Gulf of the Farallones White Shark Policy - Stunningly Poor Management Decisions?

In 2009 NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries enacted a series of white shark viewing and interaction protocols at the Farallone islands that, by any account, were the most restrictive on the planet.

New regulations prohibited "all activities that would attract white sharks anywhere in the Farallones sanctuary. “Attracting” the sharks means any activity that lures or may lure a shark by using food, bait, chum, dyes, decoys (e.g., surfboards or body boards used as decoys), acoustics or any other means."

Additionally it became illegal to "approach a white shark within 50 meters or 164 feet within two miles of the sanctuary (15 CFR Part 922)."

While sanctuary managers were congratulating themselves on these new rules, they were also green lighting a unbelievable hybrid film and television/shark research project that would allow film crew members (not researchers) to actually bait, hook, and land white sharks within sanctuary waters where a team would then drill into the sharks dorsal fin attaching tracking devices.

One of the team members for this project was in fact a Hollywood actor.

White sharks have enjoyed protected species status in California waters since Jan. 1, 1994. Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Fish and Game Code Section 28.06 on page 25 of the California Sportfishing Regulations states that "white sharks may not be taken under a sport fishing license. Commercial fishing operations may not target white sharks, either."

The management team at the Farallones made the decision to allow invasive research within the sanctuary in 2008/09. At the same time they were shepherding in additional rules and protocols for viewing and interacting with white sharks that would keep the general public 164 feet away from these same animals.

Sanctuary Superintendent Maria Brown's staff were also on the film vessel as observers when the first shark was badly hooked in the throat. To release the animal film crew members (not researchers) had to push a pair of industrial bolt cutters through the sharks gills cutting only 10% of the massive hook, the rest was left inside the animal.

When word of this disaster leaked out Maria Brown made the management decision to continue with the project. The next few days saw another shark hooked and tagged within the sanctuary boundaries.

Maria Brown then went on record in an ABC News interview to describe the process "as a minor dental procedure," see video.

As images surface this week of a shark named Junior with what looks like one of the tags that were placed in 2009 and a simply massive infection/tumor on the side of it's face we are calling for a complete investigation of Maria Brown and all documents, emails, contracts, letters and digital media involved in this project.

The public deserve a complete and transparent accounting of how this project came into being and what sanctuary managers were thinking at the time. A recently released and almost amusing "independent review" by Maria Browns office is a case study in political CYA and does nothing to enlighten the public trust in NOAA or the sanctuary system.

Researchers estimate that there are as few as 300 white sharks at the Farallone islands and surrounding region. This underweight animal, if in fact is confirmed as the shark that was badly hooked in 2009 with Maria Brown watching, will not survive much longer in this state. It is no longer a robust breeding animal and as such can be considered a loss to the entire population base.

Will NOAA rise to the challenge for a protected species?

Gulf of the Farallones White Shark Disaster Redux

The following images are as shocking as they are hard to comprehend. The damage to this shark is simply stunning.

They are purported to be "before and after" images of a protected white shark that was mauled at the Farallone islands in 2009.

A shark by the name of Junior.

The shark was badly hooked by a hybrid shark research/film crew in the fall of 2009. The hook was set so badly in the animal that a pair of industrial bolt cutters had to be pushed through the gills of the shark to cut the hook.

Two thirds of the hook was left inside the animal.

If this is in fact the same animal and these images can be verified, it is clear evidence that this brand of hybrid film and television shark research should be banned from the Sanctuary.

Permanently.

Maria Brown, Farallones Sanctuary Manager, gave the following assessment in 2009 of this kind of research:

"I equated it to, it felt like what it's like when I go to the dentist; when you go in, you get a cavity filled, it's something that maybe you don't want to go do, but you do it, it's quick, it's over, it's done."

This blog will be following up on the series of recent images we have uncovered featuring an emaciated white shark with what looks like a tumor on the side of it's mouth and will be reporting the details as they can be verified.

Stay tuned.

Update Gulf of the Farallones White Shark Policy - Stunningly Poor Management Decisions?

Update Gulf of the Farallones White Shark "Junior" - It's Official, Now What?

Guadalupe White Shark Cage Diving Dates 2012

Shark Diver is proud to announce our 2012 shark diving dates for Isla Guadalupe, Mexico with the M/V Horizon.

Yes, we're booking for 2012 in 2011!

We're 80% sold out on all our 2011 expedition dates, thanks to the many divers and groups who will be joining us again this year.

If you cannot make it this season join us in 2012. Same great dive operations, same pricing as 2009, 2010, 2011 and yes, we will be departing directly from San Diego again next year with no buses into Mexico.

Peak shark season dates are August-September when weather and numbers of sharks are at their absolute peak. Divers seeking the really big females should join us in October. We are accepting $500 fully refundable deposits to secure your next shark diving adventure.

Let's go shark diving!

Playa Bagdad Back in the News 50,000 Sharks?

Back in 2009 we posted a story about a small fishing camp called Playa Bagdad in Mexico, a place where shark fishing was rampant and perhaps a suitable candidate for a shark tourism conversion, similar to what we have seen in places like Isla Holbox.

This week Playa Bagdad made the news again, this time with biologists warning that 50,000 sharks a year are taken from this one small camp to fuel the shark fin trade, a trade which is now spilling illegally over into U.S.waters.

The Washington Post has an in depth look into this issue.

“Those guys are north of the line,” said Petty Officer Andrew Watzek, squinting at the 25-foot Mexican skiff and then at a radar screen, where the border is a bold line extending off the coast. “They’re definitely in American waters.”

Complete story here.

Great White Shark Research Internship 2011

Interns will be joining dedicated scientists who are conducting accredited research projects in some of the world’s most challenging, beautiful and remote environments.

The projects demand significant scientific and practical responsibilities from participants, however, the demands are well within the capabilities of most students, and whilst being challenging, are enjoyable and exciting. As part of this program, interns can expect to be important members of a focused and dedicated research institute and partake in ground breaking research. It is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to exciting marine research, as well as experience the frustrations, the highs and the lows, and the achievements associated with ambitious and challenging marine research in Africa.

