Betting on sharks-Barbarians at the gate

We're not sure what is more repugnant a pastime. Shark finning or illegal betting on dead shark "weigh ins" like a recent expose at the Martha's Vinyard Monster Shark Tournament.

One thing we are sure about. Media is a powerful tool. With the advent of You Tube you can get your message across to millions. As far as shark conservation goes the next time you see an online save-the-sharks petition...shut down your computer and go pick up a camcorder:

Kudo's the the Humane Society for this kind of direct action.

Ecotoursim:Making a personal connection with Nature

From RTSea's Blog today. One of the reasons we work with Richard and have come to admire him as a friend and shark colleague is his ability to cut through hype and deliver thoughtful ideas, expressions, industry analysis and news:

Shark diving, whale watching, safari tours, mountain gorilla expeditions - all fall under a single heading: Ecotourism. It's a complex activity that brings together conservation, education, and economic development - all for good or for evil depending on the motivations of the operators.

Many conservation organizations or NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) are turning to ecotourism as a new strategic direction. In many parts of the world, conservation legislation and regulations which have been put in place - but unsupported logistically or economically - have proven less than effective. Ecotourism has the potential for both enlightening the public and providing economic incentive to governments or local economies. But it must be structured in a way that insures safety to the animals, safety for the participants, and minimizes it's ecological footprint while at the same time remaining economically viable.

There will always be an element of adventure associated with ecotourism - the thrill of seeing an elusive, endangered, or even potentially dangerous animal in the wild, and that will remain a major component as to its allure. Consider this online video promo I produced on shark diving for SharkDiver.com, emphasizing the mystique of these incredible animals (as opposed to promoting some macho, life-threatening experience).



Once participants are attracted to this unique opportunity, then it is imperative that the operators stress the concepts of education, conservation and protection. If not, then they are just profiteering and that greed can lead to lax policies that endanger people and animals. Shark Divers.com, for which I am an on-call consultant, provides professional services to help advance the future of responsible shark eco-tourism by assessing potential sites and recommending detailed safety and environmental procedures that require strict compliance on the part of the operators.

Ecotourism is no "silver bullet" solution or panacea. It can be abused by unscrupulous operators just like any other commercial venture. But many in the conservation and ecology movement are finding that a greater level of awareness - a more personal connection - is in order and ecotourism may be one way to help reach that goal.

White Shark at Ocean Beach-San Francisco

The boys over the The Fear Beneath blog posted the following shark report. For some states the heralding of late summer and fall comes with the turning of leaves. For us here in Nor Cal...it is the arrival of the Great White sharks:

On September 19, 2008 Evan Kinkel was surfing at Ocean Beach near Sloat Blvd., San Francisco. Kinkel reported; “I had been in the water about 45 minutes prior to a large fishing boat passing North of my location just outside the breakers. Seagulls circled and dove behind the boat and you could certainly see the chum that they were after. The thought did occur to me that seagulls wouldn’t be the only marine life these fishermen were attracting.

Not five minutes later a 10 – 12 foot White Shark was thrashing just outside the line up and I wasn’t the only one to notice. Myself and some others paddled in while others chose to remain in the water, the waves were good so I suppose they where willing to risk it. I also alerted my sighting to surfers on the beach about to head out.”

Isla Guadalupe Catches Fire Last Week

We keep track of several blogs in Mexico who keep track of Isla Guadalupe. Recently a fire on the island was contained but not after burning 520 hectares of grassland and trees on the top of the island. Here is the translated review of the situation and the agencies involved:

September 2008
The fire in Guadeloupe

In order to combat forest fires in Guadeloupe, and save the radiata pine variety endemic to the region as well as the flora and fauna, the Ministry of Agricultural Development (Sefo), as part of their duties, participates in specialized elements leadership in fire prevention and control by providing a light aircraft for the movement of personnel and provision of food and fuel, reported the Director of Forestry and Wildlife, Jose Angel Valdez Martinez.

The damage from the first impact, are 520 hectares (ha), of which 400 ha. are of grassland and 120 ha. correspond to the wooded area, where the predominant variety of cypress Guadalupe, located north of the island, which has been consumed by fire.

The radiata pine variety, is at risk because the wind direction, enemy number one in the control of radical different fronts of fire, which also limited the opening of gaps short fire because the area is declared by the Commission National Protected Areas (Conanp), as a protected zone.

