Gulf of the Farallones Tagging Disaster - No Fault?

Was this image leak a set up?

Was Dr.Domeier the target of nefarious and truly dark individuals seeking to tar and feather him with public opinion?

Is Dr.Domeier completely free of blame for the current condition of Junior, a white shark with 2.6 lbs of hook left in his esophagus in 2009?

According to David Shiffman who has acquired the 1.17 second tape all of us were seeking, the answer is yes to all three questions.

After wading through this "sewage of a debate" and watching the main accusations unfold by less than credible spokespersons for the California research community, I am dead certain of a few things in regards to Junior.

1. Someone (not so intelligent) did in fact send these images of Junior out to select blogs to create some noise. Ours was one of them.

2. The intent was to make the case that the hook used to capture Junior in 2009 by Dr.Domeiers team caused this wound. A case we did not agree with. This was never about what caused this wound and our blog coverage and statements online will back that up.

The end result, no so surprisingly, is a complete and utter vindication of Dr.Domeier and Chris Fischer for the current state of Junior once the 1.17 seconds of live video came to light (congratulations to David for the acquisition). Even though this is an animal that is no longer in any kind of breeding condition, and is an animal that is seriously underweight.

The main accusation against Domeier and Chris Fischer (such as it was) was framed in absolutes when wildlife is far more nuanced than that. Cause and effect may trigger unintended consequences, all of which should have be discussed and carefully reviewed - but never was.

For the nefarious and truly dark individuals who brought this image and half-witted accusation to light, add to that moronic, I would suggest that you forget about this animal, forget any further attempts at your moral shock at this animals condition, and forget any attempts at getting Sanctuary Manager Maria Brown to change the way she conducts business within a National Marine Sanctuary.

That dog won't bark anymore.

You have fired your only shot, and missed the mark, and completely lost the moral high ground.

In fact, it is over.

The debate and discussion over Juniors current state should have been about the following:

1. Hybrid shark film and television research within a National Marine Sanctuary and the causes that lead to a very bad mistake with a white shark being hooked in the throat.

2. The continuation of said research after a tagging disaster and subsequent media gaffs, cover ups, and flat out cover-your-assery that boggled the imagination.

3. The overall current diminished condition of an animal that was hooked in the esophagus with 98% of the hook left in the esophagus in 2009.

If I sound a bit put off, the fact is, I am.

What should have been all about a protected white shark within a National Marine Sanctuary devolved into a sideshow of lies, bullshit, titanic egos, moronic assumptions, and one very big vendetta that has now backfired on those who set it loose.

For Junior, all this land based "much ado about nothing" will not help his condition and thanks to this half assed side show we'll never get any serious minded discussion about the state of this animal.

The real tragedy here is about one shark. Not pricked egos, television shows, ratings, or someones next research paper.

Is this the best we can do? Apparently so.

Mike "Da Shark" in Fiji has an excellent wrap, and yes I agree, if the identity of EcoShark1 ever comes to light you'll know we'll be writing about it.

Industry Member Craig Ferreira Pens New Book - Got Yours?

Patrick Williams an investigatory journalist, finds himself on a twisting path of mysterious and bloodcurdling events as he delves deeper into a story of a honeymoon couple's mysterious disappearance from the sleepy town of Gans Bay, situated only 100 km from the southernmost tip of the African continent.

The remote fishing village has of late, become the centre of a burgeoning great white shark cage dive industry, and against logic and rational judgment , he is drawn into a tangle of incidences where the reality facing him is more grim than he could have ever anticipated in his wildest dreams.

Down in the deep, propelling her heavy spindled shaped body though the frigid waters of the Cape, is the Submarine, the legendary Great White Shark everyone thought was long dead and gone…….

Frank Boon, a Great White Shark scientist, avid shark conservationist and diver, finds himself caught between trying to protect the shark or possibly having to kill it due to public pressure. A witch- hunt of what's said to be "largest shark ever sighted" is staged after a horrific incident off a beach in Hermanus, not far from Cape Town.

Fear grips all involved as the obscured reality of death and malevolence slowly unravel to a showdown between man and beast.

Heart stopping, fast paced and real. It felt like the shark was about to swim right out of the pages. Jytte Fredholm – International Wildlife Photojournalist.

