Shark blood 'offers cancer hope'

Here's what's wrong with this weeks story from Australia. It has the words "sharks" and "cancer" in close proximity.

For anyone in the shark conservation world we all remember too vividly the wild neo-scientific pondering of shark cartilage and cancer cures. The end result was a decades long rush for raw shark product and the death of millions of sharks for cartilage that years later proved no link between cures for cancer.

Now this.

With the numbers of sharks being killed for both sharks fin and sharks liver (squalene) the planet can ill afford another headlong rush into sharks blood cancer cures. Soon to be available on yours and ours favorite web portal Alibaba.com.

Shark Free Marinas, Bahamas

After three weeks and some great push by the shark bloggers out there we're happy to report the Shark-Free Marinas Initiative is a "go" in the Bahamas.

To date eight marinas have "agree in principal" to join this conservation effort. On the East coast there's some interest with a larger NGO to roll the project out there. They see how this would work on many levels to raise awareness about sharks.

We would like to thank the shark bloggers who jumped on this and got the ball rolling. You guys are the backbone of the shark conservation movement. Let's make some changes.

One website. One blog. One person at a time.

Goonch? Yes, a Goonch Dammit!

Every once in a while we get a fish story that just sticks in our craw...like for instance this story from last week of the Goonch.

Yes, we know we're a shark blog but the story of a wild Killer Catfish in the high Himalayan Mountains attacking honest and hardworking villagers was just too juicy to pass up.

It could be the name that got us...Goonch, or the story...probably the name.

Anyway this thing stuck on us so badly we looked into it and "surprise" there's a mess of Goonch related websites out there if you're interested:

1. Killer Goonch Fishing India

2. Katmaster Forum Goonch?

3. Blogfish Goonch!

Always Fish for Sharks With a CPR Buddy

You can file this latest beer fueled shark fishing story under "Shaudenfreuder" or any other Nordic word for "You got what was coming to ya buddy".

Turns out sharks do have the last laugh sometimes, it also turns out this guy was from a place in Australia called..."Darwin":

Man Bites Shark:

"I just pulled it on board and it thrashed around a little bit and the hook sliced my leg," he said. “The hook did more damage than the shark. There was blood going everywhere. I reckon I would have lost liters. I had to lay down and Jacky had to drive the boat back in."

Aquarium of the Pacific-Sea Fare

Shark Diver is one of the proud primary sponsors of the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Sea Fare event set to go off October 18, 2008. The crew of Shark Diver and some of our special invited guests will be on hand.

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 special evening also includes a silent and live auction and their popular "Live music, dancing, and an open bar" in an after hours setting at the Aquarium.

To view several of Sea Fares hot auction items (including free trips to Isla Guadalupe), click here. You can purchase tickets at their special 10th Anniversary price of $100 each by calling (562) 437-FISH(3474)

See you this weekend!

Guadalupe Island-Sharks, Tuna, Wildlife

Isla Guadalupe is wild place. Big game fishermen come here looking for monster tuna, divers come here looking for the sharks that sometimes feed on the tuna.

Occasionally the two meet at the same place at the same time, usually with spectacular results as a recent article in 976-TUNA will attest:

"Guadalupe Island provides both agony and ecstasy for anglers fishing its waters. The weather can be flat calm or brutal. The fishing can be epic or dismally slow. The dolphins, fur seals, elephant seals, whales, great whites, sea birds and flying fish provide continual entertainment for the naturalist in all of us."

For those few who have witnessed the sudden and very violent 2300lb addition to their catch, these words are nothing short of poetic.

Shark Divers-Classified Projects

Since the launch of Shark Divers a few months ago we have been busy with interesting projects and proposals ranging from white papers on shark tourism to this latest project off the big Island that Luke Tipple is on right now. While the report he's sent in is a little "dry"-due to the sensitivity of the project we can only reveal a few details:

Sitting here in my makeshift office (undisclosed hotel in Hawaii) I can’t help but grin. I was woken this morning by the subtle sounds of the pacific ocean washing up on the shores of the Big Island of Hawaii and this is certainly a day that I don’t mind having to work.

I’ve been on Hawaii now for about a week working on a project that regrettably I can’t talk too much about. This year has been a record year for shark sightings on the big Island of Hawaii with many popular tourist beaches being shut down due to large Tiger Sharks cruising the coast a little too close for comfort. Partly due to this Shark Divers was contracted by a private company to assess the danger inherent with their ocean going activities. The necessary legals and non-disclosure agreements between our companies restricts me from divulging exactly what their product is but what I can say is that their technology stands a chance of revolutionizing the way we study the ocean. With military and biological applications and potential 8 figure investments (yup, millions and millions of bucks) this is extremely important technology and highly classified… and I’ve had the privilege of seeing it first hand!

So the last week has been spent diving and training with some really smart and very cool people, who just happen to have one of the greatest offices on the planet! I’m now shacked up in my hotel writing the safety manual and soaking up some Hawaiian joy.

