NZ Cage Diving - the Saga continues!

Source.

Well well.

Read this.

Looks like the NZ GWS tourism industry has been granted a new lease on life. My sources tell me that  of the two operators, Shark Experience are by far the better - so good on them for having persevered and ultimately prevailed!

And Peter Scott's Shark Dive NZ? 

Thankfully they appear to have thrown in the towel for good. So here's to this being the start of smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive Shark tourism, and to the end of the horrible Shark porn those people have enabled - and worry not, they read this blog and the distaste is 100% mutual! :)

Anyway.

Let's go Shark diving - sustainably!
 

Manhandling Tiger Sharks in Fiji - not Sustainable!

This is a difficult one.

I'm pretty sure that it's going to harm us commercially - but it must be done.

So there: this shit really needs to stop.

Big Tiger Sharks are not harmless pets, and the stupid global fad of wanting to push them around is just fucking disrespectful, and a recipe for disaster to boot. And anyway, even the most rudimentary knowledge of basic physics should amply expose the foolishness of trying to physically manhandle and dominate an animal that is several times one's weight - or not?

And how about utilizing some basic protective gear starting with black gloves for the clients so that their pasty white hands sticking out of dark wetsuits don't look like bait; to have your staff wear chainmail; to using poles in order to create separation with the Sharks - and when you have one, don't throw it down but fucking use it, see below!

To wit.

And no, no need to mention names: do your own research.

And how about these beauties.
Close calls anybody?

And how about this eye gouging and slamming into coral.

See what I meant about basic physics = the hopelessness of wanting to successfully steer such a large Shark - especially whilst one is swimming where one has no leverage like when one is standing firmly on the ground?

And finally, over to that much-publicized shark bite.

Again, no need for names the more as the whole fiasco has been amply negotiated in the public domain from newspaper articles to scathing reviews to social media to the following two videos. FYI the victim was successfully evacuated and patched up which is hopefully a testimony to there at least being a good evacuation protocol.

First the bite, then how it came to it.

Once again, check out the basic physics - etc. etc. etc.!

No, no need to elaborate.

And before you start wasting your time by speculating about the Sharks' intentions: who knows and ultimately, who cares!

Anyway.

Where I come from, the saying is that A Fish rots from the Head down, meaning that this is essentially a management issue. Guys, formulate sustainable protocols and then train, protect and above all, fucking supervise your staff - and STAHP stoking them by calling them warriors and gladiators! 

And BTW, nothing of this is in any way new!

And since we're at it.

Protect you clients, and fucking always control your dive - this is commercial Shark diving, not some adventure where you try to wing it and hope for the best!

AND!
If you publicly claim that you've created an MPA, and that you are giving money and are providing jobs for the village: bloody train fish wardens and then invest time and money into anti-poaching patrols, preferably at night when the poachers go poaching; and bloody pay the village and employ their youth like you've promised - and if not, stop lying!

And just to be clear.

This is not about making others look bad, let alone about trying to suggest that we are "better" or the like.

We too have had our fair share of cock-ups, scares and bites like everybody else - but contrary to what appears to be happening elsewhere, we try hard to learn from those experiences whereby we continuously adapt and tighten our Shark diving protocols, continuously improve the protection of our clients (see here) and of our staff, and also continuously repeat our emergency response training and continuously optimize our emergency protocols and gear.

Shit will obviously continue to happen.

But we equally firmly believe that the inherent risks of baited Shark dives can very much be managed. And we also believe that it also actually *IS* being managed, to wit the fact that there are orders of magnitude more pro-rata fatalities in ordinary diving compared to Shark diving - and yes I'm very much repeating myself.

Anyway, think "aviation" and you can see where I'm coming from.

So here's to improvement!

And here endeth the weekend sermon!

Let's go Shark diving - sustainably!

PS: Comments policy: please comment here and not on FB. Also, please be aware that comments are being monitored and that I reserve to delete anything I don't like at my full discretion = my blog my rules!