He noted that the main strength for the control of fire in its entirety, is due to the coordination of 79 elements that comprise the brigade of the different units, such as Sefo, the National Forest Commission (CONAFOR), the Conanp, the Army and the Navy.

The equipment and tools involved are 4 planes under the stewardship of the state and Conanp, which have provided the necessary tools to control the fire in question.

The Guadeloupe is the more territory away from the country, is the last frontier of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean and is located in the far northwest of the country at coordinates 29 degrees north latitude and 118 degrees west longitude.

The value of the territory of the island, is projected onto its territorial waters and the adjacent 200-mile exclusive economic zone, from which she draws and in strategic terms of sovereignty, natural resources and biodiversity, its value is incalculable, because there is a permanent detachment of the Ministry of the Navy - Mexican Navy, also sits there for decades, a fishing cooperative state-federal share of the SCPPE, Abuloneros and Langosteros, SCL.

Above: Southeast coast of Isla Guadalupe

As ecosystem, along with the rest of the islands in the Pacific northwest Mexico is unique in its kind in the country, it is safe and siege of reproduction of species of marine mammals such as sea lion of Guadalupe (arcotephalus townsedi), elephant Marine (Mirounga angustirostris), the California sea lion (zalophus californianus), numerous species of birds and species unique in the world, such as the Guadalupe pine (Pinus radiata), the cypress Guadalupe (cipressus guadalupensis) and the palm of Guadalupe (Brahea edulis ).

In the middle of the eighteenth century, were deliberately introduced to the island, domestic goats, with the goal of having fresh meat for boats that arrived on the scene. By 1870, the number of domestic goats increased significantly. It was estimated that the load capacity of the island could reach up to 100,000 animals. The multiplication of goats caused a dramatic collapse of the forest, because they ate all the young trees and prevented recruitment of new seedlings of any kind in over a century.

Hat Tip: Christie Fisher image 2007

The flip Side of the Coin-Da Sharks Take

One of the reasons we love the Blog from Fiji. They make sense of things and cause you to scratch your head at least once or twice a week. That's a good thing people:

Under the title "Saving Sharks at the expense of Fishermen", here comes a real interesting article exploring the flip side of Shark Conservation, i.e. the fate of Shark fishermen who are being pushed out of business by new rules from the National Fisheries Management Services, a division of the US' NOAA.

The Atlantic Ocean Shark population overall has dropped 89 percent, with Tigers dropping by 97%, and Hammerheads, Duskies and Bulls 98%. That has prompted the Authorities to step in with some draconian fishing quotas.

Once they are fully implemented, the new rules could lead to the likely recovery of the population of Sandbar Sharks by 2070, of Porbeagles (like the one pictured above caught for "Science"; the water tube sticking out of his mouth is meant to ventilate it whilst it's being "worked on") ), within the next 100 years and of Dusky Sharks, within the next 100 to 400 years.

Yes you have read it correctly: up to 400 years! This is an indication of the present damage to stocks, but it is also due to the fact that Sharks are extremely slow breeders.

Obviously, the Shark fishing community cannot afford the luxury of waiting for so long and is now faced with immediate disaster, as the new quotas are too low to operate a vessel.

"But hey, wait a minute", I hear you say, "aren't these the very same people that have exterminated the stocks in the first place?"

Yes, they are, and if left to themselves, they would undoubtedly continue to reap and pillage until the very last stocks would be wiped out, along with the industry living off them. That's what fishermen seem to do time after time after time again.From that point of view, they should be left to go under, with nobody to blame but themselves for what appears to be their stupid and reckless greed.

But having said this, what about the guys who supposedly have the "brains"?
What was NOAA doing whilst the stocks were falling by 30, and then 40 and then 50 and then 60 and then 70 and then 80 and then 90 percent?

You guessed it: likely nada de nada! Or better: as the stocks were falling, they may have started to collect data in order to properly document the threat in view of some future decision.
That's what Fisheries Biology has become all too often: collecting data in order to diligently document the decline, and all to often, the demise of a species. Caught between the interests of environmentalists who say they're not doing enough and the fishing lobby who fear for their livelihood, the Agencies all to often keep procrastinating until the situation has progressed well beyond its tipping point and everyone is faced with a catastrophe.

