Shark Bite!

Oh well - watch this.

PS - Hahahahahahaha - embedding has been disabled - but of course it has not been deleted as Freek wants to continue showcasing his heroic feat: you can watch it right here!
PPS - and now it has been retracted...
PPPS - and in case you missed it: here it is on another page!

Oh and here is the video - til it gets retracted again.... hahahahahahaha... seriously, how fucking pathetic is that!



Well what can I say.

That baited reefie snorkel where Doc weans his students and select visitors off their selachophobia has always been sketchy as all it took was some wrong movement and/or highly competitive situation and/or a particularly frisky individual to trigger a bite - and q.e.d.!

Not really impressed by the lack of proper first aid materials (QuikClot please!) on the boat, not really impressed by the absence of a medical professional and not really impressed by what appears to be a rather nonchalant evacuation protocol - but this is obviously not a tourist setup but a science lab, and the risk assessment and liability implications may indeed be different. But still - so let the learning curve be steep as shit will continue to happen!

And the dude?

I must say that he did handle it quite well, and that my personal impression that he was a bit of a wanker has improved accordingly - tho was there really any urgent need to show this to the masses at large? So here's to said masses learning that Sharks are never, ever puppy dogs, and that engaging in stupid behavior with wildlife is, well, stupid.

In diesem Sinne - Happy New Year everybody!

PS Shark bite here and here and here - til that gets deleted, too!
And... he really is a wanker for leaving that shit online!

Angry!

Patric is pissed off, and so am I!

The reason for it is this.





There's been quite some brouhaha behind the scenes after somebody posted these two test balloons on YouTube and generally speaking, the condemnation has been universal, especially of these statements.

Sharks are BIG business in adrenaline eco-tourism. And some thrill seekers deliberately pursue close encounters with deadly sharks without the protection of a cage. The bigger and more dangerous the shark, the better. At Mexicos Guadalupe Island, guests (including 5 & 7 year old siblings) come face to face with great whites. In the Bahamas, scuba divers pay big bucks to get up close and personal with tiger sharks.
But have we taken this risky sport too far? Shark advocates Dr. Erich Ritter and Chuck Anderson have grave reservations about how far we are willing to go for a thrill. And they have intimate knowledge of the subject. Both men were brutally attacked by bull sharks. Shark Divers also examines the controversy surrounding a handful of high-profile attacks in 2008, including the first shark tourist killed while on a shark excursion.

Whereas Patric is obviously right in bemoaning that the clips portray a fringe and extreme movement within the Shark diving community without properly mentioning the many positive examples of Shark Ecotourism, methinks Hey, that Guy is right!
Which incidentally, horribile dictu, puts me in the same camp as Mr. Ueber-Charlatan Ritter! Yukk!

But, seriously, is there any disputing that some yahoos out there are pursuing ever more extreme Shark encounters? That they obviously don't understand, or belittle the risks this involves? Just watch the footage of Tigers nuzzling the backs of oblivious and wide-eyed ignoramuses, or the bozos going cageless in Guadalupe!
Shocking!

Thing is, are we to blame those customers, or the shooter of the images?
Shoot the messenger for having said it like it is?

It's same-old-same-old.
Clients will do what clients will do, especially the image hunters. They will never cease to push the envelope in their quest for ever bigger adrenaline rushes and extreme images.
Good on them. They obviously don't know better, and that's their privilege as clients. After all, we the operators know what we're doing and will take good care of them.

But what about those operators and facilitators who enabled those visuals?
Where were they when those Tigers started bumping the customers? Who's that moron who allowed those people to go cageless in Lupe? How can anybody justify that total lack of procedures and that total disregard for the safety of one's clients and the reputation of the Industry?

Mind you, it's always the same people, a small group of greedy, reckless and stupid unprofessional assholes who put the whole Industry at risk and into disrepute. They, and not the shooter of those videos, are the ones "Kicking the Shark Diving Industry"!
Maybe it would be best if the "others" would once and for all finally put them out of their unholy business! And finally slap a code of conduct on those locations!

Did you read the links? See? I'm repeating myself!

And let me repeat this, too.
Dear Client: don't go there!
What those guys do is dangerous and not sustainable and they obviously don't give a rat's ass about your safety! It will all end in tears and you don't want to be anywhere near it when it happens. And it will!
And by that I mean: somebody will get killed, and it could be you!

To the shooter: go for it amigo!
Tell it as it is - but please don't forget to mention that this is the lunatic fringe and that the majority of operators are not like that! Properly organized, Shark Diving is awesome, rewarding and intriguing.

And very very safe!

Stupid!

Remember Hanlon's Razor?

That's what came to mind when I first viewed the latest Shark Diving Industry fiasco on Underwater Thrills (kudos for their post, well thought and well said!).

No I'm not talking about the operator Dolphin Dream, facilitators of underwater Kung Fu and other reckless and disrespectful Shark-related stupidities. They obviously don't give a rat's ass about safety protocols and the reputation of the Industry as long as they can make a quick buck. What has happened is not sustainable and it was their call, and obligation to put an end to the shenanigans. Shame on them.
But I'm repeating myself - and obviously, to no avail.

I'm talking about Eli.
Brother, what were you thinking?

Yes, Sharks are way cool and yes, cageless diving with macro Sharks is certainly possible and yes, one can feed them, too - that's precisely what we do here in Fiji.
But not like this!



Our procedures in Fiji are aimed at preventing any direct interactions between our clients and the Sharks. We believe that to be a prerequisite for any encounter with predatory macro Sharks.

But whenever I dare making a comment about the procedures at Tiger Beach, I'm being told that the difference to Fiji is that the Sharks never get excited as they are merely baited in with crates but never fed. Fair enough - never having been there, I have to trust the opinion of the local experts (tho after the Groh accident, I'm not convinced).

Anyway, let's assume that interaction is OK as long as the animals are not being fed: so why do I see somebody feeding a Tiger Shark out of the bait crate: is that you?
And if so, in what function? And where is the operator?

Yes, feeding Tiger Sharks is possible and cool, too: but don't you think that if one changes one side of the equation, one must change the other side as well?
As in making absolutely certain that the excited animals cannot freely circulate among the clients? Some of which are obviously absolute Shark Diving beginners?

Was this one-upmanship ("The Great Slide") even necessary from a commercial point of view?
Because this is what we're talking about: Commercial Shark Diving, not some private gratification and adrenaline rush!
On a commercial dive, customers have the right to expect that the operator -and the facilitator- will not subject them to unnecessary risks and observe the most stringent safety protocols. Fun certainly yes - but safety first and clearly, that requirement has not been met.

Do I hear: Extreme Shark Diving? As in what: Pushing the Envelope? Dangerous? Adrenaline? Macro?
Sure, that's something most of us in the Industry do, often in order to test and perfect our procedures and often for fun, too - but in private, with our closest and equally experienced friends, on our own money and from our own boat!
Never, ever with paying customers and newbies!

And: why in front of the mainstream media?
Maybe in order to change perceptions? If so, why didn't you stage a mellow and slow-paced encounter by observing the normal procedures? A dive that would have convinced the host that contrary to their reputation, Sharks are friendly and even timid, and that they deserve the very same respect and protection that is now being extended to the terrestrial Apex Predators?

Instead, the anchorman was scared to death and millions of viewers have been re-enforced in their opinion that Sharks are nothing but man-eating machines and that we're nothing but a bunch of reckless death-defying lunatics and adrenaline junkies.
Real bad news for people like us trying to conduct responsible Shark Ecotourism.

Granted, the mainstream media are overwhelmingly anti-Shark.
But we know that, don't we - so let's start being smart and let's make sure that we use them, and not they us, like unfortunately in this case.
You've been had, Eli, and that's particularly unfortunate as I know that your heart is in the right place and that you really do care about the animals.
A great shame.

As to Dolphin Dream, lemme state this clearly: Divers, don't go there.
It will all end in tears and you don't want to be anywhere near it when it does.

PS: RTSea's comments here, Wolfgang's here.

Not Sustainable!

I've said it all before...

Quo Vadis, Shark Diving?

Check out this video



Yeah, right... what to say...
Even toothy Patric over there at Shark Diver has been unusually restrained in his comments.
Guess we're are all kinda speechless.

Maybe the way to start this thing is to say that one probably shouldn't blame the clients.
Fortunately for all of us, Diving has gone mainstream - but that implies that we really get to see all sorts. The fools we encounter have no particularly nefarious intentions, they are probably just a reflection of what's out there in the general population, and I'm gonna refrain from commenting about the peculiarities of this or that Country - tho being your average xenophobic and campanilistic European, I certainly could!

This may surprise you but I don't even take issue with the tug-of-war with the Lemons.
The Sharks very likely couldn't care less and their reward should amply compensate them for any perceived discomfort. Predation ain't a pretty and peaceful thing and most meals down there come at a cost, energetically and otherwise - just picture those Tigers and Great Hammers that are studded with Stingray barbs and you may agree that Evolution has most likely selected for a fair degree of resilience in Predators.
Not to worry.

Thing is, Shark Diving has certainly come a long, long way!
Mind you, places like Cocos and the Galapagos are still very much the way they used to be - that is, minus the profusion of Sharks, but that's another story altogether. But there, one obviously doesn't need to bait.

Baiting for Sharks was started by professional UW photographers and cinematographers like Cousteau, the Taylors or Herwarth Voigtmann, a German guy who convinced his girlfriend Vreni and then his daughter Bine to pose topless whilst hand- and mouth-feeding Grey Reefies in the Maldives. The images were spectacular and inspired a whole generation of divers.
In the beginning, those were purely private and professional undertakings and kept strictly separated from recreational diving.

The first "proper" commercial Reef Shark feeding operation were probably Stella Maris and UNEXSO in the Bahamas (or maybe it was Herwarth when he decided to go commercial), and Rodney Fox most probably established the first commercial cage diving operation.
But I'm digressing.

Anyway, back then, the Reefies were a real big thing.
With everybody toting along some camera, the clients wanted to emulate the published work of the pros and were willing to pay any price to get face-to-face with a Shark. Shark dives were thus highly lucrative, prompting every Dick Tom and Harry to venture into the business of commercial Shark feeding.
It all was sort of ragtag and improvised (read it, very funny!) and resulted in the establishment of feeding stations like the "Lion's Head" in the Maldives or Avatoru in Rangiroa that were being "worked on" by every Dive Shop in the vicinity. Other feeding stations like those on the Burma Banks or "Valerie's Reef" in PNG were established by Liveaboards and equally shared.
Did anybody care to try and have those areas protected? Of course not - but mind you, those were the 70ies and the 80ies and there was no realization that matters were dire, nor was there the Internet on which to find that information.
Anyway, inexperience being inexperience, competition being competition and Reefies being Reefies, it was only a matter of time til the accidents started piling up.
Sound familiar?

Fortunately, those incidents were only "minor" ones and confined to the feeders who would then be able to proudly, and heroically display the nicks to the ever-present adoring bimbettes.
But they were perceived to be bad for Tourism and the Authorities stepped in and enacted feeding bans. Or, as the sites were not being protected, the bad guys stepped in and fished them out. Fact is, most of those "shared" places have been decommissioned.
The Bahamian and Ozzie operations, on the other hand, quickly saw the writing on the wall and resorted to chainmail suits when hand feeding or to other techniques like Chumsicles and have continued to operate basically unchanged until present times.

Again, I'm just talking about small Reef Sharks - and still, in my recollection, all those commercial dives were strictly structured as spectator events whereby no direct interaction was ever allowed between Sharks and Customers. Consequently, no Customer was ever hurt.
See where this is leading...?

Today, it seems to be an established fact that recreational diving with predatory Sharks in unbaited conditions is possible and safe provided that one respects some basic safety procedures, as in not to interfere with natural predatory events, to be aware of their corporeal language and not to dive in murky water.
Does that extend to macro Predators? Probably the answer is yes, although not having any personal experience with Great Whites, Makos and Oceanic Whitetips, I'm just relaying the opinion of other people in the know whom I trust. Not really being terribly brave myself, I'll however probably give it a pass, especially when it comes to Great Whites.
Thing is, without bait, chances to see any of them are close to zilch anyway.

Owing to Rodney's original insights (and common sense), baited commercial macro (predatory) Shark encounters have so far remained strictly confined to cage diving in oceanic conditions and involve blue water species like Great Whites, Makos and Blues.
The Pros have obviously continued to do what Pros do, and that is, to push the envelope. We all have seen those images. So have the camera-toting clients and I fear that it's only a matter of time until somebody will perceive a competitive edge in taking them cageless.

When it comes to the hitherto more obscure macro Reef Sharks as in Tigers, Bulls and Great Hammerheads, maybe even Lemons, the Jury is still very much out. Until quite recently, there weren't any "established" diving sites for those species and nobody really seemed to have any strong opinions about them, either. That is obviously changing.
The actual consensus seems to be that diving with them, even it baited conditions, doesn't necessarily require any cages.
We at BAD certainly concur with that view.

We will also always defend the right of anybody to interact with predatory Sharks in baited conditions - but only as long as that is being done in private.
Then, it is the same as any other dangerous private undertaking. Having done it myself, I know it to be exciting and highly rewarding and I wish those guys the best of luck and loads of fun. Let's not forget that much of what we consider to be perfectly mainstream today has been pioneered by individualistic adventurers who had the vision, curiosity, recklessness and above all, the balls to give it a try.

However!

When it is being done commercially, we strongly believe that any Operator conducting baited Shark Dives must ensure that the Sharks and the Customers are always kept strictly separated.
This may require using Shark cages or it may require other protocols aimed at obtaining the same result. As I shall never tire to repeat, procedures will always be situation-specific and will always imply a judgment call by the operator. That judgment, we believe, should however never extend to allowing interactive Shark Dives by Customers. Certainly not in Fiji but probably nowhere else, either.




Baited Shark Diving is not recreational SCUBA Diving - never was and never will be. Whereas on Reef Dives, certified divers are routinely left to fend for themselves, we believe that on baited Shark Dives, the onus of supervising the Clients and ensuring their safety rests squarely with the Operators.

We also believe this, although it doesn't directly concern this tread.
Exploiting a dive site automatically entails a personal obligation for its Stewardship. This is especially true for Shark Diving and I invite everybody to refrain from diving with Operators who do not make a contribution to Shark Conservation in general and who do not aim at protecting their sites in particular. We've made that mistake 40 years ago and we must learn from that experience.

Having been one of them, I'm certainly acutely aware of the aspirations of the many gifted and experienced hobby photographers and cinematographers.
They tend to be the wealthiest, best traveled, most experienced and also, the most influential of our Clients and we love to showcase their work as part of our marketing, the more as they often match and sometimes surpass the results of the Pros. After all, once one has mastered the technique, much is due to pure luck and perseverance which are not linked to somebody's professional qualifications.
Whenever possible, at BAD, we try to position them in such a way that they will "get the shot" , which they mostly do - but that's where the buck stops.
Whatever their level of experience and regardless of their sometimes vociferous reservations, our Customers are never allowed to go fully interactive or to go exploring by themselves.

We reserve that right for bona fide Industry Professionals, and even then, never without close supervision. It's obviously an arbitrary and imperfect differentiation - but that's where we have chosen to draw the line and that's that.
Despite of the obvious dilemma of having to choose between business and principle, we remain of the opinion that this is the only sustainable way for us to operate in this Industry.

I just corresponded with another Industry Professional about this and got back this comment.

"There always exists risks of an accident or the unexpected taking place and as the organizers and "folks in charge", we have a moral (as well as probably legal obligation) to ensure that people are not hurt on one of our adventures, through actions we encourage. We have discussed and continue to discuss ways to reduce that possibility, but we need to do that without taking away the major reason of why people are there and what we are trying to offer them. I entirely agree that we must all tread very carefully, for the sake of our clients health, but perhaps even more so for the sake of the sharks."

I could not agree more - that's precisely the Catch-22 we're facing.

We will always be asked by our Customers to make exceptions and to push the envelope just a tiny little bit more. That's what Customers will never cease to do in their quest for ever more adrenaline and ever more spectacular images.
The privilege, and obligation to make those decisions is however not theirs, but ours. It is us, the commercial Operators, who need to define the limits of where this can be allowed to go - for the safety of our Clients but for our own safety, too, and for the sake of the survival of our Industry. I believe that when it comes to Commercial Shark Diving, we have reached the very limit of what is possible whilst still being reasonable. One more small step in the wrong direction and it's gonna bite us all in the ass.
I just wish that everybody in the Industry could agree on this.
(Yeah I know I know, and Pigs will fly...)

Let's be honest about this - and this is directed to you, our valued Customers as we the Operators know it already. 
 Don't get me wrong, predatory Sharks are not Man-Hunters - but they're certainly never, ever harmless, either!
In fact, predatory macro Sharks are bloody dangerous and anybody claiming otherwise doesn't know what he's talking about! It is great to be pro-Shark and anti-"Jaws"- it is however utter foolishness to believe that your Love is being reciprocated.
It is not!

Although I concur with those who say that interacting with the nervous and frisky Reefies is more challenging than interacting with the Big Boys, it is equally true that the resulting accidents are relatively harmless.
Having witnessed quite a few bites, I know that piscivorous Reef Sharks couldn't care less about human blood and will leave it at that. I also know that the bites, albeit painful, are easily fixed with a couple of stitches and some antibiotics - in fact, dog bites are probably worse. Barring a tragedy as the severing of a major artery, the victims are certainly going to survive.

Macro predatory Sharks may seem manageable and in the case of Tigers with their placid cruising speed and dreamy eyes, they may even appear to be outright mellow. It is also quite safe to assume that they equally have no interest in attacking SCUBA Divers.
But let there never be a doubt about how immensely powerful they are, and how potentially lethal! Their bites are always devastating and once blood has been spilled, there's no reason to assume that they will never jump at the chance for a meal, the more as many of them are generalistic feeders whose diet includes mammals.

Please, let's not be stupid!

Accidents have happened and will continue to happen - that's the nature of what we do and we're also certainly not infallible.
I would also presume that each and everyone of us is striving to conduct things as safely and professionally as possible. After all, we would all like to conduct good, sustainable business. Also, none of us has a Death Wish - right?

Thus, and contrary to maybe others, I'm quite willing to accept that there will be freak accidents and bona fide mistakes.
Where I personally draw the line is where those events are clearly the result of negligence and hubris. Yes this will always remain a learning experience - but the learning curve needs to be bloody steep! This is now a global Industry and we should profit from it, by always being eager to keep abreast of what's going on in other parts of the world. That includes taking on other people's insights and being willing to learn from mistakes, our own and those of others, too.
By the same token, we should always keep in mind that what we do affects everybody else in the Industry, and vice versa.
 
That's why I am so shocked by this video.
It is obviously preposterous and embarrassing and depicts a bunch of stupid, reckless and disrespectful morons - but that is not the issue. As I said, they sure come in all shapes and guises and it is up to us to deal with that. I sure hope they've left a huge tip!

The issue here is the apparent utter failure by the Operator to provide those guys with any guidance, it is his obvious disregard for safety procedures and it is also his failure to recognize the damage a video like this will inflict to his reputation, and to that of the Industry as a whole.

Quite frankly, I still keep scratching my head.
What possessed him to let this happen on his watch? Is he just being oblivious of the dangers? Or, is he maybe trying to occupy a competitive niche by attracting the mavericks?
Perhaps he just doesn't give a shit - but whatever his motivation, or lack of: This is just not sustainable.

It is also profoundly disrespectful.
Turning this site into a circus arena makes a mockery of those people, foremost of which Jimmy Abernethy, who cautiously nurtured Tiger Beach into being one of the best, safest and most prominent Shark Diving destinations in the world and committed so much to educate divers and to protect and justify Shark Diving's existence.
A good friend just wrote

"Funny, last night at dinner a colleague and I were discussing the absurd video and how insulted I felt after viewing it. I had a range of emotions of embarrassment, disappointment, anger and sheer disbelief and a bit of shame that this is what we have come to in what we all had so passionately protected and cultivated over the years."

This is not about Ethics, or the like.
This is about the professional standards and the future of the Shark Diving Industry and quite frankly, it's all rather disheartening.

Let's hope somebody learns something from it - tho alas, I'm not about to start holding my breath.

Interactive

This is a difficult post for me to write, really!

Please believe me if I tell you that is in no way meant to be a personal attack.

Guys, I love you to death and have generally nothing but Admiration, Respect and Gratitude for what you're doing for the Cause.
Your Magazine is iconic. Your posts and initiatives are often the very best that Shark Conservation has to offer in terms of vision, outreach and efficiency.

I'm also certainly well aware of your profound love and fascination of Sharks. I realize that you mean no harm and just want to have some good old-fashioned fun with the animals you love. You may even think that you're dispelling the myth of the killer beast and in some regard, you indeed are. Iconic images like this one are certainly a wonderful vehicle for spreading the Message.

Alas, this has gone public.
There is a trip report and the following has been posted on YouTube.



I've said it before, big predatory Sharks are never, ever pets, ever!
You can also rest assured that they do not appreciate being manhandled, whatever the intention. That's mammalian stuff, good for stoking your own Ego but bearing no relation whatsoever to what they are. All you can possibly achieve is to trigger some unforeseen reaction, very possibly aggressive. What I see are fluttering nictating membranes and increased swimming speed, hardly an indication for a relaxed ambiance. What I unfortunately do not see is a controlled situation.

In the softest possible way: please, these are Apex Predators and need to be treated with Respect! Being who you are, you must lead by example!

Really, what's the upside?
If God forbid, anything happened, it would send Shark Conservation right back to the Stone Age, especially if something did happen to people as prominent as you! Remember Ritter and his stupid antics? Remember the reaction?
Don't you see how those guys out there would be positively gloating?

Is that really what you want?