Where Does YOUR Shark Fin Come From?

Kudos to Pew.

A long time ago we suggested that to really understand the global shark fin industry you needed something like a map - we said this in way back in 2009.

Well here's a map, in fact it's more of a global template, and it's the key to saving sharks.

Take a good look because THIS is shark Conservation 101. This is the template for ever single shark fin campaign from 2012 onward. A way of knowing in real time where to focus resources, time, and energy for those who actually understand the salient fact that to be successful with shark conservation we need to "identify and target," not "raise awareness and fluff."

Cannot help but be impressed with work like this coming from Pew.

Then again when have we ever not been impressed with the work for sharks coming out of Pew?

More from Da Shark with some insider scoop.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Bull Sharks and Jesus - Video

Looks like the local kids will not be swimming at this dock anytime soon. Still, with all the prayers The Jesus get's each day this one probably caught his attention, that's if you believe in that sort of thing.

We're more "Jesus in The Pancakes" kind of folks. Hat Tip RtSea:



About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Sea Shepherd Fiji and Conservation Carpetbagging?

The conservation world became alerted to "something odd" in the shark conservation space a few weeks ago when the island nation of Fiji posted this warning about Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

What was particularly interesting about this open letter to the world was Fiji's recognition that Sea Shepherd as an organization had become more of a conservation parody of itself over the past decade with it's homespun reality tv shows and media stunts, and less an actual force for real and lasting conservation change.

Fiji's open letter was the first look behind the Green Curtain for Sea Shepherd, revealing for the first time by a sovereign nation a bloated conservation media machine run by kool aid drinking drones who seek fame in the conservation space as the new Conservation Kardashians.

We wrote a satirical post about this last week.

Case in point Sea Shepherds abject failures to stop sealing in Canada after 30 years of media circus, whaling in Antarctica, Bluefin Tuna harvests, or even propose and foster any manner of metrics based conservation efforts that leave behind lasting change for wildlife.

In fact metrics based conservation, the kind of lasting hard work in one area to see that conservation is done right is not in Sea Shepherds DNA. They are spectacle makers first and foremost choosing the easy conservation route of shifting conservation baselines, and "awareness for conservation."

By now, and thanks to the hard work of tens of thousands of people the world over who have never sought the limelight, people are fully "aware" that sharks are in trouble.

For the past decade and lead by some true innovators in the region Fiji has created several admirable boots on the ground programs that have made real and lasting differences to the lives of sharks and these amazing programs continue to this day.

What's a stake in Fiji is a new Sea Shepherd reality tv show that looks very much like Sea Shepherds other reality tv shows that offer hype, broken vessels, and a particularly nauseating brand of "personality cult for species" that is looking to carpetbag its way into Fiji for a quick media pump and dump.

Conservation Carpetbagging is not new, but it has been perfected by Sea Shepherd.

The Academy Award winning movie The Cove was subsumed by Sea Shepherd in an orgy of bad taste and poor media judgement. It was Conservation Carpetbagging at its finest and a clear indication of Sea Shepherds willingness to take any effort done by others and make it their own for the clear purpose of draining conservation dollars into Sea Shepherd coffers.

Hence the grave concern being directed at the new Fijian shark effort by Sea Shepherd and it's clones.

The shark world does not need another personality cult and sharks could care less if these hackneyed media seekers would "die for sharks."

In fact to even publicly state this, to put yourself in a media situation that you know is completely false from the get go is to let down the animals you profess to care so deeply about. It is the poorest choice of words for animals that need change, not hype and more "awareness."

Sadly the issue of this new programs involvement in Fijian waters has not been resolved even with the recent letter by the Fijian Government to the rest of the world. As it turns out instead of moving on to other Pacific islands could in fact use help for sharks Sea Shepherd is trying to back channel their way back into the region and into work done by others.

For readers of this blog you'll note we broke with Sea Shepherd the year Paul Watson faked his own assassination for season one of Whale Wars. It was an eye opening moment that should have shocked others in the conservation space to their core.

It did for some.

For others it opened their eyes and desires to become Conservation Rock Stars. The reality that you could bald face lie to millions on television and then be invited to swanky Hollywood cocktail parties to feast on $75.00 sustainable appetizers served to you by out of work actors whilst being feted by big dollar donors who admired your latest brush with death for wildlife.

Sharks don't need this. Sharks need actual help.

Reality tv shows that are designed to callously suck up conservation dollars in return for media spectacle and personality cult offering "awareness" are as damaging to sharks as the fishing fleets that target them, because those on the actual front lines with real solutions need those dollars more than ever.

Food for thought.


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Very Cool White Shark Encounters 2012 - Video

Occasionally spear fishermen get fist hand encounters with Mr.White and thanks to mini cam systems like GoPro these rare encounters get caught on film.

Of course the media want to make these encounters into more than they are, the natural curiousness of a top order predator on its daily rounds. Having said that the footage is always dynamic and riveting.