Oceans Research has established a strategic network of two research stations situated within the unique marine biomes of southern Africa, namely, Skeleton Coast Marine Lab and Mossel Bay Marine Lab. At each laboratory, researchers are conducting ambitious ecological, physiological and biological studies on resident marine top predators and their associated ecosystems.

Mossel Bay Marine Lab is the flagship and most established research laboratory within the Oceans Research network. It is also home to the institute’s central office and management. The research laboratory is situated along the southern coast of Africa in a warm temperate marine biome that attracts numerous temperate water fish species. At the top of the food chain is the Cape fur seal that resides on Seal Island, the Great white shark that frequents the bay to hunt fur seals, numerous fish species and a semi resident population of bottlenose dolphins.

Interested interns can also get involved with our educational program, where we educate mostly underprivileged schools regarding the importance of ocean conservation and the vital role sharks play in both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Skeleton Coast Marine Lab is situated along the desert coast of Namibia at Walvis Bay, a worldwide mecca of dolphin watching and desert tourism. The Benguela current is the driving force behind one of the world’s most abundant marine environments and attracts dense populations of marine mammals such as the Heaviside’s dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Cape fur seal and humpback whale. The Namibian coast line is considered one of the most undeveloped, beautiful places in the world. The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and is characterised by the conjunction of large fields of sand dunes meeting one of the world’s richest marine environments, the cold currents of the Benguela ecosystem.

The internship program is aimed at assisting in the development of students training in the area of biological science. However, we willingly invite applications from all students and enthusiasts who have a passion for the oceans and want to extend their knowledge through real life experience.

Further information is available on the Oceans Research website.

Oceana and the Chilean Shark Fin Bill

The Fisheries Committee of the Chilean Senate voted on Friday in favor of placing a bill aimed at protecting sharks by banning finning (cutting the shark’s fins and then throwing the carcass back into the ocean) on the legislative agenda.

The bill was favorably voted by the Senators who attended the session: Antonio Horvath, Jaime Orpis and Fulvio Rossi, and now it must be voted in the Senate chamber.

“Chile has become a large shark fin exporter, which is severely threatening their conservation. The unanimous vote of the Committee is an encouraging signal and we hope that our country can soon pass a law banning such a brutal practice,” stated Alex Muñoz, Executive Director with Oceana in Chile.

The bill, promoted by Oceana, was introduced to National Congress last January, sponsored by Senators Antonio Horvath, José Antonio Gómez, Jaime Orpis, Hosain Sabag and Carlos Cantero, and is aimed at putting an end to increasing finning practices in Chile. Of the 30 species of sharks caught in Chilean fisheries, at least 15 are subject to finning, with the blue shark (Prionace glauca) and the mako shark (Isurus oxyrhinchus) as the most affected species.

Shark finning, among other activities, is responsible for a 90% global decrease in these animal populations. Fins are exported to Asian countries, mainly China, where they are used for culinary purposes.

A Freedom of Information Act request filed by Oceana to the Chilean National Customs Service revealed that between 2006 and 2009, 71 tons of dry shark fins were exported and corresponded to eight different species.

In 2006, the Chilean Government pledged to take conservation measures for sharks through a National Action Plan for Shark Conservation which, among other goals, considers the integral use of caught and retained sharks. To do so, one of its goals is to eliminate finning, encouraging the landing of fins together with the body.

Sharks are top predators in marine ecosystems and as such, they have a critical role in maintaining trophic balances and the promotion of biodiversity. In fact, their disappearance can bring instability to the food chain and have large and negative ecological impacts on the structures and functions of marine communities and ecosystems. Unfortunately, they are highly vulnerable to overfishing and require many decades to recover. Compared with other fish, sharks grow slowly, become sexually mature relatively late, have a long life-span, have long pregnancies and generally have low reproductive rates.

If the bill is approved, among others, shark finning will be banned and sharks will have to be landed with all their fins naturally and completely attached to their bodies. Also, the presence of loose fins on-board, or the transportation or transfer of cut shark fins between vessels, will be totally prohibited.

Shark Cage Diving Trip Report - Guadalupe Island 2010 "White Shark City"

When we got the phone call from Jan Millhauser this year, we knew we had a special mom on the phone.

She was interested in taking her 19 year old daughter shark diving.

What a mom!

Even rough seas could not keep this NY mother daughter pair down for too long when it came to meeting the "Man in the Grey Suit."

This is Jan's 2010 Shark Trip Report:

Ariel wanted to go dive with great white sharks for her graduation from high school. We researched for many of hours till we found “Shark Diver” and they were rated 5 out of five. I have to say the rating was accurate.

We flew on Jet Blue from JFK on an 8:30 am flight that got us to San Diego around 11:30am, after wrestling with local hotels and a mean front desk clerk and a quick trip to the Gaslamp district we got our ride to the dock where we were greeted by a friendly and kind “Horizon Charters” crew who were totally in control and knowledgeable. My fear of claustrophobia and not being able to get to the head (bathroom) in time in case the sea sick patches were not sea worthy was on my mind.
As we were walking to the “MV Horizon” (boat’s name) the crew Mark and Kyle were joking with Ariel and I making me feel like all was going to be just fine. This was the first time either of us had been diving, let alone 210 miles off the coast with white sharks!

The 84 foot Horizon had two very large cages on the deck. Upon boarding we met some of the other crew and passengers. Everyone was friendly and supportive. There were a few others with the same fears as I had.

There was Alec (whom I kept calling Eric, he took it in stride) and Lisa his wife from England, Marcus from Ireland, Mark from Canada, Jeff from Tennessee, Steve from Maryland, William from San Diego (who was originally from Panama until he moved to CA at 16; army brat), John from NY with his father Bob from Chicago and Ka-Hay from Hong Kong (best line “I was like what the f@!% is this shit?) That broke the ice for all.

Customs came on the boat went through all the official stuff and then took off for the 16 hour journey to the Guadalupe Islands. Mark and Beth the kitchen crew made us delicious pancakes for breakfast. On the way there we saw whales sprouting but we couldn’t find them so we continued on after a few minute detour whale watching. Spinner dolphins joined us for a while playing in the wake of the Horizon. Two more meals, diving lecture, getting fitted for our wet suits, a few laughs with the rest of our dive partners and of to bed.
We woke up with cages being put into the water and Mark and Beth were taking breakfast orders we had arrived after months of preparation to Isla Guadalupe.