Isla Guadalupe-Shark Diver Olivier

You get to meet some amazing people in this gig. None more so than Olivier, whose enthusiasm for diving with sharks started way before he first heard these words over the phone "Shark Diver, can we help you?":

Trip Report:

It has been about two weeks now since I got my first fix. The world then rocks for about 2 days which makes every simple task somewhat of a challenge. Then the rocking stops, but the static images flashbacks in my head have not stopped, if anything they increased.

Hi my name is Olivier and I am a great white sharkholic.

I work in an environment where I deal with sharks every day, mean ones too . And I do it without the safety of a cage. The TV business is full of them, one hungrier than the other. The hours are very long, the pace is at best hectic, the tension high and my imagination is always on demand but I love it all.

Every time Shark week hits the discovery channel, I hit that either live or with TiVo. "Cage diving with great whites, I really wanna do that!" My wife of 11 years, the woman who I love more than life itself looks at me with her beautiful blue eyes and in unison we start reciting a couple of line of jaws:" You go in the cage, the cage goes in the water, our shark is in the water too?" Yeah... I really wanna do that.

I asked her a few days ago if she really thought I would go through with it. "of course I did, I know you."

There is now a beautiful great white on my enormous computer monitor. Enormous, I'd say about a 17 footer. Powerful, majestic and I took that shot as it swam toward the cage to check me and the other sharkholics out.

Guadalupe Island is truly magical. It is a place of beauty. The perfect setting for this adventure. You forget why you are there, until the first fin appears, even then what a rush. The journey was pure and fantastic, I found myself for 5 days with people sharing the same interest or fascination. There is nothing like your first time they say. well I had my first time 5 or 6 hours a day every day for 3 days straight and every time I stepped in the cage my heart was pumping like my first dive. Not out of fear though which surprised even me. It is one thing to say you want to step in a cage where at times 3 or 4 great whites are swimming around the cage, it is something else to do it all together. The critters all have different names and personalities. Jacques, Bruce, Pablo, Lucy, Shredder among others, My favorite? "Jacques" of course. He came by quite a few times, seems he was as curious about me as I was about him. Now it is entirely possible he looked at me and saw lunch. Why not? I looked like a seal and he is the predator of all predators. Yet in the cage I was never afraid, always in awe, but never afraid. I can't even tell you how many times the soundtrack of jaws played in my head and I am willing to bet that every single diver who has stepped in a cage with a great white heard that soundtrack at least once if not 12 times. I am so glad I did this. The Crew of the Horizon was perfect in every way. They know the animals and their behavior, they surely respect them all. They had great humor were very supportive and so helpful. On my trip there was a marine biologist who was nothing short than a shark encyclopedia . Perfect. Every question I had was answered. he was there to film, photographs the great white for a future documentary he is making. I gladly offered my services for any help he may require and I do hope he takes me on my offer.

Quite frankly I can't wait to go back and do it again And I will. I went from a sharkholic to a sharkaddict in one minute and I bet I am far from the only one. My beautiful wife got it and as much as she made sure every single part I was born with was still attached to my body when I got back, she seems to understand why I went even more than I do and for that I am and will be eternally grateful.

Olivier

Documenting Science-DNA Sampling 2007

From the RTSea Blog today:

In my capacity as a filmmaker with a special interest in nature, I've had the opportunity to film some fascinating animals. Sharks in particular, like tiger sharks or great whites, can be exciting because

1.) you're in the presence of an apex predator

2.) they can be unpredictable.

In filming a sequence for Island of the Great White Shark involving taking a biopsy sample, the plan was to lure a white shark close to the cage to allow the researcher, Mauricio Hoyos, to take a small sample using a biopsy pole spear. Taking the hangbait, the shark turned unexpectedly towards the cage and there were a few tense moments as the shark, weighing in between 1,500 and 2,000 lb., thrashed back and forth, slamming the cage several times with its tail before turning aside and moving on. Being in the cage at that moment was like standing inside one of those huge Buddhist temple bells; with each swing of its tail, the "gong" effect of the rattling cage could be felt right through your bones!

While responsible shark diving means not exposing the "paying customers" to unnecessary risks for both the sake of the shark and the diver, researchers and professional documentarians often put themselves in less than ideal situations. As a filmmaker, you occasionally get to offset hours of tedium with a few heart-thumping moments of pure adrenaline.

Record year for white shark tagging 2008

Your 401K may have tanked but for the understanding of Great whites and their migratory habits, it's been a great year:

Another tagged New Zealand great white shark has migrated to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia – 1 of nine sharks to be satellite tagged this year.

The 3.5 metre shark, nicknamed ‘Thomas,’ was tagged with a popup archival satellite tag. The tag records information on light levels (from which approximate daily latitude and longitude can be estimated) as well as water depth and temperature so that the shark’s movements can be tracked.

