Jimmy - get well soon!

Thank you George for posting the following video.
It really says it all: it was an accident - and if one has thousands of close interactions with predatory Sharks, those things will just happen. Just ask any reputable Shark researcher! :)
Not to worry!

Kudos to Jimmy (Abernethy, with an "e"!) and to WPTV for having managed to turn this into what is essentially very much a pro-Shark story!

So from all of us here in Fiji, here's to Jimmy's full and speedy recovery - Jimmy, may you be back with your beloved animals real soon!

Mermaid and Tiger Sharks?

This is gonna be a difficult one.

But first, watch this.

Now, read this and then, watch the video.

Yes it certainly is what it is.

To say it mildly, it has generated a lot of interest within the Shark community, and opinions are vehemently divided about whether this is actually conservation or rather, merely one more of those productions - and I'm sure you know what I mean.

Personally, I must confess that I'm conflicted.

I've never met Hannah who for me is a professional doing a difficult job, and this well - but I know both Shawn and Jimmy and in my book, they are good men that care deeply. 

But what is more important, is that they have earned my respect.

Jimmy is without a doubt one of the world's most experienced and renown Shark diving operators and a passionate voice for Shark conservation. 

Shawn has evolved into one of the universally most respected conservationists who combines limitless passion and energy with profound knowledge of the situation especially in the lesser developed countries, with admirable tenacity and the absolute willingness to risk life and limb in his relentless investigation and documentation of the trade, and in the pursuit of realistic solutions. Case in point: his and DaMary's ongoing epic Manta Ray of Hope project (watch this space for an important update!) that has directly led to the listing of the Mantas on CITES 2 and continues to spawn Manta Ray sanctuaries, latest of which in the Maldives.

From that point of view alone, this is certainly miles away from those pathetic self promoting productions featuring the usual menopausally challenged bikinettes, precocious home-schooled brats and media whores - and yes I can certainly leave it at that, they know who they are and so do you!

But is this conservation - and is it effective?

To some it may be art, whereas most Europeans including me would define it as typical American over-the-top new-agesque Kitsch - but be it as it may, the fact is that there is a lot of people who simply love those mermaids, meaning that like Shawn eloquently explains, the outreach is simply phenomenal. 

When it comes to having a real impact, however, not convinced.

This is specifically being framed as a protest against the Aussie Shark cull - and I just cannot see how it is going to influence the decision about whether to extend the slaughter to 2017. The assessment by the WA EPA will be a formal process, and so will be the review by the feds - meaning that if at all (!), the decision makers will be swayed by rational as opposed to emotional arguments.

But who knows, maybe some of them have watched it and something sticks.

Long story short?

On this one, I'm with Jimmy an Shawn.

It has been created by the right people and for the right reasons, the production is impressive, the interactions are respectful, the safety protocols impeccable, the imagery and soundtrack and editing excellent, the outreach unmatched.

So bravo and best of luck.

May I be mistaken and may this effect change.

Not convinced - but fingers crossed!

A Pet Tiger Shark?

Tiger Beach. Everybody does something different - and who is explaining it to the Sharks? Source.

And I cite.

Please do not attempt this. 
Tiger sharks are powerful wild animals, interaction with them requires years of training and experience to prevent harm or death to the animal or the person.

And now, watch this.

Remember this post? 

Sure you do! :)

Like back then, I am conflicted.

Obviously, there's food in the water, you can see it intermingled with the sand. But equally obviously, there's something else going on. Tarantino may have come in because of the food but it really appears that in this specific sequence, she is actively seeking some personal interaction, and this in a friendly way.

My take remains essentially the same.

Jimmy is one of the good guys. He's not in it for the money, he spends most of his life in the Sea because he loves doing what he does, and because he loves the animals. It is absolutely possible that in all those years, he has developed personal relationships with some of his Sharks, and it is equally absolutely possible that those bonds may include something akin to mutual affection. Like I said in that old post I linked, Valerie has been petting the Sea life for decades, and some of her personal bonds with individual Fishes are the stuff of legends. I've personally witnessed it many, many times and those interactions are both baffling and endearing - but what is most important, is that they are certainly authentic.

Case in point.

Long story short?

I believe that what Jimmy is showing us is equally authentic, much like I believe that Cristina has a special bond with some of her Sharks.

I equally strongly believe that this must remain the absolute exception.

Of all those famous Shark dives, Tiger Beach is the one that is now the biggest clusterfuck, this owing to those legions of self promoting media whores, wranglers and whisperers that have parachuted in for ever stupider exercises in pseudo-conservation, ever more disrespectful camera stunt work for those horrible productions and ever stupider and disrespectful exercises in manhandling.

We certainly don't need more troglodyte Shark diving on top of that.

Jimmy has earned himself the right to pet Tarantino by having spent thousands upon thousands of hours in the water with the same animals by which he has obviously developed personal bonds to a few individual Sharks.

Good for him, and for the Sharks.

You have not.

For you, the rule remains: watch but don't touch!

Jimmy, Neil and Al Jazeera - great Shark Media!

Affectionate Sharks? Hmmmm...

And talking of bimbos and Sharks.

Watch this.

This is how you do it!

No drama and undue hype but instead, plenty of science and passion garnished with the right conservation messaging that is being delivered unobtrusively between the lines as opposed the usual tired old unappealing pathos. This is really excellent, highly entertaining and highly informative programming - love not loss, remember?