I have known Craig Ferreira personally and professionally for many years. Passionate, intense and full of surprises, Craig has found a new way to channel his immense creative energies by writing a debut novel about the world that he knows best – great white sharks. “The Shark” is crime fiction that’s heart pounding, testosterone-driven, unique and as unpredictable as the subject of the title. - Mark Kaczmarczyk, Documentary Filmmaker

Craig Ferreira is synonymous with sharks, even though he has seen more white sharks than the rest of the world; he still acts, as it's his first time when he spots one. He lives and breathes white sharks. - Fredrik Öström, Captain – Swedish Military Intelligence

A fascinating and exciting story – just keep writing. - Peter Benchley, author of Jaws and The Deep.

Get book here.

Shark Diving - Tourisms New Dolphin Encounter?

PARIS (AFP) – A single reef shark can be worth nearly two million dollars in tourism revenue over its lifetime, according to a study released Monday by researchers in Australia.

The analysis from the Pacific island nation of Palau shows that sharks -- hunted worldwide for their fins, a Chinese delicacy -- are worth many times more to some local economies alive than dead.

"Sharks can literally be a 'million-dollar' species and a significant economic driver," said lead author Mark Meekan, a scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

"Our study shows that these animals can contribute far more as a tourism resource than as a catch target," he said in a statement.

Sharks have reigned at the top of the ocean food chain for hundreds of millions of years.

But because they mature slowly and produce few offspring, the consummate marine predators have proven vulnerable to industrial-scale fishing.

Tens of millions of the coastal and open-water sharks are harvested every year to supply a burgeoning appetite for meat and especially shark-fin soup.

The researchers found that the annual value to the Palau tourism industry of an individual reef shark at one of the country's major scuba-diving sites is 179,000 dollars (121,000 euros) a year, or about 1.9 million dollars (1.3 million euros) over the animal's lifetime.

Shark diving accounts for about eight percent of the tiny country's GDP and 14 percent of its business tax base. It also generates more than a million dollars annually in salaries.

In 2009, Palau became the first country in the world to declare all of its territorial waters to be a shark sanctuary, followed last year by Honduras and The Maldives.

The US state of Hawaii, the territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have all banned the possession, sale or distribution of shark fins.

"Shark tourism can be a viable economic engine," said Matt Rand, a shark expert at the Washington-based Pew Environment Group, which commissioned the research.

"This study provides a compelling case that can convince more countries to embrace these animals for their benefit to the ocean and their value to a country's financial well-being."

About a third of open-water sharks face extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Regional studies have shown that when shark populations crash the impact cascades down through the food chain, often in unpredictable and deleterious ways.

At the Intersection of Science and Shark Tourism - Pure Poetry

One of the reasons we read the Deep Sea News blog almost religiously is because of reports from the field like the following.

Penned with passion, colorful description, and a deep scientific understanding this is about as good as it gets.

Read Inside the Outside this weekend. It's a first person report on incredible whale shark gatherings (400 animals) at the Afuera in Mexico a site only recently discovered by teams of researchers from Project Domino, Georgia Aquarium, the Smithsonian and Mote Marine Lab

You'll soon find yourself wanting to join the ranks of researchers or booking a flight to Isla Mujeres to make your way there.

Kudos to Para Sight for the article, like we said, this is as good as it gets.

USVI Shark Bite Charters - It Gets Worse

Thanks to Dan Holstein on Facebook who uncovered the true horror of local dive shop/shark hunter Shark Bite Charters out of St.Johns USVI.

It would seem the gregarious local owner has discovered the mother load of regional Tiger sharks off the shores of the USVI and is now in the process of killing as many as he can get his hands on, then proudly posting videos of his conquests online.

In the many years I was diving in the USVI we never saw a Tiger shark, if this is a newer phenomenon or not, either way it is shocking.

While the rest of the planet moves in lockstep to try and save dwindling shark populations with the Bahamas serving as a prime example of first rate shark management and tourism opportunities with sharks, the discovery of an operation like this is both disheartening and tragic.

Let's see if there's some local dive shops who can do something about this ongoing slaughter.

Update: Don't try posting anything on their Facebook page, to date over 300 posters have made their opinions known, Shark Bite Charters is deleting any post that is critical of their operation.