After a predetermined time (six months for this shark) the tag pops off the shark, floats to the surface and transmits the data to a satellite that emails the information back.

‘Thomas’ was tagged by Department of Conservation (DOC) scientist, Clinton Duffy, off Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait, in February. The satellite tag popped up at Swain Reefs, off Rockhampton, late in August.

"This is only 100 kilometres from where another tag popped up last year from a shark tagged at Stewart Island after having travelled over 3000 kilometres," says Mr Duffy.

Charismatic Megafauna-Anyone? Anyone?

It's kind of like a matra around here at U.T:

Charismatic Megafauna= Sustainable Tourism.

It's simple enough equation if you want to apply it to sharks, whales, or even these toothsome critters all you need is a good marketing department, some vision and some great critter encounters:

The newly-opened attraction, Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, offers the chance to be lowered into a tank full of crocs, among them suspected man-eaters, wearing nothing more than a mask, snorkel and swimsuit or trunks.

The 'Cage of Death' is said to be "perfect for serious adrenalin junkies" who have perhaps become jaded with swimming with dolphins or cage diving among great white sharks.

The cage is hexagonal-shaped to stop the crocodiles from getting a grip on it with their fearsome teeth.It enables tourists to come within a few feet of several 'salties' measuring more than 16ft long, some of the largest in captivity in the world

Shark Fin Du Jour-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc

Our new weekly feature on Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks is the "Shark Fin Du Jour".

It's a weekly look at Alibaba.com the NYSE of Shark Fin Products on the Internet-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc.

We will take you into the individual sellers listed on that site and introduce the top companies, what species they sell and how many thousands of pounds of shark fins they have for sale on the global market.

Today our Shark Fin Du Jour is Escualia Market Spain who can source a staggering 220,000 pounds of sharks fin per month:

Company Dedicated To The Purchase And Sale Of Frozen Shark Fin's In The Market Spanish (VIGO)

Blue,
Mako
Hammer
Anex
Dogfish

About 100, 000 KG monthly

Guadalupe Trip Report-Second Times The Charm

For Shark Diver Steve Kuruc, joining us for us for a second straight year at Isla Guadalupe was the charm-complete with a surprise dead E-Seal:

Trip Report:

Thought you might be interested in a few words about my recent return to Guadalupe. I tend to be rather wordy, but with everything that happened I'm not sure how to condense it.

We were haze gray and underway, bound for Isla Guadalupe on Saturday, SEP 27. Despite the cloud cover, our crossing was unusually calm. It set the stage for what was to be an interesting excursion. The cover didn't let up, and so we missed the usually spectacular Guadalupe sunrise that I remember from last year. It did make for a very atmospheric arrival at the island, with clouds clinging to the cliff sides. We geared up and hit the cages. Diving in the second group, my first sight of the sharks this year was from the surface about 15 minutes into the first rotation. I couldn't wait for my time in the cage!

The sharking was fairly quiet that first day. They made a few passes near the cage, but remained below the divers for the most part. But then, all the fishes were acting rather odd (okay, I didn't know that at the time, but the crew of the MV Islander enlightened me at the end of the day). As Luke stated, when the experienced crew of a fishing boat tells you that the fish are behaving strangely, you know that something must be up. Maybe it was the new moon, or maybe it was the cloud cover. Or maybe we just weren't that interesting that day. During one of the afternoon dives, I happened to look up to see a carcass floating just next to the cage. It turns out that someone had noticed the elephant seal carcass floating nearby, and arranged to have it towed to our boat. Needless to say, we were all interested in what this might bring. As it turns out, for that first day, not too much. One shark nosed around the carcass briefly, but seemed to lose interest and swam off. After the day's diving was concluded, we decided that the carcass was worth hanging on to for the night, despite the rather interesting aroma it brought to the deck. We all went to sleep wondering if it would be there in the morning.

Day 2 started early for me. I was out on the deck at about 0600 talking with the other early birds and waiting for breakfast (excellent as was every meal, thanks, Skippy!). I happened to be gazing toward the carcass (which had indeed survived the night), when suddenly a white pointer hit the 'head' of the dead seal. I can't possibly describe the power as the shark breached, and then arced over the seal. With a shout of 'Shark on the carcass!' I ran to grab my camera and wake up anyone still asleep. The shark circled the seal for about 10 or 15 minutes, and devoured everything except the entrails. Definitely one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. This set the stage for another interesting day of diving.

Once again the sharks were quiet, staying relatively deep. When the sharks were out of sight, we were treated to another amazing sight. Several yellow fin tuna took an interest in us, and in the hang baits. They put on a spectacular show, moving around at incredible speeds. I saw as many as four tuna around the cages when the sharks were away. Though I missed it, one diver saw a shortfin mako make a quick circuit beneath the cages before heading away. Divers also witnessed what might have been mating behavior, with a male great white nipping at the fins of a female. Definitely an interesting sight seeing the same, larger female submit to these attentions by rolling on her back under the Islander. The highlight for me, though, had to be the afternoon arrival of one of the largest sharks I've ever seen. She was 15 or 16 feet, and as big around as my Wrangler! It's strange how easily I forget about the girth of these animals. She moved gracefully around the cages, showing a modest interest in the hang baits. Comparing notes at the end of the day, we divers were fairly certain that this was Sarah, one of the known returnees to Guadalupe. Even Luke and Oscar thought this might have been she.

