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!

 

Marine Dynamics joins GSD!

Source.

Behold!

Funny how this has come about.

GSD membership is usually bestowed by invitation, and I happen to be MD's patron - and I can tell you that what really did pique my initial interest in the company has been Michelle's gleeful deconstructing of all those moronic opines posted on that GWS Facebook page during the South African OCEARCH fiasco!

But of course I've since done my due diligence, and the overwhelming majority of the opinions by people I respect agree that this is quite probably the only South African GWS operator that truly walks the talk and that fully matches our three guiding principles of safety, research and conservation - and this in spades!

For the mossbacks among you - this is André's original company.

Via the Dyer Island Conservation Trust he has founded, Wilfred has since turned it into an integrated tourism and research facility, much like BAD. Should you want to know more about the pleathora of rather stellar initiatives they are involved in, please consult MD's website, maybe best starting with this page.

Very impressive indeed!

Anyway, a big welcome aboard!

And it's obviously not over yet - next stop Micronesia! :)

Michelle!

Well, NOW we're talking!

This is as good as it gets.

We've been big fans of Michelle ever since noticing her gleeful deconstructing of the dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard, and I can only commend the Gills Club for having added her to the lineup of Shark Heroes.

Well done!

Spatial Behavior in Elasmobranchs - Papers!

OCEARCH tracks in SA - so far, highly ambiguous!

Interesting!

I've been remiss in not posting about several new papers.

This one by, among others, (the proudly left-brained, and obstinate) Michelle Wcisel, describes the movements of GWS in the Dyer Island and Geyser Rock system near Gansbaai and observes that they differ substantially from the GWS movements in Mossel Bay. As a possible explanation, it observes that the former Sharks are largely sub-adult to adult (= seasonal hunters of Mammals ) whereas the Mossel Bay Sharks are predominantly juveniles that feed predominantly on bony Fishes and Cephalopods.

Offical synopsis and great infographic here.

This one examines the abundance and sexual composition of GWS in Gansbaai in relation to the season and ENSO, and comes to the conclusion that females appear to favor warmer water whereas males do the opposite, possibly owing to competitive exclusion by the larger female conspecifics.

And this one by, among others, Tiger Shark supremo Yannis Papastamatiou describes the movement patterns of Reef Mantas at Palmyra Atoll with its two immediately adjacent lagoons. Whereas most Mantas in one lagoon alternate between lagoonal and offshore habitats, those in the other lagoon appear to be much more resident, possibly owing to the different hydrology and/or capacity of the lagoons to provide for adequate nourishment.

And the take-away message of it all?

What once again strikes me in all those papers, is how behavior is being mediated by the environment (= climate, geography, habitat but also occurrence and/or migration of prey etc) but also by factors like gender, age and of course, individuality - and this all within one and the same species!

And if Michelle and Yannis can show significant variance across the smallest of geographical areas, and this within one single population - isn't it only logical to expect even bigger differences between distinct populations that are completely separated both genetically and geographically?

Definitely a big yes for Tiger Sharks - and the GWS?

Even discounting the Fischer factor, it seems to me that all those many comments about those tagged GWS are tacitly assuming that all GWS must necessarily follow a life cycle that is analogous, if not identical to what has been documented by Domeier for the Guadalupe population.

But with the above in mind, is that even plausible?

Take the Atlantic.

Its hydrology (think: Gulf Stream), climate and fauna are very different from that of the Eastern Pacific. Other large Sharks like Great Hammers and Tigers have been shown to migrate smack into the middle of the Atlantic, quite possibly following prey - so why not some of those GWS. Other, possibly younger GWS could be following the Bluefin into the Gulf. Consequently, the overall picture is much more ambiguous - incidentally, much like in South Africa with its ENSO-mediated interplay between the Benguela and the Agulhas!

Australia?

There are two genetically distinct GWS populations that both migrate to the Neptunes where they intermingle as they prey on Pinnipeds - meaning that barring the discovery of some highly sophisticated reproductive isolation mechanism, one would have to assume that they mate completely elsewhere. And if so, this would be very different from what is being postulated for Lupe where the Pinniped colony appears to act as a focal point for mating!

Or the Mediterannean GWS.
Much more restricted habitat and quasi absence of Pinnipeds owing to the extirpation of the Monk Seal - surely this must have big effects on both their diet and migration!

Long story short?

We should really refrain from resorting to those very broad generalizations when describing the behavior of those different Sharks. Instead, let's stick to the evidence that keeps reminding us that things are complicated!

Agree?

Gansbaaii Research - Video!

Dolphinization eat your heart out! Yes this would be a Bunnyshark....

Great stuff!

But first.

Looks like I've offended the Megalobomb! Deeply no less!

Well, girl, live with it - in case you've forgotten, yours and mine are Shark blogs, sharp teeth an all!
If your quest is for universal peace and harmony, you may want to consider blogging about origami which is undoubtedly more cathartic and orders of magnitude less suicidal!

Or, how about joining the movement for the unicornification of Sharks, see at top!

Anyway.

Whilst the bloody infographic is yet to be fixed, this is really good - and I may add, this very much despite having been written and directed by Ed Edwards, broken soul, dementia and all!

Must be the therapeutic effects of sucking on condoms!

But I'm digressing as always.

Enjoy!

Dyer Island Conservation Trust - brilliant Outreach!

Check out this short documentary!

Great job!

I've been quite a fan of Michelle Wcisel and by extension, of the DICT and Marine Dynamics ever since discovering her comments on that moronic GWS FB page where she took it onto herself to gleefully and charmingly deconstruct the brain dead musings of the bunch of dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard and of the dottor dala Pavesi.

But I'm digressing as usual.
This is as good as it gets and I invite you to take the time and really have a look at the brilliant work by the DICT, and to peruse her GW blog there. Incidentally, one post links to the infamous Ocearch tracker page and although I remain concerned about publishing those tracks, I must say that I'm never the less quite impressed by the technical aspects.
And the plug for Volkswagen? I say, good on them for having landed a corporate sponsor away from the usual NGO funding sources!

My only grievance?
No teeth, blood and gore and above all, no bikini bimbettes!
Shocking!

Very much looking forward to many more such productions as announced here!
Kudos!

GWS Diving - Infographic!

Still my favorite Shark cage pic! Source.

Just got the following.

Dear DaShark

Shark Cage Diving is fast becoming the number one Extreme Travel Adventure and most talked about outdoor experience, and South Africa the best place to do it.
As a result, Marine Dynamics would like to share this awesome Infographic ‘The Great White Shark Cage Diving Hotspots of the world’ as well as a once in a life time opportunity. The infographic shows the few places in the world where people can safely shark cage dive with great whites. It includes a competition with a prize to the value of R25 000 (US$ 3400) and the possibility to enjoy a ‘Luxury Shark Cage Diving Adventure’ in sunny South Africa.
And-so-on-and-so-forth...

It's obviously a marketing gig for Marine Dynamics.
Now, were I to go GW cage diving, I'd go to Lupe - this because of the viz, because of the cool cages all the way to the SPSC and because I got friends operating there. But I'm posting this anyway, because the graphic is cool, because MD supports the excellent Dyer Island Conservation Trust but above all, because MD employs Michelle Wcisel who has impressed me by taking on the dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard!

You can click on the graphic to view the animated version.
Enjoy!

South Africa - Great White Research and other Stuff!

No this time I'm not going to rant.
But I could!

I could rant about some disgruntled GW cage operators.
I could state that they didn't quite have the guts to openly take on Mr. Fischer & Mr. Boyd and that they have instead enlisted the help of some local Kraut who has quickly morphed into a monster, true to the meaning that Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim. I could also speculate that apart from having the usual inflated opinion of self, the guy may suffer from a medical condition called, obviously only in German, Querulantenwahn.

Be it as it may, several open letters and public warnings later, the genie is now out of the bag.
Prompted by the dire warnings of the Querulant and by a totally unrelated Shark strike, the surfers and water recreationists have latched on to the issue of chumming (debunked here) and I wish the cage operators the best of luck. Were I so inclined, I could state that they they will now reap what they have sown, that justifying baited Shark dives smack in front of a major town was always a stretch and that the delicate balance has now been irrevocably upset. Talk about having shot themselves in the foot!
But fear not, I shall not do that!

I could also rant about the couch farting fireman.
I could tell you he has been described to me as somebody who has done a Shark dive and now thinks he knows something about something, that his two brain dead petitions have achieved precisely zero as anticipated, and that he has gone as far as to accuse Fischer of having caused the death of several Sharks 1,500 miles away. Wow!
And I could mention the proud rolling out of his ludicrous Hartzell tag, to be placed with a pole into the center of the dorsal fin that will be inevitably shredded as soon as the gizmo will start collecting flotsam like any other trolling lure.
And it got a GPS antenna no less - I mean, seriously!
But I shall not - tho I'm still holding my sides!