Rick about Shark Diving!

Awesome!

So here's the whole presentation.

I did miss it since early in the morning I'm at best sub-human and even scarier than usual (and yes Rick there will be hell to pay!) - but it is exactly as anticipated, highly informative, highly erudite and with the right focus on all the relevant aspects, so bravo bravo bravo!

And the picture at top?

Nothing to do with Sharks but everything to do with Rick - do check out his twitter feed and join the resistance!

But I'm digressing as always.

Enjoy!

Playa Sardines!

Charlie with one of his girls. Source.

So, I finally went diving with the Caribbean Sardines.

It was great.

Of course I dove with  GSD member Phantom Divers and I must really say that Chino has created an awesome slick, professional, fun and above all, very safe Shark diving machine that is among the best I've experienced anywhere - and yes, witnessing Charlie, and Ramón with their babies has been a special privilege.

Plus, progress on the conservation front has been simply stellar.

Under the leadership of its new full time director Luis Lombardo, Saving our Sharks is progressing from strength to strength, with more than 40 dive shops and dozens of boat captains observing the code of conduct and contributing funds, with substantial money going to fishermen in exchange for not fishing Sharks, with continued research and public presentations by Shark researchers, and with massive outreach to the public and to schools.

Bravo!

And then there was that remarkable tooth.

A present by Ramón who collected it right in front of me, it looks totally different from any Bull Shark tooth we've ever found here in Fiji - and trust me, we've found a few! 

It's the tooth on the left, together with two large Fijian ones - and considering that those Caribbean Bulls are a distinct genetic population with individuals that are notably smaller than those in the central Pacific, its size is simply spectacular. But then again, those are Mexican Sharks - small in size but packing a mighty punch! :)

Click for detail!

Anyway, nice to be home again.

It's the low season when the pregnant Bulls travel to the rivers to pup whilst the others are getting ready for mating and in turn appear to lose their appetite for juicy Tuna heads - but we've got heaps of other Sharks, and this also gives us a chance to focus on the countless Fishes.

It's already hot hot hot - so here's to a tropical depression to suck away some of the heat, as parts of Fiji are already experiencing dangerously hot surface waters.

But that's the topic of another post.

To be continued!

Baiting and feeding Sharks - good or bad?

Oh for crying out loud!

After those two incidents, the shit has hit the fan.

Out of many, read this defense by Martin, and then this and this by some ultracrepidarian chick at Nat Geo, and this misleading piece (the Nautilus did not break, but did certainly bend the rules correction: the video evidence now shows otherwise; and the Solmar has a history like many others) by some other ultracrepidarian chick on Earth Touch News.

Nah don't worry.

I'm not going there - but if you really care, feel free to consult my 50-odd posts on the subject. Or if you cannot stomach that, simply do re-read this one from 4 years ago.

Just this.

Burgess needs to comb the data he has been hoarding for decades and come up with evidence about a causal connection between Shark provisioning and unprovoked, let alone predatory Shark strikes. There is none - but until then, he really needs to shut the fuck up. Pavlov my ass - or did those dogs bite and devour unsuspecting bystanders?

Yes the Shark diving industry needs to always improve.

Provisioning has effects, albeit overwhelmingly (!) only locally and temporarily, and those effects need to be identified, investigated, understood and then mitigated and managed. Our best players know that and have started to associate in order to promote a more long-term sustainable product; and the others need to reform and failing that, they need to be exposed - and now there is a public tool for that.

So don't whine - rate!

And finally.

We are not the problem. 

Commercial and recreational overfishing, climate change, ocean acidification, pollution and habitat destruction are. But we are certainly part of the solution - even the worst ones among us!

So go barking there, not here!

End of rant!

Shark Dive Tourism: The Good, The Bad and the Future!

Behold!

If you're at DEMA 2016, you really must attend.

The speaker is of course none other than my irreducible friend Rick, and the topic will undoubtedly be his Sustainable Shark Diving project, hopefully with some first insights about operators, client preferences and public acceptance.

Regarding the latter.

I'm frankly disappointed but upon reflection, I'm really not that surprised. Essentially, my conclusion is that most of our clients are mere consumers: they purchase the product, enjoy the experience but don't really want to be bothered with deeper thoughts about ecotourism and sustainability.

Take our case.

We're doing OK, thank you - but that's merely the result of an initial flurry of enthusiasm, and the reviews have since been few and far between.

Yes our research and our conservation achievements are impressive, yes our customers very much enjoy Ben and Manoa's education and awareness presentations, yes everybody is happy to make a contribution to the villages, yes we regularly win awards and are generally considered to be one of the best of class in Shark ecotourism, yes we host and interact with a myriad of committed Shark people, be it professional conservationists, researchers, professional media people, selected activists, scholars, students or volunteers - but those are not our typical tourist Shark divers. 

Due to the nature of the animals we showcase but also, owing to the way we have chosen to conduct matters, our Shark dive is essentially a tightly choreographed show that aims to be a safe and sustainable tourism product rather than some sort of a personal experience. And consequently, we aren't really compatible with either the troglodyte adrenaline junkies or the Shark huggers, let alone the self-promoting media whores; and the dreaded semiprofessional image hunters with their fisheye lenses have learned to frequent more accommodating operators.

Instead, our typical customer is your quintessential traveling Joe diver. 

They are first and foremost tourists, will do a Shark dive among many other things, are generally not terribly experienced or committed, generally visit for merely a day or two, want to experience guaranteed Shark encounters, want to be served, want to feel safe, want to take a few snaps and want to purchase a memento of their experience. Generally, they love our product and will love us on TripAdvisor - but that's that, the more as Fiji will offer them plenty more fabulous tourism activities and wonderful people to experience and tell about.

And the others?

Many of the really good operators are probably too successful and too busy to bother promoting SSD; and the bad ones are obviously not interested in undergoing an objective review. 

And when it comes to the other diving Shark enthusiasts, they too often have agendas (as in experiencing extreme encounters or taking extreme pictures) that may well conflict with the kind of tourism SSD is trying to promote.

But I'm obviously speculating as usual.

Rick may know more and it will be really interesting having him share his insights - plus he's a great orator and simply a great guy.

In brief, highly recommended!

See you in Las Vegas!

Epic Diving join Global Shark Diving!

Behold!

Epic - literally!

When it comes to Bahamian Shark diving, Debra and Vincent may be the new kids on the block - but contrary to others who continue to regale us with fake Shark conservation media featuring the latest batch of pink-clad bimbettes, the Canabals don't talk from both sides of the mouth but have instead pursued a strategy of combining solid ecotourism with Shark conservation, research and education from the get go. What I particularly like is how they've managed to completely turn around the image of the once much reviled Oceanic Whitetip, a highly assertive species that was widely thought to be completely unsuitable for tourism, let alone for diving without cages - and yes on that point, yours truly stands totally corrected!

So very well done, and welcome to the team!

And now we are ten.

I can say with absolute certainty that when it comes to Shark ecotourism, these operators are truly the best of the best - meaning that finding new candidates that fulfill all of our guiding principles is becoming increasingly challenging, the more as each of our members and ambassadors can unilaterally veto any proposal. Personally, I'd like to see the next member hailing from the Indopacific, ideally Asia - but it ain't gonna be easy!

Suggestions?

Check out the above principles and if you know of anybody, tell us here!

To be continued!

 

Sustainable Shark Diving - Launch!

Like I said, finally!

Please do read this press release.

