The shark diving industry blog covering sharks, shark cage diving, shark conservation and things we find "amusing" since 2008 www.sharkdiver.com, www.sharkdivers.com, www.divingwithsharks.com
Australia is one dangerous place. With more critters out to kill you than any other place on the planet today's croc story was no real surprise. As our readers know-if it happens in Australia we cover it:
And you think sharks have a bad reputation...try being a Goonch.But the first victim of a goonch attack was thought to have been a 17-year-old Nepalese boy.He was killed in April 1988 as he cooled himself in the river.
Witnesses said he was suddenly pulled below the surface.Three months later a young boy was dragged underwater as his father watched helplessly.
Editors Note: We're in the process of designing a Goonch proof cage system, no, seriously!
From the Life is Beautiful Blog your basic first hand (and very excited!!!!) account of commercial Thresher Shark diving on Malapascua Island.
With our 2008 Tiger Beach season just a few months away we thought we would share our Bahamas Benthic Cage Design with you.
How about some good news about Shark Finning? Seems the US Coast Guard is on the ball in Alaska:JUNEAU, Alaska - The Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet temporarily terminated a fishing voyage approximately 30 miles northeast of Kodiak at approximately 2 p.m., Monday.
A boarding team from the Acushnet, a 213-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Ketchikan, Alaska conducted a routine fishing vessel inspection and found a shark fin hanging from the rigging of the fishing vessel Arctic Wave. Having a shark fin without the carcass is a violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996.
Upon further inspection of the vessel, it was found that the Arctic Wave had an insufficient number of immersion suits. (Editors Note: If you read through the lines here, this vessel is under suspicion of doing bad things with sharks but only has one fin on board so gets cited for the suits instead). The Acushnet contacted Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak and National Marine Fisheries Service personel and terminated the fishing trip. The Acushnet escorted the Arctic Wave back to Kodiak.
The fishing vessel was met in Kodiak by Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak and National Marine Fisheries Service personnel. The captain of the Arctic Wave was able to acquire a sufficient number of immersion suits while in port. After the Coast Guard reinspected the fishing vessel and found no other violations, the Arctic Wave was allowed to continue their fishing voyage. The fishing vessel left Kodiak at approximately 9 p.m. Monday.
For our money this is a dolphin, here's why:
We get divers joining us from all over the planet. In the past 6 years Isla Guadalupe has become the "defacto" white shark observation and research site on the planet.
It's nice to get asked sharky questions and we answer about 20 of these a week. The short answer to this weeks question is "jump in the waters fine".
We covered these guys a few weeks ago, as a fluff piece. As in "Check out the Noobs who are catching white sharks for sport-complete with a beer holder-mounted to a roof-mounted to a fishing chair...on a truck".
Sorry, we just could not help ourselves. Seems the old adage "Boys will be boys" went a little too far last week as a seven year old miscreant in Australia systematically fed other zoo critters to a 12 foot resident saltwater croc.
Now, this is disturbing. For the past 3 years we have been watching an increase in the numbers of Salmon Sharks (Lamna ditropis) that have been washing up on the shorelines of California and Oregon.Seaside Aquarium officials say the 4-foot salmon shark that washed up in the Cannon Beach area Wednesday was covered with a dense layer of parasites in an unusual way. Aquarium manager Keith Chandler said staff members could not identify the type of parasite and have begun seeking opinions from other marine experts around the Northwest.
It was the fourth salmon shark found by the Seaside Aquarium in the last six weeks. They have been showing up in the fall and late summer months in recent years, with increasing frequency.
It's been a banner year for shark discoveries, from recent new shark species discoveries in the South Pacific to this Gulper Shark (Centrophorus granulosus), In Tasmamia last week.
Sometimes the industry surprises you. This morning was one example.
We'll be at an "undisclosed location" this weekend- in the rain-trying to entice 5lb Caddis Fat Rainbows to come to our nets after slurping back a few hand tied imitations.
Editors Note: This was Rolie's first time meeting a great white shark. As we have been blogging about, the perception of sharks are always changed by sustainable shark tourism. What is often billed as an Adventure Tour becomes so much more at the end of safe encounters like these:
A while back we were chatting with Scott Cassell one of- if not the foremost squid expert-in the Sea of Cortez. He had just completed a show for the History Channel called Monster Quest.
Something to consider "Ms Martha of the Easy Bake Oven".
Actress SHANNEN DOHERTY "terrified" a bunch of sharks, says shark representative.
We have been beating this drum here at U.T for the past year. We are also huge supporters of Iemanya Oceanica whose local initiatives are changing the face and politics of shark fisheries in Mexico and Latin America.Iemanya Oceanica is advising Tolon and other fishers to partially transform their fish-based economies and to start thinking of shark-based ecotourism as a way to make money and preserve stocks for limited fishing.
