Breaching Orca!

Source.

Cool - watch.
Story here.

Onward and Upward!

Click for detail!

 

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 *, Michelle aka 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!

And then there were Elena and Daniel.

Remember?

Looks like our wish is about to come true!

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!

 

Tiger Shark Movements at Tiger Beach - Paper!

You can visit the iconic Tiger Beach with GSD members Jim Abernethy Scuba Adventures and Epic Diving.

Good one!

Read this.

If I understand it correctly, it appears that the effects of provisioning at Tiger Beach are, if at all, minimal insofar as the Shark diving schedules appear to have an only negligible influence on overall Tiger Shark movements, and as the large majority of individual Sharks did leave for their annual migrations as already described many years ago.

And the four homebodies?

Maybe they just like it there, maybe they're in love with Jimmy or Eli, maybe they're just lazy or maybe that's just the "right" amount of Tigers in that area, who knows - plus, as our own research has shown, residency may be completely different in another year!

Long story short?

This is once again evidence that Shark tourism in general and Shark provisioning in  particular appear unproblematic at the ecosystem level whereas at finer scales, effects are, if at all, clearly sub-lethal. Granted it's merely a data point - but the evidence is certainly mounting!

And our increasingly irritating detractors? Like I never cease to repeat, come up with some fucking evidence or shut the fuck up! 

But I'm digressing as usual.

Enjoy Neil et al's interesting paper!

 

GWS off Jupiter!

Another lucky sighting in Florida - Source

Watch.

Awesome.

Certainly much smaller than the reported 18 to 20 feet - but what a great encounter and also, great comment by Stacey.

Story here.

Tiger Sharks in the Galapagos - Paper!

Cool!

Check this out.

I must say that having gone there several times and never having heard anybody mentioning them, I was totally surprised when reading about the occurrence of Tiger Sharks in the archipelago - but then again, considering the numerous (possibly distinct) Green Turtles and their nesting beaches, it makes total sense! 

May this be a rather recent phenomenon like in Cocos where there however were previous reported sightings by Hans Hass and Zane Grey? Considering the tracks, quite possibly - but then again, who knows!

The findings?

Much in line with what has been reported by Adam and Richard in Raine Island = that most Tigers would remain in the vicinity of the Turtle nesting site but that some would roam further. The way I read this, this once again confirms that those Tiger Shark migrations remain highly complicated and mediated by environmental factors - which of course begs the question, what is the influence of the ENSO = there is definitely a need for longer term monitoring studies.

Anyway, very interesting indeed!

Enjoy the paper!

PS - turns out that I've really not been paying attention!
 

GWS vs Seal!

Source.

Not a good day to be a Seal!

And not a good day and place for bathing and surfing, either - remember, and here?

Story here.

Eli - Livin' La Vida Loca!

Watch.

Thanks buddy.

Come back anytime - and make sure to bring back the Fairy!

Number One!

Click for detail!
 

Quick quick!

Check this out before somebody will undoubtedly go and spoil it!

A big Vinaka Vakalevu to all the reviewers!
 

Beautiful and Peaceful!

And I cite,

Desmond Ng I knew so little about sharks before I came here... they are beautiful and peaceful creatures :)

And THAT is why we do it.

The Tooth Fairy!

Behold!

The Waterbug is going places - literally!

Eli and Maritza are taking her on a two month family road trip, and one of the stops has been at Shark Reef where a big Fiji Bull Shark has given her a present. So after the BAD boyz and gals, several BAD family members and one BAD Viking, we now got ourselves a BAD Tooth Fairy - and our youngest, and most endearing Shark diver, ever!

So welcome aboard Sophia.

Can't wait to see where this is leading!

Spearo vs Galapagos Sharks!

Watch.

Pretty darn stupid if you ask me.
This is exactly why those guys continue to get bitten = better to just let the Sharks have the Fish and go catch another one.
Story here - H/T Daniel.

River of Eden!

Source.

Awesome!

Just found this now.

Story here - enjoy!

GHH vs Blacktips: Cool Shit!

Great stuff!

Yes it is missing the holy grail = a successful predation - but knowing MPO's legendary determination, it's only gonna be a matter of time til he's got that one in the can as well.

 

To be continued no doubt.

Enjoy!

And here's another real nice one!

Croc vs Shark!

And they eat Sawfish, too! Source.

Watch.

That sure is one unlucky Shark!

Story here.