Shark Reef - Transition Time!

Unknown pregnant Bull.

Cool dive!

Looks like this year, everything is happening at the same time!

Normally, the pregnant Bulls leave for pupping in mid-November and come back in mid-December, after which everybody else disappears for some hanky panky, likely to the deeper reaches of the Beqa Passage. Then in January, we got the Running of the Bulls where  we witness plenty of mating scars and ever increasing numbers of Bull Sharks that are particularly ravenous and also appear to be re-establishinging rank, meaning that during January, the action is hot hot hot!

Not this time!

I wasn't here but the staff tell me that instead of the usual 3 to 5, numbers were never below 20. And on yesterday's dive, I witnessed a very late pregnant mama, see at top, whereas the ever toothy Blunt who had been enormously pregnant has obviously given birth and whilst still being impressive, is but a shadow of her former self, see below.

Blunt pregnant, July 2014

Blunt yesterday.

And guess who's already partying like there's no tomorrow!

Whilst being her usual greedy feisty self!

To be continued!

Humpbacks Bubblenet feeding!

Source.

Great video!

But the soundtrack... hmmmm...
Anyway, enjoy!

Gold Coast - Bull Shark Alert!

Forget the article.
But that's a real nice picture of Crook - so there!

Mimic Squid - way cool!

Nanomia siphonophore (left) and juvenile Chiroteuthis calyx squid (right). The animals are about 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) long. Image: © 2014 MBARI 

Story here.

Enjoy!

Great White Shark Tumor Biopsy!

Top row: Aussie Sam's pics of Santa's tumor. Paper here. Source.

Cool stuff!

Story here.
Enjoy!

Do Maui's Manta Rays need saving?

This is by far the biggest threat facing global Manta Ray populations - source.

No don't worry.

I'm not about to totally blast this and call it a scam.

Mark Deakos is certainly a good man who cares deeply, and the projects he is suggesting are certainly legit.

But of course there has to be a BUT! :)

Assuming that there are only so many people willing to invest only so much money into Mobulid conservation - is that the best way to invest those 75 grand?

Yes those Maui Manta Rays may be inconvenienced and some may even fall victim to accidental entanglements - but nobody is actively trying to kill them, and I really have a very hard time believing that the Hawaiian population is at risk of extinction like asserted, meaning that in reality, they also don't need to be "saved"!

Surely the real problems facing Manta Ray conservation are their continued wholesale persecution in e.g. the Subcontinent and Asia, and the challenge of enforcing local protections but also the CITES regulations in order to curb the totally unsustainable disgrace that is the gill raker trade - or not?

And when it comes to the Mobulids in general, surely the biggest and most urgent conservation challenge is to obtain the population data and the other science that are the prerequisites for a CITES listing of the Mobulas - and oh yes, I'm very much talking to you, slow hand clapping mobula fan!

I say, better send your money to the Manta Trust.

This is really the clearing house for global Manta and Mobula conservation, and Guy Stevens, DaMary, Shawn  & Co are probably best suited for conducting the required triage and directing any funds to where they are most needed - including to Deakos who is one of the project leaders!

Or am I missing something here?

Elasmobranch Field Guides - fucking awesome!

 

This is just great.

Shark References announces them as follows

New open access field guide of the Western Indian Ocean from Dave Ebert!
The present field guide is designed to assist in the identification of pelagic sharks and rays of the Western Indian Ocean that are major, moderate, or minor importance to fisheries. It encompasses the offshore, high seas portion of FAO  Fishing Area 51. 

• FAO_Pelagic Guide-part1  here 
• FAO_Pelagic Guide-part2  here 
• FAO_Pelagic Guide-part3  here
• FAO_Pelagic Guide-part4  here 
• FAO_Pelagic Guide-part5  here

Enjoy!

Clever Buoy - another Scam?

Source.

You be the judge of that!

Have you seen this?

Yup that would again be SCAMS SAMS, inventors and breathy promoters of those ludicrous Shark repellent wetsuits. I've gone snooping on their website and more than one year after the breathy announcements, the featured field tests still amount to a staggering n=1! Wow!

But Bear Grylls has worn one, likely in Shark-infested waters, and is still alive - so it must be legit!

And now we got the buoy, and I cite.

The idea for Clever Buoy was the brainchild of advertising agency M&C Saatchi, ranked second on the BRW Most Innovative Companies 2014 list, which decided to take a non-traditional approach to the brief from the telco to promote its ­network coverage.
Instead of creating an ad campaign about the Optus network at work in some far-off corner of the country, the team decided to bring to market a new product that would showcase the network.
“We got the idea of producing something fairly quickly, but that wasn’t innovation, it was just a smart idea, the innovation comes into it when you make it a reality,” M&C Saatchi chief executive and group innovation director Jaimes Leggett says.

Right. A marketing campaign for Optus.

Trust the ever crafty Hamish and Craig to have identified the financial windfall and come up with the usual mix of breathy announcements, crafty marketing, heaps of media exposure and zero proof. Check out this link and like with those wetsuits, you will consequently find zero evidence of rigorous testing let alone conclusive results.

Next, another self-promoting TED talk!

Wanna bet?

Helium Shark!

Pretty cool in a weird way.

Yes this would be CGI.

From what I understand, Thomas Marqué is using this tool - but then again, what do I know.

Anyway, enjoy!

Aaron Moir, Moron!

Source.

Looks like I've missed this whilst I was away.

Anyway.

In the big scheme of things, this is nothing newsworthy, just one more jackass doing moronic things, dime-a-dozen - but I'm never-the-less posting it for future reference. And because Aaron and his pals obviously believe that it is somehow cool.
Oh, and: great marketing for Blue Juice Charters!

NZ GWS Tourism - new Rules!

Source.

Here we go.

Read this.

With baiting and decoys forbidden, one has to wonder how the operators will manage to attract the Sharks to the cages - the flip side being that the Pāua divers will henceforth have a hard time substantiating their claims that Shark diving is conditioning the animals and making them more dangerous!

With that in mind - good decision!

And those moronic TV shows?

Here's to somebody having learned the obvious lessons, and to no more access for those US Shark pornographers!

PS - Controls on commercial filming. Hear hear!
PPS - Permit of Shark Dive New Zealand here, of  Shark Experience here - note Article 7 about termination if the operators do not adhere to the Code of Practice and Schedule 3 about the requirement of special permits for any commercial film productions!

Bahamian Nassau Groupers - Good News!

Source.

After the Cayman Islands, now the Bahamas.

The yearly fishing moratorium is now permanent.

The closure protects the Groupers' spawning aggregation and is hopefully a big step towards having the populations recover, thus protecting the livelihoods of the Caribbean fishermen depending on this important fishery. Once ubiquitous, the Nassau Grouper is now listed as endangered, this principally owing to overfishing.

Well done!

 

WCPFC - fail!

Dirty business. Source. Click for detail.

Nothing good to report from the WCPFC meeting in Apia.

Once again, it has been business as usual.

The depleted Tuna are getting no reprieve despite of reasonable recommendations by Pew and the WWF.  And the dirty politics have continue unabated, with the distant water fleet nations Europe, China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan once again refusing to enter into meaningful dialogue and effectively stalling any progress.

And  the Sharks?

There, the outcome has simply been ridiculous. 

Instead of tackling the huge problem of Shark bycatch on Tuna longlines by finally banning both those Shark lines and the use of wire leaders, it is now only forbidden to use them simultaneously.

WTF!

And now?

The leveraging of their development aid by those distant water fleet nations continues to be a huge problem - but slowly slowly, the Pacific nations are recognizing that they need to take matters in their own hands if they don't want to end up losing their most precious resource. The PNA continues to be at the forefront of Tuna management, and their Vessel Day Scheme is reputed to be highly efficient whilst also being highly lucrative. And to my great satisfaction, Fiji has signed the Tokelau Arrangement that will hopefully put the management of the more Southerly Tuna fisheries back into the hands of the real resource owners - and I may add, not a minute too late, read this very interesting report!

So, here's to progress.

Yes it is frustratingly slow - and whilst the parties continue to dither, Tuna stocks continue to decline. But at least there's the hope that one day, things will really start improving.

Fingers crossed!

A Ray of Light II - finally online!

Behold!

Like AROL I, this is simply a masterpiece.
Story including not one but two making of here and here!

Enjoy!

NZ GWS Tourism - more Trouble!

Mobile Shark cage - maybe a solution? Source.

Bingo.

And I cite.

11. In spite of the clear duty of care, the paua industry is currently incurring significant costs as a direct consequence of health and safety risks arising from shark tourism operations, as detailed in the attached case study. This suggests that the current legislative framework is not sufficient to ensure that the duty of care in section 16(1)(a) is :

• reflected in practice by businesses – for example, some shark tourism operators publicly display a cavalier attitude to the safety of others in the vicinity .
  A Stewart Island shark tourism operator, when asked if he would dive with great white sharks without a cage responded “ No that would be stupid! ...the answer is categorically the same each time – NO! ” and yet this operator is well aware that commercial paua divers and other marine users are frequently present (without the protection of a shark cage ) in the waters in the vicinity of his business.
  The same operator allowed a television host, deliberately posing as a vulnerable diver, to goad a great white shark into attacking the shark cage ;

Remember?

The Pāua divers are on the offensive and so far, they are winning.

So far, none of the NZ GWS Shark diving operators has been issued a license and research permits are being withheld. This is the direct consequence of a continued abject lack of outreach and education coupled with naive and greedy operators that have been goaded into those stupidities by the kings of Shark porn, ABC4 and Jeff Kurr.

And so it goes.

To be continued no doubt!

Turtle vs Tiger Shark!

Tiger Shark teeth - remember those old can openers? Source.

Cool footage.

Yes this is how Turtles try and defend themselves.

But as we all know, those Tigers are patient and incredibly persistent. Eventually, the Turtle will have to go and breathe at the surface and then the vulnerable edge of the carapace will be exposed.

Enjoy!

Sustainable Shark Diving?

Really?
 

And now, to that post by RickMac.

But first.

Avuncular? WTF!

That's a whiff of a pico-fraction of a galaxy removed from Yoda, and I don't like it a bit - but then again, coming from the guy at the top, should I even care?
But I do like this - spot on!

Anyway.

Lemme cite.

My very personal and subjective (although I also suspect accurate) summary on what I’ve observed to date is that there is money to be made on shark dive tourism and it is a powerful incentive to “get in on the action,” regardless of experience and awareness of lessons learned.  And like all businesses, there’s a continuum of what I would consider sustainable practice… some are deeply invested in good training, supervision, and safety and some are in it to simply turn quick profit.

Indeed, astute observation!

Now, this is frankly nothing new.

Yours truly and back then, Patric Douglas of Shark Diver have been blogging about the future of Shark diving for years, and for the need of the industry to reform and move towards a more long term sustainable model. Back then, we were being decried as troublemakers and party poopers - but ten years later, the public appears to be shifting towards a more authentic and holistic experience, and much of what did preach back then is now increasingly being proffered in the mainstream. With that in mind, this is a great chance to elevate Shark diving to the next level.

Plus, now, we dispose of the science.

Not of just two papers like Rick asserts but actually, of quite a few. They all come to the conclusion that whereas there are certainly local effects, Shark provisioning appears unproblematic at the ecosystem level i.e. over large spatial and temporal scales, meaning that overall, the impact on Shark populations is negligible to nil.

Not convinced?

Don't speculate - show me the fucking evidence to the contrary and no, rubbish like this doesn't count! And incidentally, no, the Shark feeding in Playa did not precipitate the attacks in Cancun. The Bulls in the Riviera Maya are sexually segregated = provisioned females in Playa and non-provisioned males in Cancun!

And since those events, progress has been remarkable!

Just sayin'!

But of course those local effects are eminently relevant.

It is there where we will discern the biggest discrepancies based on the specific protocols, or lack of, of the operators, and it is there where the various initiatives will hopefully have the biggest impact, by emphasizing the good and reforming the bad.

And yes, some notable NGOs are starting to take notice.

Considering the dead-set opposition to any form of Shark feeding I've encountered in the past, this is certainly progress. I'm not a fan of breathy announcements and will not comment on Rick's name-dropping which is both partly inaccurate, premature and certainly not for him, nor for me to do - but yes, this may or may not eventually result in an initiative to develop a common code of practice and if so, I for one would certainly welcome that! 

This however with the following caveat.

Nice to have academia and the NGO intelligentsia look into our industry and hopefully give us some valuable unbiased pointers for improvement - but any such code will only succeed if there is considerable industry buy-in. And for that to happen, any such rules will not only have to reflect some eco wish list but also be flexible and above all, factually and economically practicable!

But again - at this stage it's nothing for me to comment about and certainly not fodder for social media! 

And then, there is now Global Shark Diving.

We did the soft launch at DEMA and the response has been simply overwhelming. Like I said, potential new members are undergoing a meticulous screening process and will only be accepted if they are already truly invested in conservation and research. Failing that, any aspiring members will first have to establish track record and will only be considered once they are able to produce tangible results on the ground. Our principal asset and the one factor setting us apart from similar ventures is market leadership and credibility - and we will certainly not risk losing that because of shortcuts due to friendship or economic expediency.

But worry not: more members are going to be announced very shortly indeed!

And BAD?

We will continue to do what we've been doing all along, and that is to lead from the front. We may or may not be the best - but we're certainly among the leaders in Shark ecotourism and have every intention of keeping it that way!

The establishment of Fiji's first national marine park via a ground-breaking public-private partnership has been a great milestone. But of course the proof is in the pudding, and we have no doubt that for it to succeed and be picked up elsewhere, the honor bestowed upon us needs to translate into a lot of hard work on the ground. To that effect, we have started establishing new baselines by recording the current coral cover and conducting a census of all the Fishes and Sharks. We will also considerably enhance enforcement by conducting more frequent patrols and by training further honorary fish wardens. And finally, we are currently developing yet another project that will hopefully have repercussions Fiji-wide and even abroad.

So, keep watching this space.

Like always, it's not a matter of making announcements but of coming up with actual results - and I can say, so far so good!

To be continued!

A Pet Tiger Shark?

Tiger Beach. Everybody does something different - and who is explaining it to the Sharks? Source.

And I cite.

Please do not attempt this. 
Tiger sharks are powerful wild animals, interaction with them requires years of training and experience to prevent harm or death to the animal or the person.

And now, watch this.

Remember this post? 

Sure you do! :)

Like back then, I am conflicted.

Obviously, there's food in the water, you can see it intermingled with the sand. But equally obviously, there's something else going on. Tarantino may have come in because of the food but it really appears that in this specific sequence, she is actively seeking some personal interaction, and this in a friendly way.

My take remains essentially the same.

Jimmy is one of the good guys. He's not in it for the money, he spends most of his life in the Sea because he loves doing what he does, and because he loves the animals. It is absolutely possible that in all those years, he has developed personal relationships with some of his Sharks, and it is equally absolutely possible that those bonds may include something akin to mutual affection. Like I said in that old post I linked, Valerie has been petting the Sea life for decades, and some of her personal bonds with individual Fishes are the stuff of legends. I've personally witnessed it many, many times and those interactions are both baffling and endearing - but what is most important, is that they are certainly authentic.

Case in point.

Long story short?

I believe that what Jimmy is showing us is equally authentic, much like I believe that Cristina has a special bond with some of her Sharks.

I equally strongly believe that this must remain the absolute exception.

Of all those famous Shark dives, Tiger Beach is the one that is now the biggest clusterfuck, this owing to those legions of self promoting media whores, wranglers and whisperers that have parachuted in for ever stupider exercises in pseudo-conservation, ever more disrespectful camera stunt work for those horrible productions and ever stupider and disrespectful exercises in manhandling.

We certainly don't need more troglodyte Shark diving on top of that.

Jimmy has earned himself the right to pet Tarantino by having spent thousands upon thousands of hours in the water with the same animals by which he has obviously developed personal bonds to a few individual Sharks.

Good for him, and for the Sharks.

You have not.

For you, the rule remains: watch but don't touch!

Elena - roughing it!

Surrounded by BADness - source.

And whilst I'm sorting out my shit.

Meet Elena Salim Haubold.

Thanks to her Rolex Scholarship, she's been gallivanting around the globe in Shark research and conservation.

And here's what shes been doin' in the first six months.

Enjoy!

Back Online!

Home sweet home - stellar pic by Allen.

Good to be home again!

For those of you in the know: things have gone reasonably well.

Other than that, between DEMA, the monster GWS, emergency self catheterizations (ouch - and no please don't ask) and killer Arizona bed bugs, it sure has been eventful.

Anyway.

More as I sort thru the e-mail clutter and update myself on Sharky matters. All I can see right now is that SRI's Antoniou is once again making a fool of himself - but considering the person and the institution, that's hardly surprising. And then there's this interesting piece by my my friend RickMac that deserves some elaboration, and that likely sooner rather than later.

Talk soon!

Time Out!

C'ya!
And if yer there - booth 1433!

CMS - bravo Fiji!

It's done.

All 21 proposed Rays and Sharks are now listed under the CMS.

With the pelagic Manta already listed, Fiji did propose the Reef Manta and all 7 Mobulas, and they are now listed under both appendices.

Bravo - excellent job!

And bravo Ian - you know why!

Cocky Sea Lion!

Cool.

But long-term, probably not so much. 

That big male may become aggressive, and it may end up getting hit by the props.

Story here.

Maldives Shark Sanctuary - Case Study!

Maldives Shark Sanctuary - only a SINO? Source.

Interesting!

Remember this 2013 report by TRAFFIC?

Back then I was wondering why the Maldives were listed as exporters of Shark products despite of their designation as a Shark Sanctuary.

Now, I understand.

Read this.

The Maldives had always been an important Shark fishing nation (an here) - and when they decreed the sanctuary by forbidding Shark fishing but failed to adequately ban the possession of Shark products, the fishing and the trade did continue, this mainly due to insufficient monitoring and enforcement but also lack of awareness and compensation of the fishermen.

There are obviously lessons to be learned here.

Nothing spectacular mind you - just that those things need to be meticulously planned, and that whoever advocates them needs to take on his share in facilitating their implementation.

Remember?

Jackass jumps on Shark!

Another Ozzie jackass - with a real Tiger!

No way!

This shit has gone viral.
But that is never a Tiger Shark - if that is Australia like reported, then that's a Tawny Nurse.
JSD?

Anyway, watch.

Global Shark Diving - the Ambassador!

Behold!

Douglas David Seifert is our first GSD Ambassador.

He will be doing what he's been doing all along, i.e. liaising between the people and the marine life - and being arguably the world's best shark photographer, I cannot think of a better person to take on the role of telling the public about the many remarkable initiatives the GSD members are spearheading around the globe.

And, there is this.

Check out his Facebook page.

See? Zero breathy self promotion!

He just goes to those places, incidentally on his own dime, works incredibly hard and comes back with images others can only dream about. Much like the other truly outstanding photographers and cameramen like e.g. Howard and Michele, the other Doug, MPO and Aussie Sam - and very much to the contrary of all those media whores!

But I'm digressing as always.

Welcome aboard buddy!

 

Shark Fishing vs Shark Finning - Video!

Source.

Wow!

6 minutes 46 seconds of correct information!

I am impressed - after years upon years upon years trying to educate the animal welfare crowd, it really looks like the narrative is slowly shifting away from Shark finning to the real issue, Shark overfishing.

Well done - better late than never!

Enjoy!

WWF - Shark Reef Marine Reserve!

Yet another stellar pic by Allen!

Very nice.

Read this!

So the cat is out of the bag: the management committee for Fiji's first National Marine Park will comprise Aisake Batibasaga from the Department of Fisheries as representative of Government, with full ultimate decision authority; Ian Campbell, Manager of the Pacific Shark Programme, a joint initiative between WWF and TRAFFIC as the representative of civil society; Juerg Brunnschweiler and Ciro Rico as the representatives of academia; and finally yours truly as the representative of BAD which has been tasked with the day-to-day management of the park. 

We are all Shark divers, have all dived the SRMR multiple times and are all uniquely equipped to make the best decisions for safeguarding the long-term future of the SRMR but above all, that of its priceless Shark population - so the future looks bright indeed!

One last word about the management model.

This public/private partnership is truly ground-breaking, and I sure hope that the delegates at the upcoming IUCN World Parks Congress are going to take notice. As an example for its practical application, the governments of lesser developed countries could deputize the local staff of those countless beach resorts whereby they could monitor the resorts' foreshore and apprehend any poachers etc; or mutatis mutandis, the same powers could be bestowed upon those liveaboard vessels plying the remote waters of Raja Ampat or e.g Cocos, Malpelo and the Galapagos - and the list goes on and on and on! In brief, the private operators would be investing their resources into defending their most precious business assets whilst relieving those resource-strapped governments from part of their burden.

Talk about a big win-win for everybody involved, and especially for marine conservation!

So here's to this model being quickly adopted elsewhere.

Fingers crossed!

You get what you pay for!

Remember?.

Indeed!

Global Shark Diving - Launch!

Hooray!

Remember this post?

Well today marks the unveiling of one of those initiatives - finally!

Behold Global Shark Diving, the first global alliance of responsible and long-term sustainable Shark diving operators! We pride ourselves in being industry leaders and as such, on top of providing some of the world's best Shark diving and excellent service, we have all committed ourselves to our three guiding principles, namely 

• excellent safety procedures 
• the sponsoring of Shark research and 
• a dedication to Shark conservation. 

With this initiative, we are hoping to gradually direct the industry towards a more credible, eco-friendly and long term sustainable product whilst safeguarding our most valuable asset, the Sharks.

We are currently inviting more operators to join.

Since everybody in the industry knows everybody, we don't entertain applications but instead, membership is being bestowed by invitation only and after a rigorous screening process to assess the candidates' adherence to each guiding principle - and this not in mere words but in facts on the ground! Gotta walk the talk!

I hear that one very prominent operator has already signed on, with possibly two more joining in the very near future - so keep watching that space!

And what's in it for you?

First and foremost, the assurance that by diving with one of those operators, you are giving your business to an industry leader that has made a commitment to adhere to the highest standards, and that will continuously strive to always remain at the forefront of industry developments. On a more practical side, we shall be distributing GSD cards to selected guests that will henceforth be entitled to global discounts plus an array of special initiatives reserved for GSD cardholders only. 

So be nice, and you may qualify! :)

Anyway, I'm very happy.

And mighty proud, too, and relieved - building an alliance of toothy and opinionated Shark diving operators is certainly not for the faint-hearted! So thank you gents, and Vivian our unrivaled and ever-patient web administrator, for pulling this through - all-in-all, this has been a brilliant experience! :)

To be continued no doubt - onward and upward!

Humaniacs and Whackadoodles!

Well well - and I cite.

Let us look at a case in point.

In August a new report was released stating that the worlds’ smallest cetacean (a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises), the vaquita, was down to just 97 animals and would likely to go extinct in the next four years. Crucially, all the necessary laws are in place; the solution is better enforcement and retraining of fishermen. And all this needs is money. And probably less than a movie star can make on a single movie.

On an environmental scale this is both tragic and a surprisingly easy fix. 

But, while a reasonable number of news agencies have covered the story, and continue to do so, the level of public outrage since that time can be best described as non-existent...

and

Increasingly, dealing with the whacktivists on “your” side is almost as important as dealing with those on the other side of a conservation issue.
Whacktivists make issues more polarized, putting off potential allies, reducing the credibility of conservation movements and undermining outreach efforts. Opponents to your issue will quickly point to the most extreme whacktivists and highlight them, saying “look at who our opponents are – crazy, illogical extremists” and try to paint all those that oppose them with the same brush. 

Why are there so many whacktivists?
Perhaps it’s because of the idea – exacerbated by social media and the internet – that everyone’s opinion is valid and that you have a right to say whatever you want (even if threatening and unfactual). Couple that with the greater ease with which you can do this in today’s social media age. Moreover, you can find any opinion online to back up your personal beliefs or prejudices, and the public has an increasing inability to discern “opinion” from “facts”.

You really got to read this and this post on SFS.

I've been lamenting the pervading dolphinization of the Shark movement for a very very long time indeed - and it's good to see that the sentiment is increasingly being shared, all the way to Chris Parsons' obvious distaste of the belief that everybody's opinion is equivalent and must thus be communicated and accepted regardless of its content and author. Of course, being a Whale man, he's very much sitting at the epicenter of all the crazy shit that is pervading the movement and knows exactly what he's talking about!

Make sure you also peek at the Sasquatch link - you just can't make that shit up can you...

Solutions?

Methinks Parsons' suggestions are only partly useful, i.e when dealing with those well-meaning activists. There, respect, dialogue, education and cooperation can truly lead to fantastic and mutually beneficial results, see e.g. our highly productive cooperation with Projects Abroad.

But you can't heal stupid and crazy, sorry.

Those are the folks that are directly harming conservation efforts, and they really need to be stomped out - by public criticism, insults, ridicule, whatever. Obviously, not very PC - but assuming that those folks are not reformable, are we just simply gonna ignore them and patiently shoulder the additional burden they are creating?

Think about it.

With those crazies, meek tolerance is just simply not an option.
Correct?

Celebration - BAD Cut!

Brilliant shot by Allen!

So there.

I just couldn't resist.

If you compare this to Dave's edit, whilst hopefully respecting the brilliant original, I've saturated it a bit more, replaced some of the Fishes, de-emphasized the Tigers as really, our flagship species are the Bulls and Reefies, and added some more little tweaks to further accentuate the beat.

But it remains Dave's edit - so praise him if you like it and blame me if you don't!

I trust you know your Sharks - so here' something about the other critters.

• 00:36: Yellownose Shrimpgobies, Stonogobiops xanthorhinica, with Randall's Snapping Shrimp Alpheus randalli.
• 00:37: male Squarespot Basslet,  Pseudanthias pleurotaenia.
• 00:38: Gray Sandtilefish, Hoplolatilus cuniculus, a shy, deep-water Fish that can be rarely seen on the deep slope to Beqa Channel.
• 00:39: Blacklip Butterflyfish Chaetodon kleinii feeding on a Jellyfish.
• 00:40: male Stocky Anthias Pseudanthias hypselosoma.
• 00:41: Trumpetfish Aulostomus chinensis.
• 00:43: Antenna Turkeyfish Pterois antennata.
• 00:45: Yellowtail Coris Coris gaimard, moving a rock to look for hidden prey.
• 00:46: Stonefish Synanceia verrucosa.
• 00:47: Large-toothed Cardinalfish, Cheilodipterus macrodon, mouth-breeding an egg cluster.
• 00:51: possibly, Minifin Parrotfish Scarus altipinnis. The differently colored Fishes are different phases of one and the same species, with the supermales being blue-green.
• 00:53: Bluestreak Goby Valenciennea strigata.
• 00:54: Fire Dartfish Nemateleotris magnifica.
• 00:55: Map Puffer Arothron mappa.
• 00:56: Elegant Dartfish Nemateleotris decora.
• 00:57: Banded Sea Krait Laticauda colubrina, one of the incarnations of Dakuwaqa.
• 00:58: male Stocky Anthias Pseudanthias hypselosoma with Bull Shark in the background.
• 01:13: Arc-Eye Hawkfish Paracirrhites arcuatus fighting over a coral head.
• 01:59: juvenile Clown Triggerfish Balistoides conspicillum, yawning.
• 02:22: Elongate Surgeonfish Acanthurus mata. Normally seen in schools, they can quasi-instantly change color from dark to silvery.
• 02:23: Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata.
• 02:24: Fiji Foxface, Siganus uspi. This Rabbitfish is endemic to Fiji and named after the University of the South Pacific USP.
• 02:26: possibly, Highfin Parrotfish Scarus altipinnis.
• 02:34: Narrowbarred Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus commersoni, the ubiquitous Walu from the local Fish menu.
• 02:37: Slender Grouper, Anyperodon leucogrammicus.
• 02:38: Bluestriped Fangblenny Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos, a predatory mimic of the common Cleaner Wrasse.
• 02:39: female Squarespot Basslet,   Pseudanthias pleurotaeniae.
• 02:40: Splendid Garden Eel, Gorgasia preclara from the sand patch in front of the 25m feed.
• 02:42: Gillraker Mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta, often seen but only rarely approached at the 4m safety stop where they engage in spectacular displays of their shiny gill plates. This is one of the few Bony Fishes that filters Plankton.
• 02:54: Blue-and-Yellow Fusilier, Caesio teres.
• 02:56: Longnose Filefish Oxymonacanthus longirostris from the 4m safety stop.
• 02:58: Peacock Smasher Odontodactylus scyllarus, house keeping.
• 02:59: Striped Cleaner Wrasse Labroides dimidiatus servicing a Grey Reefie. That's a shot I wanted to get for ages!
• 03:03: Blackfin Hogfish Bodianus loxozonus.
• 03:05: Pink Anemonefish Amphiprion perideraion.
• 03:06: Darn Damnsels and a gaggle of Reefies.
• 03:12: Giant Moray Gymnothorax javanicus watching Granma being fed.
• 03:14: Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata.
• 03:17: Bicolor Hawkfish Paracirrhites bicolor.
• 03:18: Bluespotted Fantail Ray Taeniura lymma. Now reclassified as T. lessoni.
• 03:19: Banded Sea Krait, Laticauda colubrina.

There you have it - confused? :)

Anyway: enjoy!

For our Friends in Fiji and the SoPac!

Presenter Rachna Nath

Fiji's new National Park will be featured on Fiji One.

Please watch Talk Business tonight at 08:05pm.
Enjoy!

Shark Selfie - fail!

Not cool, and pretty darn stupid on top of it - source.

Read this.

I fully concur.

I do like Peter, and the selfies per se are cool - but showing how one recklessly leans out of the cage is not, and the messaging is once again just the usual tired pseudo-conservation clap trap. Belittling the danger posed by GWS actually does them a disservice by not respecting them as what they are, apex predators - and absolutely not, not all strikes by GWS are investigative and/or mistaken identity!

And should you have any doubts that it was just simply stupid.
I got a friend who got nailed in the head when engaging in the exact same antics, and who only got away, with according copious loss of blood and major drama, because the Shark bit the skull and didn't injure the neck! And what would have been the head-lines, pun intended, and the according setback for Shark conservation, had the accident not been successfully hushed up?

Needless to say that my pal has learned his lesson and is not anymore doing any of that!

Anyway.

Maybe the operators should examine the size of those camera ports and ensure that those overly eager photographers are being prevented from taking those unnecessary risks?
 

Ils sont fous ces Écossais!

Source.

Story here.

Shark Escape!

Happening at Guadalupe right now!



Pete Thomas here!

Great Fiji Shark Count - still going strong!

Yes it's that time of the year again!

Wow, how time flies.

It feels like yesterday when we started, and now it's already our third November session. Thanks to the continued support of the Shark Foundation and of PADI AWARE, all materials have been distributed to the participants, and gaggles of eager divers have already started to swarm over the reefs and are busy counting Sharks, Ray and Turtles.

Have fun everybody!