Kudos to Nathan and his buddy  for taking this encounter in stride and not harming the shark:




About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Australia Acts Decisively Against Shark Tourism - Meh!

In a  stunning act of political theater taken from the recent pages of half assed tourism policies in Maui the minister of tourism for Western Australia has banned commercial shark diving.

“I have decided that Western Australia will not be the place for shark cage tourism, like those currently operating in South Australia and South Africa,” Mr Moore said. “There have been no formal applications for such ventures in WA as yet, but I have acted to let any potential operators know this State’s policy."

Yes folks, even though there are currently no operations seeking to dive with sharks on a commercial level in Western Australia, and even though commercial shark diving is a multi-million dollar conservation juggernaut across the globe one Mr Moore, Minister for the Inane in Western Australia, has banned this activity.

You have to admire the shortsighted politics of decision makers these days who in most cases can count the time they have spent on water with two or three fingers and actual shark interactions from what they see on You Tube or on Animal Planet. In this case Mr Moore banned future commercial shark diving after a series of shark attacks in the region.

Seems Mr Moore in his alter ego as Great Future Tourism Prognosticator has seen a world wherein shark attacks in the Western Australia region will increase ten fold because of the activity of a few  "yet to be conceived of" commercial shark operations far offshore. This will be the first time a politician of any stripe has pre-banned commercial shark diving based on existing shark attacks that have nothing to do with our industry.

As we said many months ago following the Maui shark ban:

The number one rule for regional tourism is "never take tourism options off the table." This rule looks into the future of tourism destinations and changing public demand. What is not popular today may well be tomorrows latest fashion.

Of course that does not stop those who play politics on a professional level from setting policies that  are ultimately short sighted.

Kudos Mr.Moore your decisive actions have saved perhaps...0 people from negative shark interactions in the region. We wish you luck with act two of your grand decision which sounds a lot like an expansion of shark nets to us:

“A Shark Response Unit has been set up by the Department of Fisheries to co-ordinate shark mitigation operations and research and a community engagement strategy is also being developed to increase general knowledge about shark safety and to work with public agencies and stakeholders to enhance preparedness and responses to shark hazards,” Mr Moore said.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

No more Shark Fin Soup in China?

Yesterday the New York Times reported that China said Tuesday that it would prohibit official banquets from serving shark fin soup, an expensive and popular delicacy blamed for a sharp decline in global shark populations.

Full article 

Will pictures like this soon be a thing of the past?

Alex Hofford/European Pressphoto Agency

 It looks like years of efforts to raise awareness about Shark Finning is starting to pay off. This news comes just a couple of months after the media in Hong Kong struck out against the global anti shark fin campaigns, characterizing them as "anti Chinese" and "discriminating against their eating culture". While official state dinners use just a tiny fraction of all Shark Fins consumed, this announcement still sends a signal, that China is starting to change it's attitude towards Shark Conservation 

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Radical Groups not welcome in Fiji

As an individual that has been working with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe and involved in shark conservation for the last 10 years, I'm  frustrated with radical groups that hinder our efforts, in the interest of self promotion and producing "reality" television.

Oceanic White Tip

I'm happy to report that according to the Fiji Blog, the Fijian government has decided that  RADICAL GROUPS THAT DISRUPT LEGITIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION NOT WELCOMED BY FIJI

It goes on to state that Radical international groups, such as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, any similar organisation or any other related party, which seek to sensationalise esoteric fishing practices, including on so-called "reality television," do so for purposes of self-promotion at the expense of disrupting legitimate conservation work. These groups are not welcome in Fiji and will not be tolerated by Government.

The full statement

Thank you Fiji, both for making environmental protection a priority and realizing that legitimate environmental groups have nothing to do with those radicals.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

New Shark species?

According to a recent article by Daniel Cressey on nature.com, scientists have discovered scores of new species of sharks and rays.

Scalloped Hammerhead © Richard Merritt

 A genetic study of thousands of specimens of sharks and rays has uncovered scores of potential new species and is fuelling biologists’ debates over the organisation of the family tree of these animals. The work also raises the possibility that some species are even more endangered than previously thought.

Gavin Naylor, a biologist at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and his colleagues sequenced samples from 4,283 specimens of sharks and rays as part of a major effort to fill the gaps. The team found 574 species, of which 79 are potentially new, they report in theBulletin of the American Museum of Natural History¹.

Naylor says that he was “flabbergasted” by the result, especially because the sequencing covered only around half of the roughly 1,200 species thought to exist worldwide.

Read the article

This is even more evidence of how little we know about sharks and the ocean ecosystem in general. I'm happy that we at Shark Diver can do our small part helping out the researchers by providing our pictures for the photo ID database of the Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico




About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Sharks Tearing Apart a Whale - Video

Pretty cool video coming out of Stanwell Park, NSW and Warroora Station this month as almost 100 sharks devour the remains of a whale in the surf line.