USVI Tiger Kill - Rare and Sad

Having lived in and been diving the USVI (US Virgin Islands) and BVI for many years I can attest that sharks are just not part of the eco system in this Lesser Antilles chain as elsewhere in the world.

Finding a juvenile Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in these waters is an exceptional and very rare event. Which makes the following video so sad to watch.

As a commercial shark diving operator I am frankly stunned at the treatment of this animal and the 1970's approach to filming and documenting sharks underwater. The death of this animal was unnecessary, ignorant, and a stark waste of a magnificent resource.

Ironically on exactly the same day this animal was being killed I was in the Bahamas with a Brazilian film crew (without cages) documenting the Tigers of Tiger Beach for an upcoming documentary about these wonderful animals.

We still have a long way to go to change minds and attitudes towards sharks:

Sharks and DNA Zip Codes - Hope?

An international team of scientists, led by the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, has used DNA to determine that groups of dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus) and copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus) living in different coastal regions across the globe are separate populations of each species. Both are large apex predators that are heavily exploited for the shark fin trade, which claims tens of millions of animals every year to produce the Asian delicacy, shark fin soup.

Many of these species are declining as a result of this fishing pressure for their fins.

DNA research projects were conducted by a collaborative international team of scientists from the United States, Australia, South America, Asia, New Zealand and southern Africa. The scientists collectively analyzed part of the mitochondrial DNA in nearly 400 sharks sampled from all over the globe.

This research was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts through a grant to the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University. Sequence data were collected in the Field Museum's Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, operated with support from the Pritzker Foundation. Additional sequence data were collected at the Guy Harvey Research Institute with operational funds and a grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation. Funding was also provided by the Turner Fellowship Program and the Tinker Foundation.

For more information on "Global phylogeography of the dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus: implications for fisheries management and monitoring the shark fin trade," visit here.

For more information on "Phylogeography of the copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) in the southern hemisphere: implications for the conservation of a coastal apex predator," visit here.

Tiger Beach Shark Expeditions 2011 - Trip Report

Look up the world "enthusiastic" in the dictionary and you'll see an image of Magnus Greenacre from New York.

We got to meet him and his two dive buddies, Matt Todd and Kathryn Deveraux earlier this month in the Bahamas for some quality time with sharks.

As Magnus wrote this week:

This was one of those perfect trips when weather, sharks, and the company of some fine shark divers conspire to deliver a memorable adventure.

To say this was a trip of a lifetime would just not do it justice. After opening my eyes on a dreary Monday morning to find myself in a fuzzy walled cube, I decided that it was time to take a trip that I will remember forever: Shark Diving.

I found Sharkdiver.com, emailed Pat, and within 10 minutes already had a response....the rest is history.

Day one, we woke up to a fully cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, banana bread and all the coffee a worn out Manhattan Workaholic could desire......oh, and 4 tiger sharks ominously circling the boat. The team gave us the full run down and before we knew it we were surrounded by Lemon and Tiger Sharks. The only way one can truly appreciate a sharks beauty is to be in the water with them. As exciting as day 1 was, there were six more days to follow of equal awe and amazement.

I hope my pictures speak volumes of the six days that followed...

It’s been a week since I returned home from my trip with Pat and Sharkdiver.com and I am already planning my next shark adventure.

Thanks again to Pat and his Crew for a life long memory, story, and friendship.

Image by Josh Friedman

Hey We're Famous...and Being Ripped Off!

The worlds largest shark jaw goes on auction in a few weeks, and the good folks over at Heritage Auctions decided to "troll the internet" for images featuring sharks for their sales PSA.

One of those images belongs to writer and photographer Jim Cornfield, who shot an amazing two shot of our divers in 2009 with the vessel Horizon in the foreground at Isla Guadalupe.

A closer look reveals the background video shot by Richard Theiss from RTSea Productions who spent almost four years with Shark Diver at Isla Guadalupe carefully documenting the sharks here for his award winning documentary Island of the Great White Sharks.

Sigh.

Fijian divers urge for stop of shark finning - Well done!

When Mike, aka Da Shark, dives into the news he doesn't not bother with "small things," he swims right into the middle of "epic issues."

Case in point an article that made nationwide news in China this week, taking the message to the people:

Fijian Divers have called for stopping shark finning in the island nation to save the reefs, local media FijiLive website reported here Tuesday.