All of a sudden we hear “White Shaaaark”(Ariel was the first person to spot the shark) everyone darted out onto the deck to watch a beautiful great white shark swimming around the boat. It took all the energy of the boat crew to keep all 12 of us from jumping in the water to swim with the shark. His movement in the water was so graceful it was like watching a ballerina dance at Lincoln center. We ate breakfast, lectured on safety rules of appropriate cage entry, exit, picture taking and NO hanging out of the cage for pictures which I must say only a few of the divers actually followed that rule (not Steve, Ariel or myself; we were a naughty shark cage team.)

Martin the Dive Master made a scheduled one hour in the cages one hour out with a half hour for lunch so we got in the cage several times on the first day.
We saw 14 different great white sharks over the 3 days of cage diving.

On my second dive a large great white was coming head in to me and I was just about to do the most “not allowed move” by kissing his snout when my regulator hose broke off my mouth piece and I had to get out of the cage till it was fixed. After I got out Kyle and I were on the side of the boat talking when two sharks had a fight and both breached right in front of us. Of course neither of us had a camera to get it on digital but it will be in our minds eye forever.

I had a few more really close encounters with a few white sharks but none close enough to actually kiss. Most of the sharks came within 1 – 2 inches from the cages.

We were allowed to get in the shark cages before our rotation if we got up early enough. There were a few seagulls swimming in front of our boat when a great white shark came up from underneath it and lifted the bird and its nose right out of the water that someone got video of!

Very cool.
We saw a few sharks 10 – 20 feet below our cages swimming around. We spent one dive where all we saw were mackerel while we prayed for a shark but none came. Steve our dive mate fixed our hoses when they got tangled; we took pictures of each other and played hand games while we waited in the cold water -down time after a hot shark first day. We ate dinner exchanged memory cards to see each other’s video and pictures. The camaraderie was at an all time high and no one refused to share their amazing shark pics.

I got up early to get into the into the cages early and got a wonderful show. A sea lion came up under the boat and to visit our cages. Then he got a visit from a young great white about 9 feet and the seal and shark where playing tag with the seal doing most of the chasing it was amazing. After my allotted time and the first rotation came in a second great white shark came to join the game and we saw a little bit of the play looking down into the water from the boat deck. On our rotations first dive we saw a few great whites not close up but not far either. The second dive we saw nothing and the third dive Ariel and I decided to shower and just watch from the deck, read and relax. It was a very smart move because some rough current was coming in and the cages plus boat started to rock.

Before we left Captain Spencer said we were going to be heading into rough waters. A few of us loaded up on the bonnine and other sea sick pills plus vied for position on the rear deck for a view of the horizon. When we left Captain Spencer drove by the shore so we could see the sea lions and elephant seals then headed back to Ensenada Mexico to go through customs.

Overall we had an indescribable experience that words cannot do justice to. Great white shark diving is an experience that must be done first hand to understand the feeling of euphoria.

Jan and Ariel 2010 Official Shark Divers!

Battle: Los Angeles - Take two Dramamine First

Like you, I like a good Sci-Fi flick. In fact if it's got aliens and a pulse I am usually at the front of the line next to the really geeky kids with my wife in tow on opening day. Cloverfield? Loved it.

So it was yesterday, with a line up around the block at our local multiplex, that I found myself with great anticipation for Battle: Los Angeles.

That's when it all went downhill.

Shaky Cams

A word about the advent of the "shaky cam." Used correctly the shaky cam can really deliver a first person feeling to a film. Shaky cams are when the camera lens floats and zooms in and out, the idea is to recreate how a human sees the world, always subtly tracking the environment.

Used badly and the shaky cam can deliver a Grade A migraine to the back of your left eyeball.

We knew we were in trouble with Battle: Los Angeles when an opening character staging shot at a cemetery featured:

1. Eleven different angles
2. 420 switch ups
3. 30,000 shaky cam moments

And this was just one guy talking to a damn headstone. Seriously.

Less than 10 minutes into this film I began to feel as if someone was pushing a red hot poker into my eyeball. In fact this film could not even focus on one object in a single fluid tracking shot anywhere which is sad because Aaron Eckhart, who plays the main character is excellent. He carried the movie with a gritty character portrayal, that's when you could see him between shaky cam moments.

It was like watching a disaster alien movie shot during a 9.5 earthquake.

Michelle Rodriguez plays the same character she always plays in every single film. Here is an actor who could not do a break out character if she was asked to play herself. The rest of the cast does well in a classic war movie setting but unfortunately the aliens are doughy half mechs who bobble about the shaky set with little credibility.

Maybe it's just me, but why the hell would aliens, who have comparable technology to us, want to declare war on the planet, when a nice virus would do the trick?

More here.

And now for something completely different - Video

No explanation needed. Just keep your head down:

Dr.Erich Ritter, Holistic Shark Nutter? - Video

Dr.Erich Ritters Shark School?

It's run by a guy who almost lost his leg to a shark attack, not a shark accident.

The actual accident was Dr. Ritter himself, standing in water, waist deep, surrounded by feeding bull sharks in a free baited shark soup with absolutely no controls. The video remains one of the best examples of idiot shark handling ever shot.

Ritters one time stunt work with sharks has never been repeated.

The end result was one of the worst shark attacks caught on tape and the beginning of Dr.Ritters "career" as an industry laughingstock and another example of failed shark handling ego vs wild animals.

Dr.Ritter has gone on to promote his own branded Shark School in a manner that PT Barnum would have been proud of. Along with Shark School video PSA's that are factually incorrect, moronic in their simplistic assumptions, and dangerous in their conclusions.

Sharks are predators. That makes them inherently dangerous, those who work with sharks and lose that understanding, like Dr.Ritter, end up discovering the predator first hand. Dr.Ritters own shark attack is an example of ill informed human/shark interaction that has played itself out over and over.

Dr. Ritter has proven without a doubt, and sadly with the loss of his calf that his whacked out, sideways, new age, holistic shark views are simply bunk science at best, at worst a serious and dangerous disinformation campaign for those seeking real interactions with sharks.

Ritters latest Shark School PSA is complete and utter garbage. The PSA not only wants the viewer to believe that 200 million sharks are being killed each year, a number double that of worst estimates, but if sharks get harvested, the oceans will die.

Bullshit.

In a time of profound shark crises, facts, not Ritter inflated hyperbole are needed, and in a time when the global shark diving industry is moving towards safe interactions with sharks, this PSA stands as a complete throwback to an earlier time when shark "accidents" happened only when divers failed to treat sharks with the respect they deserve. As predators.

Will Dr.Ritter stop this nonsense?

As PT.Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute," and this is Dr.Ritters Shark School marketing plan, because no one in our industry is buying it.

More from Da Shark.

Standing with Japan - Disaster

As word comes in of the worst natural disaster to hit Japan in it's entire history, 400,000 homes washed away, refineries on fire, and a nuclear power station on the brink at Fukushima Daiichi, it's time to reach out to Japan.

Every once in a while we are all called upon to rise above partisan agendas and be - human. That statement is directed at the conservation community, whose online network, media, and boots on the ground could really help Japan right now.

Let's see who's got what it takes.

Our best wishes for Japanese people, you can donate to the Red Cross this week to help the folks on the ground.

Isla de Guadalupe - Buceo con tiburones blancos 2010

Cuando Drew Grgich nos llamó hace muchos meses para reservar una aventura de buceo de tiburones que sabíamos que había una incipiente Diver tiburón en la línea.

Su entusiasmo por los tiburones se puede "sentir" todo el camino desde Arizona.

También fue un buzo certificado no, uno de los muchos que "entrenar" a convertirse en tiburón buzos cada una y cada temporada.

Hoy Drew puede llamarse a sí mismo un juego oficial de Shark Diver haber encontrado las especies de tiburones superior en el mejor sitio para ellos en todo el planeta.

Este es su informe de 2010 viaje con la imagen de Christy Fisher:

Día uno (y medio)

Hemos venido de todas partes - - Michigan, Nueva Jersey, Nebraska, el Área de la Bahía, Vancouver, Maryland, y Arizona - - y todos nosotros había un objetivo en mente ... nadar con Tiburones Blancos. Eso sí, ninguno de nosotros tenía deseos de muerte por lo que nuestro objetivo era hacerlo nadando cuidadosamente instalado en una jaula de acero. Sin embargo, queremos estar en el agua con ellos y, por tanto, estarían en el agua con nosotros! Nuestro viaje comenzó en San Diego a cabo de H & M de aterrizaje. Nuestro barco era el horizonte MW, un 88 pies. buceo en barco.

Subimos a las 10:30 pm y se marcha justo después de la medianoche. La primera noche la pasó en sueño irregular al tratar de detectar si o no la sensación de náuseas en el estómago fue el comienzo de los nervios o simplemente el mareo. Llegamos a Ensenada a la mañana siguiente en torno a las 9am. Una revisión rápida de los funcionarios de aduanas de México nos ha enviado en el camino a Isla Guadalupe, la casa de la caída de algunas grandes tiburones blancos + 100. El viaje transcurrió sin problemas, si a largo - - 18 horas para ser exactos. Se nos dijo que el viaje fue uno de los más suaves nuestro capitán había experimentado. Algunos de nosotros sucumbió al mareo, pero en su mayor parte, todo estaba bien. Vimos algunos monumentos notables - una ballena azul, la ballena delgada, vainas de movimiento rápido y de alta delfines saltando.

Lo que más recuerdo de ese día es de lo emocionada que estaba.

Pocas personas en la vida son bendecidos con el conocimiento seguro de saber exactamente lo que más desean en la vida y menos aún llegan a experimentar ese deseo. Para mí, mi deseo más ferviente que iba a ocurrir en cuestión de horas. Eso es algo bastante fuerte!

Segundo día

Alrededor de las 3 am, el motor apagado cuando llegamos a nuestro destino. Subí arriba un par de horas más tarde y no se sorprendió al ver a otros madrugadores. Hemos tratado de luchar nuestras cámaras a tomar fotos decentes - - no una tarea fácil a las 5 am antes de que el sol se había hecho aún un aspecto simbólico - - e imaginó que las aguas turbias que nos rodea se llena de tiburones, cada uno con hambre para el primer turno de los buzos .

El cambio que me pasó son!

Nuestro divemaster, Martin Graf, me llevó a la jaula y me hizo probar un regulador por primera vez. Lo hice bien con el regulador, pero antes de que Martin me declaro en picado digna, tuve que inundan mi máscara y clara a través de mi nariz. Me dio un buen esfuerzo, pero lamentablemente, me entró el pánico cuando mi primer intento resultó en una nariz llena de agua salada. Me tiro a la superficie y por un breve instante, se preguntó si yo iba a ser capaz de tener éxito. Martin fue muy paciente y sabía exactamente cuánto espacio para darme a superar mis miedos. Mi segundo intento fue exitoso. El secreto era conseguir un ritmo constante para respirar por la boca para ganar confianza, cerrar los ojos, y exhala por la nariz, mientras que el depósito de la máscara.

No tuvimos que esperar mucho tiempo. La primera gran blanco apareció a los pocos minutos, alrededor de la jaula de unos metros debajo de nosotros en su forma elegante. Ese tiburón fue seguido de otro poco por detrás. Tanto los tiburones se cernía abajo y hacía viajes perezosa alrededor de las jaulas y muy pronto, la rotación de nuestra primera hora había terminado. Todos nosotros tuvimos la suerte en este viaje. Dos personas tuvieron que cancelar por lo que esto significaba que había 10 buceadores en lugar de 12. Las jaulas en forma cuatro personas cada uno. Esto significa que efectivamente podría tener como tiempo de inmersión de lo que queríamos.

Me tomó un turno extra que el primer día, así que tuve cinco horas en las jaulas. Vimos siete tiburones diferentes el primer día. La mayoría de mantenerse a una distancia respetable de la jaula, pero algunos se aventuraron cerca de alcance de la mano si realmente estaban dispuestos a hacerlo. No había nadie:). Sabíamos que eran tiburones diferentes como los patrones de las marcas alrededor de sus branquias y aletas de servir como una especie de huella digital. Estos tiburones son a su vez nombrado por la gente que las vea. Los científicos hacer esto para que puedan identificar a las poblaciones y puntos de datos medida como el número de años que han estado viniendo a la isla, la cantidad de los tiburones están creciendo, y cómo muchos tiburones son residentes temporales.

Algunos vienen todos los años mientras que algunos visita más irregular. Para el registro, los tiburones que vimos el primer día fueron Jacques, mordida la cara, la Federación de Rusia, Johnny, Cristina Cruz, y un hombre sin nombre nuevo. No sabemos quién va a nombre de ese tiburón. . . el suspenso es delicioso blancos.:) Lo más destacado del primer día - aparte del hecho de que yo estaba buceando con gran! - Fue una rotación donde Jacques círculo de la jaula durante toda la hora. Tuve la oportunidad de disparar cuarenta minutos de video va de un lado de la jaula a la otra. Algunos pases fueron a centímetros de mi cámara de vídeo - - Tengo algunos grandes tiros!

Tercer día

A la mañana siguiente, tomé el primer turno del día, junto con dos almas valientes otros. Hemos visto algunos tiburones, pero que estaban muy por debajo. Hemos probado una gran variedad de trucos para atraer la atención del tiburón - - pisando nuestros pies, golpeando la escalera jaula con algunos de los pesos de plomo, cantando melodías de espectáculos - - pero no atrajo a los tiburones más que el primer turno.

A raíz de los cambios eran mucho más productivos. Pasé las tres primeras horas del día en las jaulas y disparó más de vídeo. Cogí otro tres turnos después del almuerzo para un total de seis horas en las jaulas. Había dos puntos culminantes en el segundo día. La primera era que me encontraba mirando en la dirección exacta es necesario ser testigo de una violación por completo. Esto es cuando el tiburón se impulsa completamente fuera del agua mientras que en la búsqueda de presas. La presa resultó ser una gaviota y se salió del camino justo a tiempo para escapar de los tiburones saltando. Yo era uno de dos personas a bordo que vio la infracción y fue verdaderamente un espectáculo magnífico.

Era un tiburón más pequeño - - tal vez 6-8 pies - - pero era una violación completa! Lo más destacado segundo fue más ignominiosa. Vimos un tiburón nueva - Gunther - quien tuvo la amabilidad de - - - bueno, caca - - - directamente en frente de la jaula al lado de nosotros. Fue divertido ver a los niños contentos y 10 años de edad dentro de mi compañero de jaula y yo. . . hasta que la corriente nos llevó directamente a él. De esta manera puedo decir que tengo la suerte suficiente como para ser rendidos por un gran blanco.

Día Cuatro

Yo sólo tomó la mitad del turno sharkwatch. Que estaba bien - - Nada realmente en comparación con el primer par de días. Me tomó dos turnos más para el día antes de que tuvo que abandonar. Hemos hecho llegar un par de pases muy cerca de la cara mordida y Jacques. Esto fue especialmente memorable para mí como la cara fue mordida de un tiburón que figuran en la expedición, Great White, un espectáculo sobre los científicos de etiquetado de los Grandes Blancos en la Isla Guadalupe. Fue divertido ver las marcas por satélite que se ha atribuido a morder la cara de seguirle la pista. También es bueno saber que si muestran su progreso en un programa de futuro, una de las líneas se cruzan cuando lo vi:).

Salimos de casa después de las unidades por la mañana y tienen una mala racha de aguas picadas que esperar. Estoy escribiendo esto mientras nos abrimos camino hacia el norte lenta a través del Pacífico. Honestamente puedo decir que hay cuatro eventos en mi vida que la parte superior de mi lista. La primera sería mi boda con la realidad, uno empatado dos y tres que son los nacimientos de mis hijos. De cerca se este viaje. Yo estaba un poco preocupado de que yo estaría petrificado de entrar en el agua con los tiburones, pero yo no tenía ni una pizca de temor. Los tiburones son, evidentemente, curiosidad por saber que la gente de mono en la jaula - por qué habrían de quedarse si no?

Desde luego, no hizo ningún intento de hacernos daño y no dudó en colgar los brazos fuera de la jaula para sostener mi cámara para una mejor imagen. Dicho esto, yo no era estúpido - - - sin piernas colgando por el lado de la jaula, por ejemplo.

Final de Tally en cuántas horas me zambullí - - 15,5 horas!

Mi favorito Martin citan Graf - Los tiburones son como bebés. Sólo hay dos tipos de elementos a un tiburón - las cosas que caben en la boca y las cosas que pueden.

Dorsal Fin Scoop - White Sharks SC

As always the good folks over at the Dorsal Fin Blog go the scoop on another white shark sighting in South Carolina:

Change in China? Lawmaker Urges Shark Fin Ban

A Chinese lawmaker has proposed that the country's top legislature ban the trade of shark fin, a high-end delicacy consumed by wealthy people in China and East Asia.

Shark-fin trading generates enormous profits, but encourages overfishing and brutal slaughter of sharks, of which some 30 species are near extinction, said Ding Liguo, deputy to the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

He has filed a formal written proposal to the legislature, together with a dozen of other lawmakers.

China is now the biggest market of shark fin, consuming 95 percent of the world's total with Taiwan, Hong Kong counted, said Ding Wednesday, a billionaire and executive chairman of Delong Holdings Limited, at a panel discussion of the ongoing parliament session.

Shark fin soup has become an essential part of any respectable banquet in China over the years. And there are no laws in China banning shark fin trading, he said, adding publicity campaign against shark fin consumption has had limited impact.

"Only legislation can stop shark fin trading and reduce the killings of sharks," Ding said, adding China should take the lead in banning the trade.

Fin trade encourages shark-finning, a practice in which the fins are typically cut off while the shark is still alive. The shark then dies a slow death.

Shark fins are used to make a soup that is a high-end staple on the menu of most upscale restaurants. Many of them make the delicacy a signiture dish to lure customers, as Chinese culture has lauded shark fins to boost virility and enhance skin quality.

Further, shark fin soup represents wealth, prestige and honor as the gourment food was coveted by emperors in China's Ming Dynasty because it was rare, delicious and required elaborate preparation.

With both culinary and symbolic significance, the dish is popular at important occasions such as weddings, banquets and important business deals.

Treat with this Chinese cuisine is a show of respect, honor and appreciation to the guests. Ordinary people normally can't afford to have the dish.

Price of shark fins is up to 4,000 yuan (about 600 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, said Huang Liming, duty manager at the medium-level Hongxing Seafood Restaurant in southern Guangzhou city. Shark fins could be sold up to 10,000 yuan per kilogram in upscale restaurants, Huang said.

But sales of shark fins have declined 30 percent recently from a year earlier to at most 0.5 kilogram each day as people prefer healthier and environmental-friendly food, Huang said, adding most of the delicacy is consumed by businessmen.

"People are mistaken by the supposed nutritional value of shark fin," Ding said.

"Research shows the nutritional value of shark fin is similar to that of poultry, fish skin, meat and eggs. It is tasteless and its low level nutritional value is hard to absorb by the body." He said.

Further, it contains high levels of lead and mercury, which most people know little about, he said, adding he neither eats shark fins nor treats guests with the dish.

Ding proposed that governmental officials take the lead in stopping the consumption of shark fin, and that state-owned hotels and restaurants stop serving shark fin.

Zhang Xingsheng, managing director of North Asia Region of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), started an online poll on microblog website of Sina.com since Jan. 8, calling on the country's legislature to ban overall shark fin trading.

As of Wednesday, 27,370 people have voted for the ban, and 440 voted against the ban.

Ken Okaniwa Throws Down - Shark Conservation Goes Crazy

Ken Okaniwa is a minister at the embassy of Japan in London and ­director of the Japan Information and Cultural Centre.

He also just penned "It is wrong to claim that the global shark population is declining," an op ed for the Guardian newspapers in London.

The electronic ink had not even dried on that article before howls of discontent and gnashing of teeth could be heard across the shark conservation spectrum.

It is wrong to claim that the global shark population is declining

Your article reports the assertion by conservation groups that "growing demand for shark fins, coupled with modern fishing methods, has caused a rapid decline in shark populations around the world" (A bloody business: Japanese town feeding appetite for shark fin soup, 12 February).

But there is no clear evidence for a global decline in shark stocks. Reduced catches can reflect various factors such as the intensity of fishing methods and variations in demand, in addition to the actual level of stocks.

In particular, the article refers to the blue shark as having been designated "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The fact is that an assessment of the blue shark population since 1971, published by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (an organisation of 25 nations and regions including Japan, the US, Australia, New Zealand and the EU), demonstrated that stocks declined in the 1980s but later recovered to exceed the 1971 figure, and remained stable thereafter.

It is also notable that "near threatened" is the second least serious of the seven categories employed by the IUCN – which itself declares that the blue shark does not qualify for "threatened" status.

You report: "Several countries, including the US, have taken steps to conserve shark populations, but [the shark conservationist Mayumi Takeda] holds out little hope that Japan will follow suit." However, Japan is in fact one of the few countries to have prepared its own action plan based on the UN's International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.

In addition, Japan has not only been providing data on shark stock assessment to the relevant international bodies but has also been encouraging the promotion of appropriate stock management methods.

Japan has been at the forefront of international efforts to protect threatened species. For example, at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) conference in 2009, Japan supported a proposal to ban the retention of thresher sharks in the Atlantic Ocean (the proposal would mean that the sharks have to be released immediately after capture). At the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission in 2010, Japan supported the EU bid to prohibit the retention of three types of thresher shark.

At the ICCAT in 2010, Japan proposed banning the retention of oceanic whitetip sharks, which was adopted. Japan also supported the EU proposals to ban the retention of hammerhead sharks and porbeagle sharks, though the latter was not adopted due to opposition from other countries.

Every country has its own dietary practices based on its particular historical and cultural background, and such matters should be discussed in a respectful way. Protecting sharks and other species requires a factual, science-based approach. This is how Japan will continue its efforts.

Fiji on Predation - Great Stuff

Recently Da Shark was filming his favorite subjects - sharks, when an offscreen actor snuck in and displayed some canny predation moves on a tiny ramora.

The critter in question was a GT or Giant trevally, according to Da Shark these animals are quite the predators in their own right.

Kudos to Da Shark for this Nat Geo quality underwater series.

If you want to shoot something similar you're in luck, Da Shark is one of the owners behind Beqa Adventure Divers and this is his back yard, filled with sharks;)

More here.

Deserving of some Major Credit - Stefanie Brendl

For the past three years Stefanie Brendl has been in the "eye of the hurricane" for sharks.

As a shark conservationist who began her voyage to save sharks having owned a shark tourism operation on Oahu, she's become the embodiment of determination, grit, and political conservation savvy.

Haven't heard of her yet? Watch this video:

Direct Action Failure? Sea Shepherds Next Act

While Sea Shepherd congratulates it's self on an eco win this year, the second act of it's direct action policy is playing out in Japan.

There's always a second act.

As was the case last year, Japan is considering moving whaling operations to fragile coastal waters targeting whale and dolphin populations within Japans territorial limits.

"Jun Morikawa, an academic at Rakuno Gakuen University and the author of a book about Japanese whaling, says he is concerned that because fewer whales were killed in the Southern Ocean, Japan may want to hunt more whales and dolphins in its own waters."

This is Japans ultimate trump card, regional whaling pressure on a scale not seen since the end of WW2, and a disaster for coastal whale populations.

Does Sea Shepherd have a plan for this outcome?

Probably not, as their thin veneer of legitimacy and argument against scientific whaling would all but disappear in the face of Japans navy and coast guard vessels. A similar Catch 22 to Sea Shepherds now completely failed 30 year anti-sealing effort in Canada, which culminated in the loss of a two million dollar vessel, impounded and then sold off by the Canadian Coast Guard in 2008.

Canada has recently signed a multi-million dollar trade agreement for seal products with China, the largest trade agreement of it's kind for seals, and a complete repudiation of 30 years worth of direct action policy on the part of Sea Shepherd.

Whaling must end, but is direct action the method in which long term success can be achieved, or like a water balloon, are Sea Shepherds actions just putting pressure on other animals that, until now, have enjoyed relative safety and security off the coast of Japan?

Story here.

"It's like a fishbowl full of whale sharks"

ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO - U.S. and Mexican scientists believe they are close to solving one of the shark world's great mysteries.

They want to know why whale sharks, the largest shark species, gather each year by the hundreds in the teal-blue waters off this Yucatan Peninsula barrier island.

"It's like a fishbowl full of whale sharks," said Robert Hueter, director of the shark research center at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla. "We are witnessing a spectacle of nature down there that we don't fully understand."

Hueter, Mexican biologist Rafael de la Parra and a group of other marine scientists are trying to make sense of the big shark reunion, an event dubbed the "afuera." The word means "outside" in Spanish, and it was the name de la Parra initially used to describe to the phenomenon.

"They are showing up in an area outside the area the Mexican government set up for their protection and outside the area we had normally studied them," de la Parra said.

Complete Story.

Dr. Richard B. Hoover - Media Fail 101

Scientists, academia, and wackos who have found Bigfoot, let us try and help you with your media!

We can start with this simple rule:

"Never release your ground breaking news on a Friday."

Which is exactly what Dr. Richard B. Hoover did last week with his stunning assertion that he had found evidence of extra terrestrial life.

Yes, alien life forms!

Unfortunately the good Dr.Hoover released his data and press release on a Friday, in the middle of a mid east revolution and oil crisis at home.

Seriously Doc, did you hope that anyone would even pay attention to this, on a Friday? This is the kind of media drop disgraced Senators and Enron does when they want to slide by the news cycle - we're talking alien life here!

Fortunately we found your press release along with a few others who troll the Internets for tasty tid bits o' science to pass on to their readers. Dr.Hoover still has to go through the rather unfortunate vetting process and already many within the carbonaceous chondrites community are calling foul.

Frankly, we're more interested in the spectacularly bad timing of it all, but that's science for you, and a lesson learned.

Sharky things that go bump in the dark

The M/V Gonzacove 1 retrieved a rare Mitsukurina owstoni last month and researchers are thrilled.

So are we, as this critter, also known as the Goblin Shark is one of our favorites. A real throwback to the Paleozoic era when the oceans were filled with critters that, cage or no cage, you did not want to be in the water with.

This specimen was a male 161 cm in length and was caught around 400 meters deep.

The full story is in Spanish here.

Requin blanc Carnet de voyage de plongée - SharkDiver.com

Quand Drew Grgich nous a appelés il ya plusieurs mois pour réserver une aventure de plongée de requin, nous savions que nous avions en herbe Shark Diver sur la ligne.

Son enthousiasme pour les requins, vous pouvez "sentir" tout le chemin de l'Arizona.

Il était aussi un plongeur certifié non, l'un des nombreux que nous "train" de devenir Shark Divers chaque saison.

Aujourd'hui Drew pouvez appeler lui-même un officiel Shark Diver avoir rencontré les espèces de requins supérieure au meilleur site pour eux sur toute la planète.

Il s'agit de son rapport de 2010 voyage avec l'image par Christy Fisher:

Day One (et demi)

Nous sommes venus de partout - - Michigan, New Jersey, dans le Nebraska, la Bay Area, de Vancouver, dans le Maryland, et de l'Arizona - - et nous avions tous un objectif en tête ... nager avec des requins blancs. Rappelez-vous, aucun de nous n'avait souhaite la mort si notre objectif était de faire nager soigneusement installé dans une cage en acier. Néanmoins, nous serions dans l'eau avec eux et donc, ils seraient dans l'eau avec nous! Notre voyage a commencé à San Diego sur H & M Landing. Notre navire a été l'Horizon MW, un 88-pieds. plongée en bateau.

Nous sommes montés à environ 22 heures 30 et étaient en cours peu après minuit. La première nuit a été passé en sommeil agité tout en essayant de détecter si oui ou non la sensation de nausée dans nos estomacs a été le début de nerfs mal de mer ou simplement. Nous sommes arrivés à Ensenada le lendemain matin, vers 9 heures. Une rapide vérification auprès des fonctionnaires des douanes mexicaines nous ont envoyés sur la voie d'Isla Guadalupe, la maison chute de quelques requins blanc 100 + Grande. Le voyage s'est déroulé sans incident, si long - - 18 longues heures pour être exact. On nous a dit que le vol était parmi les plus lisses notre capitaine avait éprouvé. Quelques-uns d'entre nous ont succombé au mal de mer, mais la plupart du temps, tout allait bien. Nous avons vu quelques sites remarquables - une baleine bleue, une baleine minces, les gousses de déplacement rapide et de haute dauphins sautant.

Je me souviens surtout de cette journée est de savoir comment j'étais excité.

Peu de gens dans la vie la chance d'avoir la certitude de savoir exactement ce qu'ils veulent dans la vie et encore moins de faire l'expérience que le désir. Pour moi, mon souhait le plus cher qui allait se passer en quelques heures. C'est trucs assez grisant!

Deuxième journée

Aux alentours de trois heures, le moteur à l'arrêt quand nous sommes arrivés à notre destination. Je suis allé là-haut deux ou trois heures plus tard et n'a pas été surpris de voir d'autres lève-tôt. Nous avons tenté de battre nos caméras en prenant des photos décentes - - pas un exploit facile à 5h du matin avant que le soleil avait même fait une apparition symbolique - - et imaginer que les eaux troubles qui nous entourent ont été grouillant de requins, chaque faim pour le premier quart de plongeurs .

Le changement est arrivé à me comprennent!

Notre divemaster, Martin Graf, me fit entrer dans la cage et me fit essayer un régulateur pour la première fois. Je n'ai d'accord avec la réglementation, mais avant que Martin me déclarer plongée digne, j'ai eu à inonder mon masque et clairement par le nez. Je lui ai donné un bon effort, mais malheureusement, j'ai paniqué quand ma première tentative a entraîné un nez plein d'eau salée. J'ai tiré à la surface et pour un bref instant, me demandais si j'allais être capable de réussir. Martin a été très patient et savait exactement combien d'espace pour me donner pour obtenir plus de mes craintes. Ma deuxième tentative a été couronnée de succès. Le secret était d'avoir un rythme régulier de respiration par la bouche de gagner la confiance, fermer les yeux, et expirez par le nez tout en inclinant le masque.

Nous n'avons pas eu à attendre longtemps. Le premier Great White semble en quelques minutes, le tour de la cage de quelques mètres en dessous de nous dans sa manière gracieuse. Le requin a été suivie par un autre peu de temps derrière. Les deux requins plané ci-dessous et fait des voyages paresseux autour des cages et trop vite, la rotation de notre première heure a été de plus. Chacun d'entre nous ont eu la chance lors de ce voyage. Deux personnes ont dû annuler si cela signifiait que nous avions 10 plongeurs au lieu de 12. Les cages loger quatre personnes chacune. Cela signifiait que nous pourrions effectivement avoir le temps de plongée autant que nous voulions.

J'ai pris un poste supplémentaire de ce premier jour j'ai donc dû cinq heures dans les cages. Nous avons vu sept requins différents le premier jour. La plupart maintenus à une distance respectable de la cage, mais certains proches osé suffit de toucher si nous étions vraiment enclins à le faire. Personne n'a été. :) Nous savions qu'ils étaient différents des requins comme les modèles de marques autour de leurs branchies et des nageoires servir comme une sorte d'empreinte digitale. Ces requins sont à leur tour nommé par le peuple qui le premier a les voir. Les scientifiques ne présente afin qu'ils puissent identifier les populations et les données de mesure des points tels que le nombre d'années qu'ils sont venus à l'île, à quel point les requins sont de plus en plus, et combien de requins sont des résidents saisonniers.

Certains viennent chaque année alors que certains de plus amples irrégulière. Pour mémoire, les requins, nous avons vu sur la première journée ont été Jacques, Bite visage, la Russie, Johnny, Cris de la Croix, et un nouveau mâle sans nom. Nous ne savons pas qui pour ne citer que le requin. . . le suspense est délicieux. :) Le point culminant de la première journée - à part le fait que je faisais de la plongée avec les Blancs Grand! - A été une rotation où Jacques le tour de la cage pour l'heure entière. J'ai été en mesure de tirer quarante minutes de la vidéo va d'un côté de la cage à l'autre. Certains passages étaient à quelques centimètres de ma caméra vidéo - - j'ai eu de belles photos!

Troisième journée

Le lendemain matin, j'ai pris la première rotation de la journée avec deux autres braves. Nous avons vu des requins, mais ils étaient loin ci-dessous. Nous avons essayé une quantité d'astuces pour attirer l'attention du requin - - piétiner nos pieds, frapper l'échelle cage avec certains de nos masses de plomb, chantant des airs show - - mais rien ne séduit plus que les requins premier quart.

À la suite de changements ont été beaucoup plus productive. J'ai passé les trois premières heures de la journée dans les cages et a tiré plus de vidéo. J'ai attrapé un autre trois quarts de travail après le déjeuner pour un total de six heures dans les cages. Il y avait deux points forts de la deuxième journée. La première est que je me trouvais en regardant dans la direction exacte nécessaire pour assister à une violation complète. C'est alors que le requin se propulse complètement hors de l'eau tout en poursuivant des proies. La proie se trouvait être une mouette et il est sorti de la voie juste à temps pour échapper à la requins sautant. J'ai été l'une des deux personnes à bord qui ont vu la brèche et c'était vraiment un spectacle magnifique.

Il était un petit requin - - peut-être 6-8 pieds - - mais c'était une violation complète! Le deuxième temps fort a été plus ignominieuse. Nous avons vu un requin de nouvelles - Gunther - qui a eu la gentillesse - - - bien, merde - - - directement en face de la cage à côté de nous. Il était amusant de voir le plaisir et les enfants de 10 ans à l'intérieur de mon compagnon de cage et je. . . jusqu'à ce que le courant nous tiré directement dedans. Je peux donc dire que j'ai eu la chance d'être assez caca par un grand blanc.

Quatrième journée

Je n'ai pris que la moitié du transfert sharkwatch. Il était correct - - rien de vraiment par rapport au premier couple de jours. J'ai pris deux quarts de travail pour la journée avant que nous devions partir. Nous avons eu un beau couple de passe près de Bite visage et Jacques. Ce fut particulièrement mémorable pour moi que Bite visage était un requin présenté sur Expedition Great White, un spectacle sur la Grande-Blancs scientifiques marquage à Isla Guadalupe. Il est amusant de voir les balises par satellite qu'ils avaient attaché à Bite Face à retrouver sa trace. Il est aussi cool de savoir que si elles montrent ses progrès dans une émission à venir, l'une des lignes se croiseront, où je l'ai vu. :)

Nous sommes partis pour la maison après les entraînements du matin et ont une mauvaise passe de l'eau agitée à espérer. J'écris ce que nous faisons notre route vers le nord lente à travers le Pacifique. Je peux honnêtement dire qu'il ya quatre événements de ma vie que mon top liste. La première serait de mon mariage avec vraiment, un attaché deux et trois étant la naissance de mes enfants. Juste derrière serait ce voyage. J'étais un peu inquiet que je serais pétrifié d'aller dans l'eau avec les requins, mais je n'avais pas même un coup de langue de la peur. Les requins sont évidemment curieux de nous les gens de singe dans la cage - pourquoi auraient-ils rester si elles l'étaient pas?

Ils n'ont certainement pas tenter de nous faire du mal et je n'ai pas hésité à accrocher mes bras hors de la cage de tenir mon appareil photo pour une meilleure image. Cela dit, je n'étais pas stupide - - - sans les jambes pendantes sur le côté de la cage, par exemple.

Final Tally sur combien d'heures je me suis plongé - - 15,5 heures!

Mon préféré Martin Graf cite - Les requins sont comme des bébés. Il ya seulement deux types d'éléments à un requin - des choses qui tiennent dans leur bouche et les choses qui pourraient.

Government Shark Cull in Cancun? 70 Animals on the Block

In response to February's unfortunate shark attack in Cancun involving a Canadian tourist, the Cancun Port Authority has reportedly authorized a wide scale shark cull. It was reported that 70 sharks have been taken so far.

The story can be found in Spanish on the Expediente Quinta Roo website along with a video purporting to be a pile of the first sharks to be taken by local fishermen: