Great White Shark eaten by even bigger Great White Shark?

 The story that a tagged great white shark has been eaten by another great white shark is making headlines around the world. Various news outlets like UPI are reporting that "Australian scientists are searching for a "mystery sea monster" that likely devoured a nine-foot-long great white shark they'd been tracking." and People magazine is saying  it was a "colossal cannibal great white shark"  and even stating that it's size is "estimated at 16 feet long and over 2 tons"

Now what has lead these "scientists" to this conclusion? In the following video they say that the shark suddenly plunged to 580 meters, about 1900 ft., where the temperature of the tag went from 46 degrees farenheit to 78. (BTW. the tagged shark shown at 2:12 in the video, is actually one of our Guadalupe sharks) People magazine states that "They (the researchers) end up coming to the terrifying hypothesis that a "colossal cannibal great white shark" – estimated at 16 feet long and over 2 tons – snacked on his lil' buddy. The scientists offer several suggestions as to how this nightmare become reality: Perhaps this was a territorial dispute, or maybe the larger shark was so hungry it was driven to attack another of its own species" 

Wow, that is amazing! They not only know that this shark has been killed, they also know what killed it and even estimate the size of the killer. How the heck did they do that? Estimate the size and species of a predator by the temperature of a tag. And here I was, finding it incredible that another guy claims to be able to do that by the shape of a dorsal fin.

So let's look at a few facts. The great white sharks do indeed maintain a body temperature of a few degrees above the water temperature. According to Elasmo-research.org, great white sharks maintain a muscle temperature of 7-9 degrees f, and a stomach temperature of 13-25 degrees f above water temperature. The scientists claim that the tag could not have fallen off, because it would have recorded a lower temperature first, before the jump to the higher temperature, after it was eaten. So if that were true, that would put the maximum temperature inside a great white shark stomach at 64 degrees and not 78. 

Since the tags we are talking about here, are external, they record the temperature of the water and not that of the sharks muscle. Therefore, they would not have recorded a lower temperature after falling off. The fact that it plummeted straight down to 1900 feet is a further indication that the tag fell off. If another shark had attacked this 9+ ft great white, there would have been a struggle and they would not just have plummeted down. Also, the typical attack behavior of a great white shark is to strike and let the prey die, not fight with it and take it down deep.

Having watched great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe for 13 years, I've seen them fight, bite each other and noticed that the smaller sharks tend to stay away from the bigger ones. Those actions always seemed to be a way to establish the pecking order and not an attempt to kill and eat the other shark. As a matter of fact, when we encountered a dead shark a number of years ago, all the other sharks stayed away from the area for a while, indicating that they weren't comfortable being in an area with a dead one of their own.

I have no problem saying that I have no idea what happened to this shark, but for the scientists to state that a "colossal cannibalistic shark" ate this individual, simply because of the temperature recording of a tag, is not very scientific at all.

This whole thing happened 9 years ago. So why is this all over the news now? Well, according to People, The Smithsonian Channel repackaged an Australian documentary called The Search for the Ocean's Super Predator into another doc called Hunt for the Super Predator.

So all this is done to promote a "documentary" by the Smithsonian channel. Why am I not surprised that after "Nat. Geo" and "The Discovery Channel" they are just going after sensational headlines to boost their ratings as well. Let's just scare the heck out of people by letting them believe that there are monsters lurking in the Ocean. It's not like people don't have an irrational fear of sharks already. It's not like they are killing sharks based on this irrational fear. No, they need to stoke that fear so that they can sell their stupid "documentary". Damn the consequences!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Sharkfishing tournament. A silver lining?

They just posted the results of the 2014 Ocean City Shark tournament here

The bad news, they killed 15 sharks, 7 blue-, 6 mako- and 2 thresher-sharks.

The good news, they released 107 sharks. The prize money for the release division was slightly higher than that of the weigh in (kill) division.

releasing a shark

I don't like shark tournaments, I love the sharks and want to protect them and not have them killed by fishermen. Many conservationists feel the same way I do and are working to get these kinds of tournaments eliminated.

Instead of demonizing the fishermen and questioning their character, like a lot of others do, I want to acknowledge that the organizers are making an effort to lessen the impact those tournaments have on the shark populations. It has always been Shark Diver's position to try to work with fishermen, to educate them about the problems associated with shark fishing and get them to at least, practice catch and release, if not stop fishing for sharks altogether. That was how the shark free marina initiative got started.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Shark scare in Orange County?

A couple of days ago, there was a fake shark scare in Newport Beach, CA.

The Orange County Register reports:  

source

"NEWPORT BEACH – The warning was clear: A big, aggressive great white shark is on the loose along the shores in Newport Beach, and beachgoers are advised to stay away from the water."

Problem was, local lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard never heard of any shark danger. 