A quick digression. The opportunity for education on these expeditions is incredible! Last year we were treated to a presentation by Mauricio Hoyas, a doctoral student studying the feeding habits of great whites at Guadalupe. This year we were incredibly lucky to be joined by renowned shark researcher Dr.Oscar Sosa. I thought that I would wear out my welcome with Oscar, cornering him at every opportunity to discuss great whites and sharks in general. Mr. Sosa never seemed to grow weary of talking with me, or any my fellow divers, and graciously shared his great knowledge with all who were interested. Definitely another reason to do everything I can to continue diving with your operation.

A rapid change in weather, and the advent of a strong and very hot wind blowing over the island, forced us to change our anchorage during the evening. Day three got off to another quiet start, but Sarah's return and evident interest in the divers quickly cheered everyone. Exiting the cage after the expedition's last dive, I begged 'Daddy' Luke to stay out for just 10 more minutes. Sadly, we prepared for a return to Ensenada. After a brief sea tour of the island, we departed on seas that were, once again, unusually calm. Our journey home included flying fish, a lone blue shark on the surface, and a blue whale off in the distance. It almost made up for having to leave the island.

Though it's the norm for them, I still feel the need to comment on Luke and the crew of the MV Islander. Being lucky enough to return for the second year, I felt a kinship with the crew. And they were kind enough reciprocate. All behaved professionally at all times, and went out of their way to attend to the comfort of the divers. Friendly, knowledgeabe, hardworking... go ahead and throw out any other cliche because it will be true of this crew. From the wonderful meals to spending an evening on the bridge with Captian John (who indulged my need for a Monday Night Football fix by listening to the game with me), every aspect of my time on the ship was, once again, one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I'll continue to dive with sharkdiver.com as long as I can, and will plead with everyone to experience this at least once. See you at Tiger Beach!

Steve

Scuba Diving Magazine-Guadalupe Coverage

Editor Travis Marshall with Scuba Diving Magazine broke the Isla Guadalupe chumming controversy in September.

In the next few months more articles about this ongoing declaration and controversy with the MX Navy banning chumming at this pristine site will be forthcoming.

Our goal is to keep divers informed and direct the conversation into sustainable solutions. If this unique dive site is to survive and flourish cross border cooperation and unified direction will have to happen here.

The options for not doing anything are no longer available. As we have been blogging about for a while now, the commercial shark diving industry is linked. What happens at one site reverberates around the world to others.

The fate of the ban on chumming is being eagerly watched by proponents for and against commercial shark diving worldwide.

Shark Capital of the World-Volusia Florida

"You say Barracuda people say hun, what?...You say shark"...heck you know the rest.

So what's up with Volusia County, Florida anyway? This year they celebrated, or rather completely ignored the fact they have become the defacto shark bite capitol of America with a record 22 bites (no deaths) and counting as of last month.

What's a seaside county to do?

We say embrace your sharks and do several things:

1. Adopt the sharks. People will come for miles to see sharks, shark tourism will boost your local economy by at least 20%

2. Educate your tourist. What an amazing platform to educate people about sharks and sytematically debunk the fears of sharks

3. Celebrate the Volusia County Shark Festival-that's a novel idea

Now we know there are many of you reading this saying "you're crazy", perhaps we are. But we are also veteran commercial shark guys who have been in adventure tourism for almost 18 years. We know what works when it comes to sharks and shark tourism.

If you look on the counties website you'll note an almost 1970's whitewash about sharks, attacks, and the beaches of Volusia.

"Shark tourism" is not a bad word, and when the city managers in Volusia come to realize this they will also come to understand the power of the shark for commercial and sustainable gain.

Australia-Goonch This!

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:

Aussies Flee "Terror Shark"-Cirque Cast Member Saves Beachgoers

Australia-Things that kill the things that will kill you

Shark vs Croc=Crikey, Great Shot!

Record Shark Taken-Eco Debate

Goonch Attack-No, Seriously!

And you think sharks have a bad reputation...try being a Goonch.

Turns out these voracious critters found in rivers on and around Napal and India have been scarfing up local swimmers like Pez:

An 18-year-old Nepali disappeared in the river last year, dragged down by something described as like an “elongated pig”.

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!

Trip Report-Malapascua Island Thresher Sharks

From the Life is Beautiful Blog your basic first hand (and very excited!!!!) account of commercial Thresher Shark diving on Malapascua Island.

Thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) are one of our favorite sharky critters out there. For divers in California La Jolla Canyon is a great place to spot Threshers-if you're lucky.