Mike Neuman, Director of the Beqa Adventures Divers made the call after conservationists found that local fishermen are engaging in the illegal practice of shark finning, says the report.

"Like our mangroves, the reefs protect our coastline and their demise will lead to coastal erosion and flooding, especially during cyclones but also as the sea level rises due to Global warming," Neuman was quoted as saying.

Neuman said sharks play important roles in local marine ecosystems and were worth more alive than dead. "As an example, it has been observed that where there are reef sharks, the parrot fish that feed on coral cannot stay in one location for long but need to remain on the move. This prevents them from over- exploiting the corals."

The principal reason why tourists visit Fiji is because of Fiji's intact marine habitats, Neuman further explained, adding "be it for simply enjoying our beaches or for engaging in a plethora of water activities. If we destroy our oceans we risk loosing countless jobs and 55 percent of our GDP."

"This is simply not a risk the country can afford" and there have been instances in which local fishermen had targeted sharks specifically for their fins, he stressed. "Finning is just a particular harvesting technique that consists in cutting off the fins, often while the shark is still alive, and discarding the carcasses."

According to Neuman, fish stocks can recover if the reefs are being subsequently protected but sharks are very slow breeders and stocks will very likely not recover once they have been wiped out.

"As to the value of sharks for dive tourism, we have calculated that a single shark on our shark dive contributes 30,000 Fiji dollars (16,600 U.S. dollars) to the local economy annually, or 600,000 Fiji dollars (330,000 U.S. dollars) during its lifetime this compares to a few hundred dollars for its value when dead," he said.

A report by Pacific Scoop in 2009 stated that shark fins in Fiji can only fetch 50 U.S. dollars for 500 grams, while elsewhere the shark fins can cost 400 to 800 U.S. dollars a kilo depending on the size and species of the shark.

Article here.

The Creepy World of Necrotic Dissemination

Ever wonder what happens to your mortal remains when you perish at sea?

For a team of researchers nothing but a several ton dead whale could answer that gruesome question. For the record we'll stay with the option of bring frozen in Corbonite and leave all the squishy, bitey, and flat out horrific deep sea critters behind.

Hat Tip Deep Sea News for the video find:

Punta Gorda, Florida, lands 2011 Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival returns to Southwest Florida by making its Punta Gorda, Fla., debut May 13 - 15, 2011, at Laishley Park. The tournament, hosted by Laishley Crab House (www.laishleycrabhouse.com), combines the allure of competitive big-game sport fishing with cutting-edge science, practical conservation principles and informative entertainment. It is quickly becoming an industry leader and model for the next generation of shark-release tournaments. Teams will be competing for $15,000 in cash and prizes as they fish Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Ultimate Shark Challenge festival at Laishley Park on Saturday and Sunday will complement the competition by broadcasting highlights on digital displays. Event sponsors will conduct product demonstrations and giveaways and a wide variety of merchant vendors and unique attractions, such as Mote's Mobile Aquarium, will be on display, along with shark-centric exhibits, interactive demonstrations and delicious food and cold beverages.

Admission into this family-friendly festival is free.

Guy Harvey, world-renowned marine artist, conservationist and tournament partner, will make a personal appearance during the weekend to meet with fans and promote the tournament's shared mission.

"The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival will be a uniquely exciting event for participants, spectators and everyone who cares about the future of our oceans," Harvey said.

Teams will have the option of entering a two-day elimination competition with either two or three anglers. A dozen shark species are eligible for points, but finding and catching them aren't the only challenges teams will face. To qualify, eligible sharks must meet a minimum total length of five feet.

Sharks will be measured in the water using a device custom-designed and provided by the USC before they are research tagged by the team and released back to the wild. In some cases, candidate specimens may be outfitted with a satellite tracking tag. An observer professionally trained and certified by USC staff and the Mote Center for Shark Research in species identification, tournament rules and proper tagging and release procedures will also be placed on board each team vessel.

Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research staff is USC's chief science and research partner, and will oversee those aspects of the tournament, including all tagging operations. Hammerhead and bull sharks will be the focus of the satellite tagging efforts, but other species, such as tiger sharks, may be tagged. Tags are designed to transmit location and other valuable information about the shark's travels. Once satellite tags are deployed, the public will be able to follow these sharks' travels online.