“I guess it was one of the local guys; someone who wanted to keep the crowds down at a break out there,” Coast Guard search and rescue controller Sandy Needle said about the notice. “There was nothing from the Coast Guard.” 

The warning – which appeared on official-looking letterhead that said “United States Coast Guard” in the notification dated Wednesday – was floating around on Facebook, claiming that three incidents should put beachgoers on high alert.

The article goes on to give the details of the warning which contained the following paragraph:

The third sighting, the notice read, came when two lifeguards got a call about an adult-sized shark that bumped two kayakers and swam away after the boaters struck it “with an oar in the gill area of the fish.”

So far so good, it looks like the media is responsible for once and instead of hyping up a shark scare, are trying to calm the public.

The article then states, how they recognized the warning as fake.

"Although the flier looked official, there were a lot of clues that it was a fake.
“There’s a lot of misspellings, and it called a shark a fish,” Needle said."
Well there you have it. It called the shark a fish!  No self respecting Coast Guard representative would call a shark a fish! Everyone knows it's not a fish, it's a.... hmm, no not that, it's a ...... , I'm stumped! Any of you know?

Maybe I should be asking an expert in these matters.

You can read the entire article here

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Best shark dive in the world?

We just got back from 2 weeks in Fiji, diving with Beqa Adventure Divers. The shark dive is billed as the "Best shark dive in the world". Now that's quite a bold statement. ...... so did they deliver?

For me, to be great, a shark diving operation doesn't just have to deliver awesome shark action, but also  provide education about the sharks they're diving with and be involved in conservation.

As for the shark action, did it live up to the billing? Look at these pictures and judge for yourself.

Did they come close? ...... well, there were still a couple of inches between the shark and my camera.

Too bad they didn't come close ;-)

Did we see a lot of sharks? ......well, there were a couple.

Can you spot the bull shark? ... can you?

Of course, after every dive, there is the boring safety stop. ...... well, maybe not so boring! There was some great action, with white- and black-tip reef sharks buzzing around us the entire time.

"World's best safety stop"

OK, so they delivered on the sharks, but what about the educational aspect and their involvement in conservation? During our surface interval, between shark dives, we had Ben, a marine biologist, tell us all we wanted to know about the bull sharks, their behavior and local migration. He counted the sharks on each dive and knows the sharks individually. They have a database with around 150 different sharks identified, very similar to our photo ID database of the great white sharks at Guadalupe Island.

Beqa Adventure Divers "BAD" bill themselves as a conservation company masquerading as a dive shop and they mean it. During our visit, Shark Diver has seen Projects Abroad go out on "BAD's" boats to conduct various research projects on the reefs on a daily basis. I personally also had the opportunity to tag along (pun intended) on a trip, trying to tag juvenile bull sharks and will write about that experience in a different blog. You can read about all the other conservation projects that "BAD" is involved with here. It's an impressive list!

So is it the best shark dive in the world? I have to admit that I'm partial to "my" great white sharks at Guadalupe Island, but overall I have to say, not only did they meet my expectations, they far exceeded them! We will definitely be back. Stay tuned for details.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Interesting opportunity for shark researchers.

A dead 50' fin whale that washed up on shore at Point Loma in San Diego yesterday, will be towed out to sea by the Marine Conservation Science Institute today. Shark diving, cage diving, swimming with sharks at Isla Guadalupe, with www.sharkdiver.com

source

According to a post on their Facebook page, they will use it to try to attract great white sharks and attempt to tag them. Cage diving,shark diving
This is what they posted. cage diving, swimming with sharks,
"BREAKING NEWS!
If all goes as planned, we will be taking possession of this whale carcass at high tide today. We will tow it offshore and then babysit it while we wait for white sharks to find us. When that happens we hope to tag adult females that are in the area for pupping. This will be the first attempt to tag pupping females in southern California. Popup tags, as opposed to SPOT tags, will be used. We will have a short deployment of 140 days to determine where these pupping females have come from."

This is a unique opportunity to tag some sharks and get valuable information on their pupping grounds. It is also a chance to show that great white sharks are not just fierce predators, but also opportunistic feeders, playing their part in keeping the oceans healthy, by eating these rotting carcases.

We hope that they are successful.and maybe they'll see one of "our" Guadalupe sharks, though we think that they are going farther south to pup.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Where do "our" great white sharks give birth to their young?

Back in 2000, when we started diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe, we knew very little about where the sharks were going, when they are not at the Island. I remember the days, when the scientists thought that they went to Shark cafe/Sofa to mate. Thanks to satellite tagging by Dr. Domeier and his team at MCSI, we now know that males and females are not in the same place, same time in that area. Based on tracking data and the white sharks gestation period of 14-18 months, we now think that they are actually mating at Guadalupe Island.

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific. - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific. - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Domeier M. L. and N. Nasby-Lucas. 2012. Sex specific migration patterns and sexual segregation for adult white sharks in the northeastern Pacific. - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

The next question of was, where do they give birth? Again, thanks to the long term SPOT tags, (we just talked about the improvements to those tags here) we now have a better idea of where that is taking place. For the females that aggregate at Guadalupe Island, it seems to be off the coast of Baja California MX as well as the Sea of Cortez. (Two-year migration of adult female white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) reveals widely separated nursery areas and conservation concerns)

Two-year migration of adult female white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) reveals widely separated nursery areas and conservation concerns - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Two-year migration of adult female white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) reveals widely separated nursery areas and conservation concerns - See more at: http://www.marinecsi.org/publications/#sthash.pCmg6BvH.dpuf

Gill Raker's latest location.

For all of us that don't want to read scientific papers, but still want to know what our sharks are up to, MCSI has this nifty little app. here.

This is the latest post on the MCSI facebook page today, showing what Gill Rakers is up to!

"We have been waiting nearly 17 months to see where Gill Rakers will give birth. Now that we think she is heading for the Sea of Cortez, we must prepare for a stressful 4-6 weeks. The Sea of Cortez is a narrow body of water with intense commercial shark fishing. She will be running the gauntlet, through longlines and gill nets...gear that kills. Our biggest question: Will She Survive?? Watch with us on the Expedition White Shark App...and stay tuned to our FB page."

We all share their concern for Gill Rakers safety. The Sea of Cortez is not a safe place to be, for a great white shark. We hope that we'll see and get to dive with her once again this fall, at Isla Guadalupe.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Better spot tags for great white sharks?

The Marine Conservation Science Institute has revealed a new kind of spot tag.

"Can you identify three MCSI innovations/modifications? They ask on their FB page. "Two are done at the manufacturer and one is done in our lab (painting does not count!). Two of the mods greatly improve shark tracking performance and one is for the benefit of the shark."

source

One visitor on their page correctly identified all 3, and she's not even a researcher!

Marine Conservation Science Institute 
Melissa Michaelson pointed out the three modifications. Yes, we have a thicker/stiffer antenna and copper wet/dry sensors. Both of these things are designed to combat biofouling (sea life growing on the tag). We believe biofouling is the biggest cause of tag failure. The stiffer antenna will not easily bend when algae grows on it, and nothing will grow on the copper wet/dry sensors.

A big thank you to MCSI for tirelessly working on better research methods and tools, designed to both improve the collection of data and be less intrusive on the sharks. We constantly have to balance the need for gathering data, with the impact the methods used to obtain that data have on the sharks. Too many researchers simply justify the negative impact their research has on the sharks, by pointing out the valuable information they gather. Kudos to MCSI for being aware of that fact and spending time and money on lessening that impact.

Shark Diver is proud to partner with MCSI for our science expeditions and also be a part of their photo ID data base at Guadalupe Island. 

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

A new friend at Guadalupe

We have a new friend at Isla Guadalupe. Meet "Myla" our new addition to the photo ID database. She's a beautiful female!Cage diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe. shark diving,

"Mayla"

I can't wait to go back there this fall and see all our old friends again. If we find a new one, we will add it to our growing list of great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe. So far, we have over 150 sharks identified. All of our new sharks have to get a name. We don't want to say "this is #7", we yell it's "Bruce"! And that would not be possible without the database.

If you would like to support this valuable, ongoing research project, you can do so, by sponsoring and naming a shark. Anyone interested can get more info by clicking here.

All our divers will also be able to participate in this study, by donating the use of their pictures to this database. If we identify a new shark on one of our science expeditions, (we have only one space left on Nov.11) our divers will get to name it. How cool is that?!

Other than that one space on Nov. 11, we only have a few spaces left on Aug. 12, 17 and 23. All the other expeditions are sold out.

Welcome to the family "Mayla" I hope we'll see you in the fall.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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.

Political reality in conservation!

OK, I know this is not strictly shark related, but how can we succeed in persuading our politicians to pass laws to protect our environment and endangered species, when they publicly violate the few laws they are passing?

source

This is a photo that Senator Cruz tweeted today. He's proudly posing with fellow Senator Lee showing himself "doing a little shopping for the office" You can see his tweet here.
  
Just in case you are not aware, that it is illegal to bring any part of an endangered species into this country, here is a quote from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's website. 

"Furs: Most of the world’s wild cats, including tigers and such spotted species as jaguar, leopard, ocelot, margay, and leopard cat, are protected. You cannot import skins or items made from, or trimmed with, the fur of these animals. Furs from seals, polar bears, and sea otters are also prohibited."

You can read the entire section on their Law Enforcement page here.

It is frustrating to say the least, when all the hard work that goes into passing a law to protect our endangered species finally pays off, and a law is passed, only to see the lawmakers themselves violating those laws.

At least these two were dumb (or maybe arrogant) enough to post their illegal activities on twitter.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 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 news on WA shark cull?

Western Australia has decided to open the shark cull policy to a Public Environmental Review. That is great news! There is a four week period for us to send in our submissions. They have not published an address for those comments to be sent to, which gives us time, to think about how to respond.
Swimming with sharks, cage diving, shark diving, are things Shark Diver is known for.
Once again, Dashark"s has put together some excellent information for you, in his blog today.

source

There are a lot of links with information, that help with writing an effective letter to the Environmental Protection Authority.
Best company to dive with sharks
You can read his blog here.

Along with all the links, Dashark also gives some excellent advice, and I quote:

"But please, be careful with those submissions!

There will be a formal process and those dudes are not those maligned politicians but people that generally know what they are talking about and that are able to distinguish good arguments from sharkitarian BS. So once again, please spare yourselves the insults, the platitudes and the pathos and make sure that what you submit is grounded in fact, for which you will need to inform yourselves.

 
We at Shark Diver wholeheartedly agree with Dashark on this point. Remember, we are trying to convince someone who doesn't necessarily see things our way. Give them reasons to decide in our favor and not reasons to think we are a bunch of lunatics.

As soon as I hear of an address to send your thought to, I will let you know. In the meantime, take a look at all the information and work on that killer response to the EPA.

Cheers,

Martin Graf

CEO

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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Important information on the WA shark cull!

As most of you know, after the WA government stated that the shark cull was for a limited time, they are now trying to extend it for the next 3 years. The WA EPA is asking for comments from the public, and it is crunch time for getting those comments to the EPA and EPBC. The submission deadline is April 16 and Australia is a day ahead of our calender! So for all of you in Europe and the US, you need to get them in by April 15. Shark diving, swimming with sharks, cage diving, great white shark

"Da Shark" has put together a great list on his blog, with all the relevant links and suggestions.shark diving, swimming with sharks, cage diving
Click here and here for all the information you need to submit your comments.

Very important advice from "Da Shark", "As a reminder. Inform yourself before commenting and refrain from inflammatory language - remember you want them to do something positive, and they will not be amenable to your request if you call them names!"

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

How many bull sharks fit in one picture?

On our expedition to Fiji last year, I was fortunate enough to be able to take the picture below. We counted 34 bull sharks in this shot. Great white shark diving, cage diving, guadalupe Island

 

Now Mike "da shark" tells me, that Sam Cahir has thrown down the gauntlet and taken the following picture. I think he's got 36 sharks in this one. Best shark divecage diving Isla Guadalupe

While there is no shame in having a professional photographer like Sam take a better picture, I gladly accept the challenge and will try to one up this picture on Shark Diver's upcoming trip to Fiji.

We still have a couple of spaces open for May 2-11 and May 9-18. If you want to join us in trying to set a new standard for how many bull sharks fit into one picture, please call us at 855.987.4275 or 619.887.4275 email, staff@sharkdiver.com

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

"Expert" advice on avoiding a shark attack?

The Huffington post had this nice article yesterday, telling their readers  "What Not To Do Around Sharks, According To The Experts"

I have to admit, I was curious as to what we should not do around sharks. After all, we can always learn something new.

The first think they mention, "Don't freak out!"  Fair enough, splashing and thrashing around wildly, is definitely not advisable in the company of sharks.

The second thing is "Don't try to escape by swimming and splashing away furiously". Kind of like the first one, but again, not bad advise.

Third "Don't turn your back to the shark!" OK, good idea. Not that I think you have to be an expert to come up with that, but like I said, good idea.

Fourth, "Don't completely rely on shark repellents" I don't think the general public relies on shark repellents anyway, but with those snake oil salesmen or women, trying to sell shark repelling wetsuits, (pictured below) it's good to point out, that there is absolutely no proof that they work.

Fifth, "Don't force a moment! touching, riding or forcing any type of unnatural interaction with a shark should be completely off limits. The growing number of videos featuring shark and human interactions can give the average swimmer the false impression that sharks can be easily approached"

Wow, now we are getting somewhere. This is really good advise, specially considering all the people who get bit by nurse sharks, because they pulled their tails. I really thought the experts nailed that advise.

But,.........  they didn't leave it at that. They had to go on and qualify that last statement by saying
"Unless you're an experienced professional or your name is Kimi Werner (pictured above)"
Wait, you are saying if you are an expert (and Kimi Werner certainly qualifies as an expert, this being her first visit to Guadalupe and all) you can go and touch the sharks?!

The article goes on to say "But even the most experienced divers consider the huge risk factor when approaching a shark and only do so after making an educated assessment." So even though it's a huge risk, even for the most experienced divers, it's OK for them to do it? Even though it's illegal at Guadalupe to dive outside the cages, it's OK for them?

Of course, I get it. This is no longer about conservation or what not to do around sharks. This is simply  another one of these "do as I say, not as I do" kind of crap. What I really want you to do is "look at me, because I'm so cool!"

When they go on to say "More importantly, Werner and her dive partner never intended to 'ride' the fish, saying that the interaction happened naturally" , they really loose all credibility. They must have read my blog here, where I talked about how a photographer explained a picture showing a diver riding a shark by saying that the shark had a "very intrusive personality" Right, the shark wanted Kimi to ride her! I call BS on that!

This whole Huffington post article is exactly why these idiots are doing these stupid stunts. They get into the media. They get their 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately it's those kinds of "experts" that the media relies on, when it comes to covering anything shark related.  How can they quote an "expert", that tells people not to do what they themselves do? Aside from giving hypocritical advice, by giving these guys the publicity they seek, the Huffington post actually promotes the illegal diving outside of cages and riding sharks at Guadalupe.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Come meet us in San Diego.

If you are in the San Diego area on Sunday, April 13, come see us at the H&M landing, located at 2803 Emerson Street San Diego, CA 92106. We are going to be located at the end of the dock. Look for our cages. Cage diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe. Shark diving at it's best with Shark Diver.

You can get more information on "Day at the docks" here. San Diego shark diving

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Shark Diver is going to Fiji

Shark Diver is going to Fiji in May! Our first expedition is from May 2 -11 and the second leaves on May 9 and returns on May 19

For more information call 855.987.4275 or 619.887.4275. Email staff@sharkdiver.com





 Lets go shark diving!


Cheers,

Martin Graf

CEO

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.

Is Japan going to stop killing whales?

I know it's not really about sharks, but wow! How could anyone that cares about anything in the Ocean not be excited about this!

Japan has agreed to stop killing whales in the Antarctic!

The BBC reports that "The UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that the Japanese government must halt its whaling programme in the Antarctic" and states that "Japan said it would abide by the decision but added it "regrets and is deeply disappointed by the decision".

Read the article here!

So hopefully pictures like these are now a thing of the past!

source

I have to say that we as Shark Diver applaud their decision to abide by the ruling of the international court and are "deeply touched by the decision of the court" It's a happy day!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Is everything what it seems?

My last blog sure has stirred up some emotion and sparked some debate. Some people have taken it very personal and have ripped, not just the activity, but also the character of Jean-Marie Ghislain. I always try to be fair and tell things the way I see them. If someone does something that I think is stupid, like riding a great white shark at Guadalupe Island, I call them out. When someone is lying to me, about what they did, I call them out on that, but I try not to question their character.Shark diving, cage diving, shark adventure, diving with sharks, swimming with shark, seeing sharks,
So what do I do when someone I called out for doing something stupid and lied about it,  does something good?...... I give them credit, obviously! I stand by everything I said about the activity at Guadalupe. What I'm about to write here, has nothing to do with it. It doesn't justify or change anything that happened there, but neither does what happened at Guadalupe take anything away from it.

Ironically, one of the actual pictures that we talked about, has been used to promote a new technology that could save thousands of sharks around the world.

Mike "da shark" has made me aware of that new technology "Aquatec" is developing. It could mean the end of drum-lines and nets, if successful. Jean-Marie Ghislain is one of the guys behind that company! I don't know, if ultimately this technology will be successful and replace drum-lines and exclusion nets, but I sure hope it does. Regardless, I applaud Jean-Marie for this effort!

Here is a pretty cool video, showing the Aquatec technology.





What we do have to keep in mind is this. Most of us really have the best interest of the sharks at heart. Some of us may do something that others disagree with. We may have different reasons for doing what we are doing. In order to accomplish our goal of saving the sharks and making sure that generations from now, divers will have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in the Ocean, we have to keep in mind that we will all make mistakes. If we see something we don't like, ask them why they are doing it and be willing to listen to what they say. Even if you disagree, don't vilify them. It's rarely black and white and by seeking a dialog we are much more likely to get results, than by vilifying those we disagree with. Just look at how much doesn't get done in politics, by playing the blame game.

To Jean-Marie Ghislain, thanks!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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.

So what is really going on at Guadalupe?

You don't need to go outside a cage to be close to the sharks!

Yesterday I wrote a blog, talking about those idiot who dove outside the cages at Guadalupe Island. I used a couple of pictures that are posted on flickr, showing the incident. In response to the blog, I got a message from the photographer, asking me to remove the pictures from the web and also asking me to remove my comments. I removed the pictures from the blog, (I couldn't remove them from the web, since he posted them there) and posted his message here.

Just to refresh your memory, here is what the photographer had to say!

"Hello Martin, I am the owner of those images and I was very surprised to see them on the blog article you posted. I would like to ask you to immediatly remove them from the web as well as the comments that concerns them- which dont correspond to the reality in that specific situation. The person who is facing the shark had to push the shark away as it was a very intrusive personality and he touched it as little as he could and the dive was aborted immediatly. I don't want the images to be used in a provocative way when they don't reflect the reality of what happened. And I especially don't condone or encourage physical contacts with sharks, but in this specific instance, it could not be avoided by the diver- as I said, he got out of the water right away after the occurence. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, Thank you, Jean-Marie Ghislain"

I posted Jean-Marie's explanation in good faith. I disagreed with his description of the incident, portraying the shark as being "too intrusive", but didn't come out and call his story a lie.

Now I found some additional pictures of this incident. Since I don't own them, I'll just put the links here.

So Jean-Marie, you say that my comments didn't correspond to the reality of that specific situation and that the shark was very "intrusive" Do you mean like in this picture? I can see that the shark is just intruding on the divers hand. How rude of him!


Or maybe this picture? The poor diver, just couldn't get away from the shark. Is this what you call "the diver touched him as little as he could!"

You say that when the shark got "too intrusive" you immediately left the water. Then how do you explain all these pictures? They show this diver with 2 different sharks, harassing them by holding on to their dorsal fin, touching and riding them. Is that what you call "the shark was being too intrusive?" This all leads up to the shark "Valentine" coming at the diver with an open mouth. Isn't that exactly what I was saying? Stunts like these will eventually lead to someone getting hurt or killed? How exactly did my comments not reflect the reality of this specific situation? You documented the "situation well"! You know how they say, I picture is worth a thousand words? Too bad that your own pictures contradict what you are saying.

So what's really going on at Guadalupe is this. Some idiots are illegally diving outside of the cages, touching, riding and harassing the sharks and then posting pictures on the internet to show everyone, just how cool they are. When someone calls them out on it, they all of a sudden claim that the shark was "intrusive" and try to portray this all as just a misunderstanding. 

Jean Marie, I call bullshit on your explanation. It's just a bold faced lie! You guys illegally dove outside of the cages and were seeking out contact with the sharks. It was you guys who intruded on the shark and not the other way round. Then to top it off, you actually blame the shark for being intrusive. I can only imagine what you would say if something actually happened to the diver. You'd probably call it a shark attack. Your actions did not just endanger yourselves, but all the boats that do shark diving at Guadalupe. If something were to happen, we would all bear the consequences. 

Jean-Marie, I removed the pictures like you asked me to. As for your demand to remove my comments concerning the pictures, my answer is not only no, but hell no! I stand by what I said in my previous blog  if you want to do the stupid things we are talking about here, go somewhere else! Actually, I take that back, I would prefer you'd stay out of the ocean!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com

Response to "What's going on at Guadalupe?"

I got this response from the person who says he took the photos that I posted in this blog.

Here is what he said: "Hello Martin, I am the owner of those images and I was very surprised to see them on the blog article you posted. I would like to ask you to immediatly remove them from the web as well as the comments that concerns them- which dont correspond to the reality in that specific situation. The person who is facing the shark had to push the shark away as it was a very intrusive personality and he touched it as little as he could and the dive was aborted immediatly. I don't want the images to be used in a provocative way when they don't reflect the reality of what happened. And I especially don't condone or encourage physical contacts with sharks, but in this specific instance, it could not be avoided by the diver- as I said, he got out of the water right away after the occurence. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, Thank you, Jean-Marie Ghislain"

I removed the pictures from the blog at his request. When posting the pictures, I linked the source, which is a blog, discussing what's going on at Isla Guadalupe, which I believed to be covered under the fair use of a picture. I'm sorry for the mix up.

As to how Jean Marie Ghislain describes the incident, it confirms my statements, that diving outside of the cages is a bad idea. It's not the shark that was intrusive, I mean, it is in his own space. It's the divers that were intruding into the sharks home! Aside from it being a bad idea to go outside the cages, it is also illegal!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com

What is going on at Guadalupe?

The secret is "out of the cage" now! The news has traveled all the way to Fiji!  "da shark", just wrote this blog on diving outside the cage and manhandling great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe.

It has gotten worse and worse over the last few years. What started out as going outside of the cage, has gone all the way to touching, riding and even trying to flip a great white shark.  It seems like some unscrupulous operators are trying to "out-crazy" (if that is even a word) themselves, always looking to top what they did the last time.

Pictures like this and this (I removed the actual pictures by request of the photographer)
are not what we want to see coming out of Guadalupe! They are nothing but self promoting, "Look at me!" kind of stunts, that do nothing to help shark conservation, but everything to hurt it. What's next? Do a dental exam with a cleaning?

Mike got it right when he says "Somebody commented on another post somewhere else,  

Like a high stakes game of musical chairs, (that person) is at the end of a long record that has been playing for almost a decade. When the music runs out someone will find themselves and the sharks in a completely untenable situation. There will be plenty of blame to go around. 

Could not agree more. 

We at Shark Diver completely agree with Mike. We are diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe and would never allow any of our divers to leave the cage, leave alone touch or handle the sharks.