As an example, the new rules have taken years to document and one and a half years to "equitably" draft by consulting with all of the stakeholders - way too long for the stocks and the fishing industry alike.

Was that smart?

Will anybody learn from this unholy and repetitive pattern? Maybe issue some pre-emptive injunction and only then go out and document it with the required data?

I wish!

But hope, as they say, springs eternal.

Stinkin' Dead Shark Award September 2008

At the end of this month we would like to present the SDS Award to those within the global community whose abjectly abhorrent behavior towards sharks and sustainable fisheries or shark conservation warrants a big black eye.

Translation-your treatment of sharks sucks!

This months award winner is:

Damien Hirsts art sale this week.

But wait there's more... turns out the Tiger shark Hirst acquired came from none other than notorious Australian shark killer Vic Hislop.

Total cost for a once live magnificent Tiger shark? $200

Total sale cost of the unholy object d'art? $21 million

Editors Note: To give you some perspective $21 million dollars would fully staff park enforcement officers for sharks in protected areas like Galapagos for 5 full years.

Dubai Aquarium Tiger Sharks Turn Aggressive, Kill 40 Smaller Sharks

We blogged about Sand Tigers a few months ago and then double checked with a buddy who's in charge of sharks at the Long Beach Aquarium.

The final verdict? Sand Tigers are the "Hit Men" of the AQ world totally unpredictable. So it was no surprise when we read about this mornings aquarium equivalent of a "drive by massacre" at the Dubai Aquarium.

The final tally:

40 dead reef sharks

DUBAI - Sand Tiger sharks have killed at least 40 smaller reef sharks and been aggressive towards divers at The Dubai Mall Aquarium, Khaleej Times has learnt. Divers carrying out tasks in the tank, without a cage, have had their equipment substantially damaged and experienced minor injuries due to the behaviour of the sharks, according to sources.

Editors Note:The video we posted in January pretty much sums it up for these critters. A quick reminder to all AQ divers, always eat lunch with your back to a wall.

Sharkprotect.com-Jupp Kerckerinck

Jupp Kerckerinck-you probably do not know the name but you should get to know the website www.sharkprotect.com

Outside a few well funded NGO's and commercial shark diving operations few people have the time, energy and finances, to put into web projects that raise awareness and push for shark conservation. This is what makes Shark Protect so extraordinary. We'll let Jupp explain how he came to create a world class shark conservation site and how he is now rapidly becoming a recognized name in the shark conservation field (click links for video)

All it takes is a little time, dedication and a serious love of sharks:

My fascination with sharks began in November 2003, when my daughter Philipa and I went on a shark dive at Isla Guadalupe in the Pacific, with Sharkdiver.com. We were cage diving with Great White Sharks and it was so amazing to see those majestic animals swim very close by. We were together with the Mexican Scientist Dr. Felipe Galvan Magana, who wanted to take DNA samples of Great Whites. Philipa and I offered to help, and together we got 4 samples of the 9 Great Whites we saw. It was awesome and exciting. The sharks were not aggressive, even though we had to scrape off some skin samples for the DNA. When I came home, I tried to read as many books about sharks as I could find and I even started to write one myself, which you can find under Shark Dictionary.

Editors Note: The rest is history. We have a saying here at U.T "One blog, one website, one person at a time".

Celebrating Underwater Images-Tom Spiegle

Going back to our post this week about "Thrill seeking" and changing peoples perception of sharks. No where is this more aptly demonstrated then with underwater photographers who mission it is to "capture the moment".

Today we would like to introduce you to another photographer who's life was changed after joining us at Isla Guadalupe-Tom Speigle:

"In my 18 years of diving, to be face to face with the Great White Sharks of Isla Guadalupe, was an adventure of a lifetime. The White Shark is one of the most misunderstood animals on Earth. To witness first hand how graceful and majestic these animals are will be a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life."

Toms work can be seen at TFSPhotography.com

Shark Finning-Wild Aid December

WildAids sharks campaign has been one of unrelenting messaging and direct action. To say they have been "on this issue" is an understatement.

We got the following email this morning about an upcoming finning expose by CNN in conjunction with WildAid. You can set your calendar now this should be informative and eye opening:

Hello All,

We have just finished filming with CNN’s Planet in Peril. Here are the promotional pieces from that. The main story will air in December.

