GWS vs Humpback - Video!

Watch.

Pretty awesome ain't it.

Story here - enjoy!

Big GWS in Florida!

Source.

Awesome!
And what is even better: zero obnoxious Shark-grabbing bimbettes!

Story here - enjoy!

GWS Clans at the Neptune Islands - Paper!

Very interesting!

Check this out.

Press release here, stories e.g. here and here.

In brief and assuming I understand this correctly, those GWS don't turn up randomly but appear to favor (and hence possibly travel with) determined buddies and even form distinct groups that appear to persist for years. Nice to see Johann, Charlie and Andrew among the authors, and kudos to GSD member Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions for having enabled yet another stellar paper - and incidentally, congrats for the great new boat! 

And here in Fiji?

Remember Mike's totally speculative hypothesis?

That was obviously several years ago, and today we know quite a bit more. Specifically, we have learned that although our dive has minor local impacts, effects at the ecosystem level remain negligible as our Bulls continue to roam and do neither get conditioned to coming ever more frequently, let alone residing here or changing their migrations or mating cycles, etc; nor do they in any way become dependent on our handouts - tho I was certainly wrong when speculating about the nutritional value of the Tuna heads! But be it as it may, the restaurant analogy remains fully confirmed.

And the part about the Bulls likely being solitary?
I still believe that in the case of those large reef-dwelling Sharks, and barring any cooperative hunting for which we have zero evidence, evolution would have selected against traveling with, and thus having to compete and/or possibly even share meals with conspecifics.

But then again, who am I to say.

I can't divulge too much - but I can say that 10 years after that post, we are finally about to reveal some conclusive evidence!

Fiji Time anybody? You betcha! :)

So keep watching this space.

To be continued!

Gaping GWS - Video!

This Shark is spy hopping - but it sure looks like RAG is not at all rare in SA!

Watch.

And I cite.

Repetitive Aerial Gaping: A Thwart-Induced Behavior in White Sharks 
WESLEY R. STRONG JR., in Great White Sharks, 1996

Causation

Baits pulled away travelled horizontally, just beneath the surface until they came against the hull at which point the sharks generally turned away. In the vertical baiting configuration, however, the bait could be hoisted directly out of the water as a shark tried to seize it, moving it out of reach more quickly than a bait drawn horizontally. This distinction is important, because 11 of 15 (73%) RAG occurrences were elicited while using the vertical baiting technique, but the technique itself was employed less than 5% of the time.

In each case, RAG followed a series of failed attempts to seize a bait and was immediately preceded by an open-mouthed lunge and miss as a bait was withdrawn. Lack of contact with prey after the feeding MAP was initiated appears to play a role in triggering RAG, but does not solely explain its onset. One factor common to each observation of RAG was that a portion of the anterior buccal cavity was exposed to air before (i.e., during the surface lunge) and during its execution. While failure to obtain food while submerged may eventually evoke a similar response, we never observed an underwater bout of RAG during more than 135 hours of underwater observation. Thus, it appears that contact with air is required to initiate the response.

Now you know - also described e.g. herein, and here.

Story here.

You're welcome!

Cape Cod - Shark Attack Mitigation Alternatives!

And I cite - emphasis is mine.

Personal Shark Deterrents

A growing number of personal shark deterrent devices are commercially available. 
Some are intended to be worn while others are to be attached to surfboards or similar equipment . The deterrents fall into two main categories: electromagnetic (EM) devices and camouflage. 
The EM devices include active (battery powered) and passive (permanent magnet) types that are either worn or are attached to surfboards. Camouflaging patterns are either wearable (wet suits) or applied to surfboards (decals, paint).

EM shark deterrent devices are all based on the same general principal, but they are not equally effective. “Sort of works” versus “doesn’t work at all” are both real possibilities and independent evaluations and comparisons of EM devices that are superficially similar are important...

The evidence for the efficacy of camouflage, whether worn or applied to a surfboard, is limited and inconclusive. We note that claims for camouflage tend towards statements that the swimmer or surfer is less likely to be noticed by a curious shark that just happens to be swimming in the area. This as opposed to statements that the camouflage will prevent the attack of a shark that is actively hunting for a meal.

The existing research suggests that some of these devices may be somewhat effective some of the time....We would always keep in mind that none of these devices provide anywhere near 100% protection under any realistic circumstances.
Finally, from a large shark already on an attack trajectory, arguably none of these devices will provide any meaningful protection at all. 

Indeed.

In brief and with the exception of the Shark Shield some of the time, those Shark repellent gizmos and those ludicrous wetsuits etc are all bullshit, cold-hearted scams and profiteering by unscrupulous con artists - re-read this and this!

And did I just hear, Clever Buoy?

Of the shark detections reported by CB, only ~40% appeared to actually be sharks, while ~60% were other objects, most commonly the baited video stations, which were stationary, or schools of smaller fish, which were moving. Of particular note, when, according to the video record, sharks were present, CB accurately detected them only ~40% of the time and failed to detect them ~60% of the time.... 
Additionally, lifeguard divers swimming in the CB array to clean biofouling off the sonar transducers were continuously tracked and continuously identified throughout the dive as large sharks. Such misidentification might apply to swimmers or seals, clearing the water unnecessarily....

Unfortunately, the documented performance does not remotely approach the promise of the system.
This creates a danger that swimmers and surfers in the vicinity of a system will relax their vigilance and fail to consistently follow safe practices, assuming that this system is protecting them to a far greater extent than it does. It should also be recognized that, even if the system does provide an accurate warning, the shark is already very close to the beach...

Yeah totally not surprised!

And the list goes on and on and on - with the fake kelp being one of the better, albeit prohibitively expensive notable exceptions!
Maybe, sometimes, somewhere! :)

But look for yourselves.

This compendium by Woods Hole is the latest and greatest synopsis of possible Shark Attack mitigation measures, notabene with special emphasis on trying to minimize bites by the resurgent GWS' population on the US east Coast in general and Cape Cod in particular. I must say that I'm seriously impressed - with some notable omissions: where are the wooden spoon and the red broom?

Synopses e.g. here and here, great app here.

Anyway.

As Tashi Blue astutely observes, considering that there are next to no attacks there, it all seems much ado about very little indeed - especially when compared to say, Hawaii, where people get munched  orders of magnitude more frequently but where nobody seems to be unduly hyperventilating much.
That said, what please is  Swimming with sharks in Oʻahu, Haleʻiwa, approx 3 miles from shore?!?

Anyway, it was quite different in the past.

But of course the new attitude makes total sense.
Assuming one observes a modicum of common-sense precautions (and here - plus, don't jump on top of a hunting GWS! :) ), chances of becoming the victim of a Shark attack are really extremely small - and, if more water users get trained and carry some first aid gear, one's chances of survival are very high indeed. In fact, among the known causes of human mortality, I would not be able mention a single one that kills LESS people than Shark attacks!

But on the other side, life in general is certainly most deadly, and people entering the water must be willing to assume a modicum of risk, to wit.

No single alternative or suite of alternatives that can 100% guarantee the safety of individuals who choose to enter the water.

• Since no mitigation alternative can provide 100% safety, reducing the chances of unprovoked attacks on humans requires a strong commitment to education and outreach, which can result in the adoption of behaviors that may reduce the risk of an unprovoked shark-human interaction.


• If water activities are avoided, the risk of attack is effectively eliminated.


• If water activities are not avoided and best management practices and Shark Smart Behaviors are widely adopted, the risk of attack may be reduced, but not eliminated.


• All individuals choosing to engage in water activities should think carefully about the level of risk associated with their preferred activity, and be comfortable with that level of risk before choosing to enter the water.


• The decision to enter the water and assume the risk of shark-human interaction is made at the sole discretion of the individual. 

In diesem Sinne.

Enjoy the Ocean - responsibly!

PS - nice - and so true, too!
PPS - good reading!
  

Terrifying Moment?

Source.

Really?

What a load of horse manure!

It is about this encounter (and incidentally, it is 100% a GWS), and the Shark could not have been more peaceful, much as per Nina's original description here.

Shame on you Daily Mail!
 

GWS vs Kayak!