We also dive with bull sharks in Fiji. We don't use cages there, but do absolutely not allow any of our divers to touch or handle the sharks.

In the Bahamas, we dive with tiger sharks. Again, we don't use cages, but would never allow any of our divers to touch, flip or harass those sharks.

Some people are skeptical of us in the shark diving industry and make wholesale accusations, that we are doing anything for money. Let me assure you. Shark Diver has turned down many individuals, as well as film companies, who wanted to do some of the stupid things we are talking about here.

If you are curious about sharks and want to experience what it is like to come face to face with them, if you want to learn more about the sharks and want to dive with a researcher, if you respect those sharks for the predators they are and don't feel the need to touch, ride, flip or harass them, then we are the company for you. If you want to do the things we are talking about here, go somewhere else! Actually, I take that back, I would prefer you'd stay out of the ocean!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

The killers just off our shores!

Here is another stellar piece of journalism! The "Mail Online" has an article with the headline "The killers just off our shores" 

Now what creature do you think they are talking about? Shark diving, swimming with sharks,  
.... yep, a blue shark. In the article they state two things. 

1 "The recent heatwave is thought to have brought killer blue sharks closer to the coast of Cornwall than ever before" 

and

2 "Swimmers aren’t in danger from these sharks. They are highly unlikely to bite humans." 

Hmmm, say what? Killer blue sharks that are not a danger to swimmers!? Now I know about sensationalistic headlines, but contradicting your headline in your article seems to be something any self respecting journalist should avoid!

The article also has plenty of pictures of those "killers", calmly swimming amongst humans. 

The article also incorrectly states that 4 people have been killed by blue sharks in the last 5 years. According to the international shark attack files, there have been 5 fatal bites since 1910! So aside from contradicting his own headline, the author shows a complete lack of interest in getting his stats correct.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Another whale shark caught, sold and chopped!

A lot of people are diligently working to get sharks protected. Unfortunately, enforcement of these laws can be spotty, to say the least. Shark diving, cage diving, diving with sharks, shark adventure, bucket list, shark week, shark diver, eli martinez, shark conservation, great white sharks,

Slaughtered whale shark, photo Dawn.com

Here is report, by DAWN, of a whale shark being auctioned off, not in the dead of night, at a secret location, but out in public, with people posing for pictures with the slaughtered animal. Bull shark diving in Fiji

The article states “This is an illegal catch as we have received information that the trawling was being carried out within 12 nautical miles of Balochistan coast which is banned under the law"

All the laws in the world don't help, if the enforcement is not there. Along with the enforcement, educating the public is also of vital importance. I'm sure that most the people watching this scene, had no idea that it was illegal, and are most likely not aware of the importance of these animals to the Eco-system and their endangered status.

So spread the word and hopefully we will hear fewer of these kinds of stories.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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.

Job opening in paradise!

I just got an email from Project Abroad they have an opening for an in country (Fiji) Marine Biologist/Field coordinator. I'm not sure if this is for the same position we wrote about earlier.

Here is what I got.

Due to further expansion, Projects Abroad Fiji - Shark Conservation Project is seeking a new Female Marine Biologist/Field Coordinator to join the ever growing team. Shark Diving, cage diving, shark adventures, swimming with sharks, great white sharks,
Your Role: 
- To carry out shark research in line with our Conservation Management Plan, under thesupervision of our lead scientist. 
- Coordinate scientific work with our international and local project partners.
- Help develop and grow future scientific projects on a local and global scale. 
- Train and educate research volunteers in all aspects of our scientific and awareness work. 
- Daily, weekly and monthly schedules. 
- Organisation and coordination of all field and related activities. 
- Supervise research volunteers on water and land based work. 
- Data collection, analysis and reporting. 
- Assist with diving, underwater surveys and equipment deployment and retrieval. 

Requirements: 

-Marine Science Degree or similar 
-PADI DM or higher 
-First Aid certification 
-Fluent in English, other language a bonus 
-Must be able to work as part of a team and willing to put in long hours 
-Very flexible approach to work Experience of shark research 
-Long term commitment (min 1 year) 

We offer: 

- 1 year contract with view to extend, subject to a 3 month probation period. 
- Basic salary - Accommodation - 3 meals a day 
- Comprehensive insurance 
- Return flight to your home country after 1 year 
- Visa related expenses 
- Internet and phone 
- Two days off a week 
- Excellent in country support and benefits 
- Working with some of the world's most renowned shark scientists and experts. 

Please only apply if you have the relevant experience.!

Only success applicants will be contacted.
Closing date for applications is: 31st March 2014.
Send a cover letter, CV and photo to Andy Hill:
Email: andyhill@projects-abroad.org
http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/volunteer-projects/conservation-and-environment/fiji/

Vinaka!
Andy Hill
Project Manager
Projects Abroad Fiji

Good luck! This is truly a dream job! Living in paradise and doing something worthwhile, what could be better?

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO 
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.

Could our love for sharks be killing them?

How could our loving sharks possibly hurt them? After all, we want to protect them and are fighting those who are hurting them. Why would I even suggest such a ridiculous thing?shark diving, cage diving, swimming with sharks, Guadalupe Island, Great White Shark, shark conservation
OK, lets look at what is going on. I have written about what various conservation  groups are doing here. This time I want to focus on how they are doing it.

Most of us are interested in shark conservation because we love sharks. This love is a powerful motivator to get us to act and and actually do something, instead of just standing on the sidelines. That same love for the sharks is also what can make our efforts ineffective. We tend to argue from the heart and demonize the ones that don't agree with us.

Take this post on Eco Phuket's facebook page. It shows a spearfisherman who shot a shark, cleaning his catch. The comments range from "That is shocking behaviour bloody Neanderthal" to "We got to get this killer consumer out of the water!" How do you think this spearfisherman is going to react to being called a "Neanderthal" and "killer consumer"? Do you really think that will help him see your side and stop fishing for sharks?

Movies like "The cove" show the slaughter of dolphins and pretty much chastise the Japanese for hunting dolphins. They don't just criticize the way they slaughter them, but  the fact that they are killing them in the first place. How do you think the Japanese feel about the way they are portrayed in that movie?

When it comes to shark fin soup, there are plenty of people who just blame the Chinese for the shark finning that is going on. Again, we are demonizing a culture and it is us (the good guys) vs. them (the bad guys) Aside from the fact that it is not just the Chinese that are to blame, ( watch the video below) it is simply not helpful.


Guang Zhou Market for Sea Shepherd USA from Gary Stokes on Vimeo.

I think the first thing we have to do is realize that a shark is just a fish and a dolphin is just an animal. The issue is not weather we love them or not, but rather is the taking of these animals sustainable, is the killing humane etc.  To give you an example, most of you who read this are probably living in the western world and being used to its customs. So when we attack the Japanese for eating dolphins, the Chinese for eating shark fin soup and the Koreans for eating dogs, because it's just not cool to eat those animals, we don't consider what other cultures, e.g: India, must think about our custom of eating "holy cows".

I know, it hurts to see a shark killed, a dolphin slaughtered or a dog eaten, but if we demonize the ones that are doing it, we won't really get them to change. It's just like in politics each side is just blaming and demonizing the other and nothing gets done.

It's easy to get fellow conservationists to agree with us, but how do we get those who don't agree with us, to see our way? As painful as it might be, we actually have to seek a dialogue with those who don't see things our way. There are many individuals and organizations that get it and are doing exactly that.

In Fiji, Beqa Adventure divers helped establish the shark reef marine reserve, which included involving 3 fishing villages who's fishermen agreed not to fish in that area in exchange for receiving a fee from all divers, diving in that area. After 10 years of protecting shark reef, a fisherman told Mike Neumann that before the shark reef marine reserve was established, he could not catch any fish from shore, but now there are plenty of fish there, a spillover effect. This is a great example of conservationist seeking a dialogue with the fishermen and working together to make changes.

Another example is the shark friendly marinas project. By talking to marinas that are home to many sportfishermen, it got some of those marinas to agree to not allow any caught sharks to be landed there. Again, this project is relying on seeking a dialogue with those who are fishing for sharks and make them aware of the problem associated with shark fishing.

Yet another example are fishing tournaments. Guy Harvey is someone well known in the fishing industry and a sponsor of many fishing tournaments. It's easy to condemn shark fishing tournaments, and demonize the fishermen participating in it. But here is how I see it. Instead of having a tournament that catches and kills the sharks, they now catch, tag and release the sharks. Is this ideal? Do all the released sharks survive? No, of course not. But it is way better than the catch and kill tournaments and it makes the fishermen involved in the conservation efforts. Also Guy Harvey, a fisherman, supports many other ocean related conservation efforts.

And who would have thought that the consumption of shark fin soup in China could decline by 70%? Efforts by various groups and Chinese celebrities have turned the tide and it's no longer considered fashionable to serve shark fin soup in China. Again, education and working with a culture instead of against it, has shown results.

It is perfectly fine to love and care about the sharks! I do! We just have to remember that in order to change things, we should seek a dialogue with those who don't see things our way and not just condemn and demonize them. If we only accept a world where nobody kills any sharks and we are not willing to compromise, we will never get things to change. We also have to be prepared to be attacked and ridiculed by our fellow conservationists, for working with the "enemy". Personally, if I can do something that saves just one shark, I don't care what anyone thinks. If they call me a traitor for supporting a catch and release tournament, so be it. For me it's not about the praise of my fellow shark lovers, but about saving the sharks.

OK enough of my rant, I just had to get this off my chest.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
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 staff@sharkdiver.com.