Trip Report:

And the luck didn't stop there. The second morning dive, we left for Monad Shoal at 5.30am and saw 1 thresher shark at the Shark Point. Then we moved to the Manta Point... and... after waiting for 5 minutes.... there was 1 thresher shark coming and swimming towards my direction!!! Whoaaaaaaaaaa... it came closer and closer... my heart beats faster.. I thought, "Omigod... what am I gonna do?? If the shark attacked me, shall I swim fast or shall I stay still pretending to be a rock?" I tried to make as little bubbles as I could. The shark came really close, about 4 meters away! Then it turned to another direction... fffiuuuhhh.. but... it came back again! Waaaa.. and... guess what... there were 2 other thresher sharks coming!! Whoaaaaa.... three of them swimming and circling in front of us for more than 20 minutes!!! OH MY GOD!!! Wonderfuuuuullllll... our sights were locked to those three sharks. It was such a stunning view to see those pellagic thresher sharks with their weird shape-long tails swimming in circle, just like dancing in a group of three... sooooo cool!

Benthic Cage Design-Open Source

With our 2008 Tiger Beach season just a few months away we thought we would share our Bahamas Benthic Cage Design with you.

Called the "Alamo" this open top cage system sits on the bottom and allows divers who are not as comfortable as seasoned shark diving professionals to enjoy close macro shark species interactions with all the benefits of a shark cage.

We pioneered the concept of Safe and Sane Shark Diving (tm) a few years ago. The understanding is that close predator interactions with macro sharks such as Tigers and Bulls need to have a "defined space" between the animals and divers. It's an approach geared towards sustained commercial shark diving with these animals.

Safe and Sane Shark Diving (tm) does not allow pre-predatory investigative bumps by Tigers on divers. Euphemistically called "love taps" by some operations we feel these closer interactions on a broad based commercial level is in the long term not sustainable.

The goal of our operation is to see sustainable solutions with macro shark species. As such we are making the Alamo Design by Luke Tipple an open source design for use by any operation that would like it. We'll email any operation the full cage design specs and site design specs should you request them.

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act

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.

White Shark? Dolphin? White Shark?

For our money this is a dolphin, here's why:

1. No tail, white sharks tails are vertical, if you can see the dorsal on this critter you should be able to see the tail.

2. This story was brought to you by a U.K paper-home to the guys who brought you last month's White shark in Wales.

For those of you who subscribe to Occam's Razor...yeah you're looking at it.

"Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate"

Isla Guadalupe-Sarah Beatty U.K

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.

For those observing the mechanics and models of sustainabale shark diving-this site is also a continuing lesson in how it can be done:

Sarahs Trip Report

I have been interested in sharks, in particular Great Whites, since my
teens (so, about 20 years). I remember watching documentaries by Ron and Valerie Taylor on the tv and being fascinated by the sharks' behaviour, their commanding presence in the water and that beautiful cunning grin.

So, I decided it was time to get up close and personal (but not too
close) with these creatures and go cage diving. The location, Isla
Guadalupe, was beautiful with its abundant wildlife, clear blue
waters, blue sky and sun. I was still slightly apprehensive about how
I would react when I saw a shark for the first time. Within a few
minutes of being in the cage, we saw a shark in the distance and
watched it glide effortlessly in our direction and check us out.
Watching it was one of the most calming, relaxing experiences I have
ever had. I didn't feel scared. I was stunned and thrilled with what
I was seeing. Although I'm a photography enthusiast, it was better to
forget the camera was there and just watch the sharks and observe
their characteristics and behaviour.

They would gradually wind their way towards the cage and sometimes appear to look directly at you, with that wonderful grin. On several occasions, we would lose sight of the sharks then one would suddenly appear directly in front of us and so close to the cage. We saw about five or so different sharks on the first day, some of which reappeared throughout our time there. Lucy
was a regular visitor and was fairly distinctive with her damaged caudal fin. It was always a treat to see her. Unfortunately my namesake, Sarah, didn't appear. But if she's anything like me she was probably having a lay in!

It was overwhelming to see the sharks in real life and the experience has reinforced my respect and admiration.

This trip was a truly wonderful experience from the moment the boat
set sail to the (sad) day that it returned to San Diego. A week
later, I don't think I have yet come down to earth.

Sarah

Ask a Shark Guy

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".

In the 100 year history of the SF Bay there has never been a recorded shark attack:

Dear Shark Divers,

I saw your blog while I was searching for information regarding San Francisco Bay, and I would appreciate if you could advise me.

I live in the UK and a friend of mine also from the UK, has been trying to persuade me to do a swim in 2009 from Alcatraz to San Francisco Bay. She has done it with a team last year and would like me to get involved.

Although I am interested in this idea and I see it as a great challenge, I am a bit afraid as I worry about the sharks in the bay. Do you get white sharks around Alcatraz towards the San Francisco Bay? Is it really dangerous to do a swim of this kind? What should I be wary of?