Kudos!

And bless Jimmy!

His love and passion for his Sharks is just infectious and really quite endearing.

Tho the Tigers and affection thingy, hmmm...

Tricky tricky. I've not been to TB and have never met those specific, highly conditioned individuals. And I totally respect Jimmy for arguably being the world's foremost authority on diving with them, and I also believe him when he states that there's something going on.
 

Still, from my own, granted much more limited experience, I do consider Tiger Sharks to be highly deceiving.
Yes they certainly appear mellow but the way I see it, they are actually always probing for opportunities and likely to pounce when not properly acknowledged and dominated = what I call a head on a swivel Shark that requires constant supervision and should never be underestimated!

Case in point.

To me, that is typical Tiger.

Yes the situation can usually be defused by reacting assertively, much like that dude did with the attacking Blue - but IMO this is never the less a highly dangerous Shark that should never be taken for granted! But who knows - maybe the TB sharks are somehow different? I say, possibly but not very likely. So, please, don't do that at home - and if you really must, then only with great circumspection and flanked with copious amounts of fishy bribes!

Anyway.

Love love love that feature and once again, big congratulations to everybody that has made it possible!

Cristina - Shark Love?

Source.

Watch what happens at 1:45ff...

Amazing isn't it.

A pal writes,

The romantic in me says it's LURVE. 
The cynic says the shark is assuming that position to have ectoparasites removed - and simply following what it takes to be the ecto-parasite-removing creature when it retreats. I think this shows how we, as hug-loving mammals, are hard-wired to misinterpret what is presumably going on - and hence how easily the idiots (Ritter, Treadwell et al) can go off the transcendental deep end. 

Yes and no!

Clearly, those are conditioned Sharks that as a minimum have been habituated to humans insofar as they appear to have lost their natural fear of them. This is one of the known side-effects of provisioned Shark dives that when they are conducted responsibly, leads to less agonism = defensive aggression - the flip side being that the resulting familiarity can lead to the well-known problems with those infamous beggar Sharks, hence the need for good protocols.

So yes those Sharks may well want to get cleaned.

Jimmy did show me equally amazing footage of Lemons snuggling up to divers at the Tiger Beach cleaning station, and equally only being rewarded with a friendly rub. Both Jimmy and Cristina have removed squillions of hooks, and the Sharks may indeed regard, and thus seek them out as some sort of cleaner organism as a consequence.

But maybe it's something else?

Specially in the case of Cristina that induces a trance-like state (not tonic!) by stimulating the Sharks' snout, the Sharks may simply come in for the resulting, obviously pleasurable sensation. Does that equal LURVE and affection and the like? Methinks not, it may be more akin to us, ahem, visiting a brothel - but it is totally amazing nevertheless!

And now?

Does this mean that we should all swarm out and start giving Sharks affection, or whatever, by conditioning them to come in and get petted?

Certainly not!

Back then in 2008, Patric asked

Is it not enough to "witness" these animals in all their grace and elegance? Do we need to touch them and ride them as well? Do photographers really need to shoot inside a Tigers mouth? Do we need to throw pokey-sticks at them? Where does it end, where do we call the game and set the safety goal posts?

And for me, the answer is crystal clear.

Like I never cease to repeat, Shark dives need to be regarded as wildlife encounters and subsequently, conditioning needs to be kept at an absolute minimum = limited to attracting otherwise shy species, and ensuring the necessary degree of safety. All else is just simply unwarranted and often disrespectful showmanship that benefits only the human, with only more risks for the animal.

Cristina and Jimmy of course get a pass.
Mind you, this not because of what they do but because of who they are!

The other molesters, not so much - but once you've logged thousands of Shark dives, devoted your life to Shark conservation but above all, removed hundreds of hooks, you too will be entitled to some rather superfluous, and clearly not reciprocated Shark LURVE - petting, scratching, hugging and kissing included!

In diesem Sinne - happy Shark diving!

Bravo Jimmy!

Well said!

I've said it before, Mark's iDiveSharks is the place to be!
This week features a post by none other than Mr. Tiger Beach himself, Jimmy Abernethy. We've never met and to be perfectly frank, our relationship can probably be safely described as being wary ever since some weasel managed to start a small skirmish by proxy involving one of our best common friends, of which we have many.

I also won't deny that having reached completely different conclusions and until convinced otherwise, I remain skeptical about having large predatory Sharks circulate freely among tourists during commercial baited Shark dives.
But that's just my opinion as as such, certainly debatable - as incidentally is our controversial hand feeding!

What I'm however adamantly opposed to, are the ever increasing shenanigans happening on that site, of which this one is but a particularly stupid example - and I spare you the other links.

Not that he probably cares, but kudos to Jimmy for having spoken up and said it as it is - couldn't agree more! Let's hope that somebody listens! As a minimum, his countless fans!
I cite.

Once again the real threat with all these very large sharks was that many of the guests fell in love with our girl, Emma!
She seems harmless just like a big dog, but that doesn't mean she might accidentally hurt someone, while checking out their cameras etc, especially if someone did something stupid!

Yes, hugging and kissing in my opinion is stupid!
We are all in titled to our own opinion, but for me anything that puts the shark at a risk of making a mistake while interacting with us isn't worth the risk. Lately it seems many people want to ride or hand feed these beautiful creatures, which I will never allow on my boat.

To me if you truly love them you should treat them with respect.
If an accident happened, many people would like to project it as a shark attack, which isn't right.

I wish everyone that really loves sharks that has actually spent time with them, would work on telling the truth about them, so we can help convince the rest of the world how valuable they are, and why we need them!
The time of monster shark shows and tabloid journalism are outdated with those of us that really know sharks, because we know to much! I don't read the tabloids at the grocery counter and I refuse to work or watch any tabloid monster shows. I prefer the higher road, where these magnificent powerful creatures are projected truthfully!

Sorry probably had to much coffee this morning!
I hope you all are getting your shark fix somewhere soon!
Save the Sharks! Jim

Answer to a Comment

The anglers are pissed off.

What was a short and noncommittal post mentioning Delray Beach has triggered a surprising response. At the same time, the usually irreproachable and intelligent Sharky has waded in knee-deep and is using the same unfortunate arguments.

Before I post my answer to that comment, here's where I stand on some of the issues raised.

I haven't met Jimmy Abernethy personally and am on record for being unconvinced by some of his apparent procedures (and never having dived with him, I'm also on record for reserving my final judgment on that) and for being disappointed that his signature dive site, Tiger Beach, is not being protected and is being thrashed by other operators.
These ad personam attacks are however totally uncalled for, especially the underhanded reference to the tragic accident of Markus Groh. Jimmy loves Sharks and together with Gary Adkison, he is without a doubt the one person that has single-handedly introduced the most people to Sharks and turned them into Shark lovers in the process. His fans and followers are legion and many of them have embarked on the path of Shark Conservation after having dived with him. This is his legacy - and not the accident, as an equally unfortunate comment has suggested.

Trophy hunting and trophy fishing have no possible justification, ethical or otherwise.
I'm all for hunting and fishing for food, as long as the species are not endangered and as long as the animals are dispatched humanely.
Yes I realize that some believe that the thrill of stalking a prey or of wrestling with a large Fish is "fun" - but this is the 21st century and we must all progress from our troglodyte origins towards being modern and civilized human beings with ethical imperatives. Killing (and also, torturing) animals for the thrill alone will never meet those prerequisites, ever. And I may be repeating myself - real men just don't do that!
This is an example of that kind of behavior - and yes, those were land-based anglers!

I believe that good conservation should be based on consensual and pragmatic solutions.
But not necessarily always. Sometimes, as in Ft. Myers, the anglers need to be shown the "stick" in order to agree to come to the negotiating table. Very rarely, the pro-Shark faction is just being dealt the better hand and if so, they should certainly play it. The good people of Delray Beach have every right to decide about what happens on their beach and if the decision is to ban Shark fishing, I can only applaud it. After all, my thing is Shark conservation, not diplomatic relations and universal peace and justice.

That said, over to my response.
It got longer and longer and finally, Blogger refused to accept it in the comments section - so there.

Thank you for your comment.

I however disagree with your standpoint in so many ways.

a. Catch & release is not a "good thing" - not to fish for Sharks is.
Yes, catch & release is certainly better than killing - but it is cruel and unneccessary nevertheless.

Look, I'm an angler myself and although I don't target them, I sometimes hook a Billfish.
Like any responsible catch & release angler, I will try and get the Fish to the boat in the shortest time possible and with the minimum of stress to the animal.
That involves maneuvering the boat in such a way that the Fish is not being muscled in during a protracted fight, to the point where it may even die of exhaustion. The release is then effected immediately whilst the animal is submerged and often, it involves "walking" the animal in order to aerate its gills until it can then swim away under its own power.

All evidence suggests that often, land-based Shark fishermen do not act that way, especially when they hook big animals.
The Sharks can only be landed once they are completely exhausted. Often, they get dragged onto the beach where considerable time is spent taking measurements and posing for pictures.
This is certainly extremely stressful for the animals and it is only fair to assume that some will not survive that treatment.
This is not cool.



If they want to gain any "credibility", the land-based anglers must be asked to review their procedures when catching and releasing Sharks.

b. Jim Abernethy (with an "e") is uniquely positioned to comment about the dangers of baiting for Sharks ("chumming" is something else - and I sure hope the Shark anglers don't do that!) precisely BECAUSE he operates baited Shark dives and thus knows intimately how the animals behave in those conditions.

Like us here in Fiji, he does it well away from any beaches and surface oriented aquatic recreationists. And like us, he does not allow any snorkelers, swimmers, nor even free divers on those trips.
And for good reason!
Once you bait for Sharks, they behave differently - even smaller piscivorous species like Blacktips and Carribean Reefs. Whereas divers can minimize risks by displaying adequate behavior, people at the surface become particularly vulnerable to the threat of attracting the Sharks' attention and being bitten as a consequence.

To cut to the chase, fishing (for Sharks but also for other Fishes) and surface-oriented beach activities like swimming and body surfing just don't go together.
Would you feel safe to go and have a dip right next to where some anglers deploy bait or drag in struggling Fish? Really? I for sure would not!

I've said it before: the chicken have come home to roost.
Jimmy and other Shark operators have been chased out of Florida by people claiming that his "chumming" (mind you - way offshore) was a public safety hazard - and now some of the very same groups are claiming that doing the precise same thing directly on the beach is unproblematic!
If there's an issue of credibility, it certainly does not reside with Jim.

c. I was not at the meeting (were you?) and don't know if and what pictures were presented, and how.
But one has only to surf the website of the South Florida Shark Club and view the many YouTube clips featuring land based fishing to see that the behavior displayed is sometimes problematic (and I'm being polite).
In that light, it is really of no importance where the pictures presented were taken - it's pretty obvious that there is no common code of conduct and that the allegations of rowdy behavior, littering, Shark kills, daytime fishing and chumming are certainly plausible.
In fact, I just happen to know somebody completely and utterly un-involved in this matter who lives there - and having asked, that person has confirmed some of the above grievances.

To sum it up, dragging in Fish and Sharks from a beach in a residential area is problematic.
There's a reason why hunters go hunting in the wilderness and not in city parks - and this is not much different.

If the land-based anglers want to pursue their activities in Delray Beach, they will have to assuage the reservations of the residents, the more since many of the anglers don't live there. It is for them, not the residents of Delray Beach, to do the convincing, to come up with viable solutions and compromises and to have their members stick to some acceptable code of conduct.
Barring that, they will need to go fishing somewhere else.

Shark Attack or Accident?

Ever so often, Bruce goes and gets himself a human.

Not that he really likes to.
Humans taste awful - but ever since Bruce’s Ultra-Great-Great Uncle’s chance meal of a rare Homo erectus rafting out of Africa 1.5 million years ago instantly cured him of his gout, snacking on humans for medicinal purposes has become a valued family tradition.
When mum isn’t watching, Bruce spits it right back out but sometimes, as her nature would dictate, she insists on lurking nearby and he’s got no choice but to close his eyes and swallow.
Once, he tried pretending to make a mistake and munched on some Seal instead - alas to no avail: as everybody knows, Bruce is endowed with preternatural senses and thus infallible, and his cheating earned him a severe scolding along with a double helping of human.
Yukk!!

Other than that, Bruce is just being you good old average killer.
Most of the time, he will just lurk, stalk and devour and generally engage in his usual unpredictable and hence, misunderstood behavior.
Sometimes however, when in need of a dental make-over, he will go and bite a propeller (which he obviously knows for being a propeller) or a Shark diving cage (which he obviously knows for being a Shark cage) to make space for a brand spanky new set of replacement teeth.
Or, he will decide to hone his hunting skills by knowingly chasing after some decoy or surf board which being infallible and endowed with preternatural senses, he instantly recognizes for what they are.
And sometimes, when afflicted by human-induced stomach bloating, he will voluntarily (and knowingly) swallow old tires, anchors and even license plates to re-establish his buoyancy.

And when particularly boisterous, he will sneak up on some unsuspecting diver, scare the bejeesus out of him and then nibble at his strobes which owing to his infallible, and preternatural senses, he obviously recognizes as being strobes – all good fun really, and well within the unpredictable, misunderstood and yet, preternaturally infallible behavioral spectrum of any member of Bruce’s tribe!

Have I completely lost my mind?
Quite - but what has actually prompted me to write this stupidity is the frustrating comments thread on this article about Jimmy’s book.

Among the commentators, it comes at no surprise that I discover the token Shark conspiracist and voyeuristic parasite Richard Harris.
Like any self respecting roach, he has not simply gone away but keeps crawling back out from his hidey hole, this time to bite at Jimmy’s ankles.
Oh well, all Harris has once again managed to do, is to prove that he’s nothing but a pathetic bottom feeder – not to worry.

Drudown on the other hand is crafty.
Apparently equally obsessed with the same morbid fascination for Shark attacks, he is obviously intelligent, erudite and very well documented on the specific subject – oh, and very very self enamored on top of that! It’s not the first time that I come across his propositions and actually unpleasantly remember his comments on an old and unfortunately, hence deleted thread on SouthernFriedScience as being basically a carbon copy of the present ones.

His modus operandi is essentially, to provoke the Shark conservationists by depicting Sharks as man eaters and then, to smugly pick apart any inevitable dissenting opinion.
The latter is of course easy: like it or not, the man is absolutely right and anybody denying the obvious, a fool: some species of Sharks have attacked and eaten people, period! And the fixation on calling everything an accident - pure Ritter!

The bulk of his ranting is however nothing but smug pseudoscientific BS.

Yes, maybe

With regards to "accidents" resulting from alleged "mistaken identity", this misguided “theory” totally disregards the shark’s uniquely adapted perceptive faculties OTHER than sight, e.g., ampullae of lorenzini, hearing, smell and lateral lines. By virtue of natural selection, ALL of these enable sharks to quickly identify and differentiate potential meals. The human being does NOT emit the same electro magnetic current as a seal, a turtle or any marine creature… There is no scientific evidence supporting "mistaken identity" nor is it subject to the scientific method.

And yet, Sharks continue to make obvious mistakes and ingest and attack a large variety of inedible items with electromagnetic and other signatures that are completely different from their habitual prey – the principal, and fatal one being fishing lures!
And why have they not learned (having had time immemorial to adapt) to aggregate on our beaches that are teeming with suitable and largely defenseless prey, but continue to engage in the cumbersome and frustrating business of hunting Fishes and Seals instead - maybe, because that’s what they normally prey on?

As to the following, what can I say

Yet because the human/h. erectus has been in ocean for over 1mm-2mm years, we are part of the marine food chain...as a competitor and prey item for a handful of sharks… Until someone can disprove my theories, I don't care if you head the ISAF, bunk science is bunk science… Why don't you enlist your favorite shark guru and have them rebut my theories right here…

It’s of course utter rubbish, as in sutor ne supra!
First and foremost, and contrary to religion and all those whacko new age and conspiracy theories, science (as in the abovementioned scientific method) does not work that way!
Nobody has to disprove anybody’s theories, it's very much the contrary: in science and truth-finding in general, he who advances a hypothesis has the onus of proving his assertions - and no, rhetoric is no scientific proof, however erudite it may be!

But for the sake of the stupid argument: Drudown wants to make us believe that Sharks have somehow learned to specifically identify humans as prey items, and that that knowledge has been passed down through the generations ever since Homo erectus rafted out of Africa (?), or whatever.
By world of mouth? Or has the knowledge been imprinted genetically – and if so, through which mechanism and owing to which selective evolutionary pressure?
Right…

But I’m digressing as always.
I’ve said it before, any explanations for the causes of Shark attacks are ultimately nothing but hypotheses that may, or may not be plausible but will forever remain untested and thus, scientifically unproven – for obvious reasons!

Plus, really, who cares!
By any metrics, Shark attacks are freak events, an utter nothingness when compared to the deluge of tragedies afflicting humankind – so can we all please stop hyperventilating?
Yes the stupid stereotypes, the voyeuristic trolls and the public’s fascination with Shark attacks are a reliable source of income for the tabloids and Discovery Channel and thus particularly irritating – but let’s face it, that’s just how people are.

What however really frustrates me is that it is us, the Shark conservationists, who ultimately provide a platform for the paparazzi like Harris and Drudown, and the stupid Con-troversies!

As Drudown correctly remarks, there is nothing mutually exclusive about conservation and the truth!
Like many of their terrestrial counterparts, some species of Shark sometimes feed on humans despite the fact that people are not their primary prey - and guess what: it’s totally OK!
It makes them neither Bad nor Good, they are just being predators!

So why our denial, our massaging of numbers, our politically correct lingo, our constant belittling of the risks, our pseudoscience and stereotypes, our unhelpful demonizing of the fishermen? Does anybody really believe that it is helpful?
Do Lion conservationists resort to lying and disinformation when trying to protect Lions?

Thing is, the truth is on our side anyway!
Far from being the stalking, ever-hungry killers, even the biggest predatory Sharks appear to be unendingly tolerant of aquatic recreationists in general and divers in particular. As somebody who has logged thousands of cage-less baited dives with some of the most maligned species, I fully concur with Jimmy when he says that they are nothing but smart, graceful, interesting and COOL – and frustratingly shy on top of that!
And let me add that I never, ever had the feeling that they were sizing me up as a potential meal, ever!

Having said this, one must however never forget that they are at the same time incredibly powerful and potentially lethal!
Shark attacks will continue to occur as long as people will continue to frequent the Oceans. Most will be hit-and-run strikes by small piscivorous Sharks and some, accidents like the tragic death of Markus Groh – and a tiny minority will be genuine predatory events.

The sooner we accept that and abandon our failed marketing, or whatever, the sooner we can start educating the public about the true nature of the animals we love.
It has worked with the big terrestrial predators and I have no doubt that over time, people will come to appreciate the big predatory Sharks for what they really are: potentially lethal and awe inspiring but at the same time, fascinating and once you get to know them better, even endearing – and above all, essential for the health of their habitat and tragically endangered.

As to those trolls – without our stupid clamoring, they are nothing!
As they say where I come from: Raglio d’asino non sale in cielo!

Enough said.

Shark Diver missing!

Several people have sent me this.

Not good.

But, there's no mention of any interaction with a Shark and as such, this got nothing to do with Shark diving but is instead a diving accident. 

Diving is dangerous, and unfortunately, shit happens. 

But barring gross negligence by the operator (which is not being asserted), certified divers are essentially "on their own" and assume full responsibility for their doing.

And the underhanded critique of Jimmy?

Sure, years ago he was controversial - but if I compare him with his peers and copycats, now he is actually  one of the most responsible operators out there, with some of the best and most stringent Shark diving protocols. The market has very much evolved, and diving cage-less with those big coastal Sharks is now the norm not the exception - to the point that none other than Neil Watson is now running cage-less dives with those "deadly" Bimini Hammers! Remember the accusations back then?

With that in mind, I would much rather call Jimmy a visionary pioneer!

So calm down folks.

No need for the told-you-so, the finger pointing, the smirking and/or the doomsday scenarios.

As a minimum, let's wait and see what comes of it.

OK?

PS - read this.
If confirmed, this obviously opens up a whole can of worms. The situation appears to be in flux, so for now, I'm gonna hold off - past thoughts about sustainable Shark diving, multi-user sites etc here.
Shame this tragedy is affecting the one operator who has made the biggest effort to establish good procedures, and who has done most for Shark awareness and conservation.

Jimmy joins GSD!

Source.
 

Behold!

Yes JASA are now a member of GSD!

Didn't I tell you that some fantastic operators were about to join? So there - and more will be announced shortly!

I consider Jimmy to be a titan among midgets.

Of course, when he started interacting with those big Tigers, we all thought that he was simply batshit crazy - but of course he was right and we were proven wrong, and now he ranks amongst the visionary pioneers of Shark diving, with everybody trying to emulate him. And his relentless contribution to outreach, and Shark and marine conservation remains unmatched.

Welcome aboard buddy - we're all stoked! :)

Man&Shark!

Synopsis

From the beaches of Africa, to the ports of the Middle East , a shark fin odyssey arrives back at Ground Zero... Hong Kong.
'Man & Shark' is book, and short film of the same name, which explores the barbaric practice of shark-finning in developing nations, so that consumers in Hong Kong and China can eat shark fin soup at their weddings, company banquets and other celebrations.

The multimedia project aims to show why sharks, as the ocean's apex predators, are necessary to keep the marine ecosystem in balance. 'Man & Shark' also bears witness to the ignorance of shopkeepers selling shark fin in Hong Kong. It also explores why Chinese people eat shark fin soup in the first place, and the dangers to health from mercury poisoning.

'Man & Shark' was conceived in Mozambique, Yemen, and Hong Kong, and includes many underwater images of sharks from all over the world.

I say - stunning!
Yes Alex came through on his promise and I'm holding the book in my hands: fantastic pictures, great layout, compelling message. Paul and Alex have gone to great lengths in order to document and publicize the decline of a whole group of animals. Should everything fail, this book will stand forever as a first of its kind and historical document.
Great job, to the point that we shall post a link on our home page, like we've done for the books by Timbo and the epic book by Jimmy.

The question being, will this make a difference?
I just don't know. Apparently, and I tend to agree with this view, the most effective strategy for influencing public opinion in favor of conservation is to show beauty, not horror, very much in line with what Jimmy is trying to achieve. I'm also very much on record with my personal views about the non-effectiveness of trying to re-educate the consumer in the case of a supply limited fisheries like that for Sharks.
But having said this, I recently spent some time with some brilliantly intelligent people who promote that course of action and have become somewhat less absolutist in the process. Mind you: not totally convinced by any stretch of the imagination - just more hopeful!
Yes, it's complicated as always!

So here's to that hope, and to a fantastic job by two passionate people!

Sharks up close!

I just received my copy of Jimmy's book.

In a nutshell, it's the best book about Sharks, ever.
I understand that it may have been intended for children - but it's exactly the simplicity of its language and the clarity of its message that make it so compelling. No Shark hugging pseudoscience and exaggerated doomsday scenarios here, just a depiction of what Sharks really are: charismatic and awe inspiring, essential for maintaining the balance of their habitats and at the same time, fragile and highly endangered.

And then, there's this:
The true and gentle nature of Sharks is not typically captured or conveyed to the public. Their fundamental character is one of curiosity and innocence, similar to most animals', not what the media portrays.
Yes, this man truly understands!

And how about the photography: simply outstanding!
Maybe with the exception of some of Wolfgang's pix that are completely different and in a league of their own, the portrait on page 78 is without a doubt the best picture ever taken on Tiger Beach, period; the Stingray on page 42 and the Remora cleaning station on page 35 may well be the first ever published records of those behaviors; and I love that Dog and what it stands for!

Valerie who saw the book and was equally impressed commented that everybody should have it and give it to all of their friends - how about that for an endorsement to complement the others!
I fully concur: cheap and highly effective, it could well create more Shark lovers than all of our clamoring and petitioning combined!

My only regret: it's way too small!
Jimmy, where is the coffee table book???

Beqa Lagoon?

Click for detail!
 

Nice!

BUT!

Fiji's first National Marine Park, the Shark Reef Marine Reserve where we conduct our Shark dive is located on the fringing reef of the Southern coast of Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu - not in Beqa Lagoon which is an atoll in the South of us, see the image at the top. 

Now you know!

And BTW: what about the other featured destinations?
Most are equally being serviced by members of Global Shark Diving, i.e. Tiger Beach by Jimmy and Epic Diving; Cocos by Undersea Hunter; Kleinbaai next to Gansbaai by Marine Dynamics; the Hebrides by Basking Shark Scotland; Malapascua by Divelink Cebu; Osprey by Mike Ball; Guadalupe (and Socorro!) by Nautilus; Jupiter by Jimmy; and finally, Playa by Phantom. And when you come diving with any of us, you will be given a card entitling you to discounts with everybody else.

So, what are you waiting for.
The best operators in the best destinations await you!

Extinction Soup!

And here's another great initiative.

Stefanie writes,

I am happy to announce that we are FINALLY completing our shark documentary called “Extinction Soup”.

We are in the final stretch and I am reaching out to everyone I know to help me spread the word and to raise funds.

We have created an Indiegogo campaign.

Please check it out and forward the link to all your friends. Post it, "like" it, blog it or shout it from the roof top… whatever you are inspired to do, it will help us a great deal. (and if you feel inclined to donate we would appreciate even the smallest amount)

A little background info to the story:

The film is about the trade of shark fins, the horrendous effects it has on shark populations around the globe and the struggle of activists to put an end to shark fin soup.

The film is also a personal story.

It shows us why Jimmy Hall inspired so many people to care for sharks and how his enthusiasm for life affected everyone around him, and it follows my own personal journey into politics when I became involved in the campaign for the ban on shark fins in Hawaii – a legislative success that sparked a wave of similar action across the Pacific and the United States.

The story is told by Phil Waller, who was inspired by Jimmy and by learning about the plight of sharks. He has been the driving force behind our three-year effort to put this film together.

We have been able to get this far with very limited resources.

Our own money, our own time and random skills and LOTS of help from friends that contributed footage and agreed to be interviewed for the film.

Our goal has been to keep the integrity of the story and to tell it without succumbing to the pressure of production companies to sensationalize sharks for the sake of ratings.

The general advice I have been getting is that shark films will only sell if they bank on the fear of sharks. I think that view is outdated and that networks are not giving the audience enough credit. 

Most people are not that ignorant. At least I hope so.

My feeling is - Lets prove them wrong!

Indeed!

Although I believe that Love not Loss (and here...) is ultimately the preferred strategy for promoting conservation, I of course fully support this project as the story needs to be told, if only in order to document the tremendous pioneering achievements of the original Hawaiian Shark conservation movement.

Here's the trailer

So wishing the team the very best of success!

And having checked, it looks like it's off to a great start: 6k after only one week is great news indeed! Just one suggestion: the principal lesson learned from the AABS project is, keep up the noise or the donations will quickly fizzle out!

In diesem Sinne!

Please share and support Stefanie's project.

Thank you!

PS: website here and Facebook page here!

Touching Sharks - Wildlife Harassment?

Source.

OK, first rant of the year.

This is thorny - but I just got to get it off my chest.

It concerns this hypocritical article by the increasingly irrelevant Executive Director of the increasingly irrelevant Shark Angels, and this comment by David.

Da che pulpito?

When it comes to Andersen, meh.

It is merely a continuation of this hypocritical rubbish, and instead of further debasing myself, I can certainly keep it with Martin who states.

Here is the problem with what Julie says.
She is known to the public, because of all the pictures of her, touching sharks. Now she says that she wishes some of those pictures would not be so public and that other people would not touch sharks. So let me get this straight, after she got her fame by touching sharks, she doesn't want others to do the same and she says it's not an ego thing? She does however have no reservations about using that fame when it suits her. I guess she just doesn't want others to get in on the action. She also is talking about sharks, like they are all the same. Well, it does say that she's an expert, so it must be true. It couldn't be that there are sharks that are social and touch each other and others that don't do that, at least not without eliciting a violent reaction. I wish we would just stop paying attention to all these wanna be shark whisperers and self proclaimed experts. Just because someone touches a shark, or goes outside a cage, where it is not legal, doesn't make them an expert.

Could not agree more!

And how about David's comment.

But first things first: I really, really like the guy! 

He's passionate, intelligent, witty, eloquent and incredibly erudite - but like I've just told a common pal, the young padawan needs a reminder that erudition is not always a substitute for experience!

This is what irks me.

Wildlife harassment is a legal term that in essence states, don't interfere with the wildlife unless authorized to do so, and by that metric alone, David is of course 100% correct - that is, provided that those Shark interactions are covered by the law! Are they? Because, again, no law no harassment - detail detail!

At the same time, however, much of David's research and that of his lab are predicated upon catching and manhandling Sharks - which albeit being perfectly legal, undoubtedly useful and sometimes even vitally necessary and thus not wildlife harassment in the legal sense, is nevertheless often brutal and does subject the animals to an experience that is orders of magnitude more traumatic than anything which is being reproached to the divers!

And if so, is David really in a position to lecture others?

Plus, there is this.

Contrary to David's sweeping statement, those different interactions between people and Sharks are by no means equivalent - maybe under the law (provided that it exists!) but certainly not in fact!

When Jimmy posted his video of Tarantino, a prominent researcher sent me a message telling me that he hated the anthropomorphizing but that he was wondering about the Shark's motivation as it was hard for his science brain to comprehend that video clip.

I did really appreciate that. In my experience, most Shark researchers understand very little about Shark behavior and human-shark interactions, this because behavior in general is difficult to describe to start with but above all, because far too few of them have spent enough time with the animals to properly understand them in the first place! There are obviously notable exceptions, like Juerg or after close to a year diving with us, El Diego - but it is glaringly apparent that David ain't one of them and I must really say, sutor ne supra! 
 

We in the Industry, on the other hand, spend heaps of time with the Sharks but often lack the training to properly describe what we experience, and often get too emotionally attached to the animals to continue being objective.

Be it as it may, take the example of our Rusi.

He has now logged 20,000 plus dives with those Bulls - d'ya think he may have learned something about them, and that it may be worth listening to what he's got to say? Or to Cristina? Or for the matter, to Jimmy?

So what about those interactions.

What we and from many many conversations, our peers have learned, is that everything is situation specific. One thing we all agree upon, is that especially when it comes to those large, long lived carnivorous species, any two Sharks are as different as any two people. At least on those regular baited dives where many of the regular Sharks appear to be highly conditioned and tolerant of the presence of divers, there are clearly individuals that seek personal interactions whereas others clearly want their space all the way to retaliating against people that are too pushy.
Obviously much of that behavior is mediated by the bait - but there are occasions where getting fed does not appear to be the primary motivator and where we then inevitably resort to the dreaded anthropomorphizing by defining the Sharks as being  friendly, or cheeky, or sneaky, or cute. Pathetically unscientific I know - but nevertheless, something is going on, and the fact that it hasn't yet been described scientifically does in no way detract from the fact that it exists, that it is noteworthy and that it warrants further investigation!

So, which interactions are acceptable and which not?

The way I see it (and granted this is highly subjective) it really depends on the actual situation but also on the motivation of those people, see e.g. here where I also state that what may be OK today may well become obsolete in the future. Assuming the Shark does not get injured (and it rarely does), it really boils down to an ethical debate - and there, sensibilities and opinions will inevitable differ.
But before anybody thinks that I generally welcome those interactions - I generally do NOT! Sharks are no pets and the ocean is no fucking petting zoo - and abusing them as underwater scooters is an abomination!
 

But instead of pontificating further, how about some examples.
Everything except for the science pics fulfills the definition of wildlife harassment - but maybe in real life, things are not so unequivocal but instead, a tad more nuanced?

Yes it's legal, yes it's research, yes the Tigers are incredibly resilient - but that line choking the gills is wrong wrong wrong! Source. 
 

No it doesn't harm the Shark - but is this really conservation like asserted - or rather, pathetic self-promotion or just simply stupid? Source.
 

I got no problem with this - zero! From what I understand, the animals come in voluntarily, and even compete for Cristina's petting because it is quite obviously enjoyable to them. Source.
 

Totally against. This is the forced tonic I've ranted about here. Source.

I actually find this endearing. This is Rusi giving Monica, a Shark he has been working with for the past 10 years, a little pat after she popped by and hovered within inches from his face on yesterday's dive.
  

Any questions? Source.

No no no - but that was then and I'm quite sure that they would not do this now - so here's to evolution! Source.

The problem here is that I'm not even sure that this is Cristina. There are now too many copycats and what was once unique and thus amazing has been trivialized and is increasingly becoming nothing more than a gratuitous stunt. Source.

And how about this one from Bimini!

Are you deeply outraged as always?

You shouldn't be because this is Grant = one of the good guys, stopping a Hammer that is getting way too frisky as per one of his comments here - and whilst fulfilling the definition of wildlife harassment, it is nevertheless perfectly OK!
As I said, things are generally way more nuanced than at first glance!

Which brings me straight to the juicy bit - what about Eli?

Over the years, several regular commentators on this blog have seen it fit to unleash a barrage of expletives on the poor guy. Except for the racial slurs that are unacceptable and also stupid (= his family was there long before the white man took possession and then invented the immigrant), I've let those comments stand - but most of the time, I don't at all agree with them. Many of those commentators that hide behind aliases are pals of mine, meaning that I know that whilst some of them simply genuinely abhor any form of Shark wrangling, others have history and are settling old scores whereas others are engaging in good old fashionable and rather gratuitous Eli bashing (and comments!) without having the faintest idea about who Eli really is.

And I also know that they're all gonna crucify me for what follows!

The fact is that Eli Martinez is one of my pals.

I really do like the dude. He's a really nice, personable guy, he's an accomplished Shark diver, he deeply cares for the animals albeit obviously in his own way, he is really very good at what he does and finally, he really understands Shark behavior and I really enjoy some of his insights, as do my staff - meaning that in my book, he too is one of the good guys and that I do respect him!

Mind you, liking the person does not equate liking everything he does - quite the contrary! It's not like we correspond a lot - but when we do, we often debate like crazy! And I also will not shy away from criticizing him publicly for some of his most egregious stupidities!

Yes he's certainly a macho that likes his extreme Shark diving, yes he likes to showcase himself manhandling those Sharks, both of which I'm certainly no fan of - but that doesn't make him a bad person, that's just who he is! And contrary to all those hypocritical media whores, the cheats and the charlatans I frankly despise, he does not pretend to be anything he is not!

And what about the flipping of those Tigers?

Yes once again it's wildlife harassment - but it does not harm the Sharks that appear completely unfazed and sometimes come back for a second helping. But of course it got nothing whatsoever to do with what I would consider an authentic wildlife encounter. In essence, it's not unlike Cristina's vertical non-tonic: whereas years ago it may have been irritating but nevertheless also fascinating, now Eli's pals are increasingly trying to one-up and out-trick him (and e.g. here) meaning that what was once unique is now a rather gratuitous circus trick, to the point that TB is now the prime example of an iconic dive site that is completely going to shit because instead of having a common code of conduct, the craziest and most disrespectful inmates are running the asylum!

Do I like it - certainly not!

Do I hate Eli because of it - certainly not!

But I'm digressing as always - long story short?

It's great that a lot of people are passionate about Sharks and love to talk about them. And although I often gnash my teeth in utter frustration, I can also live with all the nonsense that is proffered by all those bloviating enthusiasts, the more as most of them don't claim to know it all but are merely voicing their opinions.
But I'm really tired tired tired of the rampant ultracrepidarianism (google it! :)) of all those self-professed whisperers and sharxperts that are making it their mission to educate the plebs!
Can we do better this year?

There, now I've said it.

So, friends, bring it on - may the public crucifixion begin!

PS - David's response here.
Disagree with some of it - fully agree with the part about the  riding and aggressive handling for fun!
PPS - Eli here!