Yes, we're breaking format so avert your eyes if you do not want to see another Op-Ed on Sarah Palin.
The nice couple over at A Couple Dives posted the following story about the sheer amount of fish fed to "domesticated cats" worldwide.
Our new weekly feature on Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks is the "Shark Fin Du Jour".| Place of origin: | Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| Model No: | B.T |
| Fob Price: | FOB Chittagong, Air / Sea USD 1000~100000 |
| Port: | Chittagong, Air / Sea |
| Payment Terms: | L/C,T/T |
| Minimum Order Quantity: | 1 Ton Fish maws |
| Supply Ability: | 2 Ton per Month 1 |
| Package: | p.p bags |
| Delivery Time: | As soon Possible |
| Brand Name: | Shark Fin |
In the spring of 2008, Shark Diver was alerted to a female Tiger shark that was taken off Freeport, Bahamas.We have decided act with the creation of the Shark Free Marinas Initiative.
The Government of the Bahamas allows sport fishing for sharks and we fully support sustainable catch and release fisheries. However, the taking of gravid female sharks for a one-time photo op and a set of jaws is a senseless waste of a valuable resource.
The Shark Free Marinas Initiative is a way to work with existing resort marinas in the Bahamas and worldwide that cater to sport fishing vessels, seeking their cooperation in asking them not to allow sharks to be taken and displayed at their marinas. This initiative, in turn, encourages the use of catch and release programs and promotes sustainable regional fisheries.
Each marina and resort that supports this initiative will receive both, a metal sign and logo we have created to post in their marina office, and the following information for posting on their marina websites:
(Name of resort and marina) supports the Shark-Free Marinas Initiative in the Bahamas region. The Bahamas is home to many shark species and the healthy reef systems that support these sharks. We feel the one-time harvesting of sharks for photo images or souvenir jaws is not in the best interests of the Bahamian people or Bahamian tourism.
Worldwide, sharks are being decimated for fins and jaws at a completely unsustainable rate. An estimated 60 million sharks per year are taken in this manner. By asking vessels not to arrive at our facilities with sharks, we hope to encourage responsible sport fishing, thereby ensuring a lasting and healthy population of sharks in Bahamian waters for future generations and contributing to the overall health of the Caribbean.
Please practice catch-and-release with all sharks and enjoy our facilities.
Welcome to the Bahamas.
Editors Note: This initiative is not only limited to the Bahamas and the several marinas who have expressed an interest in joining it (press release to follow). As a concept we will allow and help promote any organization or group to use this logo to enact their own regional Shark-Free Marinas. In places like Florida and the East coast this could conceivably help redirect shark kills and weigh ins. It offers the opportunity for marinas to claim the "Green Card" while at the same time redirecting fishermen into sustainable fisheries.
Special thanks to Richard Theiss RTSea Productions for video PSA's.
Shark conservation. One blog, one website, one person at a time.
....or something to that effect went down in Florida this week as dog owner Greg LeNoir jumped into "shark infested waters" to save his Rat Terrier from a shark that was happily munching on it:''Noooooo,'' LeNoir shrieked, fearing the worst.
But the case of the rat terrier versus shark has a happy ending.
Editors Note: The dog featured in this post is none other than our sharky mascot Sierra-a slightly overweight and completely fearless Rottweiler. Knowing that dogs should be able to fend off sharks and other predatory critters we chose a slightly more "robust companion" with Sierra. Hat Tip: Squid Force Media news bite.
It's the letters and emails like these that makes 365 days of phone calls, emails, and four months of crazed running around all seem worth it in the end:
By now pretty much everyone in the industry has heard about or seen "The Photos". We're talking about an event at Isla Guadalupe with Great White sharks this September that will probably turn the shark diving industry upside down-and raise (or lower) the bar for human/white shark interactions for years to come.
We blogged about this a few months ago apparent white shark young of the year being sold at the Ensenada Fish Market as "swordfish and marlin".
Our in-depth and dare we say "exhaustive" coverage of this summers strangest beach story the Montauk Monster is not over...just yet.
Islander's Dive Operations Manager Luke Tipple had just enough time to tap out a first person report from last weeks adventures-as he was headed back to the island with another boatload of excited divers from Shark Diver . Here's the report:This year the Islander has continued to run out of Mexico, a decision that complies with the desires of Mexican authorities currently in charge of regulating activities in the Guadalupe bio-sphere reserve. The political situation down here is a tricky one at the moment as the fundamentals of how to and who is ensuring that operating standards are maintained is worked out. Basically Guadalupe is in a teething process while it moves from the cowboy days (a few years ago) of pouring cow blood into the water as chum to more ecologically sound practices.