Additional information about the 2011 Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival including team registration, sponsorship opportunities and festival vendor inquiries, can be found on the event's website www.UltimateSharkChallenge.com.

Oxygen Depletion and Sharks - The Myth

Like Da Shark I recently watched a series of shark conservation videos featuring filmmaker Jonathan Ali Khan in Sharkquest Arabia.

Great stuff for the most part and compelling watching, except for one glaring factoid that gets pasted into the film and almost ruins the message.

Folks, if we lose all the oceans sharks we will not run out of the worlds Oxygen.

Seriously.

How this factoid ever got into the broad based conservation messaging for sharks remains a mystery. Call it a case of too many shark centric people wanting to save sharks and not checking in with their facts or even bothering to question the obvious.

But check we must, otherwise those who regurgitate said factoids look like conservation village idiots when up against those in power who can effect change and who may be slightly more informed.

Let's do away with this unsupported line of reason as the facts about shark conservation are horrific and compelling enough without the addition of Fox News style gotcha shark headlines:

With 92% of our living biosphere being aquatic, almost 80% of our planet’s air is generated by the algae and microscopic phytoplankton that are found in the sea. Many thousands of fish species and other marine organisms feed on phytoplankton and algae. Sharks on the other hand prey on the fish that feed on plankton; right up through to the top of the food chain. So if we remove the sharks, as we are systematically doing at an unsustainable rate of over 70 million sharks a year, then it leaves the plankton feeders free of predation and free to gobble up the main source of our planet’s main oxygen supply!

Therefore, it is in our interest to maintain a healthy source of oxygen and air, if we want to keep on breathing!

And watch this film, like we said aside from this small part, it is a tribute to sharks and the entire team should be congratulated:

At Large with Nat Geo - Scott Cassel, Richard Theiss, and Steve Blair

Three of the smartest natural history guys on television right now tackle the Humbolt Squids of Baja on National Geograhic Television this week:

It's a Wrap - Bahamas and Beyond 2011

We're done with filming, productions, lights, action, and sharks this month.

For now it's time to sit back and enjoy a few frosty beers, feel the sand between our toes and get back to the office to plan the next round of challenging shark projects.

Blogging on this space will commence soon. A quick look around the shark-o-sphere reveals that we have missed much, who knew the Farallones would be such a hot topic?

Here's looking forward to getting back to strong Internet and daily news. Not looking forward to wearing shoes or clothes without salt and sand in them, part of this lifestyle is the beachy-ness of it all.

Is that even a word?

Bah - pass the Kalik boys, here's to a successful few weeks in the company of some fine people!

Too busy to blog? Fear and Pestilence next?

For many, not having a daily dose of Underwater Thrills is one of the sure signs of the oncoming Apocalypse and to you we say thanks.

You, loyal fan, are one of 27,000+ who join us each week to celebrate all things sharky. And it is because of you we have blogged from remote places, airplanes, bus depots, and even the back of camper vans in New Zealand in an effort to keep the flow of pithy shark news coming.

It's been a lot of fun knowing that because of technology we could keep doing what we do and keep you informed.

A source of pride really.

Sadly, this is one of those rare times where technology, time, and distance will prohibit us from bringing you the world of sharks, news, science and re-posts from our merry band of Blue Bloggers.

Which is where we will send you over the next many days as we get "too busy to blog". But fear not readers, we will recap all of what was missed in a stunning orgy of blogging "recapping-ness" when we get back from some of our long awaited special projects with sharks.

For your consideration while we're gone:

UnderwaterTimes.com - The Grandaddy of underwater news

Southern Fried Science - Upstart ocean science cornucopia daily, and now 30% better!

OceanicDreams - Wolf's private site for grumps, bumps, and great shark images

Deep Sea News - You like cephalopods? Well, do ya?

Outdoors, action and adventure - One mans voyage from mainstream into cool stream media

The Dorsal Fin - Shark News without the sensationalism - Sez it all right there don't it?

The Best Shark Dive in the World! - Warning, extreme, well thought views and news only

RTSea Blog: keeping an eye on Nature - What the hell? He's out too?

See you all when we get back, and stay informed.

Sunburnt Redneck and Sharks - Bad Combo? Always

Thanks to Dorsal Fin Blog for the video find this week. Sadly the shark had to endure this beer fueled miscreants unwanted advances, fortunately the shark got the last mouthful:

New 640,728 gallon oil spill in the Gulf?

During the Gulf Oil Spill last year one media source was on target and on the numbers, and that was the blog site Sky Truth.

While NOAA was still towing the BP corporate line of 5000 barrels a day, it was Sky Truth and their dedicated team who first estimated the flow rate was many time higher than that.

This week Sky Truth took a look at a mysterious oil spill near Grand Isle L.A, one that regional oil experts from Anglo-Suisse said was a minor event with just 4 gallons spilled.

After analysing NASA/MODIS satellite imagry Sky Truth estimates this spill to be an astonishing 640,728 gallons.

If we were betting folks in a contest between the government, who should be minding oil in the Gulf, and Sky Truth we would go with Sky Truth, the question now is, who's going to clean all this oil up?

The 2011 Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coming to Punta Gorda, FL May 13th - 15th, 2011

The 2011 Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament & Festival

After its history-making debut in 2010, the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival is back and bigger than ever. By combining the high-stakes allure of competitive, big-game sport fishing with cutting-edge science, practical conservation principles and informative entertainment, this trend-setting event is pioneering its way as an industry leader and model for the Next Generation of Shark-Release Tournaments.

According to USC Creators and Directors, Sean Paxton, Brooks Paxton II and Capt. Robert Moore, “We were blown away watching how our teams stepped up to the challenge last year, and how well they did so many things that had never been done before in a professional tournament setting. The bottom line is great anglers make great tournaments and we can’t wait to see it unfold this time around. The level of participation and competition is heating up, big time.”

Teams in 2011 will have the option of entering a two-day eliminative competition with either 2 or 3 anglers and will be competing for $15,000 in cash and prizes. A dozen shark species are eligible for points, but finding and catching them aren’t the only challenges teams will face. To qualify, eligible sharks must meet a minimum total length of five feet. The animals will be measured in the water using a device, custom-designed and provided by the USC, before they are conventionally research tagged by the team and released back to the wild. In some cases, candidate specimens may be handed off to a research team to be outfitted with a satellite tracking tag.

Robert Hueter, Ph.D., director of Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research and his staff are the USC’s chief science and research partner, and will oversee those aspects of the tournament, including all tagging operations. Plans call to outfit a number of sharks with satellite-linked transmitters that will track their movements after release. Hammerhead and bull sharks will be the focus of the satellite tagging efforts, but other species, such as tigers may be tagged as well. These tags are designed to transmit location and other valuable information about the shark's travels. Once the satellite tags are deployed, the public will be able to follow these sharks' travels on the internet.


"This format provides a breakthrough in collaborative research involving the marine science and recreational fishing communities," Hueter said. "The fishermen deserve great credit for embracing this new approach.”

An Observer, professionally trained and certified by USC Staff and the Mote Center for Shark Research, will accompany all teams throughout the competition. Accepted Observer applicants must successfully complete a mandatory course in: shark species identification, proper tag and release procedures and tournament rules.

Other USC protocols mandate the use of heavy conventional tackle to reduce the time between hook-up and release of all animals and inline, non-stainless steel circle hooks to avoid the internal hooking of sharks.”

While competition heats up on the Gulf of Mexico, there will be plenty of action and lots to do on shore at the tournament and festival host location in Punta Gorda. Laishley Crab House at Laishley Park has teamed up with the USC to provide an exciting and entertaining festival for the entire family that will take place at the venue’s picturesque waterfront location all day Saturday and Sunday.

Event organizers are especially pleased to announce that world-renowned marine artist, angler and tournament partner, Guy Harvey, will be making a personal appearance during the weekend to meet with fans and to promote the tournament’s shared mission.

Harvey, a longtime marine conservationist and founder of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, said the tournament will increase global awareness of the important role that sharks play in the world's oceans and our ecosystem.

"The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge Tournament and Festival will be a uniquely exciting event for participants, spectators and everyone who cares about the future of our oceans," he said.

The Ultimate Shark Challenge festival will also feature competition highlights broadcast to digital displays on site, allowing fans to cheer on their favorite teams all the way to the end. Event sponsors will be on hand to conduct product demonstrations and sales, along with a wide variety of merchant vendors, unique attractions like Mote’s Mobile Aquarium, entertaining and educational shark-centric exhibits, interactive demonstrations, and of course, lots of delicious food and cold beverages.

Tournament and Festival Info:

- Website: www.UltimateSharkChallenge.com

- When: May 13 – 15, 2011
- Where: Laishley Crab House at Laishley Park, Punta Gorda, Fla.

- Team Entry: $950

- Festival Admission: Free to the Public

- Sponsor Opportunities: Contact: Directors@UltimateSharkChallenge.com

941-416-1788, 941-416-5073, 941-628-2650

- Festival Vendor Inquiries: Contact: Directors@UltimateSharkChallenge.com

Media Contacts
Tournament & Festival: Directors@UltimateSharkChallenge.com
Mote Marine Laboratory: Hayley Rutger, 941-374-0081, hrutger@mote.org
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation: 1-800-288-1227, info@guyharveyoceanfoundation.org

History of the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge
After years of interaction experience with sharks as recreational catch & release innovators, volunteer researchers and advocates for practical conservation principles, USC tournament architects, Sean and Brooks Paxton, began leveraging their entertainment background in efforts to deliver their shark-release concept to a wider and more mainstream audience. The brothers recognized effective and credible collaborations would be essential so they set out to assemble a core team that would share their ambitions to effectively combine the goals of sport, science and conservation.

In 2009, they approached Robert Hueter, Ph.D., director of Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research. The brothers already knew Hueter, and that he had run a successful research-driven, catch & release shark tournament from 1989 to 1998. After further refinements to the brother’s concept, the trio contacted renowned marine wildlife artist, scientist and conservationist Guy Harvey, Ph.D., who enthusiastically supported this innovative tournament model. In early 2010, the Paxtons met Capt. Robert Moore, an accomplished southwest Florida charter captain, guide and catch & release shark specialist. After productive discussions and shared philosophies, Capt. Moore rounded out the team as an instrumental collaborator and partner in delivering this Next Generation Shark-Release Tournament model.

About Mote Marine Laboratory
Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent nonprofit marine research organization. Mote is dedicated to advancing the science of the sea through the study of marine and estuarine ecosystems, through our public Mote Aquarium and through an education division that provides unique programs for all ages. Throughout 2010, Mote celebrated its 55th Anniversary with special events highlighting its groundbreaking ocean research and outreach.

About Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
Founded by marine biologist and artist Guy Harvey, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is an organization of philanthropists, conservationists, scientists and educators focused on developing sensible strategies for promoting the conservation of our oceans and nurturing the next generation of marine scientists and guardians of our seas.

Nuclear Boy Japan Video - Hat Tip Blogfish

It's Monday ya'll and Blogfish has the video find of the week.

Behold Nuclear Boy, Japans simple explanation for kids on an unfolding disaster, even we get it now:

2011 Tiger Beach Expeditions - Trip Report

It's been a busy few weeks for the crew of the M/V Kate and Shark Diver as our first divers are coming back from Tiger Beach in the Bahamas this year having once again had the time of their lives.

As April approaches we're looking forward to meeting our next months batch of shark divers at perhaps one of the planets top Tiger sites.

Newly minted Tiger diver Brad Bamford was with his buddies last week not sure what to expect, what he got was shark diving in paradise:

March 15-22 Tiger Beach Trip Report

The week our group spent a Tiger Beach was incredible. We had excellent weather the entire trip and lots of shark action. We had 5 different Tigers ranging from 10-13 ft and anywhere from 20-30 big Lemons.

Even when we went off Tiger Beach to dive the various reefs we had big Tigers show up!

I was surprised at how massive some of these sharks were. They were extremely curious which gave us lots of close-up encounters and great photos.

To mix things up we went swimming with the dolphins for an afternoon and dove a pristine reef with giant Loggerhead turtles. This was definitely the most extreme shark adventure I’ve been on and can’t wait to get back out there.

The food aboard the M/V Kate was excellent and the crew worked tirelessly to make sure we had an awesome trip.

They did not disappoint!

Miss you guys and hope to see you again real soon!

Cheers,

Brad Bamford