I would really appreciate your advice. It will help me to reach a final decision.

Thank you in advance and all the best!

Great White Hunters Wins Award!?

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".

Today thanks to Chum Slick we found out this film, and we use that term in a lightest refrain, has won an actual award. Which leads us to our Sex in the City-esq question of the week.

How is it that idiots who essentially do really bad things with sharks are rewarded for their efforts?

Could be the stubby holder, must be the stubby holder.

"In my day he'd get a big boot up the arse.''

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.

We happen to like the curators response to this horrific event and hope they opt for that solution- The Big Boot:

He also bludgeoned three lizards to death in their pens. Police cannot charge the boy because of his age the NT News reports. Security camera video footage clearly shows every move of the youngster's 35-minute rampage.

One CCTV image shows him with a big smile on his face as he watches the saltie splash around its pool as it attacks a northern blue tongue lizard.

The malicious foray happened at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre in broad daylight between about 8am and 8.30am on Wednesday. Centre director Rex Neindorf said the behaviour was "disgusting''.

"The fact a seven-year-old can wreak so much havoc in such a short time, let alone even think of doing something like this, is unbelievable. "If it was back in my day he'd get a big boot up the arse.''

Shark washes up in Oregon with unknown parasites

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.

Until recently their migration patterns were unknown. We now know they migrate many miles south from Alaska and back each year.

The latest parasite development is always cause for concern:

SEASIDE, Ore. -- A shark that washed up on an Oregon beach was covered with unknown parasites.

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.

Gulper Sharks in Tasmania

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.

Thought to be almost extinct in these waters researchers were surprised to find this one.

Dogfish have been hunted relentlessly over the past decade for their livers which hold squalene used as a moisturizer. Ironically, some commercial shark diving operations in South Africa also use shark livers to attract white sharks for paying tourists.

While the rest of the planet fights against shark finning-deep water sharks like the Gulper Shark are loosing the battle as well. Unfortunately for the deep water species we know almost nothing about their reproductive habits.

Gay Friendly Shark Diving-Kudo's

Sometimes the industry surprises you. This morning was one example.

Kudo's to African Shark Eco Charters for taking the lead in Gay Friendly travel initiatives.

For years we have hosted gay couples on our vessels but never thought to "market to" this savvy well heeled crowd who, if the travel stats are correct, account for close to $200 million worldwide.

Wow, there's a market, and Kudo's again to the guys in South Africa who are making that market work for them.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some website changes to make.

Gone Fishin' : More Next Week

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.

That means the shark blog will on hold too. May we suggest you visit the several very good alternate sharky blogs listed on this site until we get back...including you "Mr. Piedmont" what did we say about blog stalking last month?

My trip to Isla Guadalupe-Rolie Tippett

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:

Rolies Shark Dive

The sea has always fascinated me, and I suppose like many others before me I wanted to see its many inhabitants in their natural state. I decided to experience what I hoped would be the ultimate adventure and signed up to dive with the great white sharks. I wasn't sure what to expect but I had a hunch it would be one of the biggest thrills of my life – I wasn't disappointed!

I called Shark Diver and joined the Horizon on a trip to Isla Guadalupe for one of the best adventures I've ever experienced. The captain and his crew were fantastic – they took care of everything for us. All we had to do was show up and enjoy it! I think they were as excited to watch all of us experience their world as we were to do it. I didn't set my expectations too high – I know we have no control over the sea and its inhabitants - but we weren't disappointed. We were in the cages for three days, and we saw sharks on every dive.

You can't imagine the thrill of seeing your first great white as it comes gliding by you. It looked so graceful and at the same time so powerful. When they came straight at you they almost looked like cartoon characters (with a nasty set of teeth!) but you couldn't help but respect their strength. Then they'd glide by the cage and watch you. There is nothing more eerie or more humbling than watching a great white look at you from top to bottom. The most amazing thing for me was to learn how very different each shark was; they all have unique personalities. I couldn't wait to get into the cage each time to see what was going to happen next. I have no illusions about their ability to crush me if they chose to do so, but these "scary beasts" were so amazing in their natural environment I couldn't help but fall in love with them.

I think all of us walked away from this trip with a huge respect for the great whites and their environment, and gratitude to the crew of the Horizon for making the trip what it was. I know this is only the first of many more shark experiences for me!

Hat Tip: Image Olivier Benamou

60+ Foot Giant Squids-Sea of Cortez

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.

The show was to feature what was then considered to be the first evidence of a 60+ foot squid lurking in the Sea of Cortez.

A 60+ foot squid people!

Now don't get us wrong, we loves our squidoos as much as the next all-shark-blog-all-the-time guys.

Unfortunately we had to wait for the footage of this one-time "holy cow encounter" to make it to You Tube on account our boys were wrapped up in a shoot contract. Have you ever seen a shoot contract?