While this process occurs operators such as the Islander feel it is important to comply with as many regulations as possible as we become part of the political solution rather than adhering to the bare minimum in order to sustain a business. To be fair I believe all operators down here have the same goal, to protect the sharks and the site.
Full report
Frank Mundus world famous shark killer passed away this month. What made Frank unique was his absolutely ego driven world view towards sharks that did not change-even when the worlds view and perception of sharks was rapidly changing around him.
The fine folks over at National Geographic Digital Media initiatives asked us to cover the following eco news that has been making sharkies excited planet wide. We were just about to cover it with the following post:
With two of our vessels completing their final day in the North Bay today it would seem for now the turmoil of the last few weeks has settled down to quick and thorough vessel inspections by the MX Navy and happy divers. Here's another diver review from last weeks adventures with Shark Diver aboard the MV Islander:
They say that "marketing is everything" in the world of commercial shark diving. Along with safety, education, and activism...whoever "they" are anyway.
Thanks,Denise (Celdran)
After reading her message I immediately emailed Denise Celdran to find out more. She said that she knows the community personally because she is a volunteer of the Bantay Kalikasan in Donsol. She added that the fishermen and the boatmen conserve the “butanding” or whale shark. But during the off season, their livelihood is “shark finning” which is just another form of fishing for them. The fishermen don’t even earn much and it is the middle men and the retailer who makes the”killing”.
She is appealing to whoever reads this not to blame the fishermen. She said that laws must be made to make shark finning as well as manta ray hunting illegal. Manta ray hunting is being actively practiced in Pilar - a town next to Donsol.
Denise is working with the Donsol community to find alternative livelihood for the fishermen. They are currently understaffed and have lots of issues in Donsol to contend with. She is also encouraging all our dear readers to help them find an intelligent solution to the problem.
I am relaying this story in order to bring more awareness to the issue. Hopefully, you know someone in the government preferably in the Congress and Senate who can help pass a law making shark finning and manta ray hunting illegal in our country.
To date, there’s still no International law banning shark finning and manta ray hunting. There are a few places where shark finning is illegal like the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico where shark finning is banned since 1993 and state of Hawaii in 2000. Costa Rica has recently passed a law but it just bans removal of shark fins while at sea.
Lets help conserve the sharks by spreading the word.
Editors Note:The following Internet post opens the table for discussion about Extreme Shark Diving. To us the industry is divided into two camps on this.The frontier of marine sports has just stretched with extreme diving. Extreme diving is the break from the “monotonous” scuba diving experience to push yourself to new limits and experiences that can bring you new-found rush. While many people consider scuba diving an extreme sport in its own right, advanced divers may end up being bored from their usual diving routine. Extreme diving adds a double serving of risk to challenge the depths of the sea.
Extreme divers could be your normal scuba diving session with an added twist. It may start with diving in deeper water, diving at night, passing through ship wrecks or exploring an underwater cave. These experiences are much more interesting than the usual scuba dive in sunlight depth, watch your helping of corals, then returning to the safety of the diving boat.
One popular definition of extreme diving is attacking the deeper parts of the sea. Extreme divers dare to reach more than 2000 meters using highly specialised suits. For divers who have reached this depth, the lack of light gives an aural void that many describe as literally out of this world. It seems that the deeper you go, the higher the thrill one can experience.
Another form of extreme diving is cave diving. Taking this field of scuba diving will need a series of intensive training. For starters, cave divers use a different suit than normal scuba divers. The other dimension of these equipments is using them to your advantage to build your own cave diving experience. Cave divers find the thrill in exploring where underwater holes end up.
Diving with great white sharks could be at the far edge of extreme diving. There are cage diving site in Mexico and South Africa. While that is dangerous enough, there are shark divers who dare to ride their fins in open water. For these divers, they are trying to point out that great whites are not such killers.
Extreme diving is an exercise of the diver’s imagination to try out something new. It may be a fresh thing that you might immediately try or you may need to sit-down for lecture and training. Either way, extreme diving is about your experience and what you add into it. So if scuba diving is not extreme enough for you, then you can consult different online communities or your local diving club to learn about extreme diving.
If you are like us-you have a list of shark science guys and labs on tap to call upon if you need clarification or updates on cool stories like the dead Great White shark in the Bahamas this spring.
A few years ago we hosted shark expert Ralph Collier aboard our vessel at Isla Guadalupe. He then came back the next year and did a quick field test on some promising non invasive shark repellent devices.
According to credible sources on the Internet a small Blacktip shark was found washed up in Lake Michigan.
Got an email from Dan who's a regular contributor. Dan runs a private yacht charter business in Miami and for obvious reasons would like to remain-"just Dan":