Yes sharks actually eat things folks, and yes sharks do have teeth. We only mention this obvious fact to counter the incessant and somewhat myopic conservation nonsense being spewed forth by a host of "24 hour shark experts" these days in an ongoing campaign to re-brand the shark as anything but what they actually are - perfect predators.

Here's a thought, you can still love a predator.

Enjoy:

 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Worlds Largest Marine Reserve? Yes!

Great news for all of us who love the Great White Sharks and all the other creatures that live in the Ocean! The New York Times reports that  Australia Plans World’s Largest Marine Reserve.

According to the report:

Australia plans to create the world’s largest network of marine reserves, encompassing a 3.1 million square kilometer patchwork of coastal waters, the government announced Thursday. The move is aimed at balancing protection for the country’s delicate reefs and marine life, which are facing growing environmental pressures, with the demands of its booming resource-driven economy.

Shredder, swimming at Guadalupe Island

It's great to see that Australia takes a major step to protect the marine environment. The article further states; fishing and oil and gas exploration would be restricted in nearly one-third of Australia’s territorial waters, an area of 1.2 million square miles that includes the pristine Coral Sea off the country’s northeastern coast and the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

Read the complete article

We at Shark Diver  are applauding  Australia for this action and hope that it will encourage other countries to follow suit.

Cheers,


Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

“Now we know that while white sharks across Australia can mix, the intriguing thing is that they seem to return to either east or western regions to breed,” Bruce said.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1durs)

“Now we know that while white sharks across Australia can mix, the intriguing thing is that they seem to return to either east or western regions to breed,” Bruce said.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1d

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Man evolved from Monkeys! Sharks! Bacteria?

This image is obviously all wrong now - Feh!

The latest headlines from the files of WTF science postings currently making the rounds is the, "Man is a Shark" storyline.

Gleefully picked up like a child's chewed play toy by shark-o-philes the world over it almost sounds like there's a new t-shirt design in the works.

But wait!

Yeah, you knew that was coming.

All this sceince-y stuff is just a back track on overall evolution is it not?

Gasp! You mean Man might have also evolved from say, bacteria?

Why yes, and not the pretty kind either.

That's the problem with headlines and sharks these days, almost any headline can be used to support the cause of shark conservation. The trick is checking the facts and seeing if they are relevant.

For many out there "relevancy" and "shark conservation" are two words that never seem to meet in the middle.

Oxy-Shark Myth anyone?

More from RTSea here.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Mako Shark Munch and Crunch

Hat Tip to the venerated Dorsal Fin Blog (yeah, you stick for more than a standard blog year you become "venerated") for this latest video.

It's got a cool Mako, some tragically bent fishermen, and a wife/girlfriend combo who is not into the whole shark thing.

For us lucky guys who have married or are dating girls who are "into" the shark thing, apologies to those of you who have been missing out. Like the poor guys in this video trying to hook the Mako:




About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

More than one Species of Great White Shark?

After 10 years of watching Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe I learned that those creatures will continually surprise and amaze you. Just when we think we know them, we learn something new.

I also learned that the news media will continue to misrepresent and twist the facts to get a good headline. According to an article on Red Orbit, Australian Great White Sharks Are Actually Two Distinct Species

The actual quote of the scientist doesn't mention anything about two different species, it say simply that there are genetic differences.

“The genetic makeup of white sharks west of Bass Strait was different from those on the eastern seaboard of Australia – despite the lack of any physical barrier between these regions,” said Professor John Pandolfi, a Chief Investigator at the University of Queensland.

The headline misses the real interesting part of the study.  
“Our tagging and tracking showed that white sharks travel thousands of kilometers,” said Barry Bruce, a lead study researcher from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). 

“Now we know that while white sharks across Australia can mix, the intriguing thing is that they seem to return to either east or western regions to breed,” Bruce said.

You can read the actual study here.


Don't trust the headlines, check their sources and stay informed.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

“Now we know that while white sharks across Australia can mix, the intriguing thing is that they seem to return to either east or western regions to breed,” Bruce said.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1durs)

“Now we know that while white sharks across Australia can mix, the intriguing thing is that they seem to return to either east or western regions to breed,” Bruce said.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1du

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

A poor 3rd world country fighting shark finning? You betcha!

Burning the poachers loot!

Honduras has taken the fight against illegal shark finning to a new level.

According to an article on Science 2.0:

Hondurans Burn Shark Fins To Stick It To Poachers

So when the fins, mostly from nurse sharks, were seized in April by the Honduran navy, it was a safe assumption the fins were obtained illegally. Still, with 14% inflation and 22% of the country below poverty levels surely something could have been done with the hundreds of shark fins, worth that $300 per pound as mentioned. The poachers were already penalized but actual law-abiding poor people could have been helped with the money for a product perfectly legal in plenty of other countries.

Instead, President Porfirio Lobo joined the country's top law enforcement officials yesterday in a bit of political theater, to watch the burning of the illegal shark fins.

