pacific and Indian oceans, swam around her head.

Then there was the playful 300-pound, green sea turtle, an endangered species from tropical waters, that kept trying to crawl underneath her as she knelt in the sand.

Her favorites, though, were the angelfish, which clustered around her to take sand showers, swimming through the grains of sand she let slip through her fingers.

Not bad for an hour's worth of scuba diving. The 44-year-old sales and marketing management consultant from Vernon Hills, Ill., was a guest diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore while on a recent business trip. A growing number of aquariums across the country from Denver to Duluth, from Long Island to Tampa are opening their exhibit tanks to certified scuba divers.

220 million year old shrimp invasion!

We absolutely love stories like these. The reason?

220 million year old shrimp "invasions" remind us that "modern humans" have only been on the planet for a paltry 80,000 years or so....oh and these critters are tasty too!

Shrimp Invasion

Specimens of the tadpole shrimp date back to at least 220 million years ago. It is now almost extinct in the UK but recent heavy downpours have seen the creature flourish at the Caerlaverock reserve in Dumfries and Galloway.

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust researcher Larry Griffin said that three-times the average rainfall for August created "ideal conditions" for the species. The creature had been thought to be extinct in Scotland until it was found at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth four years ago. Mr Griffin, who spotted the tiny species in the same location in 2004, was "very excited" to see it return.

Swedish Sea Monster 'caught on film'

Bah!

Enough is enough. It's high time someone put a stop to the wild world of "Cryptophiles" and the media reports of even wilder critters spotted by these crazed believers in the unknown.

We hate to point this out but the following are myths and do not exist:

1. Chupacabra (Mexico)
2. Big Foot (USA, Tibet)
3. Moke Memble (Africa)
4. Swedish Sea Monsters (Sweden)

Try and tell this to these guys who have recently come up with this simply stunning image of...a cloud:

A group of filmmakers claim to have successfully captured Sweden’s legendary Great Lake Sea Monster (Storsjöodjuret), which is said to lurk in the waters of the Storsjön outside Östersund in northern Sweden.

SharkDivers.com: Consulting on the future of shark eco-tourism

Editors Note: From the RTSea Blog, what can we say Richard? When you're lucky enough to have talent like yours available on 10 digit speed dial-the future is very bright indeed:

"The times, they are a-changing." There seems to be a subtle but growing shift in strategy among many conservation organizations. In the face of past regulations/prohibitions or designated protected areas for endangered animals that have often proven less successful due to lack of resources for effective enforcement, greater attention is being turned towards eco-tourism as a means of increasing public support and providing a more attractive economic model for government and commercial entities to endorse.

I am on the consulting team of Shark Divers providing consulting expertise for shark tourism and the film/television industry. As a marketing communications and media production professional, I look forward to the opportunity to advance the cause of responsible shark eco-tourism as a means of providing effective support to shark conservation.

As new strategies emerge, there will be challenges to address - ecological impact, potential behavioral changes, shifts in third world economies, tourist/diver impact, safety issues for both people and animals, and more. But shark tourism - carefully planned - holds great promise. It can generate enlightenment in people, preserve marine ecosystems that depend on their predators as vital members of the aquatic community, and it can provide economic proof that a living shark is infinitely more valuable than a dead one.

Re-Casting Sharks-Suzannah Evans-Oceana.org

One of the strongest "winds of change" in the world of commercial shark diving has been the support and recognition of well respected NGO's for sustainable shark diving.

These "winds" have also been re-casting the image of the shark while highlighting the ongoing global slaughter.

What started as a whisper a few years ago in the lone pines of NGO forest has become a well rehearsed and continuing tornadic "Op-Ed of Pressure" to educate the public to the reality of sharks beyond the Jaws Mythos and foster commercial shark diving as a viable bridge solution to sustainable shark management.

Here's the latest example from Suzannah Evans from Oceana.org:

Every summer, familiar headlines creep into the news: stories of sharks terrorizing beaches around the world, sending swimmers racing for shore with the ominous display of a dorsal fin.

The shark's reputation as a killer was sealed in the public imagination with the 1975 release of Jaws, a movie with imagery so powerful that the original book's author devoted the rest of his life to dismantling the character he had helped create. The shark in Jaws was a brutal, instinctive killer with a dozen rows of jagged teeth and a taste for human flesh. The bloodthirsty great white has become an archetype so pervasive that even a news story reporting on a harmless two-foot sand shark can't resist recalling the Jaws mythos.

Isla Guadalupe Conservation Fund

We got a call this week from one of our divers wondering if he could donate to the Bio-Sphere at Isla Guadalupe.

Of course, we said, go the the Isla Guadalupe Conservation Fund a site Shark Diver created just for this purpose. The trick was the site has been down for the past three days while we moved servers.

The good news is the website is back up, educating divers and thrill seekers alike to I.G and the desperate need for funds to keep this newly formed Park, open, alive and well.

As we have been reporting things at I.G have taken "turn for the worse" as of late and how this plays out will have an effect on us all in the coming months.