And what about that Facebook group.
I could tell you how several of us blue bloggers were initially intrigued, only to be quickly dismayed by the rubbish posted there, and have stopped bothering. I could also elaborate why I believe that it represents the very worst of social media and that I consider it to be nothing more than the appalling circular echo chamber of, to cite a friend, a bunch of dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard, among which even a barlafüs da Milan who vocally demonstrates his utter scientific ignorance and lack of decorum by publicly rubbishing his peers. Soci, ma indova ta l'é truvad al tó dottor: alla Pavesi?
Notable exception: Michelle Wcisel who has taken it onto herself to gleefully, and charmingly deconstruct the deluge of stupidities posted there. Were I so inclined, I would tell her not to waste her time by engaging with morons and instead devote her energy to further researching and protecting Sharks, that Einstein was correct and that stupidity cannot be cured. PS: it sure looks like she has come to the same conclusions - kudos! :)
But as I said, I shall not do that.

Fischer?
I really got nothing to add there - maybe apart from the fact that I could wonder about the exact relationship between the non-for-profit OCEARCH and the for-profit Fischer Productions, and about possible US tax implications of that synergy. And I could state that I don't believe for a minute that OCEARCH will fund the next five years of GW research in SA.
But again, I shall not - and we shall see!

Leaves the local research community, and the authorities.
I could talk about the utter fiasco in terms of outreach, this by the authorities but especially, by Alison Kock and Shark Spotters. They had obviously known about the project for months and were ideally suited for engaging and informing the public about the unequivocal advantages of researching the philopatry of the South African GWs, for conservation but especially in terms of improving public safety. I could add that enlightened opinion pieces are great - but that it is more important to walk one's talk!

But I shall do none of that.
All I shall do is to invite you to read this interview with the concerned researchers. Without in any way wanting to approve of the way this has been handled, it addresses and convincingly rebuts many of the raised arguments and it finally sheds a light on the research aims.

Still, for my liking, this remains too vague.
Scientific research does not consist in slapping on some tags in order to then "see what happens". Especially in this specific case where the protocols, albeit substantially improved, are still highly invasive, it behooves the researchers to be much more specific and to explain which previously formulated hypotheses are being tested, and why the chosen invasive methods are best for achieving those specific aims.

Concerning the posting of the tracks.
There is clearly a downside to publicizing that information without simultaneously enacting supporting conservation measures. This is part of a larger ethical debate I shall be posting about soon. *Doch doch Dirk, auch ein blindes Huhn... :)

And here endeth the non-rant!

Comments policy.
This is not a chatroom.
But everybody is welcome to post a comment - this once and within the length limits dictated by Blogger, after which I shall feel free to delete whatever I wish.

* PS: post about philopatry, tracks etc here.

SPOT Tags - quod erat demonstrandum!

White shark displaying damage to the dorsal fin as a result of SPOT tag deployment breaks the water at Gansbaai, South Africa during a Marine Dynamics cage diving trip. Photo courtesy of Michelle Wcisel, Marine Dynamics.

Abstract.

We present 15 individual cases of sub-adult white sharks that were SPOT tagged in South Africa from 2003–2004 and have been re-sighted as recently as 2011.

Our observations suggest SPOT tags can cause permanent cosmetic and structural damage to white shark dorsal fins depending on the duration of tag attachment.

SPOT tags that detached within 12–24 months did not cause long term damage to the dorsal fin other than pigmentation scarring. Within 12 months of deployment, tag fouling can occur.
After 24 months of deployment permanent damage to the dorsal fin occurred.

Great white shark dorsal fin with SPOT tag present over 24 months after deployment.
(A and B) - tag is showing excessive fouling and fin is leaning to the left as a result of the weight; images taken in 2005 at Mossel Bay and without the tag (C and D) and with resulting hole and fin degradation after tag detachment; images taken in 2009 at Gansbaai.

A shark survived this prolonged attachment and there seems little compromise on the animal's long term survival and resultant body growth.
This is the first investigation detailing the long term effects of SPOT deployment on the dorsal fin of white sharks.

The paper is open access - read it!
Nothing to add to what I said here - fix the bloody gizmo!