Watch - story here.

Scary as hell for sure - but getting those teeth in exchange is simply awesome!

Catching GWS in California!

Source.

Oh for crying out loud - watch.

Yup that would be a juvenile GWS.

White Sharks are protected in the USA in general and specifically, in California where this is happening, and one would think that this is unlawful and would warrant prosecution.

Regulations here.

Well, think again. 

Very much like what has been happening until recently in Florida, the authorities are apparently choosing to not intervene, or to drop the charges or levy ludicrous fines when they do - and the fishermen know that and continue to target and reel in the Sharks in quasi total impunity. 

Kudos to the indefatigable Mr. Bland for having meticulously researched the topic and published this excellent essay.

Anyway.

I say, it's time for some kicking of lazy bureaucrat asses - like in Florida!

Kim?
 

Surfer and GWS!

Please click for detail.

Wow - stories here and here.

GWS in Indonesia!

Awesome - and thank you Serena for the heads-up!

This happened today in Nusa Penida.

I hear it was in 22m and that there was a  13 degree thermocline - but who knows whether that is relevant.
But the cold water sure brings in the Mola Molas, see at top.

Anyway - enjoy!

GWS vs Spearo!

Behold!

This is scary shit.

Then again, the dude appears to be hanging on to some Fish, see 00:32 in the video here?

Anyway, glad he got away unscathed!
Enjoy!
 

GWS and Kelp - Video!

Click for detail.

Bingo - watch.

A while back, yours truly raised concerns about what I saw as questionable research supporting the asserted effectiveness of the infamous, kelp-bio-mimicking Shark Safe Barrier.

Well, so much for that - paper here.

I'm probably just just being my usual unscientific, badmouthing and party pooping ignoramus self - but if the original premise of the whole exercise in mimicking is essentially being shown to be a load of BS, then...?
But then again, when I read about wanting to deploy 5 rows, maybe that's irrelevant as the whole thing may ultimately just act as nothing more (but also nothing less!) than an effective physical barrier that contrary to the Shark nets and drumlines would however not be killing any sea life - and if so, it would be a good thing.

Anyway.

Considering the breathy (and liability-attracting!) claims of having a 100% success rate of keeping highly motivated sharks out, this is most definitely going to be continued.

Keep watching this space!

GWS Tussle - Video!

Likely a bite by another GWS - source. And yes, Bulls are WAY more peaceful - click for detail!

Very cool!
Story here - enjoy!

White Shark Nutrition and Cage Diving - Paper!

Well well.

Remember Kátya's stellar paper?

As a reminder, it showed that despite of being fed one ton of  highly nutritious Tuna heads every week, our Sharks showed only negligible nutritional impacts, i.e. a) no evidence of bait incorporation by our non-resident Bull Sharks, whereas b) for some of our much more resident Whitetip Reefies, the Tuna incorporation was a mere 8–22%.
Consequently, we surmised that both species are not being harmed but instead continue to fulfill their ecological role practically unchanged.

Now, check this out.

I'm obviously totally not surprised.

All global cage diving regulations stipulate that the Sharks can only be teased but not fed, which far from being "good" let alone "eco", actually appears to harm them as they incur a metabolic loss as a consequence - and if our highly fed Bulls show no bait incorporation, there was never any way that the tiny amount of Tuna pilfered by those GWS would have any effect at all!

And then there is this, and I cite,

The provisioning attracts a number of animals, including birds, teleosts and other chondrichthyans, some of which are potential white shark prey items (e.g. yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi, bronze whalers Carcharhinus brachyurus, and rays). However, the shark's unaltered diet negates concerns that large groups of teleosts, encouraged by the presence of bait and chum, create additional feeding opportunities around the cage-diving operators....

Additionally, dive operators and scientists have yet to witness attempted predation on any of the species attracted by the bait and chum, despite close proximity and apparent ease of capture (pers. com. A. Fox and A. Wright). This combination of observation and dietary biomarkers negates the hypotheses that provisioning creates additional or unnatural foraging opportunities for white sharks around cage-diving operations.

Bingo - this is totally our observation, too! 

Those prey items obviously know that the Sharks are there and remain highly vigilant - and having lost the element of surprise, those Sharks don't even bother trying.

And there you have it.

Well done Lauren and Charlie for having added another piece to the puzzle - and I may add, for once again exposing all those irritating unsubstantiated reservations by our detractors as being just that, and pretty much rubbish to boot! 

Anyway.

Let's go Shark diving - sustainably!

  

Fur Seals vs. Great White Sharks!

Source.

Wow - watch.

White Sharks vs Sevengills - Paper!

First image of Sevengills on this blog = as always, great pic by Peter! Source.

Just in case you've missed it.
Watch.

I must say that I really like it.

Obviously, correlation is not causation so we'll never know 100% - but as somebody who has been equally documenting long-term changes in abundance that are likely partially due to competitive exclusion, I can only applaud the authors for advancing an astute and I believe highly plausible hypothesis.

But go see for yourselves.

Paper here, synopses here and e.g. here.

Enjoy!

Ramsey: Shit Show in Hawaii!

Source.

Oh well.

I'm sure you've seen the news.

Three very large and very rotund female GWS were seen feasting on a dead Sperm Whale floating off Oahu.

This could have been such an inspiring moment.

• One could have marveled at the exceptional serendipity of witnessing such a rare and wonderful natural event, as per the beautiful and respectful description of who experienced the first mesmerizing encounter.


• One could have mentioned Michael and Nicole's seminal paper about the life cycle of the NE Pacific GWS population, and speculated whether those females may be actually pregnant (not a given!) and bulking up in the SOFA and beyond like described therein, or whether they may just be very chubby after gorging on whale meat.


• One could have marveled at the fact that not one but three such large females have made it to Hawaii and speculated about the possible reasons (Climate Change? El Niño? Just happenstance? An outbreak of Wanderlust?), and could have tried to identify them based on Nicole's Guadalupe ID Guide (= that Shark with Ramsey is not Deep Blue). 


• One could have reminisced about this small paper about very large GWS scavenging on whales, and wondered whether the placid disposition of those Sharks may have been an indicator for postprandial torpor.


• One could have mentioned all the scientific questions that still remain unanswered.


• One could have even wondered about the wisdom, or lack of, of dive operators throwing in all those unprotected snorkelers atop large scavenging Sharks, and this in open ocean - and about the uncritical willingness of those punters to be thusly thrown, see further below!


• Hell, one could have gone so far to engage in idle speculation about why those mamas did not chomp on the aforementioned punters! The torpor and/or energy preservation, coupled with a far easier, better smelling and way juicer meal nearby? An already nicely filled belly? No search image for humans as prey? Too much commotion? No attack on alert prey by what is essentially an ambush predator?  Pervaded by the Aloha Spirit?

Not gonna happen, alas.

Like she has obviously intended, the token disrespectful self-promoting bimbette and her selfish shit show have sucked all the oxygen out of the room.
But thankfully and likely not as intended, the reactions by the public are overwhelmingly negative - and have you seen how now she is squirming and obfuscating trying to justify her feat?
Girl, dozens upon dozens of people have far more experience with Sharks, have done far more for them, and yet never put themselves in the foreground!
 

But first, watch.

Source.

I mean, seriously, what a fucking fiasco!

No don't worry, I'm not gonna unleash.

I'd rather defer to others who are way more intelligent and have spoken up much more clearly and politely than I ever could, to wit Michael Domeier's post about the total hypocrisy of "Ocean" Ramsey. 

Indeed, see any resemblance whatsoever between Ramsey's sanctimonious description and her frantic barging in ahead of everybody else and harassing the Shark in the above video?

You may also want to read and above all, understand this post about the likely consequences of that selfish shit. But Oliphant will do every I can to make it happen again! 

Obviou$ly!

And the fucking, old and tired Raising Awareness, yada yada?

Michael and David are absolutely correct: this is nothing but a serial Shark molester harassing a Shark (watch - did anybody say 6 meters? Hmmmm....), and this solely to pose for image$!
But you sure gotta love the praise by the hypocritical King of Shark Porn for the hypocritical Queen of Shark Molesting - legendary shark conservationist my ass!
And poor Riley STILL just doesn't get it!

Anyway.

It's same old same old - really hardly worth a mention were it not for those poor naive fans and followers who are being conned by the slick media and all those insufferable platitudes, and continue to admire all those hypocritical media whores and their disrespectful feats.

So, people, THINK - especially you researchers and operators who continue to associate with, and even defend those folks despite of all the evidence!

In diesem Sinne - let's go Shark diving!
Respectfully!

Comments Policy: please post your comments here and not on FB. 

FYI this is not a chatroom, comments are being monitored and I reserve the right to publish, or to delete whatever I please - and no, this got nothing to do with freedom of speech and everything to do with Dunning-Kruger!

My blog my rules! :)

PS - Indeed (and here).. and this is just sad....

PPS - Martin here!

PPPS - well yes maybe - but then again, coming after a decade of  very public Shark harassment, it sounds hollow; the more as the punters that are so obviously clue- and reckless may be taking those risks precisely because of all the publicity, and glorification of her feats, and the public belittling of the associated dangers!

PPPPS - Patric here. Well said, Sir - eloquent and totally on point as always!
And I cite, The same stunt with bears, wolves, tigers and gorillas would land you in jail, if done with the exact same shark at Guadalupe Island you would be fined and jailed. 

PPPPPS - Well said Danny! :)

PPPPPPS - great post by Michelle here - torpor included! :)

PPPPPPPS - Indeed!

PPPPPPPPS - more hypocritical rubbish by the King of Shark Porn. Well, maybe there would not be such a need to change perspectives and creating massive global awareness had you not been so successful in creating the media that demonize Sharks in the first place, to wit e.g. this horrible piece of horse manure you produced!

PPPPPPPPPS - sweet, we got ourselves a tussle among Shark bimbettes! How quaint! I swim with them for pure enjoyment = not for camera? Right, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....

PPPPPPPPPPS - and we got ourselves yet another beauty! Yay! This would be one of Mauricio's illegal out-of cage freedivers  scientific collaborators (case in point!) disparaging another - by posting a pic of the illegal irresponsible and selfish behavior that certain individuals have been promoting as conservation science for years... Again, how quaint!

PPPPPPPPPPPS - more by Michael here and here!

PPPPPPPPPPPPS  - And for god's sake, whether you believe Lemuria is modern day Hawaii or not, leave the poor dolphins alone! Figure out how to talk to them from the shore or something. Hahahahahahahahaha!

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPS - the bloody Whale carcass has drifted back onshore - and hopefully stays there!

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPS - and we got ourselves one more visitor - which begs the question, what is going on: is this exceptional or is it the norm, and we are just finding out about it now? 

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPS - The question is, how can we interact with animals and leave their habitat better than we found it? This is why shark diving and shark tourism in marine protected sanctuaries (where fees collected by dive operators and government go towards habitat preservation) are an inspiring alternative. Hear hear!

Elusive White Sharks - Paper!

Still one of the very best: iconic image by Terry Goss - click for detail. Source.

Great stuff!

If you're into GWS, this is a must read.

Great job by Charlie in getting feedback from the quasi-totality of GWS researchers, which sure makes for an interesting assortment of names; great questions that  obviously also pertain, mutatis mutandis, to other Shark species;  and last but not least, great bibliography for further reading!

So well done folks, and thank you!

 

Enjoy!

Pesky GWS - Video!

Great stuff!

Methinks this was both intentional and agonistic (as opposed to predatory) - but that's obviously merely my opinion and we'll never know for sure.

Anyway, enjoy - story here.

GWS vs Seal!

Not a good day to be a Seal!
Story here.

This is one of the wildest things I’ve ever filmed!!! White shark eats a seal 500 feet off the coast of Nauset Beach in Orleans, Massachusetts. Watch to the end to see the blood and the seal cut clean in half. #nationalsharkawarenessday #natgeowild — PRESS INQUIRIES/LICENSING please email chris@cpalermo.com.

A post shared by Chris Palermo (@chris.palermo) on Jul 13, 2018 at 6:21am PDT