I personally applaud president Porfirio Lobo for this action and wouldn't characterize it as "political theater" I think this action sends a clear message to the poachers that Honduras is serious about shark conservation and will not allow anyone to profit from the sale of shark fins. Suggesting that the Honduran Government should have sold the fins to help the poor, is a little like saying our DEA should sell the pot they confiscate to help fund programs for the poor here.

Well my friends, that's my take on it. Feel free to let me know if you have a different take on this.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Saving Great Whites In Mexico?

If you're a reader of this blog you know we like smart metrics based shark conservation efforts.

In fact we're almost fanatical about them and if they have a local flavor to them - more the better.

That's why you rarely see us posting about women hanging from fish hooks in soap stores because at the end of the day conservation noise like this makes no sense, saves no sharks, and is as about as self serving as an overworked and wheezing Frozen Yogurt machine on a hot July day.

So when smart initiatives being put forth by dedicated people pop up we're quick to point them out.

Case in point, the Mexican initiative to educate coastal fishermen along Baja and Sea of Cortez. Run by Dr. José Leonardo Castillo-Geniz and a host of others in Mexico this is real boots on the ground shark awareness at it's finest. And it is desperately needed as well.

You'll note our 5 year running expose on one fish market in Ensenada, Mexico where white shark pups regularly arrive to be sold as Swordfish and Mako for just pesos a kilo. White sharks are meant to be protected in Mexico and yet they appear in videos and images on a disturbingly regular basis.

Part of this is the nature of the fisheries.

Inshore long lining catches both tuna and swordfish and a healthy numbers of white shark pups. Many of these pups are dead when they arrive back to the boat and asking a small, poor fisherman, to dump a carcass worth a few dollars makes little sense. But reminding this same fisherman that these animals are protected does make sense because for those few animals that arrive back to vessels alive, or are still alive in nets they now have a fighting chance.

Nothing in this world is perfect when it comes to conservation initiatives. But efforts like these, targeting remote fish camps and leaving behind great POS material really makes a fundamental difference and we are thrilled to see it being done. Kudos.

Thanks to the following folks in Mexico who had a hand in this effort:

Pam Baker EDF
Fernando Aguilar Club Cantamar
Juan Carlos Cantu of Defenders of Wildlife Mexico
Dr. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Waiter? There's A Cesium-137 In My Sushi

 It is the end of the world!

Forget your 2012 Mayan Prophesies this is actual "cats and dog living together" kind of doom as researchers have discovered Cesium-137 and Cesium-134 in Bluefin Tuna off the coast of San Diego.

Yes, that's radiation people, and not the good kind either.

Apparently the stuff has come from Japan and the Fukushima power plant disaster of last year. The media is having a field day and as we speak Tuna NGO's the planet over are rubbing their hands together to capitalize on Radioactive Bluefin story lines.

But wait, hold on a sec, take a deep breath and go get a cup of coffee because this is not as toxic as you might think.

Let's start by examining your coffee and that deep breath you just took.

Did you know that most American homes contain over 1000 toxic airborne chemicals that you inhale every single day?

• Toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution. (EPA)


• Most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals that are three to 70 times higher indoors than outdoors. (EPA)


• Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home. The higher death rate is believed to be due to daily exposure to chemicals found in ordinary household products. (Toronto Indoor Air Commission)


• In the past 14 years, there has been a 75% increase in asthma; 29% for men; 71% for women. The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. (Center for Disease Control)

And then there's your coffee. Most coffee for purchase contains at least four pretty nasty chemical compounds put there by the grower to ensure your coffee is free from the wild things that like coffee as well.

Not to mention any home in America built after 1986 using PVC piping instead of copper. PVC is how water is transported into your coffee machine and PVC leaches some pretty interesting stuff into your cuppa Joe each day.

So back to those Tuna. In terms of radioactivity, it's more of a science experiment then actual doom, sorry for the scare. The trace amounts of Cesium-137 are far less than the 149 topside nukes launched on American soil during the 50's-60's when towns downwind were bathed in radiation levels that would make health and welfare folks today fall over dead.

At least the folks back then had copper piping.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

The Death of Intellectual Curiosity

Intellectual curiosity is a term used to describe one’s desire to invest time and energy into learning more about a person, place, thing or concept.

On this day, May 29th, 2012 we are hereby declaring Intellectual Curiosity - Dead.

And what, pray tell, caused this statement of fact to surface on our hallowed blog you may ask?

It is an email circulating about a recent story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. One that made outlandish and completely unsupported claims of a shark tag found on a recently caught white shark in the Sea of Cortez.

What's at stake is everything we know about white shark movements in the region and as the author of this email rightly points out, "falsified data may lead to the misinterpretations that could take a generation to correct."

Hello Oxygen Shark Myth.

The story about the tag caught our full attention many weeks ago when it first ran. Unlike far too many who accept as gospel fact the forthright media drivel being spoon fed to conservationists, a sorry state of affairs we call "The Sea Shepherdization" of conservation. We have always reserved the right to ask questions and drill down into the facts.

It's called intellectual curiosity. 

In the hands of those who propagate conservation nonsense it has been re-branded as, "meddling, jealousy, and hate."

The persons penning the email put forth a well known character in shark conservation and politics Dr.Michael Domeier. You may recall our blow out with him over the Junior Affair at the Farallones in California a few years ago.

Say what you want about that particular timeline our argument was with the animal and methods of tagging. What has recently transpired in the Sea of Cortez at a little place called El Choyudo will undoubtedly go down as the worst of shark conservation and science and a complete validation of how in today's media environment those who would invent utter conservation nonsense can in fact, be heard, be accepted, and be considered relevant.

Again, when Paul Watson can fake being assassinated to secure a second season of a reality tv show and NO ONE in the wider conservation sphere calls him or his organization on it, the world pays attention. 

And those who do - emulate.

Welcome to the death of intellectual curiosity. 

Fortunately Dr. Michael Domeier expresses a deep and abiding intellectual curiosity for sharks and was unwilling to accept a story that suggested that one of the largest recorded sharks in the Sea of Cortez history had a tag on it from California. 

We too were dubious, but our investigations only followed up to images of the tag.

What caught us were the nature of the images. In one, the alleged tag was in place with a small knife for perspective. Something only a researcher would do, certainly not a small village fisher-woman in Mexico.

Our inquiry ended with several conversations with the reporter at the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was left unfulfilled. Until the industry email we read today.

Kudos to Dr.Domeier for following up on this story, his efforts are to be lauded. He has exposed a lie pure and simple and one that causes the world as we know it to be diminished. Made smaller and cheaper by the fact that this animal was attributed to places and people it had never encountered.

We can all learn a lesson from this. This is the titular "Emperor with No Clothes" moment displaying to shark conservationists worldwide how the death of intellectual curiosity is hurting is all.

Don't drink the Kool-Aid.

Stand and be curious. 

More from Da Shark in Fiji NSFW.


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Dr Dení Ramírez Whale Shark Paper - Great Stuff

Back in 2009 we had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dr Dení Ramírez at the Socorro islands in Mexico.

She was on an exploratory trip to the islands studying the elusive Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus).

Dr Ramírez latest focus is on Holbox, well known to shark fans the world over as perhaps one of the best places to interact with and see large groupings of these magnificent critters. She has recently publish a new paper on her findings in the Journal of Fish Biology.

Sadly there's growing evidence of vessel strikes on these animals that may be attributed to commercial shark tourism in the region.

Patterns in composition, abundance and scarring of whale sharks Rhincodon typus near Holbox Island, Mexico

Abstract

Photo-identification and conventional tagging were used to estimate population size and structure of the whale shark Rhincodon typus near Holbox Island, Mexico. From 2005 to 2008, photographs of spot patterns behind the last gill slit and in a lateral view on the left side of each animal were used to identify individuals. Additionally, 578 R. typus were tagged using conventional marker tags. Of these and the 350 R. typus that were identified from 1184 photographs, 65% were male; 27%, female and 8%, indeterminate sex. Photographed R. typus ranged in size from 2·5 to 9·5 m total length. Size was bimodal with a large peak at 6 m and a smaller peak at 7 m. Photo-identification showed that there was considerable loss of marker tags. Few of these remained on the animals for more than a year, so that interannual re-sights using tagging could not be used in population modelling. Forty six interannual re-sightings were found in the photographic library; the interval between these re-sightings was typically 1 year. It was estimated that the R. typus aggregation near Holbox Island ranged from 521 to 809 individuals, based on mark-recapture models. From 13 to 33% of R. typus photographed had scars that were attributable to boat strikes. This study provides a baseline for assessing the status of R. typus near Holbox Island. This information is useful to understand drivers of local population size and distribution and potential concerns about increasing effects of tourism on R. typus in this area and for designing better management programmes for R. typus conservation.


Paper here.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Grass Roots Shark Conservation - California Style

 By the numbers:

2 - The primary movers behind Spinning to End Finning

73 million - The number of sharks harvested for the shark fin trade each year (give or take)

1268 miles - The distance from Colorado to Kentucky

Grass roots California based shark conservation initiative Spinning to End Finning will be holding a fundraising event in Paso Robles, California to promote the group’s bike ride from Colorado to Kentucky this summer to raise awareness of sharks and funds to support shark protection projects in Costa Rica. 

Click here to donate to the group’s efforts.


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Mark Healy and Roberta Mancino - Nifty Stuff

Once in a while along comes some truly great underwater footage - this is one of those times.

What's not to like about Roberta Mancino and Mark Healy, two consummate underwater folks, doing their thing in the Bahamas?

As we said a few months back about Mark Healy:

"Mark should get his own television show, soon, because he's that good on camera."

Kudos to this duo for working with sharks without the "moronic messaging" that all too often goes along with those who interact with sharks. A world where sharks cannot be sharks, they need to be redefined and reintroduced to the public as mobile plush toys that just need a hug...all in the name of conservation.

Interacting with sharks in the pursuit of a stunning image without the messaging is in its own way far more impactful than the overt in-your-face new shark realities foisted on a public that all too often finds them hard to absorb.

Watch this video and be sure to voice your opinion for more.

Clearly this team is on to something here and it's a formula we could all use more of.

Is Shark Finning OK?

Finned Reef Shark

According to an article in "Forbes":
  
Just this week, four of the five largest Chinese-language newspapers in shark fin capital Hong Kong rolled out a high-profile ad campaign that blasts the global anti-shark fin campaign as groundless, and intended “to incite the public to discriminate our own eating culture.”  It claims Western conservation groups “use the shark issue as a fund-raising gimmick.  We now we made a vow to voice out and unveil those lies.”


I have to admit that I've become a bit cynical with the media when it comes to how they portray anything to do with sharks. It seems that they're mostly interested in shocking headlines and have very little substance in the article themselves. So that's why today's article in Forbes came as a pleasant surprise. It is very informative, doesn't use hype and is well written.

In 10 years of working with Great White Sharks this is one of the best articles I've read on the complex subject of shark finning.

Well done Forbes.


Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Refreshing Documentary Work - Sandgrains

Almost every week we get asked to post a new conservation documentary trailer on our website and blog. Most never make it, there's a vetting process here as we look for documentaries that are in a word, "refreshing."

We're looking for subject matter that matters. We generally pass on self promoting media foks who have little to offer the wider conservation scene aside from a pretty face, some pablum based conservation talking points, and a website.

Instead we tend to admire and promote those who take the craft of documentary work with all the seriousness it deserves and Sandgrains is one of those well crafted works that deserves a first, second, and third look.

Kudos to the entire team from Matchbox Media who are behind this.




About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Disturbing Great White Shark Video?

"Shredder" picture by Cary Humphries

An article in the Herald Sun (Australia) described a video that shows a Great White Shark, eating a blue shark hooked by a fisherman,as:

"A Disturbing Video"

What I find disturbing  is the fact that a newspaper describes the natural behavior of a wild animal in this manner.

Of course a shark will not refuse an easy meal but there is hardly anything disturbing about it.

In 10 years of observing Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe, I have learned that sharks are actually more attracted to a hooked fish than any chum that cage diving operators are using. One day in 2005 there was a time we had great difficulty attracting the sharks, while a tuna fishing boat, less than 1/2 mile away, complained that most the tuna they were catching, were being eaten by the very sharks we were waiting to see.

Sharks will be sharks. The mainstream media will describe incidents like this as “disturbing” and will try to get you to buy into it. You can believe the unsubstantiated nonsense or you can be amazed by the truth about sharks. If you are truly interested in sharks and their behavior and/or if you are an enthusiastic shark observer as I am, take time to find reliable sources and get to know the facts.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

121 Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe?

Don't forget to count us!

 Note: Apologies to George Probst who runs the fine blog Dorsal Fin Blog for the original image mistake on this post.

The pictures donated by our shark divers from the past ten seasons have been evaluated.

Last Monday Nicole Nasby-Lucas, the scientist I'm working with on the

We now count 121 individual Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe.

By evaluating those pictures, we  not only keep track of the numbers of sharks, but can also track how many years they have been at the Island. Some, like our buddies Shredder, Bruce, Jacques, etc. have been there every year since 2001.

Another interesting fact that has been discovered, is regarding adult females.

While males come to the Island every year, the females come every other year. In the "off" year, they give birth along the Baja coast and in the Sea of Cortez.

This research is only possible with the assistance of our shark divers.

Thanks.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Satellite Tracking of Manta Rays Highlights Challenges to Their Conservation

We just finished reading an amazing paper on Manta birostris (thanks Gabriel Fava) written by Rachel T. Graham, Matthew J. Witt, Dan W. Castellanos, Francisco Remolina, Sara Maxwell, Brendan J. Godley, Lucy A. Hawkes.

For fans of in depth research data on very cool critters this is as good as it gets.

Manta gill rakers are another in a series of culinary and medicinal treats sent to Asia and the market is growing putting pressure on these magnificent animals.

Abstract

We describe the real-time movements of the last of the marine mega-vertebrate taxa to be satellite tracked – the giant manta ray (or devil fish, Manta birostris), the world’s largest ray at over 6 m disc width. Almost nothing is known about manta ray movements and their environmental preferences, making them one of the least understood of the marine megavertebrates.

Red listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction, manta rays are known to be subject to direct and incidental capture and some populations are declining. Satellite-tracked manta rays associated with seasonal upwelling events and thermal fronts off the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, and made short-range shuttling movements, foraging along and between them. The majority of locations were received from waters shallower than 50 m deep, representing thermally dynamic and productive waters. 

Manta rays remained in the Mexican Exclusive Economic Zone for the duration of tracking but only 12% of tracking locations were received from within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Our results on the spatio-temporal distribution of these enigmatic rays highlight opportunities and challenges
to management efforts.

Complete paper here.

White Shark Cage Diving Australia - Reprieve?

All's well that ends well, sort of.

As you know we have been following the twists and turns of the State Governments decision to cut two commercial shark diving operations from Neptune Island in Australia.

A recent research study that suggested commercial white shark operations were in fact changing the behavior of the animals on site the decision was, as industry observers have noted, not greeted with much enthusiasm.

The good news is all the operations have received five year extended permits, the bad news is they have all been reduced to 5 days a week, dropping 288 collective days from operational calendars.

What makes this decision notable is the shark research component. For years commercial shark diving operations have extended an open door policy towards research teams seeking to study sharks.

Is it time to reconsider this policy when single point research data impacts operations?

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Stefanie Brendl - Pretty With Tiger Sharks

"Stefanie Brendl swims with Tiger sharks when conditions and behavior allow it, and ONLY after years of experience. Do not try this unless you know a lot about sharks."

We like this for the simple reason it is visually appealing to watch "as is" without the re-branding messaging about sharks "just needing a hug" that we see all too often.

Sometimes it is o.k to just share an exquisite moment with sharks without having to hit the viewer with propaganda. Nicely done.

Enjoy:

Can Magnets Really Save Sharks?

There is an interesting article on BBC news about rare earth magnets repelling sharks and preventing attacks.

Having observed Great White Sharks for the last 10 years at Isla Guadalupe, I have a couple of  questions. A lot of times a shark is initially repelled by something, but after the initial "flee" reaction and the realization that it is not something trying to attack it, the shark is actually attracted to it. I've observed many, specially young sharks, that are initially afraid of the shark cages, but after a while, come back and start investigating.

I'm not saying this is the case here, but it certainly needs to be investigated.

For me, the more interesting part in the article deals with the reduction of shark by-catch by the long line fishermen!

"We realized we could magnetize the fishing hook, and coat it with a rare earth metal," he says. "It looks just like a regular hook. Several countries are now testing his so-called SMART hooks to see if they work. Some tests show a 60 to 70 per cent reduction in the number of sharks caught."

Here's the complete story.

If this research proves correct, I wonder if this would be cost effective. Would the long line fishermen actually buy those hooks? Food for thought.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Cristina Zenato Commercial Shark Divings Great New Voice

Baiting at Isla Guadalupe 2005

Thanks to some simply awful self inflicted media coming out of South Africa this month the world of sharks, commercial shark diving, and yes shark baiting has blown up again.

We go through this cycle once a year, but this time thanks in large part to Chris Fischer and the circus surrounding the tragic death of a young South African at the hands of a white shark, this cycle seems a bit more frantic with anti-cage diving folks finding some wind in their sails to produce an onslaught of hysteria that would make even Peter Benchley cringe.

Thankfully the commercial shark diving world has Cristina Zenato who has begun to post her observations on our industry in a way that's refreshing, to the point, and for those who have an issue with commercial shark diving, informative.

We have been fans of Cristina for quite a few years and watched her quiet rise through the industry with anticipation. She's a smart, edgy, no nonsense kind of person who speaks to the issues surrounding sharks with a compassionate voice.

Read her latest blog post  Shark Diving, Shark Feeding and Common Sense.

This is as good as it get's and for our industry the timing is perfect.

Simply defining the interaction with all sharks as a feeding or a non-feeding situation is too simplistic. It would collect approximately 400 species of sharks under the single umbrella of generalized gray, tubular, finned, toothed creatures who just swim around the oceans behaving as we would want them to behave. Instead we can, and should, take the time to learn how each and every shark species behaves. This can be a controversial and difficult topic to present -- please understand that there will always be unique situations and habitat niches. As with any complex issue, knowledge and understanding are key.

 Kudos Cristina.

Albert Falco and Cousteau Dancing in Heaven

If you missed it last week here's the very cool video that undoubted has a whole room full of deceased underwater explorers dancing in heaven. Say what you want about deep water oil and gas exploration, the last five years have yielded up a cornucopia of deep water video that simply boggles the imagination.

This video stands at the pinnacle of simply stunning animal discover and interaction.

Go to 1.50 to start seeing this critter in all it's mysterious glory:

 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Best of 2011 at Isla Guadalupe - Martin Graf

A couple of days ago I talked about how I got started at Isla Guadalupe.

Today I'm going to share a couple of things I do during those trips. I'm always collecting pictures and videos from our Shark divers, both for our photo database and a trip video. Our database identifies the sharks, by looking at the transition from the grey to the white, which is like a fingerprint and different for each shark. So far we have identified over 120 different individuals, some of which we have seen every single year for the past 10 years. If we have a new shark that hasn't been identified, the photographer whose picture we use to identify it, gets to name the Shark. How cool is that?

I compile pictures and videos for a slide show/video and burn it onto a DVD for each Shark Diver to take home. The following is an example from last season!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Shark Diver/Horizon
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Watching Sharks, Sharks and Watches Bahamas

Luke Tipple from What We Do Media has been busy on the commercial side this month with an underwater time piece roll out at Tiger Beach, Bahamas.

Actually the MTM Special Ops Watch is far more than an ordinary time piece.

If Darth Vader owned a watch this is what he would carry.

For industry guys and gals this commercial is a tribute to you and your lifestyle. Only you know what it is like to "get the call" and have to jump out the door on another shark adventure, enjoy:

Guadalupe Island, 10 years of staring down Great White Sharks

 My name is Martin and this is my story

10 years ago, I boarded the "Ocean Odyssey" in San Diego, heading down to Isla Guadalupe to see the Great White Sharks. I was working as a deck hand and had no idea what to expect and couldn't have imagined how that trip was going to change my life.

Once we got to the Island, we started to put our cages into the water. Back then I had to lean over the rail and pretty much hang upside down, my face just a few feet from the water, in order to unclip the cage from the hoist cable.  That was when it happened! An enormous Great White Shark (OK, so it was only about 11ft. long) swam right by me and looked straight into my eyes!

After changing my shorts, (just kidding) I worked on deck all day. We had sharks swimming around the cages and even had a breach.  The following day I got to go into a cage. Within minutes a shark swam right by the cage and again, looked me straight in the eye. I thought I was going on this trip to check out Great White Sharks! I didn't know they were going to check me out! Needless to say I was hooked.

I only got to go to Guadalupe 3 times that first year, but by the end of the 3rd trip I knew I wanted to go back for more. Just before we returned to San Diego, I talked with Patric Douglas from Shark Diver about working the following season as the Dive Operations manager.

Martin Graf, hard at work at Isla Guadalupe!

That was 10 years ago. We have moved the dive operation over to the MV HORIZON and I no longer have to dangle over the rail to launch the cages. That first shark that checked me out that day is still around and has become my favorite. His name is Shredder (you just have to come out on a trip and I'll tell you how he got his name) He's been there every single year since we first saw him.

Shredder the King of Whitesharks!

I've gotten to know Mauricio, the local scientist and over the years have worked with him on tagging and DNA sampling the sharks. With the assistance of our shark divers, I also helped Nicole Nashby to expand a photo ID database to over 120 individual Great White Sharks. It's a really rewarding experience, not just for me, but for a lot of our shark divers, to be able to assist in the research, all while having the time of our lives. We found out that some of the Sharks leave Guadalupe in the summer and go to Hawaii (Who can blame them!) and always come back to Guadalupe in the fall. Every year I'm anxious to see if all "my" sharks have made it back.

I can't wait for August to go back!

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Catalina Shark Nibbles and Good Media?

Fortunately when occasional shark attacks occur in Southern California there's a few solid voices out there with ready quotes for the media.

This week was no exception and the quotes given were without the typical "re-branding effort" of top order predators that we are beginning to see in the conservation space.

Sharks are sharks, occasionally they attack things and sometimes those things happen to have a human element to them.

Sharks are not misunderstood, they are not soft and cuddly, and they are toothy.

Accepting the basic tenants of sharks does not make them less viable for conservation, but it does allow people to make "informed decisions" about where they should be when sharks are present.

More from RTSea Blog here.

Catalina Shark Nibbles, Whoa Nelly!

A young paddle boarder was lucky this week after a hair raising encounter with what most likely was a juvenile white shark at Catalina Island.

Pete Thomas has the scoop:

The shark reportedly bit the paddleboard more than once about 200 yards offshore, beyond a remote stretch of coast a mile from Avalon.

The size or type of shark is not known, but great whites have been known to mistake surfboards as prey, and are ambush hunters that strike marine mammals from below.

Catalina has been the stage for numerous shark/seal predations over the years many of which caught on tape. A paddleboard underwater tends to look like a seal and younger white sharks are known to be "frisky" with seal shaped objects on the surface.

Welcome to the start of Shark Summer in California. This video is purported to be a Mako shark and seal at Catalina in 2010:

Sharks with Frickin' Lasers - The Website

Wait, there's a website?

Of course there's a website, you don't think a new fin clip innovation that will revolutionize shark research as we know it would rely on a few images in three thousand print media outlets plus mainstream media video to make the case did you?

Never.

Oh, and by the way enjoy. No sharks were harmed, inconvenienced, delayed, disrespected, and or annoyed in the making of this video. As it turns out Mr.Biggelsworth has a bit of a thing for our buddy Luke Tipple.

The Mr Biggelsworth Website

The Mr Bigglesworth Facebook Page

The only shark on the planet with this much pro-shark media around him. How's that for amazing?

Sharks with Frickin' Lasers - The Video

Wait, there's a video?

Of course there's a video, you don't think a new fin clip innovation that will revolutionize shark research as we know it would rely on a few images in three thousand print media outlets to make the case did you?

Never.

Oh, and by the way enjoy. No sharks were harmed, inconvenienced, delayed, disrespected, and or annoyed in the making of this video. As it turns out Mr.Biggelsworth has a bit of a thing for our buddy Luke Tipple: