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!
I'm not really sure that from a conservation POV, Makos deserve global protection via the proposed CITES listing as I would argue that contrary to what is happening in the Atlantic, e.g. SoPac stocks are faring rather well - but I certainly advocate acting in a precautionary and proactive manner and in that sense, the NDFs mandated by CITES will certainly be helpful.
Shark conservation messaging, or whatever, by fucking Shark GENIUS PdG - source.
And I cite,
It is a good, well constructed show with professional and scientific insight
Right.
That was good old Riley who STILL desperately wants to be somebody in Sharks, or whatever, and STILL just does not get it and STILL publicly pals with human garbage.
Anyway, along with many reputable presenters, experts and shooters, we did obviously turn it down as we will categorically not host any shoot for Shark Week as long as they continue to air those horrible exploitative programs, and showcase those pathetic self promoting media whores and their pathetic feats.
No blame goes to poor naive Rousey and husband who have been obviously conned into believing that any of that is in any way an accomplishment.
But seeing how all that fabricated gratuitous and misleading hype by those fucking self important morons is portraying sweet old Blunt, Gillette, Crook and Granma as lethal killer machines really gets my blood boiling. How dare they!
And no you fucking hypocrite: it is not epic, it is fucking pathetic!
And the bloody operator?
Need I really point out the idiocy of publicly allowing a total beginner to feed your Sharks on your dive - and of allowing another total amateur and untrained ignoramus to pose as a feeding expert?
Is this maybe the reason why Aqua Trek have shortly thereafter fired Brandon their fucking GENIUS Shark whisperer, and this apparently with cause? Hardly - but here's to that, and good riddance; and here's to the guys down the road using this as an opportunity for some fucking reflection, and to them and others (...) stopping to enable all those revolting Shark porn media that are ultimately harming Fiji's reputation as a Shark ecotourism destination!
Anyway.
Like an old broken record, let me repeat - over and over and over again.
Here are my own questions to fellow Shark diving operators and conservationists.
Are we gonna continue to pretend this (read!) is not happening?
Are we gonna continue to watch that shit?
Are we the operators gonna continue to enable it?
Are we gonna continue to give our business to operators who do?
Are we gonna continue to admire and to associate with those people?
Questions questions!
PS - Comments: please post them here & not on Facebook. Thanks!
"So let's look at the real problems, which is this loophole of encouraging fishers to get back their hooks when they catch sharks... that loophole that allows them to bring it on board, kill it and throw it back and not count it."
Indeed!
The proposed legislation is certainly a step in the right direction - but mandating that Sharks be released alive but also collecting all the relevant data about that important incidental mortality would be even better!
Not everything he says is correct (see here) but he's got the passion, the looks, the charm and the gift of the gab - so overall, he's got all the trappings for being an awesome Shark conservation advocate. Hopefully the knowledge and the wisdom of sticking to the cold facts will follow.
That's why I like the dude, he boils it down to the essentials, and this without the unhelpful hyperbole: on top of doing nothing for the safety of the ocean users, the senseless slaughter of those Sharks and the negative publicity it creates are a PR catastrophe for WA's tourism industry.
Less than a week to go.
I was happy to notice that several prominent Shark conservation advocates have posted reminders about the PER, with links to the excellent recommendations by Support our Sharks. Rather unsurprisingly, the loudest agitators have not, which once again confirms my suspicion that it was always all about them, the FB likes and the noise rather than the well being of those Sharks.
Intrepid: Mike (camera) and Riley (long fins) on location - click for detail!
Apologies again!
Here's another one I should have posted much earlier.
Actually, make it two!
First, we hosted a small 3-day shoot with Mike Bhana of Wild Film who is producing a Shark program featuring young Shark researcher, conservationist and presenter Riley Elliott. Considering Riley's public palling with the Hawaiian whisperette, I must confess that we did agree to the project with much trepidation - but we could not have been more mistaken.
Mike is the real deal, a true mossback of Shark cinematography - and I must say that I'm rather impressed by Riley who comes across as highly personable, knowledgeable and pragmatic, i.e. nothing like his portrayal in the social media. He may well be the next big thing in Shark-related media - and here's to him navigating the countless pitfalls and never losing his integrity!
This time it was less of a whirlwind cameo, meaning that he did finally find the time to come for a dive - sporting an All Blacks t-shirt that nearly got him killed!
Joining him, among many others, were Mark Bond who supervises Projects Abroad's BRUV research in Beqa Lagoon; and as a total surprise and to my great delight, Jess Cramp who was so instrumental in bringing about the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary. The team are here for another two weeks or so where they are scouring the archipelago, I might add, in style, working on MPAs and also tagging oceanic Sharks.
And BTW!
You South Africans - you may want to ask Mark who, exactly, got the biggest Bull Sharks! :)