Lisa Ling’s story on Shark Finning is posted on the Planet in Peril site:

Planet in Peril-Sharks

Jason McArthur
WildAid

Hat Tip: Image from Shark Alliance another first rate NGO who's direct action and messaging is changing peoples perception of sharks one person at a time.

"I'm a P.C"-Commercials in murkey waters.

Mac vs...this!?

Microsoft Corp, the big, ugly, ungainly Three Headed Hydra of the computer world has come out with a series of P.C ads designed to entice users to drop Mac's and migrate over to P.C's.

Too bad apparently no one told them there were clearer dive sites to shoot Great Whites in. But then again we are talking about P.C's and we are talking Microsoft. They have never been ones for serious innovation.

Here's a what a Mac white shark site would look like. See the difference? Oh, and by the way we're still P.C users but after our discovery of the iPhone-those Mac's sure are looking good:

SharkDiver.com-Top Underwater Onions of 2008

O.K so we're flying into San Diego tomorrow for the day and will not be at the office, nor will we be blogging. We will have the trusty mobile office so feel free to email and call.

For our many daily blog fans don't despair, we thought you would be amused-along us-with few of the Underwater Onions we created in 2008.

These were sharky and underwater stories that might be believable but for the fact we made them up:

Sperm Whale Hunt Closed-Japans Fleet Turns Back

China Olympics: Speed Whale Shark Champions

Japan: Whale Hunt Causes Fashion Crisis

Competitive Eating Champion Sets New Record-36 Pounds

White Shark Discovered in Hotel Pool

DNA Disaster-Scientists Add Seal DNA to Asian Caterpillar

Editors Note: Eh, it's a work in progress.

£9.5million Tiger Shark Underglass Anyone?

A Tiger shark in formaldehyde sold for £9.5million today.

What is wrong with the planet?

According to the one who bought this item it's called "Modern Art". We call it a travesty. O.K maybe that's a strong word, but you get the point...extreme displeasure.

The artist formally known as "The Undertaker", actually Damien Hirst, is known for putting all manner of wildlife in containers filled with strange liquids so you can view them in whatever dank and dark cellar you call home.

Kinda like a sick and twisted Limey version of Noah, except Noah let all his critters go from his O'ject D'Art-and they went on to propagate...that's if you follow the bible-this blog is exclusively non denominational.

So that's about it. A dead Tiger is now worth £9.5million in the U.K which in U.S dollars today is about 30 Billion or so.

Diane's Marines From Habbiniyah Iraq to Isla Guadalupe

The Marines are coming!

We're T-minus three weeks and counting to meet some of the coolest guys we know fresh back from their second tour in Iraq and looking to kick back with a few cold ones on the back deck. When we got the call a few months ago from Marine mom Dianne she asked us if we could show them a good time.

Our answer was "hell yes!".

To make these guys feel at home we shipped them a box of Shark Diver Schwag (see image) and a few copies of RTSeas documentary Island of the Great White Shark shot over the past three years at the island and featuring Mexican shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos.

To Diane's Marines - we loaded up some Cuban Cigars for you and we'll see you at the docks in a few weeks from now.

Let's go shark diving!

Making the Case for "Sustainable Shark Diving"

Editors Note: The folks over at Beqa Adventure Divers have one of the better shark blogs out there. What sets them apart is an ability to look critically at our industry...when a critical look is needed.

We posted a video that was sent to us a few weeks ago at what looked like a disaster in the making. A shark feed that had little to no control of the situation, and a shark that was in total control.

This is when things go bad. We appreciate and applaud the stance that that Beqa Adventure Divers is taking to make this issue "an issue". This is called industry leadership and Beqa Adventure Divers should not have to apologise for being "unprofessional".

It goes to the heart of our industry. Bad control of media=a black eye for the entire worldwide shark diving industry. Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in the world of You Tube. Events that once transpired under a cover of darkness for the commercial diving shark world now find the light and a waiting audience of millions sometimes within hours of the event.

If these events go south and a diver is hurt or worse killed the ensuing media storm sets the perception of sharks back to the stone age, and severely damages our industry. It has happened in the past and no amount of spin after the fact changes things.