Suffice to say there's a paragraph in there that talks about broken legs and lawyers if you so much breathe a word of the production ahead of time. Anyway-we digress so we can make some space between that cool squid image shot by us last week "fishing" and this video clip of the 60 Foot Monster Squid...this had better be good:

Shark Attack Cuppies? Yup!

Something to consider "Ms Martha of the Easy Bake Oven".

We found these on the Internet so you know they be tasty. Try them out at your Superbowl party next to the following items:

1. Anti-Sharks Fin Carrot Cake Log

2. Sustainable Shark Diving Tall Boys (with real diver/shark action)

3. Three Layer NGO "Local Shark Initiative" Dip

See? You can make a difference with just a handful of cuppies and a twisted sense on humor.

Sharks "terrified" of actress Shannen Doherty

Actress SHANNEN DOHERTY "terrified" a bunch of sharks, says shark representative.

The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star went cage diving off the coast of Hawaii two years ago and "freaked out" the sharks when she hopped underwater and appeared "screaming like a loon" at the shark cage viewport.

The sharks representative tells Details magazine, "We couldn't breathe, we started having anxiety attacks, we couldn't stay out of her reach....she's a scary woman to look at you know?"

"Doherty was slamming against the cage; she looked so frickin' mean! Her leg slipped a little through the bars, and rubbed off a layer of my skin", said one shark. Since the encounter, the sharks in the region have refused to set fin back in the area: "We're just terrified now."

The following Underwater Onion was brought to you by Shark Diver. Yes we know S.D does not like sharks, but honestly...who cares?

Shark Fishers Try to Reel in Cash, Turn to Conservation

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.

So, here we are, at the starting gate with commercial shark diving vs shark fisheries. What's the next step?

We have a few ideas:

Tolon has been forced to think of ways to make his craft—and career—more sustainable, increasingly relying on organizations such as Iemanya Oceanica, a U.S.-Mexican nonprofit that is working with 12 Mexican fishing communities to help them find long-term economic security.

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.

Sarah Palin vs Miss Teen America '07

Yes, we're breaking format so avert your eyes if you do not want to see another Op-Ed on Sarah Palin.

Or...vert your eyes because this also has a video clip of Miss Teen America 2007. Gotcha!

The bottom line this this. America is in deep trouble right now people. We have two choices in less than 35 days. One is Obama/Biden, well spoken, thoughtful, and able to lead us in a new direction.

The other is a broken war veteran with a sidekick who's religious views border on scary. She's also about as intellectually astute as a brick, that is to say just a grade point higher than Miss Teen America 2007 here.

Choose wisely:

"Cats" responsible for fish declines?

The nice couple over at A Couple Dives posted the following story about the sheer amount of fish fed to "domesticated cats" worldwide.

Turns out the numbers are amazing, and may in fact be a leading factor in the collapse of fish stocks. Seems Rum Tum Tugger's got some 'splaining to do:

Apparently, our very own pet cats will soon drive us out of house and home!

Dr. Giovanni Turchini, with colleague Professor Sena De Silva, has found that an estimated 2.48 million tons of fish is used by the global cat food industry each year. Wild forage fish, such as sardines, herring, anchovy and capelin, account for the bulk of these numbers.

Editors Note: This is why we pull from other blogs as well, they get the goods, while we are off chasing Shark Free Marinas.

Shark Fin Du Jour-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc

Our new weekly feature on Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks is the "Shark Fin Du Jour".

It's a weekly look at Alibaba.com the NYSE of Shark Fin Products on the Internet-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc.

We will take you into the individual sellers listed on that site and introduce the top companies, what species they sell and how many thousands of pounds of shark fins they have for sale on the global market.

Today our Shark Fin Du Jour is BTrade International who can source a staggering two tons of sharks fin per month:

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

Shark-Free Marinas Initiative, Bahamas

In the spring of 2008, Shark Diver was alerted to a female Tiger shark that was taken off Freeport, Bahamas.

Shark Diver is a commercial shark diving company which runs shark charters in the Bahamas and worldwide.

The animal was caught by a sport fisherman and displayed at a local marina where it was cut open to reveal several half-dead pups inside, some of which were dropped into the marina and struggled to survive for a few days.

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.

Zombi Two 1979's Reel Shark Horror

The following video clip has been "sitting in our craw" for a number of months now. The details- where it was filmed and when-have been a mystery, until today when we decided to look in Wikipedia. Now the story can be told:

Memorable Scenes

The film became infamous for two scenes in particular, aided by special effects. One features a zombie (Ramon Bravo) fighting a shark underwater. The actor scheduled to fight the shark was unable to perform the day the sequence was to be shot, so the shark's trainer was used instead.



Editors Note: Sharks trainer?! You mean "Fisherman and killer of Tigers", trainer we think not. Thankfully this was in 1979 so there's a better than 99% chance we'll never see a shark horror film like this one ever again.

