Blog about "The World's best Shark Dive" by Beqa Adventure Divers.
Featuring up to eight regular species of Sharks and over 400 different species of fish, Shark diving doesn't get any better!
Specifically, I like seeing the confirmation of the previous hypothesis that the Rewa may be a nursery for Scalloped Hammerheads; what I hate is the likely massive post-release mortality, the fact that those Sharks are currently stillbeing obliterated by the local fishermen, and several highly disturbing ethical aspects concerning the authors and other involved persons that need not be divulged here.
According to this piece, the new Environmental Law of French Polynesia is targeting both Elasmobranch feeding and Whale watching, see page 2416ff. The law has been published without any proper scientific backing and zero consultations with the concerned stakeholders, and the operators are said to be in a state of shock. Both activities have been a mainstay of French Polynesia's tourism industry for many decades, and in the case of Shark diving both in baited and unbaited conditions, many constant refinements that have taken place of the years make this one of the most sustainable, exhilarating and safe such activities anywhere.
The rules are still to be translated into specific regulations.
So here's to cooler heads prevailing, and that this will merely result in better management and supervision, which is probably a good thing - this NOT because of the infamous Tiger Shark dives at the Vallée Blanche that are actually extremely well conducted and very safe indeed, but because of the many unregulated snorkeling tours with Reefies and Stingrays in baited conditions, see e.g. here that are definitely a cause for concern.
So I remain hopeful - for now!
French Polynesia is awash with excellent Shark researchers who have collected a plethora of data and can easily inform the authorities. Right now as a friend remarks c'est bien n'importe
quoi- and one can most certainly do better.
To be continued no doubt - keep watching this space!
This is way, way early - but then again, this has been a very warm year likely leading to strong fetal development and a very early pupping season, too! To wit, Fold, Tip and Bum are already back from the nurseries all gaunt and ravenous, and busy bulking up after more than a month of fasting!
Indeed, fucking image of the day no less - click for detail!
And of course, it's once again the fucking Sea Escape and the bloody Ramsey chick along with her demented circular echo chamber of self-promoting #Instagram sharkettes.
For years now, those bloody attention-seeking disrespectful morons have been brazenly breaking the rules at Guadalupe and adding insult to injury by publicly flaunting their idiotic feats on social media. And let there be no doubt that starting with the name of the head Shark molester, it's nothing but one big calculated scam, a continuous celebration of gratuitous vanity and a succession of vacuous platitudes where the animals are merely being abused as props and conduits to perceived fame and money.
Seriously, what a fucking disgrace - the perpetrators and those who applaud them!
And the fucking authorities?
Is it really true that they are too corrupt, or too cowardly to finally enforce their own rules, and to finally cancel the license of the operator and finally ban those people?
You will be witnessing some of the most iconic species whilst being serviced by one of the most professional, most luxurious and safest operators in the industry, GSD member Nautilus Liveaboards.
So after all that has happened - the cage breaches, the injured animals, the idiotic and illegal out-of-cage expeditions, the countless meetings and debates and then finally, the several revisions of the rules, and all those other efforts to finally steer the cage diving industry in Guadalupe towards a more long-term sustainable future,
How can the Islander in any way endorse those images of the chick repeatedly breaking the rules by completely leaning out of the cage?
And why was she allowed to handle the bait?
And assuming that the latina at the end, with the SEMARNAT and CONANP shirt is an observer: WTF was she doing whilst that stupidity was enfolding - maybe having an extended siesta? Honi qui mal y pense - right?
Anyway.
I'm quite confident that now that I'm posting this, somebody will take notice. :)
Now I discover that Palau is planning to build an offshore fleet in order to fish for Tuna and other pelagics within 20% of its EEZ - and that is a good thing, and this not only economically but also ecologically!
With the Pacific Islands running out of Fish due to a combination of rampant overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change (read it - this is truly frightening shit!), reducing the consumption of coastal Fish in favor of pelagic species becomes increasingly important - and this by both locals and visitors.
Yes YOU, with all your new age garbage, your breathy noise and your misguided pseudo-conservation: this has happened on your watch, and I am laying it squarely at your feet.
Assuming I understand it correctly, it illustrates how Grey and Blacktip Reefies segregate spatially and are thus able to partition their habitat and consequently, its resources = prey.
Whereas I've always believed that the Greys would always outcompete the Blacktips based on size and aggression, the paper conclusively illustrates how the segregation is based on the the fact that each species derives a competitive advantage by being better adapted to specific spatial niches, i.e. the forereef for the Greys and the backreef and lagoon for the Blacktips - incidentally, much like is being illustrated at Shark Reef!
Once again, I'm impressed by the scope and the rigor.
Well done Yannis and Co - and impressive lineup, too! :)
I'm sure this may surprise you - but I kinda like this?
There's a website with some info, some of which quite good - but some probably not so much, as in the whole treatment of (Batesian?) mimicry in general and eye spots in particular, as the scientific interpretation of the latter is at best inconclusive.
But of course we all know that those predatory Sharks are highly opportunistic, and that when they try to sneak up on us, they will generally veer away once we look at them - so the analogy to those Tiger deterrent masks from the Sundarbans may actually be quite fitting!
Any caveats? Most certainly!
First and foremost, I wonder whether the likely target species, i.e. the archetypal GWS attacking a surfboard would even properly discern those eyes = assuming that it would be attacking from below and thus aim for a silhouette, the underside of the surfboard with those eyes would likely be too dark? Any way of having those eyes glow?
Secondly, like in all those cases, caveathabituation whereby even those Bangladeshi Tigers did apparently stop being fooled after a while?
And lastly (but this is by far not exhaustive!), here's to those surfers refraining from feeling bite-proof and negating the benefits of the deterrent by engaging in riskier behavior!
Plus, were it me, I would a) not buy a decal but paint my own eyes onto my board instead, and b) they would be much bigger as I would position them lengthwise!
But, I generally like it!
It is non-invasive, cheap and certainly plausible, as are those mask straps - the latter certainly not for Shark nerds like us, but maybe for other water users like abalone divers etc.
So godspeed and all.
I obviously doubt that there will ever be (and here!) any conclusive science - but it is surely worth a try!
It illustrates how Reef Sharks influence the behavior of seaweed grazers and consequently, consistently influence the size and distribution of seaweed on the back reef of Votua, i.e. right in front of the iconic Eco Café, home of Fiji's very best wood-fired pizza, friendliest service and most beautiful smiles.
I must really say that this is science at its best, with observations leading to questions and then a proper hypothesis that is being rigorously tested, exactly as it should be. What I also like, is that the authors refrain from unduly exaggerating and generalizing the role (and trophic ranking!) of Reef Sharks but instead attribute the cascading effects to the specific situation alone - again exactly as it should be.
Required reading - story here, nice synopsis here.
Latest since that paper, I knew that those GTs are totally badass - but seeing this, along with the unbelievably spectacular footage and the awesome editing simply leaves me in total awe!
And yes this would obviously be the BBC - who else!
Turns out that that small male (!) Maskray at 6:37ff in the first video may well be a species of interest!
I've now spent the better part of the day conversing with prominent Elasmo taxonomists - and the consensus is that this may be something akin to, but quite possibly different from the recently described N. trigonoides (and here) in the Neotrygon species complex.
With that in mind, should you have any pics or video of Bluespotted Maskrays from Fiji, please do forward them to the excellent people of Shark Search Indopacific.
Thank you!
Christian is an accomplished video and photo pro who can modify an image in any way he pleases - but having witnessed this specific dive and his photo rig, my vote goes for this being the real thing!
Anyway, very nice!
And the mentioned research?
It's got to do with this, and with how those findings relate to our own activities at Shark Reef. I said back then that we would investigate - and we are!
To wit, Juerg and Charlie's latest little publication about our serial observations of Mrs. Jaws: maybe a bit lean for a conventional scientific publication but certainly interesting - or not?
And there are also videos!
Methinks this one where she was swimming around with a fishing popper lure is when the whole fiasco with the chronic infection really started to get serious - and this recent one with the grotesquely deformed jaw breaks my heart whenever I see it, as it really bodes ill for her faculty to feed successfully. Here's to me being mistaken - but we haven't seen her in a while and I'm frankly not very hopeful alas!
Aber Katja ist weder Taucherin noch Biologin, und da haben sich halt doch ein paar Fehler eingeschlichen. Das beschriebene Angriffsverhalten, die Angriffs-Statistiken und Jaws beziehen sich auf Weisse Haie und nicht Bullenhaie; die Europäische Flotte im Südpazifik ist winzig = so um die 5 Boote, die stark reguliert und sicherlich mitnichten das Hauptproblem sind; und unser Staatshaushalt beträgt über 2 Milliarden, da sind die 15 Millionen in Steuern vergleichsweise irrilevant - leider!
He is disturbing a predation event, and this is agonistic behavior = the Tiger is likely seeing him as a potential competitor and clearly telling him to piss off.
Amazing defensive behavior by the Turtle, too! :)
Now, some Bull Sharks (and possibly Tigers and OWTs?) appear to have attacked and killed a Humpback calf in Haapai, Tonga. Very interesting - and big kudos to the good folks at Whale Discoveries for their impassioned and respectful report.
Like every year, we have been invaded by a gaggle of Rolex scholars along with their indefatigable mer-mom Jayne - and like every year, we had a great time.
This Final Amendment updates Atlantic HMS essential fish habitat (EFH) based on new scientific evidence or other information and following the EFH delineation methodology established in Amendment 1 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP (Amendment 1); updates and considers new habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs) for Atlantic HMS based on new information, as warranted; .... In addition to identifying EFH, NMFS or Regional Fishery Management Councils may designate HAPCs where appropriate. The purpose of a HAPC is to focus conservation efforts on localized areas within EFH that are vulnerable to degradation or are especially important ecologically for managed species.
EFH regulatory guidelines encourage the Regional Fishery Management Councils and NMFS to identify HAPCs based on one or more of the following considerations (§ 600.815(a)(8)):
The importance of the ecological function provided by the habitat;
the extent to which the habitat is sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation;
whether, and to what extent, development activities are, or will be, stressing the habitat type;
and/or,
the rarity of the habitat type.
....
Amendment 10 creates (a) new HAPC for juvenile and adult lemon sharks off southeastern Florida between Cape Canaveral and Jupiter inlet. The new HAPC for juvenile and adult lemon sharks is based upon tagging studies and public comments received that expressed concern about protection of habitat in locations where aggregations of lemon sharks are known to occur. ..... Dated: September 1, 2017. Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service.
Whereas the clamoring by the troglodytes and the shark girl has achieved nothing other than pissing off the fishing lobby and the authorities, and has led to the introduction of a Federal Shark diving ban by the Florida Senators as a consequence, other people have been quietly looking for a solution - not for camera or applause or perceived fame but only for the sake of the animals.
This may well be that solution.
The Lemon Shark aggregation happens mostly within protected State waters but extends to unprotected Federal waters, and this designation as habitat area of particular concerncan now hopefully lead to a temporary fishing ban during the aggregation season from December to April - along with hopefully, less disturbance by pesky divers!
I say, not too bad = a big improvement over last time!
Yes it's once again one of those papers where the academic intelligentsia is meddling and wants to tell us what to do - but when put into context like they have done here, those recommendations do make much more sense. And it's obviously nice that they mention the SRMR, and they also do get extra points for mentioning Rick's SSD!
And the whole mumbo jumbo about the need for regulation?
When it comes to Shark diving, it remains highly irritating - but I'm really not gonna waste my time and try to reformulate what I've said here, so please go and read it there = far from being the rule, regulation all the way to bans (!) is only opportune at a very last resort, i.e. only once common sense, voluntary codes of conduct and self regulation have utterly failed!
And yes, Florida troglodytes, I'm totally looking at you!
Oh and.
Considering the current rampant biodiversity loss within all non-managed ecosystems, I personally find the reference to moral, ethical, and philosophical questions
about the commodification of nature naive and highly disturbing - and I can certainly leave it at that!
The good news?
This fad appears to be petering out and from what I can discern, this is very likely one of the last papers on the subject - thankfully!
On top of his photography, he has started to film and if I'm not mistaken, this is one of his very first little edits. Great to see Papa in what may well be his very last interview before retirement.
Yes we got no Wobbegongs but we most certainly got Hammers, and did have a GHH join the feed, albeit only once - and judging by Grim's track, a visit by a GWS is definitely a possibility!
Following last year's cage breaches (again, BRAVO Katie Yonker!) at Guadalupe, CONANP have tightened the rules and re-designed the cages - details here. And it gets even better: at least for now, it appears that the rules (English here) are finally being enforced!
Case in point, the troglodytes are furious, see at top.
Like I said back then, they are but a tiny obnoxious minority that appears to have severely overstayed their welcome, and we can all only hope that this will motivate them to finally fuck off.
Will the authorities finally clamp down on the fake out-of-cage science by the likes of Ramsey and Winram, ban the people on the black list and fine, and scrap the operating licenses of the enablers?
As always we shall see.
There are now official observers on the vessels, and the transgressions are becoming increasingly difficult - so here's to a stellar season: with real ecotourism, zero cage breaches, zero shenanigans and zero Guadalupe Shark porn on Discovery!
Yes I know I know.
But hope, as they say, springs eternal!
With provisioning occurring 3–4 times per week at the
SRMR and focal individuals consuming an average of ~0.74
heads per provisioning day, we estimate that
these sharks consume ~2.6 provisioned tuna heads per week,
which is similar to our estimate of food required to meet
their weekly energy budget (2.3 heads per week). As such, it
appears that our focal sharks may be fuelling their energy
requirements exclusively from provisioning. However, considering
that encounter rates vary widely among individuals
and between months and that electronic tracking data show
that individuals intermittently leave the area for a few consecutive
days, weeks to months throughout the year before
returning to the feeding site (Brunnschweiler et al., 2010;
Brunnschweiler & Barnett, 2013), at the most this may only
be the case for some individuals at certain times of the year
(e.g. at the beginning of a calendar year). .... The foremost limitation to this study is that data and
inferences are based on 10 individuals observed on 36 days. These 10 individuals may be bolder than other bull sharks
encountered at the SRMR and thus predisposed to take food
and, hence, the patterns found for these individuals may not
reflect all the bull sharks in the area. Given the variable
number of sharks at feeding events and days individuals are
absent from feeding events (Brunnschweiler & Baensch,
2011; Brunnschweiler & Barnett, 2013), further work is
needed to determine the importance of tuna heads compared
with natural prey in bull shark diets, for example, stable isotope
analysis.
So there you have it.
Very surprisingly indeed, those Tuna heads we feed are not at all rubbish but instead a valuable supplement that can help bulk up our Sharks when they come back all exhausted and emaciated after the pupping and birthing season - and I can fully confirm that we've seen many an individual Shark become chubby and happy again after only a few visits!
But what about the potential negative aspects?
Could we be overfeeding them, and could we be subtracting them from the regulatory role they got to play in the environment?
Likely not, as a) the feeding frequency is not uniform but highly individual and determined by individual dominance and/or boldness, b) our observations tell us that those same dominant Bulls do not simply gorge themselves but clearly stop feeding once they got enough and c) our Bull Sharks are not resident but only sporadic visitors whereby individual site fidelity and thus residency is by no means uniform let alone increasing but instead varies greatly from year to year - re-read this post and paper!
But that's obviously not hard evidence but (highly) educated guess.
Hence the suggestion that one examine the Bull Sharks' diet via e.g. stable isotope analysis - and without wanting to preempt anything, I can state with great confidence that you will need to keep watching this space! :)
Re-read this: the actual problem is not the provisioning per se but the disturbance of the Whitetips' diel rhythm, and not the fact that they are being fed but instead, the fact that they are not getting enough food and are incurring a metabolic loss as a consequence!
Incidentally, much like at those cage dives where in their collective wisdom, the regulators have decreed that the GWS must chase teaser baits without ever being fed - and even more so in e.g. Shark Alley where they are being lured into wasting heaps of energy on fruitless breaches so that the photographers can get their shots!
We've just bid Isa Lei to some most excellent people.
And I cite,
I really must make a plan to get out to Fiji!! Of course I would have to work on a scuba cert beforehand. :-)
Dive cert: easy, takes 4 days! How can u b a shark biologist and deprive yerself of the opportunity to witness behavior first hand! Tellya what: if u make it over here I’ll throw in the cert FOC – because I can!
A dive course included! Honestly, now I have no excuse not to come. Careful, I am one of those people who actually does take people up on their offers! I will have to take a look at my winter and see if I can get a few weeks in :-)
And she really is, and she really has - more than four years later!
I must say that I'm stoked as ever since those ignominious events back then in SA *, Michelleaka the infamous and very regretfully retired Megalobomb and I have been regular pen pals - and it was really high time that we finally meet in person.
Needless to say that it was very much worth the wait, and then some, as she is sharp and witty, and pretty, too, and generally a total pleasure to be with! She is now a newly minted Shark diver, and I have no doubt that this will have consequences - good ones for the Sharks and hopefully, renewed bad ones for the bullshitters, charlatans and media whores!
Anyway, can't wait to discover where her journey will lead her next - and yes, this is very much to be continued!
She has persevered, and after literally years of searching, it really looks like the intrepid duo may have found a location where to set up camp and create an integrated Shark diving, research and conservation business that is modeled after what we try to do here in Fiji. I'm obviously not at liberty of divulging any details quite yet - but it's gonna be brilliant so keep watching this space!
So godspeed my friends.
Here's to fair winds and following seas, and to many more epic Shark dives!
* Having checked (which I now bitterly regret), the bloody Facebook group is alive and kicking, and even worse than before: still with its complement of pompous bloviating Sesselfurzer and dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard, thankfully sans the lying SVS but with the addition of such luminaries like Collier, and a gaggle of fawning desperate housewives = Dunning Kruger meet Idiocracy meet the bloody Dolphinization!
Sigh - and lest you did wonder, all those years of pathetic chest thumping and verbal diarrhea have led to precisely zero new scientific insights, and to a grand total of zero Sharks being saved!
And so it goes!