We have two choices as an industry. Clean up, or get smart about media:

From Beqa Adventure Divers
Upon my last visit to Fiji, we were blessed with a visit by Scarface, always a wonderful and endearing experience, and a privilege on top of that. But this time, far from being her majestic self, she barged in fast and furious and it took several minutes for her to calm down and resume her habitual circular feeding pattern. Needless to say that we were intrigued and alarmed.

But now I think I know what's going on.

What I'm about to do may be considered to be highly "unprofessional".

Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. Will it lead to unending aggro? Most certainly!
And for you out there who already feel the blood pressure rising: for once, please, use your brain and not your gonads. This is an opportunity for reflection and ultimately, for self-preservation - both of us as individuals and Shark Diving in Fiji in general.

So there: there's a controversial video clip out there.

Having now had to answer the fourth e-mail asking whether this is our dive (and Andrew having had to gone thru the same exercise), the answer is unequivocally:

No, absolutely not, this is not our Shark Dive by any stretch of the imagination!

I've blogged at nauseam about the need for unequivocal and stringent Safety Procedures, so I won't bother you with any further rants.

In our case, they encompass -to name but a few- the clear separation of spectators and protagonists, full dark body suits and gloves, steel mesh gloves for the feeders, safety poles to push away any trespassing Sharks and a choreographed and predictable routine so that the animals know what is expected of them.

Our Fijian staff, wonderful as they are, have a penchant for improvisation and exuberance and Andrew has been spending countless hours reinforcing the message that this is all about being professional, Respectful and safety-conscious - not some macho game by reckless village kids!

Thankfully, at BAD, the message is sticking.

As to the following, you be the Judge of it.

Hat Tip: Stunning shark image Terry Gross

"Frozen Shark" Falls From Private Jet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Echinochimera-Flying sharks?

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

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

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

Take a moment and think about that one.

Guadalajara Aquarium’s White Shark?

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

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

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

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

My best day ever diving with a great white shark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Captain Mike

The Chumming Debate

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

Blood and Guts

Different perspectives on attracting sharks using chum and bait.

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

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

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

Steven also says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Natal Shark Board netting programme.

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

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

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

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

The University of Cape Town has an excellent Oceanography Department.

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

On this web site they have a poll :

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

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

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

Oops, but what is wrong here ?

INCREASE IN SHARK ATTACKS ?

Unfortunately there has been NO INCREASE.

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

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

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

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

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

Editors Note: Nicely written!

Hawaii Sharks-This Weeks Tiger Soup

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

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

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

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

Frank Mundus-Shark Killer- R.I.P

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

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

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

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

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

East Coast Shark Diving-Nantucket Report

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

Hi Patric,

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

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

Isla Guadalupe - Eco Tour "Bizzaro Land"

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

One word comes to mind "unprecedented".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One might argue this has happened already already.

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

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

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

Isla Guadalupe Trip Update 9.2009

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

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

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

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

Hey Patric

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

Best regards
Steffen Nielsen

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

Wales Great White Shark Hoax?

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

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

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

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

Maneater ... beasts can grow to 20ft

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

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

National Aquarium in D.C- New shark pups

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

Hey Shark Divers,

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

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

Thanks, talk to you soon!
Andrew

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

Farallons White Shark Tours-Add One

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

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

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

Oceana.org-Value of Sharks to Eco Tourism

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

Dear xxx,

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

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

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

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

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

Isla Guadalupe Update-No Chumming

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dual Passports-NZ White Sharks are Aussies Too!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The shark tagging was started in 2005.

Free Tickets to Sea Fare-A.Q Pacific

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

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

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

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

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

Vote for Cocos Island-Wolfgang Leander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isla Guadalupe 2008 chum ban update-Another vessel boarded

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shark Conspiracies-Rocking the boat in Sharky Waters

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

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

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

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

Click here for this months Pod Cast.

Hat Tip: Jessica J for the image.

Island of The Great White Shark Documentary

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

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

"There are so many films about great white sharks that show the animal being aggressive and attacking its prey. As a shark enthusiast, I am tired of this type of portrayal. I want to see movies that show the great white in its natural behavior. I want to actually learn about the shark. This DVD does exactly that... it teaches me... about the shark, about the science being conducted, and about what it's like to actually be in the water with these magnificent creatures. Kudos to the filmmaker for taking a risk and making a movie about real research."