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!