Rick writes,

We are live on Earth Day! After nearly 1.5 years of work, hundreds of conversations, thousands of dollars in crowd-sourced support, and countless collaborations and wishes of confidence from colleagues, friends, and strangers I am proud to put this hopefully meaningful set of tools out as an experiment in building greater environmental sustainability in the rapidly growing shark diving industry. Good for divers... Good for sharks 

And indeed it is!

Like I said back then, I was hoping it would follow Austin's suggestions, and it does; and when it comes to Industry buy-in, it most definitely already enjoys the support of many industry leaders among which, obviously, GSD.

The website, so far so good.

I'm sure Rick's friends including yours truly will pester him with suggestions for improvement - but it obviously does the job and that is the most important part. 

Finding businesses is easy (tho why two steps to get there?) and the rating process is as easy as it gets (click on the question mark to get an explanation for the different categories). Rating is the important part as it will provide a uniform and measurable assessment of the operators' performance and hopefully spur them to address any weaknesses: so forget the comments at the end which will not be visible anyway - and above all, don't just leave a comment without first engaging in the rating process as your contribution will be essentially zero! And yes you gotta register to prevent fraud - a bloody pain but remember you only gotta do it once!

So there - and now comes the fun part.

Please rate rate rate rate rate as this will be you contribution to holding us all accountable, and to hopefully direct the global Shark diving industry towards a more responsible and long term sustainable model.

We are right here - hint hint! :)

Enjoy!

Game Changer!

Remember?

Now Tom has weighed in here.

He is perfectly correct - this will be a game changer and a huge step towards propelling the Shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model, much like what we in the industry are trying to achieve via GSD and what Austin et al have advocated in their recent stellar paper.

And not only that - despite being your quintessential penniless young researcher, Tom has also made a contribution! 

Chapeau - I am impressed!

And all the others?

I thought that Rick was one of the most liked and respected conservation people out there, with zillions of friends all over the globe? And yet, I'm yet to see any endorsement in all those friendly blogs and FB pages and Twitter feeds, let alone any shekels for his funding page? 

C'mon people, we can do better than that.

Isn't this precisely what is needed and what we've all been advocating for years, and does Rick not deserve our full support for having selflessly embarked on this rather titanic endeavor on his own dime and precious free time? 

Forget the breathy sharkaholic masses that are so long on opinions and so short on actual deeds - but even if yer all hopelessly broke, can we please at least see some public endorsements by all you social media gurus and public friends?

Thank you!
 

World Class Liveaboard Adventures!

Great stuff - and the variety is simply spectacular!

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions are obviously a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving!

Enjoy!

Phantom Divers join Global Shark Diving!

Behold!

Needless to say that I'm elated.

Ever since I started blogging, about the then problems in Playa del Carmen, e.g. here, Chino and his group of passionate Shark divers at Phantom Divers have been advancing in leaps and bounds.

Thanks to the remarkable progress both in terms of conservation but also protocols, Playa is now  among the very best and most sustainable Shark diving destinations anywhere. This has taken an enormous effort both personally but also very much financially, and I must really commend them for their unwavering tenacity and passion.

So welcome aboard my dear friends - this is highly welcome and highly deserved!

GSD will of course continue expanding, albeit slowly.

We are really fully beholden to our mission and principles, meaning that potential candidates need to undergo a  rigorous vetting process where they must above all document a proven track record in every single one of our principles - and lemme tell you, with every candidacy requiring the consensus by all members, that is a tall order indeed!

But, we're already working on the next candidacy!

Onward and Upward!

HT: Eli, for having made the introductions. Thanks brother! :)

Sustainable Shark Diving - Funds needed!

Eco-Bulls - stellar pic by Danny!

Remember?

Now Rick has run into a brick wall.

He writes,

The Sustainable Shark Diving website is (according to the web designer) ready to launch. I think it looks good from a design perspective. But I'm still not happy with the reviews and rating functionality. It needs some tweaking to provide what I hoped to have. But I need to find a coder who can actually program for that, i.e. code the final steps of the rating functionality so it is performing as I hoped. 

I set a goal of $4K which should get me through the immediate coding needs and also provide some upkeep funds.
I really have not compiled a thorough business plan for this yet, but I think this tranche of funds will allow me to complete the database coding, add the site optimization I’d like to see - and even throw a bit to an intern to help administer the site over the course of the year provided the use really takes off.

I suggested he try crowd funding, and here is the page.

Sustainable Shark Diving is going to be the Trip Advisor for Shark ecotourism, and will be invaluable in propelling the global Shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model, much along the lines of the Global Shark Diving alliance of responsible operators.

If you care about Shark ecotourism, please do make a contribution.

Rick is 100% legit and I am convinced that he will manage any funds with great circumspection, integrity and absolute honesty.
For what it's worth, we support him one hundred percent.

Thank you very much.

JASA Shark Expedition!

Source.

Behold!

Oldie but very much goodie.

Of course Jimmy is the ultimate image freak geek, and loves but above all, understands his Sharks like no other - and it sure shows! 

And yes, JASA are obviously a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving!

Enjoy - and you can find one or two more videos right here! :)

Guadalupe - the Regulations!

Click for detail!

My bad.

After so much ranting, I've totally missed them!

So here they are, in English and Spanish -  and they could not be clearer!

Do read them and pass them around!

I must really say that I like them.

Yes they are a tad stifling, possibly unnecessarily so - and no I'm definitely not alluding to the ban on going cageless and taking selfies etc which I very much applaud!

But this is after all a biosphere, meaning that the special circumspection is totally warranted. And after all the shenanigans by the shark molesting bimbettes all the way to the adrenaline junkies and their enablers, it is also not unsurprising that the pendulum has swung the other way. The really good news being that it will not at all affect business as instead of being suckered into the Great Slide (we miss you buddy!), the operators will instead be able to continue to offer an awesome, safe and long term sustainable experience with a likely minimal ecological impact, like it should be.

And the dreaded enforcement?

Looks like even there, progress has been remarkable. 

Two completely unrelated sources report that Ritter and his sharkitarians have been prevented from exiting the cage, incidentally much to the dismay of the poor googly eyed suckers that were coldly refused any refund, mind you by Ritter and Wirodive. 

Which begs the question, are they still fans?

And the other perpetrators?

Dunno - but by the same token, for the first time, I am really hopeful. 

And yes, mark this day in your diary! :)

So here's to that - and very well done indeed!

Jawline!

Great video!

This was shot aboard the luxurious Nautilus Belle Amie, the new flagship of Nautilus Explorer & Nautilus Belle Amie. The Nautilus Group are a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving.

Enjoy!

Rodney Fox Highlights!

Amazing Shark action - source.

Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions are a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving.

Enjoy!

Basking Shark Scotland - Scottish Wildlife Spectacular!

Source.

Spectacular indeed!

Basking Shark Scotland are a member of Global Shark Diving, your home for safe, responsible and sustainable Shark diving.
Story here.

Enjoy!

Brinkley - September!

Source - Fabi and the nae nae in the video!

Nice!
And yes, we got Sharks! :)
Thanks Brinkley!

Enjoy!

Sustainable Shark Diving!

Remember?

Looks like yet another initiative is about to be launched!

According to this announcement, the indefatigable Rick will be unveiling his Sustainable Shark Diving project at this year's DEMA show in Orlando. Like I never cease to repeat, I'm a big fan, and this promises to be yet another brilliant undertaking.

Like I said back then, there will have to be industry buy-in.

I ignore the finer details but Rick being Rick, I anticipate that BAD will embrace and promote it enthusiastically - and probably also GSD, at least if I should have it my way.

But first, let's see what's been cooking.

My hope is that the criteria will follow Austin & Co's stellar rating system and if so, this could not have come soon enough!

So kudos buddy - for now! :)

More once I've had a chance to see it - keep watching this space!