Man Bites Shark-Saves Dog

....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:

ISLAMORADA -- Greg LeNoir watched in horror as a shark's mouth opened wide Friday, chomping a large set of teeth on his beloved 14-pound dog, Jake.

''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.

Shark Diver-Changing perceptions each week

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:

Pat,

I had to take a moment to write about our Shark Diving Trip to Guadalupe, Mexico last week.The memories are so vivid in my mind. My God, what a trip! As you know I have travelled the world and visited more countries than I can count and never have I experienced such a wonderful, exciting, exhilarating time as I did on this trip.

This Shark Diving Trip was our first family vacation since my husband passed away.I so wanted Josh and Jyn to have a wonderful trip. I remember saying a prayer on the boat on the way out to Isla Guadalupe. "God, please let the kids see at least ONE shark so they can tell everyone they had seen a Great White." Well, God answers prayers but the Crew played a big part. Not only did we see one but we saw more than we could count over the three day period.

On the first day, every time we went down into the cages we saw sharks. And I mean EVERY group EVERY time. Unbelievable! On the second day every group, every time, saw sharks. And I mean BIG ones! Right in front of our cages. In fact, without naming names we had one male adult who opted out of the remaining cage dives for the rest of the trip as he was so shaken by the close encounters of such enormous Great Whites. Poor thing. But the view from the boat was just as exciting. There were sharks everywhere.

I'm sure you've heard this a hundred times.... but flash backs of the 70's movie, JAWS, was ever on my mind! The experience was simply too incredible to describe. We even saw a Great White breach. I don't mean just his head, I mean his entire body! I had heard on Shark Week that this only occurred in South Africa. I'll have to drop them a note to update their fact book! If only I had had my camera at the time.

The children had a blast. They had a smile on their faces the entire trip. I haven't seen them so happy and heard them laugh so much for a very long time. They were blown away by the experience and never stopped talking about the daily events the entire trip. Josh probably had more dives than anyone else on the boat! He jumped in every time anyone chose not to take their turn. And Jyn, she loved every moment. I still can be sure which she enjoyed more. The Crew or the sharks!!!!!!!!!! From the drop dead gorgeous Captain to the captivating Dive Master (and let's not forget the darling crew who she happened to think all looked like models) everything was perfect for her.

While I agree with her assessment of the crew, I was more thrilled with the fact that they were the most professional, kind and knowledge crew I had ever encountered. (My husband was an avid deep sea fisherman and we have been on numerous chartered fishing trips. So I can pretend to be an experts! Ha!) We have as many pictures of the crew as we did sharks! Luke, our Dive Master, kept us on a tight schedule. He insured we all had as many dives as we could possibly make. We were all so exhausted by the end of the day. A great feeling.

Anyway, I could go on for days. Did I mention that the chef on board was incredible? Do you know that he bakes fresh bread everyday? You failed to mention this! The kids were in heaven. He became their best friend and Skippy Rick fed them well. He was half the fun! Jyn and I had thought we might drop a few pounds on the trip in that it was going to be "boat food". Well, we both gained weight! Ha! . And I can't forget to mention the Federales! (MX Navy) It was so exciting to have them board our ship. We have many pictures of this event too. Just another wonderful action filled day that made the trip even more exciting!!!!

Please thank the crew again for us. And let them know it was the trip of a lifetime for our family. And lastly, thank you for all the calls, information and updates you provided prior to the trip. Clearly we made the right decision in going with SharkDiver.com and the Islander!

Have anyone who wants to hear first hand about the trip contact me. I'll be happy to share with them.

Kindest Regards from Atlanta,
Jeannie
PS By the way, the island and view was spectacular. The nights were so clear and beautiful that we saw the Milky Way and every star in the sky. Jyn even saw her first shooting start!
PPS We have over 500 pictures. I'll try and post them to my website and send you a link soon.

We loves our Cephalopods

To never pass up a good Cephalopod story, image, video, or bathroom joke is the "other madate" of Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks. Today we complete that mission and with the Dow Jones currently sitting at 777% below normal take a brief moment to loves your Cephalopods with us:



Hat Tip: The guys over at Deep Sea News

Isla Guadalupe-Ya heard it here first

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.

The images were shot by famed photog Amos Nachoum with ample help from Jeb Corliss We also hear tell there's a video in the offing. Aside from that you'll have to wait until the images are released officially...we'll keep you posted.

Editors Note:What some people said could not be done, has been done, and now the rest of the dive world waits to see what new direction this takes an entire shark diving industry.

Isla Guadalupe Shark Predation-Royal Star

We had heard "rumors" about this years white shark predation in September from the crews of the Royal Star at Guadalupe. If you'll remember we caught last years shark predation on video. Without a video many of the shark stories we get never see the light of day.

Now if we could only get a cameraman without apparent hypothermia to shoot the next predation event:

Indonesia from Tiger to shark fins

Sharks, if you want to know how 80 million are being slaughtered for fins each year look no further than local fisheries in places like Indonesia: