Bimini Bull Run - Big Sharks, Bahamas

The Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina today announced plans for a unique one-day guaranteed shark encounter experience that will also help fund regional shark tagging and conservation efforts through a partnership with the Shark-Free Marinas initiative.

Bimini Bull Run is a first for the global shark diving industry, providing divers and non-divers with an up-close and personal adrenaline packed thrill of shark encounters from the safety of specially designed cage systems attached directly to the docks at The Big Game Club Marina. The system will employ a unique “Hooka’ air system, allowing non-certified divers to experience the opportunity in addition to those certified divers who would prefer to SCUBA.

Michael Weber, Big Game Club General Manager, said the Bimini Bull Run operation will feature safe encounters with Bull Sharks at the marina and offshore species like Tiger and Lemon sharks.

The site will also act as a film and television hub for U.S based shark productions seeking ease of access to the wild world of sharks.

“As a Shark-Free Marina member we only welcome live sharks at our docks,” said Weber. “We are very excited to be able to partner with conservation organizations like The Shark-Free Marinas initiative to help fund regional shark research and the ability to introduce the world of sharks in their own environment and in a manner that is safe both for the sharks and humans.”

Weber said the Bahamas, a collection of 700 islands sweeping across 240,000 square miles of territorial waters was recently declared a Shark Sanctuary with the government banning commercial shark fishing. One of the premier shark-watching destinations for divers, reeling in $800 million over the past 20 years for the Bahamian national economy, sharks in the Bahamas are big business and certainly worth more alive than dead.

Globally, sharks are under attack with estimates of up to 90 million harvested annually commercially for their fins, considered a delicacy in certain areas of the world.

For more information, visit www.biggameclubbimini.com.

Press Release 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.

What's More Dangerous Than a Great White Shark?

Cookie Cutter Shark

According to an article in Shark Year Magazine,  a study by the University of Florida shows that small cookiecutter shark feeds on flesh of great white.

While diving at Guadalupe Island we have observed, not only Great White Sharks with  Cookie Cutter bites, but also Elephant Seals and Beaked Whales. 

The way this little shark gets away with biting much larger animals is very unique. They produce bio luminescence, (living light) to attract predators at night. When the much larger predators come near the Cookie Cutter Shark, it takes a bite out of them. 

Unlike most predators, Cookie Cutter Sharks don't kill their prey, they just take a bite or two. I guess their feeding habits make for a sustainable food supply.

It just goes to show that even the feared Great White Shark is not immune from predators, and that size doesn't always matter. 

There is so much we don't know about the oceans and the creatures that live in it. Humans entering the water tend to be afraid of the unknown and that's why it's important that we keep researching and discovering the secrets the oceans hold. 

Seal with Cookie Cutter Shark bites

When it comes to making beaches safer for the public, hopefully a greater understanding will lead to policies and actions that are based on facts and knowledge instead of irrational fear.

The lead researcher for this study is Dr. Maurico Hoyos-Padilla, the main shark researcher at Guadalupe Island a man I have known for 10 years and am proud to call a friend. 

Way to go Dr. Mau!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director 
Shark Diver

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.

Chris Fisher and South African Government at its best?

I've been diving with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe for 11 years now. During that time I've gotten to know a lot of people in the field, from dive operators to researchers and government officials.

A lot has changed since we first started our shark diving operation. We've gotten to know individual sharks and learned that they show distinctly different behaviors and personalities. We learned that we didn't need to throw half a cow into the water to attract the sharks. Researchers learned where the sharks migrate to, what kind of tags work and don't work, we all made mistakes and learned from them.  During that time there were a lot of documentaries produced that showed what we learned and tried to educate the public and government officials.

It pains me to see, that after all we learned there is still a "Jaws" perception in the public opinion and governments are ignoring scientific discoveries, and are using drum lines and nets along with targeted shark killings to "protect" the beaches.

Fin mutilated by one of Chris Fishers tags

It's not just the public and governments that don't seem to learn. There are "scientists" that are still living in the past, using antiquated methods to tag and track sharks and seem more concerned with promoting themselves on TV than with doing some real research and protecting the sharks.

Sometimes those misguided government actions target the same shark as do those questionable research methods. A recent drum line catch in South Africa not only killed a beautiful animal, but it also exposed some brutal research methods. The shark that was caught had a dorsal fin that was badly mutilated by an attached transmitter. Chris Fisher, a self proclaimed shark expert with a "research" vessel is responsible for that transmitter. Come on Chris! This is the 21 century, there are better methods to catch and tag a shark. Stop mutilating and killing sharks to promote yourself and your show.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director

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.

Eco-fugitive Paul Watson resigns from Sea Shepherd

Canadian-born environmentalist and wanted fugitive Paul Watson has stepped down from several positions he held at the Sea Shepherd Society, the eco-group he founded.

The positions included, "Grand Bloviator," "His Supreme Obfuscator," and lesser titles of, "Most Excellent Mush Mouth of Lyndale," and "Paulie the Bear."

Watson is wanted in Costa Rica to face charges in connection to a violent confrontation with a shark-finning crew in 2002. He remains on the lam after skipping bail in Germany, where he was arrested in May.

Watson has spun many differing accounts of his 2002 shark-fin encounter, blaming the entire episode on the "Yakuza," an organization that as a small child Watson would often blame for missing pastries, candies, and jellied donuts everywhere he went.

The Sea Shepherd skipper said he fears eventual extradition to Japan on account of the "Yakuza," where he's also a wanted man for skipping out on expensive restaurant tabs across the country in 1978.

In order to comply with a recent court injunction, Watson, now an American citizen, said he resigned as president of the organization in both the States and Australia, and as executive director in the U.S.

In response the U.S. Government asked Canada to take Watson back. Canada refused citing several laws concerning the expiration date of cheese products and their conservationists.

"I will hold no paid position with Sea Shepherd anywhere Sea Shepherd is registered and operates as a non-profit organization in any nation," he wrote on the group's website in day glow crayon along with several lines of atrocious poetry.

The injunction issued in December, which names Watson personally, bars Sea Shepherd U.S. from intervening in activities by Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR), which the environmental group calls "a front for illegal, government-subsidized whaling."

The IRC countered by claiming that Sea Shepherd was "a front for illegal, ego-subsidized media mismanagement, masquerading as a well oiled 'double happiness' conservation donation machine."

However, according to another statement on the SSCS website, Watson will remain on board the SS Steve Irwin to document the campaign against ICR, which involves sailing to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica. As it turns out he cannot leave his ship for fear of  "Yakuza" and will probably end up melding with sections of it like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean.

"I will participate as an observer within the boundaries established by the (court)," Watson wrote.

"For the 35 years since I founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society I have strived to act non-violently and within the boundaries of the law, and when that has failed, which is most anytime I get motivated enough to waddle from my writing desk on the Steve Irwin, I have endeavored to lie my ass off about pretty much everything in my life. You see, when it comes to getting honest people to give me money so I can behave like a complete lunatic, making up stories about being shot in the chest by the "Yakuza" or how they are after me all the time, or how they sneak on board the Irwin at night and raid the community fridge taking pies away, the bigger more outrageous the lie the better...wait is this thing on? Crap I thought this was OFF the record...can we delete this?....no?....ummm the "Yakuza" said that."

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.

Can One University Student Save Sharks?

The idea of shark conservation has been around for many years but are we winning?. Shark finning seems to keep going, despite efforts to ban it. Poachers catch sharks illegally and few countries have the will or means to enforce their own protection laws for sharks.

Don't get me wrong great strides have been made to protect sharks over the years but I get the nagging feeling we're not quite there yet.

So what is the answer? Do we need more laws? Do we need more sanctuaries?

Of course we do, but will that solve the problem? What can we as individuals do?

Chelsea Stephens, a student at the University of Rhode Island came up with an novel idea made with 49cents worth of pvc pipe.

She developed a "hook-blocker", a device that reduces the chances of a Sand Tiger Shark, a protected and rapidly declining species, getting gut hooked and dying.

The device is a simple pvc pipe attached to the fishing line about 7 inches above the hook, preventing Sand Tiger from swallowing baited hooks.

In my view, that's how to do conservation. Real world and immediate solutions that save sharks now.

It's frustrating sometimes to look at the big conservation picture and intuit progress, but if we look at many small and regional things that we can change, we can all make a difference.

Hopefully these kind of pictures become a thing of the past

Last year China announced that it will stop serving shark fin soup at state dinners - starting in 2 years.

At first I thought, why do they have to wait 2 years?

But after a little reflection I realized that even though it's just a small step, and those state dinners don't exactly use a lot of shark fins, it signals a change in attitude. Maybe if the government stops serving shark fin soup, then the people will follow suit and stop serving it at weddings and little by little, the demand for shark fins will get smaller.

Sharks conservation is a muti headed hydra of ideas and conservation programs for sharks.

I guess I am old school when I believe that many small, smart conservation efforts can actually lead to big changes for sharks. Chelsea Stephens showed us how, with a piece of pvc pipe and an imagination, you can be part of the progress.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver


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.

Really Australia? Again?

Australia is at it again. This time they destroyed a 15+ ft pregnant female Tiger Shark in Queensland!

Here's the article by Peter Hall, The Courier-Mail.

Now keep in mind that this animal has not attacked anyone. Stands to reason that at 15 plus feet long, she's been around for many years. Now if she really was a great danger to surfers, don't you think she would have attacked a few times by now?

They destroyed a magnificent creature, just because she was big and happened to be a Tiger Shark. Sad!

If you look like this, they'll kill you in Queensland

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver

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.

Has Paul Watson Been Done In?

So, Paul Watson is stepping down as the leader of "Sea Sheperd Conservation Society".

A step that many, myself included, thought would never happen.

Has he finally seen the light?

One could only hope.

He said that he's stepping aside to honor an injunction by a US court, banning him from coming within 500 yards of  and interfering with any Japanese Whaling Ship. On Sea Shepherd's website it states that: "Paul Watson will remain aboard to document the campaign." 

I'm sure that he'll only be documenting and not doing anything else. I mean he's Paul Watson, self appointed enforcer of international law! He wouldn't violate those international laws himself.

Nope, not Paul Watson!

Take his current status for example. He's not really a fugitive from the law, with a warrant out for his arrest by Interpol. He didn't endanger a fishing vessel in Costa Rican waters, when he tried to force them into port, to face the Costa Rican justice system, the same justice system that he's now not really running from.

So why did he really step aside from Sea Shepherd? I suspect is has more to do with a story that got less media attention. The fact that he's being sued by Ady Gil, the owner of the famous ship that was supposedly hit and sunk by a Japanese whaling ship. Ady Gil alleges that Paul Watson ordered the sinking of the ship, rather than bringing it back for repairs, for publicity reasons.

 A video on youtube clearly shows the "Ady Gil" just drifting in the water, alongside the Japanese ship. Then, at around the 19 second mark, the video shows whitewater behind the props, a clear sign that the "Ady Gil" engaged the props and propelled itself into the path of the whaling ship. So it was actually the "Ady Gil" that rammed the whaling ship, not the other way round no matter how many press releases from Sea Shepherd say otherwise.

His stepping aside is most likely an attempt to prevent Ady Gil's suit from potentially getting a lien against Sea Shepherds other ships.

So why do I think that the story about this lawsuit is really important? This is the first time that a big time supporter has come out against him. Someone who's given him a 5 million dollar vessel is now disenchanted by his actions to the point that he's suing him.

Maybe this will be a catalyst for other Sea Shepherd supporters to also take a closer look at how they operate. Hopefully this will signal a start to more support for mainstream conservation efforts. Efforts that can affect real change, instead of just media hype and self promotion. Efforts that have not only lacked financial support, because of money that's going to Sea Shepherd, but efforts that have also been undermined by the extreme and often fruitless actions taken by Sea Shepehrd.

Again, one can only hope, but when it comes to Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson, hope is something that's running in short supply these days.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver
Sharkdiver.com

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 to kill Great White Sharks?

A article in the "Australian" reports that: "WEST Australian Fisheries officers are determined to catch and kill a great white shark suspected of having established itself at unpatrolled swimming beaches along the southwest coast since Christmas."
  
Wow, I guess the shark should know that it is not supposed to swim in an unpatrolled swimming area. They want to hunt and kill the shark simply because it's a shark, not because it has attacked anyone. The article further states:

Tony Cappelluti, from the Fisheries Department's shark response unit, said his team was almost certain they were seeing the same shark. "Our assessment is there's a shark of 3-4m, and it's a white shark, which is high risk, in the area," Mr Cappelluti said.

Almost certain? Well, I'm almost certain that a 3-4 m white shark is a juvenile that's still eating fish. Mr. Capelluti concludes by saying:

"(So) we've deemed it to be an imminent threat under the guidelines because there's possibly going to be people in areas we can't get to or can't guarantee we can mitigate the risk by getting them out of the water and keeping them out of the water."

Wouldn't it be easier to advise people not to go swimming in unpatrolled waters?

I wonder if this has to do with how we portray sharks in the media. "Shark Week" type shows and news outlets seem to cater either to those who find the most creative ways to get a shark to bite a gopro or anything else in sight, or those fools who go and ride the sharks to show how "docile" they are. Reporting how sharks really are seems to be almost non existent.

As I'm writing this I'm watching the local CBS news in San Diego, reporting that a 16 white shark that was tagged on the east coast has been spotted 17 miles off the coast of Florida. Their "expert" says that people have been advised to stay out of the water. ..... they spot a shark 17 miles away and advise people to get out of the water? .... really?!

Maybe, if we want to protect the sharks, we need to focus on educating the media, as well as government and beach safety officials, to give them an accurate description of the sharks. We should respect them for the wild predators they are, but there's no need to fear them!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver 

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.

Isla Guadalupe White Shark Trip Report 2012

All my life I have wanted to dive with great whites.

My dad took me to see Jaws when I was about 10 years old – maybe he thought it would be fun to scare the kids? Well, I loved it, couldn’t get enough of sharks after that.

So to be fortunate enough to actually get to go on a trip with Shark Diver was the opportunity of a lifetime. And it was really really amazing.

I had not been able to convince anyone I knew to come with me, so I went on my own. It didn’t matter though, there were several others on the boat who also came on their own. We also had a family of 4, plus a couple (who turned out to be avid travelers and divers, with many entertaining stories to tell).

OK, early on the first morning (after a rocking and rolling 20 hours on the open ocean to get there), my new dive partner and I were standing on the back deck, no one else around (they were all either still in bed, or having breakfast inside, or getting ready to dive).  I was trying on my wetsuit for the first time, which was dry – and I was dry – so this was not an easy task. As I was bent over wrestling with the leg of the suit, a great white shark breached clear out of the water, hit the deck railing (hard – I mean, these things are 12 ft + long), and splashed back into the water. I was about 2 feet from the railing, and I saw it's belly!!!!!  We had no time to be scared, it was about a second or two at most. With the colour drained from his face, my dive partner looked at me, walked into the centre of the deck, and said quietly, "holy #$%&#! we're all gonna die."

The poor guy had come to Guadalupe Island to get over his fear of great white sharks… so, not a good way to start! He was convinced we were about to be eaten. But then he started to joke about it, saying that pretty much nothing else could top this experience of seeing a great white jump out of the water right in front of us. And it’s true. I will always remember that split second, putting me into the realm of a very minimal group of people in the world who have ever witnessed a great white shark breach.

We were grouped in pods of 4 for our dive rotations, which went hourly – this meant we had on average 5 hours a day in the water. Ample time to see white sharks! (and get very pruney fingers soaking in water all that time)  There was a half hour break (no divers in the water) at noon for lunch. The cages went in the water at 7am, and basically they let us go in until 5pm or 6pm or whenever we were all too exhausted to get back in the cage.  In our initial trip information from Patric, it said that some people skip their rotations and others could get extra cage time – I wondered why people would travel all that way and just stay on the deck! But experiencing it was very tiring! And yes, I did end up skipping at least one rotation, and then on the last day I didn’t do the last couple of hours that were an open rotation. I could hardly pull myself out of the water towards the end of each day; I was completely drained, but in a great ‘once in a lifetime’ way!

The crew worked their butts off making sure each of us had the perfect trip. We were safe at all times. We ate enormous amounts of food (which was fantastic). Some of us had food allergies or sensitivities, and chef Mark made sure to cook individual meals for those folks (including me, no wheat and no meat). Although I must admit I had a small piece of the raspberry glazed Cornish game hen served one evening, and it was delicious.  Most of us went to our lower-deck bunks around 8pm each night because we could hardly keep our eyes open by then. And surprisingly, there was no drinking at all. Well, I think a couple people had a few, but remember, we were on the ocean and the boat never stopped rocking. Our stomachs were often feeling a little woozy at times, but most of us were good at re-balancing ourselves by looking at the horizon (this little tip worked well for me). However, I gave up trying to shave my legs on day 2, because I kept bumping against the shower wall as the boat tipped from side to side. 

We saw 9 great whites over the 3 dive days, 2 of which were ‘new’ to divemaster Martin – they had not previously been identified. Being September, the female sharks are not (usually) in Guadalupe, but we did see one – the rest were males. They are nothing like in the movies and on tv – these sharks were calm, docile, just slowly cruising by our cages, sometimes a little closer than anticipated, but I never felt scared! One of them came so close to me I stopped breathing in my ventilator and couldn’t even take a photo. I was mesmerized by every tiny detail I could see of its skin, and eyeball (yes, it was that close!) Having a great white shark look you in the eye is what the word awesome was really meant for.

I was in a true state of awe, for sure! It’s difficult to describe the feeling of getting to do the one thing that has always been on my bucket list. Long before anyone called it a bucket list. As a kid, I thought it was just always going to be a dream. Going on this trip was exhilarating and I have so many adventurous stories and memories – and it’s kind of nice to have some bragging rights once in a while too. J  But it doesn’t have to be a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip … I’m already planning my next trip to Isla Guadalupe.

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.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all our friends from everyone at Shark Diver.

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver

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.

Great White Shark season at Guadalupe (video)

It's been a great season at Isla Guadalaupe, with lots of breaches, multiple sharks around the cages, Sea Lions chasing sharks and the best Shark Divers in the world, you, our guests.

I finally got around to putting together a slide show/video for you.
Enjoy!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver

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.

Good shark news out of China?

Hopefully this sight will soon disappear!

It seems like the tide is slowly, slowly turning. According to "Chinadaily.com.cn" About 6 percent of luxury hotels in three major Chinese cities have stopped serving shark fin.

The article further states that In Beijing, 132 hotels completed the phone questionnaire between Nov 20 and Dec 12. Only 12 hotels, 9 percent, said they do not serve shark fin. A similar survey of 131 Beijing hotels conducted a year ago found only one hotel that did not serve shark fin, Wang Xue, chief coordinator of the survey, said on Saturday.

Granted, it's a very small step, but especially viewed together with the recent announcement by the Chinese government that they will stop serving shark fin soup at state dinners, it's a sign that the Chinese are becoming aware of the international view on shark finning and are starting to respond.

You can read the whole story here.

We at Shark Diver hope that by sharing this article and acknowledging the positive steps they take, we also send a signal to China that we don't just criticize them, but also give credit when they do something right.


Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver


 

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 RTSea Archive - Brilliant Blog/Research Goodness

What can we say about the all new RTSea Archive?  

It's a brilliant research tool for folks wanting background info on a wide variety of ocean conservation issues and film and television research.

Nothing like it exists on the Internet today and it will remain for a long while a simply great resource.

Next film project, check the Archive first,chances are you'll find some info in there that will change the way you tackle the issues.

Best of all The RTSea Archive is 100% free.

Enjoy your next archive visit.


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.

Bravo Mauricio - Isla Guadalupe Great

 

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 Killed in Playa del Carmen? Yup, We Know.

Image: proyectotiburon.blogspot.com

When you start blogging about the global commercial shark diving industry in 2008 you cover a lot of topics ranging from sharks, to conservation, to operations.

And after four years of blogging, 3800 posts, and over 1.5 million blog page views, we're running out of things to write about.

Well, let's qualify that to suggest we're starting to blog about the same issues over, and over, and over.

How many times can you talk about the shark nets in S.A?

Case in point, the ongoing shark slaughter (yes it is a slaughter) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

We have been on this one since late 2009 and early 2010. It wasn't just us. Da Shark in Fiji has devoted many pages of good thoughts on the matter. He's the thing, there are good solutions being put forward by seasoned industry individuals in shark blogs and elsewhere.

Every commercial shark site is unique. Each site has its own mix of government regulation, or non regulation, dive site competition, outside pressures and in far too many cases - unwanted shark harvest.

While these mitigating factors may seem insurmountable they are all governed by basic conservation tenants and a plethora of tried and true conservation ideas and in place programs that work.

Getting back to Da Shark, once again he has proposed a number of these good ideas but will they be adopted? Probably not, and if anyone cares to note we're going into the third and fourth year of slaughter in Playa with no end in sight.

Yes, a number of good people have stepped up to help raise awareness and that is a good first start, but like all awareness programs the rubber meets the road when the slaughter ends or at least is curbed.

So for those wondering why we have been unusually quiet on the blog front? It's been covered.

It's up to the global shark diving industry now to innovate past what we have been talking about for many years. Up to individuals to create new tourism and conservation paradigms for sharks. It's not rocket science, it just takes time and energy and some thought. We're at the point now when it comes to shark conservation and commercial shark diving that many regional problems are in fact global problems being prosecuted elsewhere.

We'll stay active on the blog front, but just don't expect us to jump in on seemingly endless problems when real solutions, out of the box ideas, and innovation is as easy to access these days as a click of the mouse.

The commercial shark diving industry was born from the dive industry. It's time for those who dive with sharks to leave behind the stagnation and non innovative culture of diving and create something completely new and vibrant.

We know there are people out there ready to make this move. Make 2013 your year and maybe save some sharks along the way.

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.

Sorry Everyone - No Shark Diver Sale

 

So now to addressing a "rumor" swirling around the Internet and the industry that Shark Diver has been sold. Rumors in the shark diving industry are as commonplace as those annoying little balls that get on cheap fleece sweaters.

To those in the industry who trade in rumors exclusively, we know this news might be of particular interest to you, and thanks for the the continued interest in our little company for the past 12 years.

Seriously guys don't you have better things to do but follow our lead?

In all seriousness the company has not sold. A cartel of high powered investors has not offered us $2 million, and no, we are not going away anytime soon. 

The reason? Probabaly because our divers love us:

 2012 Isla Guadalupe Trip Reports

We offer great shark tours with great staff and at the end of the day Shark Diver is a great brand. It was built on a strong foundation and made better year after year with the help of some seriously smart and talented people. When you work with the best the end product is pretty darn good.

That's tourism 101.

See you all for season 13 and another year of incredible shark encounters. 

Maybe we can come up with a better rumor next year?

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.

Sharky Boo Boo? WARNING Do Not Drink Hot Liquids While Reading!

We saying we're wiser now, o.k?

We might actually be considered Grey Beards in the shark diving/conservation space after 12 years.

That's a long time in any industry. 

We have been watching with some amusement the antics of an entirely new crop of Shark Kids on the block because you would have to have been living under a rock not to notice the plethora of in-your-face shark shenanigans going on across the world.

These exploits with sharks run the gamut from Speedo wearing daredevils attaching themselves to monster white sharks, to half witted warrior class shark saviors traveling the world to post lip stick written signs at the sites of dead sharks decrying the global harvest.

"Save the Sharks!"

"Buy our T-Shirt!"

"Watch our Show!"

For the most part all of these exploits, stunts, and media moments have been carefully staged under the heading of Shark Conservation. To us older folks who have been around a while, this hyper race to "get noticed," smacks more and more of PT Barnum Hucksterism then actual shark saving.

And so it was with great satisfaction we noticed another Grey Beard in Fiji highlighting the same thing in this weeks blog post - Sharky Boo Boo.

Now a note of caution here. If you have just started in the shark world none of this post will make any sense to you, as this is the world you know filled with wacky folks doing wacky things with sharks. Perhaps to get a series on Discovery Networks, who knows.

If you happen to have been around a while, own your own shark diving company, done a few doco's, then this post should be read without a hot beverage nearby as we have discovered the hard way that posts like these and hot beverages do not mix. 

Thanks Da Shark, welcome back from the DEMA Shark Circus.

Remember a decade ago when there were only two shark booths?

My how time marches on.

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.

Research Associate Position - Shark Research and Conservation Program

Research Associate Position - Shark Research and Conservation Program

Position Description
The Shark Research and Conservation Program (SRCP) based at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI), is seeking a Research Associate to assist with gener

al program management, including assisting with and/or overseeing all field research, education and outreach initiatives conducted by the program. The SRCP, founded in 2006, is based at the Cape Eleuthera Institute research facility situated on Cape Eleuthera, Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Over recent years the program has expanded its portfolio of elasmobranch related projects to include every major marine ecosystem in the greater Caribbean region and incorporates a diverse range of research techniques to approach predominantly applied conservation science questions.

This position would suite a recently graduated masters or PhD student wishing to expand their field experience and skill set. The ideal candidate is well-organized, attentive to detail, a self-starter who takes initiative, demonstrates stewardship, works well in adverse field conditions, has a passion for environmental conservation and a love of teaching students of all ages. They must be willing to stretch beyond a traditional job description as they live and work closely with the local community and The Island School (www.islandschool.org) and Deep Creek Middle School (www.dcmsbahamas.org). Research Associates work in a team environment with other research staff at CEI and will report to the SRCP Program Manager. Qualified Bahamians are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications & Skills
MSc in Biological Science or related field preferred, or BSc with 3 years relevant research experience
Extensive experience with elasmobranch field techniques including capture based surveys and safe handling practices
Experience with grant writing and fund raising
Experience in experimental design, and biological statistics
Strong writing and presentation skills supported by a good record of peer reviewed publications and conference proceedings
Prior teaching experience
Excellent computer skills which include experience in Excel, Word, PowerPoint and statistical packages
Experience handling and operating small boats
Data collection, organization and management experience
Must tolerate a seasonal (very) hot climate, bugs, long field days and isolated but tight-knit community

Responsibilities
Research
Assist with and/or manage a variety of SRCP research projects
Manage a variety of databases pertaining to several long term SRCP projects
Assist with development of new projects
Assist with the development peer reviewed publications
Oversee the maintenance of all SRCP research equipment
Hire, coordinate, train, and mentor SRCP research interns and volunteers
Provide logistical support for visiting scientists
Teaching
Develop and deliver two (2) elasmobranch related semester-long Island School research projects each year
Participate in Island School semester preparation, orientation and debrief
Develop and document lesson plans and syllabi
Deliver lectures and field based classes
Grade and provide feedback for core research assignments
Meet with parents during parent-teacher conferences held once a semester
Mentor and guide the student’s final project (Scientific Poster & Presentation) for the end of semester research symposium
Produce end of semester student reports
Outreach
Work with the Educational Programs team to present SRCP research efforts to visiting groups and the local community
Deliver up to two (2), week long, “Shark Week” programs each summer which are designed to give high-school students hands on research experience
Represent CEI at local and international events/conferences
Generate project updates and manage SRCP related content on the CEI webpage
Liaise with the communications department to create popular media (articles, blogs, press releases)
Compensation & Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience
Room, board and medical insurance
4 weeks of paid vacation per year
Eligibility to enrol in retirement package after two years of service
Professional development opportunities
The opportunity to be part of a fast growing, young, vibrant research and education organisation that provides multiple opportunities for networking, and interaction with other NGOs, regional government organizations and academic institutions
Schedule

This is a full-time position requiring a minimum one year commitment with the potential for extension depending on circumstance. CEI operates year round and working hours vary depending on project needs but are typically Monday-Friday (7:00 am – 4.30 pm), however, evening and weekend work will be required on occasions. Special events in the CEI/Island School calendar will require periods of time outside of normal working hours when staff have to be on site for extended periods.

Application
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample that addresses the following question: How can applied research initiatives enhance education and outreach efforts? Submit all of these materials in PDF format detailing your interest and experience. Please send all applications to: 6b6e+ac33@app.catchthebest.com (http://islandschool.catchthebest.com/apply/6b6e/ac33). We are collecting applications until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is February 1sh, 2013. We are a Bahamian equal opportunity employer.

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.

Remember those tongue eating fish parasites?

 In the hands of director Barry Levinson, you'll never eat crabs again.

NSFL - Not safe for lunch, or breakfast, or even dinner...ditto snack time.




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.

PEW Hiring for Global Shark Conservation

Manager, Global Shark Conservation

 Responsibilities:

• Manage campaign consultants and their activities, in support of the development and implementation of shark sanctuaries and other national level shark conservation measures in target regions of the world, such as in Latin America or the Pacific.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with decision makers, government officials and national and international institutions, as well as relevant NGOs in the field.
• Assist in the development and success of a clear and focused strategy to meet identified campaign goals at the global, regional and national level.
• Represent the Pew Environment Group and the campaign at meetings and events where shark conservation policies will be discussed.
• Assist in monitoring, analyzing and influencing emerging shark policy proposals at regional fisheries management organizations (International Convention on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), InterAmerican Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and other intergovernmental bodies such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
• Develop and coordinate the production and dissemination of scientific and policy documents, and outreach materials for campaign shark conservation efforts. 

Apply here, good hunting.

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.

Great White Shark Gets Human Help

I've been frustrated with how the media deals with Great White Sharks and Sharks in general. It's refreshing to see a positive headline for a change.

Check out this great MSN video - Beached Great White Shark Gets Human Help



Cheers,
Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Horizon Charters

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.

You should have seen the Shark we saw!

Multiple sharks were a common sight on our first day

"Horizon"

Our last shark trip of the season started out like a typical August trip.  Multiple sharks all day, with "Horizon" putting on a fantastic show! Horizon was named after our boat and we haven't seen him for a couple of years. As far as sharks go, he's not the most careful individual,  proven by the fact that parts of his dorsal and caudal fins are missing. This year he showed up with a brand new mutilation on the top of his caudal fin. It looks like he had it bitten by another shark. All those battle wounds didn't stop him from cruising around full speed and entertaining our divers.

Horizon up close and personal

Day 2 started out with Bella, a huge female, cruising around before we even had divers in the water. After the initial few passes, the day progressed more like a typical October day. A couple of sharks making a few passes and then swimming off.

Just when we thought it was getting a little slow, a humongous  female showed up, coming up vertical from the bottom and turning straight at the cages and then, inches from it, she turned and accelerated away, giving the divers the thrill of a lifetime. You should have seen that shark!

I'm looking at you!

The trip home was a lot smoother than anticipated, with all the talk of a hurricane chasing us, we expected the worst, but had a nice ride home.









Cheers,

Martin Graf,
Dive Operations Manager
Horizon Charters



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.

First Titanic Fall Female at Guadalupe 2012!

We had another great trip then again they are all great but this one was special.

After a relatively calm crossing we arrived at Guadalupe to a beautiful sunrise.

On our first day of shark diving, we saw 4 different individual sharks. Max, Mau, Johnny and a young male shark we first saw earlier in the season.

Day 2 brought  7 known sharks, Bruce, Jaques, Chugey, Gianna, Smiles and Bite Face, along with 4 others that we didn't get a good enough look at to identify them.

We saw our first big female of the season! Bella, a massive female showed up on our last day at Guadalupe and thrilled our divers with a couple of very close passes.

Our way back was exceptionally smooth and we are back in sunny San Diego.

Cheers,

Martin Graf

Dive Operations Manager Horizon Charters

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.