Cyclone Winston - Images!

Just amazing.

I've just come back from Suva.

Insiders know the route which leads through several villages and settlements with plenty of ramshackle dwellings, and then through the suburb of Lami and finally, Suva proper. I was expecting to see some signs of the devastation but... nothing! 

Everything is clean and tidy, and all I could discern were a total of three missing roofs where repairs were already well underway.

Like I said, just amazing!

But in the North and in the islands, things are completely different.

This is yesterday's local News bulletin.

These poor people need urgent help.

Should you want to contribute, please re-read this  - and should you want to use other channels, you may want to first ascertain whether the funds will be ultimately disbursed to the National Disaster Management Office  and then, the District Disaster Management Committee (DISMAC) that are coordinating the efforts, and what portion of your funds will be wasted on overheads as is too often the case. Like the PM said, this is really not the moment for waste, duplication let alone obstruction!

Thank you very much!

Ratu Kolinio Biautubukoso!

And... do you know who that may be?

Watch.

Yup that's none other than Tumbee, Papa's son!

The short clip has been edited by Bruna and Felipe during the Oceania caper of their Gente Extraordinária project - and of course he is!

Looks like they had a ball.

All of that happened extremely short term and amid major boat and engine problems, meaning that nobody had prepared for their visit let alone had really any time for them; but of course this is Fiji, and everything sorts itself out at the and - and of course the Shark dive is always awesome.

Tho Bruna appears to have been fascinated by other things?

So here is their report - and here is their portrait of Tumbee.

Indeed, É muito bom, mas não é natural.

And Tumbee is truly extraordinary!!

Vinaka, much appreciated - and bon voyage!

Back in Business!

Click for detail.

We're opening tomorrow.

But first.

This has been the worst cyclone to ever hit the SoPac, and one of the very worst globally.

Our thoughts go to the families of the deceased and missing, to the many who got injured, to the countless displaced, many of whom have literally lost everything.

But this is Fiji.

Yes the widespread stoicism in the face of the onrushing onslaught may have seemed peculiar - but the flip side is that after the event, there is no drama whatsoever as instead of lamenting and waiting for others to help, we get up, dust ourselves off and carry on. 

Case in point, the power and water are miraculously back on, and everybody is busy cleaning up and helping friends and neighbors to get back on their feet. And a big bravo to Government who has been handling this admirably right from the get go, and who continues show leadership by being proactive, efficient and effective all throughout the country.

I also want to thank our friends.

Your outpouring of support has been frankly humbling, and we all thank you for that. No we really don't need anything - but should you want to make a valuable contribution, please make a donation to the Fiji Red Cross or to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Fund as right now, those are by far the most effective venues for quickly getting the right help to the affected people.

Thank you very much.

Anyway, we're open for business.

Can't wait to have my first look at Shark Reef that has been battered by phenomenal seas. We've recently established a shallow nursery for different endangered Giant Clams, and I'm fearing the worst - but who knows, we here are resilient.

Keep watching this space!

We're OK!

OK this has been nasty.

But all is OK.

Power is still down & there's a curfew - but as far as we can tell, everybody is accounted for.

More as the situation normalizes a bit.

Award!

Great!

Check this out.

This is a really big deal here in Fiji, and we're obviously very proud, and thankful.

But more of that later.

Right now, it's time to batten down the hatches.

Winston is now a severe Cat 5 of 920 hPa packing phenomenal winds of over 300 km/h, and the latest forecasts have it passing slightly to our North which is frankly a small relief - also see here.

Good luck Fiji!

Winston!

975 Hp would be a Cat5 - click for detail. 

Looks like we're pretty much screwed.

Check this out.

You can click once and will get a forecast function at the bottom - see what's brewing?
Confirmation here!

You know what to do!

Exploding Cownose Rays? Not so fast!

Source.

Bingo.

Remember those exploding Cownose Ray populations?

Proudly announced in 2007 as the first scientific evidence for Shark-mediated trophic cascades, the paper is a favorite argument of some quarters within the Shark conservation movement, and a frequent topic of increasingly critical posts on this blog, e.g. here, here and here.

Enter myth-buster Dean Grubbs, and I cite.

The lack of temporal correlations coupled with published diet data suggest the purported trophic cascade is lacking the empirical linkages required of a trophic cascade. 
Furthermore, the life history parameters of cownose rays suggest they have low reproductive potential and their populations are incapable of rapid increases. 
Hypothesized trophic cascades should be closely scrutinized as spurious conclusions may negatively influence conservation and management decisions.

Like I said, bingo.

The article is here, and required reading - and no, I really got nothing to add!

Actually, there IS something to add, so there.
Spurious conclusions is likely a euphemism for a load of horseshit. From what I can see, Grubb did not conduct any new field research but merely re-examined the info available at the time, and his findings are pretty much devastating in terms of the methodology and the illicit conclusions by Myers et al. 
Which obviously raises questions about the peer review process but also about the value of NGO-sponsored research (eg here) and according agendas and conflicts of interest.
And now, I can certainly leave it at that!

Enjoy.

And then, throw those exploding Cownose Rays into the same incinerator as the Oxy Myth! Like I said back then,  the theory of correlations between trophic levels is sound - but much more when viewed bottom up! 

Synopses here and here - extensive blog post here!

Game Changer!

Remember?

Now Tom has weighed in here.

He is perfectly correct - this will be a game changer and a huge step towards propelling the Shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model, much like what we in the industry are trying to achieve via GSD and what Austin et al have advocated in their recent stellar paper.

And not only that - despite being your quintessential penniless young researcher, Tom has also made a contribution! 

Chapeau - I am impressed!

And all the others?

I thought that Rick was one of the most liked and respected conservation people out there, with zillions of friends all over the globe? And yet, I'm yet to see any endorsement in all those friendly blogs and FB pages and Twitter feeds, let alone any shekels for his funding page? 

C'mon people, we can do better than that.

Isn't this precisely what is needed and what we've all been advocating for years, and does Rick not deserve our full support for having selflessly embarked on this rather titanic endeavor on his own dime and precious free time? 

Forget the breathy sharkaholic masses that are so long on opinions and so short on actual deeds - but even if yer all hopelessly broke, can we please at least see some public endorsements by all you social media gurus and public friends?

Thank you!
 

Winston - double Whammy?

Dang.

That track keeps getting crazier by the day!

Check out the dates on the pics above: right now, it really looks like Winston is going to leave Fiji, pick up strength in the open ocean North of Tonga, only to then boomerang back and hit us as a Cat 4 to 5!

You know what to do!

Shark Geeks!

LtR: the indefatigable Debbie and Rick, plus young Shark researchers and conservation biologists Kerstin, Tom and Gauthier!

Life is good.

This has been loads of fun.

Shark conservation meets Shark research - with a generous sprinkling of big feisty Fiji Bulls!

Incidentally, the clouds are the outskirts of the bloody cyclone.

Christened Winston and presently rated a Cat 4, it is embarking on a crazy loop south of Fiji and then northward to Tonga, meaning that there is a chance that we down here and especially Kadavu may dodge the anticipated major bleaching event.

Fingers crossed!

Fiji - Fish Kills!

Bloody El Niño!

A friend alerts me to this article.

Our new captain Abo hails from Votua Village (= the home of Fiji's best pizza!!!), and has been reporting about dead Fishes for a while now - but I must say that I would never imagined the extent of the catastrophe!

Alas, the cyclone ain't gonna help.

The latest forecasts have it pass far to the West and considerably weakened, meaning that we're likely to be stuck with the present unbearable heat for quite a while longer, and that the chances for a widespread coral bleaching event are that much higher.

A real shame for Victor Bonito.

He has been conducting great, community-based coral restoration work with his Reef Explorer Fiji - and now much of that hard work is at high risk of being wiped out.

And Shark Reef?

Alas, the reef top and especially the back reef where Coral growth has been nothing short of spectacular may once again be wiped out - either by the bleaching or by the quasi inevitable subsequent invasion of Crown-of-Thorn Starfish.

Not good - and for once I'm not very hopeful.

To be continued!

PS - Pacific Beat interview here!

A Plastic Ocean!

Literally everywhere - this unfortunate little girl turned up on Friday's dive. 
Click for detail.

Remember?
 
Sure you do! :)
Anyway, here is the trailer - story here.

Cut the Bull!

A tad intimidating and, literally, Blunt!

Read this!

Poor Michele!

Blunt and intimidating huh - and to think that I was really on my very best behavior and merely trying to be useful by providing some, I thought, valuable and impartial guidance!

Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

And the infamous education and awareness thing?

Regular readers of this blog know that it's one of my pet hates as it is so often invoked as an excuse for bad things with Sharks by the brazen self promoters, Shark molesters and new age idiots. 

Don't get me wrong here.

We here do it every day, and hope that some of our in-depth conservation and research briefings "stick", and that our customers will go home and amplify the message among their friends. 

But the very vast majority of the recent Shark conservation victories are not based on plebiscites but instead, have nearly always been the result of the right people talking to the right people at the right time, and of heaps of hard, persistent and anonymous work on the ground.

And Shark Stanley I hear you ask?

Dunno and likely never will - or is anybody about to finally analyze these things?

But my gut tells me that it was certainly nice but by no means mission critical = the victories at the last CITES CoP were the result of stellar but incredibly tedious and hard work by several individuals and NGOs, not of a social media campaign featuring cute Shark and Manta cutouts!

Long story short?

I  believe that education and awareness are possibly (?) valuable as a long term strategy;  but in the short term and considering the urgency of the task at hand, they remain a poor substitute for focused conservation work. And I equally remain of the opinion that intelligent and highly educated young people like Michele ought to channel their passion into more efficient and effective undertakings!

But I'm digressing as always.

Great blog post by a really nice promising marine conservationist.

Enjoy!

Fiji Weather - incoming!

Behold!

 

This by no means surprising.

It has been way too hot for far too long, and as always the choice becomes coral bleaching or a cyclone - with my preference being a cooling cyclone anytime!

Usually, 80 HP is a Cat 2 to 3.
Anyway, keep your eyes peeled here and here!
You know what to do!
 

Wallpaper Bulls!

Told you that there would be more pics!

From today's dive.
And yes those Sharks would be up to three meters long - click for detail!
Need I say more!

Is the Tiger Shark a coastal Species?

Click for detail!

You be the judge of that!
Brief Communication here, expanded version here!

Healing in Bull Sharks - Survivor: Ship Shape!

Remember?

I had to look twice but it is definitely him!

Looks like he's always gonna be unusually skinny - but one year later, everything has healed perfectly and he's as feisty as always! Click for detail - and yes this would be a new camera, so expect plenty more pics!

Is this whole thing amazing or what!

GWS hunting Strategies - Paper!

Marine Dynamics, serial enabler of good research! Source.

Very nice!

Check this out!

No need to write a synopsis as it is open source and also, because there are really nice ones here and here. Great to see that this is once again brilliant research that has been facilitated by Marine Dynamics, a proud member of Global Shark Diving!

And the take-away message of it all?

What once again strikes me, 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 yes I'm very much repeating myself!

Incidentally, that's what we very much experience here.

We basically conduct two types of feeding, i.e. by hand and from a suspended wheelie bin - and over the years, we have observed that each feeding modality has created its own Shark tribe, with only extremely few individuals switching from one source to the other. In fact, when we briefly discontinued hand feeding after the passing of Rusi, some of the hand feeders appear to have wandered away, only to slowly start coming back once regular hand feeding was resumed.

Maybe individual Sharks learn a preferred strategy early on and then continue favoring it as long as it works, which would also explain why some of the cage dive operators report that the same individual GWS appear to attack the teaser baits always in the same way.

But of course all is relative.

These are trends and not absolutes, meaning that in all likelihood, behavior happens along a continuum and very likely also evolves as prey wisen up and circumstances changes. Plus, Sharks with wide trophic niches are also likely to dispose of an equally wide array of predation strategies.

But I'm digressing as always.

Great paper, and well done to everybody involved!

World Class Liveaboard Adventures!

Great stuff - and the variety is simply spectacular!

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions are obviously a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving!

Enjoy!

Tributes to Rusi!

We are all very grateful for this.

Thank you Jayne and Michael for having collected these touching tributes to the great late man.

Please click for detail.

Guadalupe - new Shenanigans!

Oh for crying out loud - again?

This is really very disappointing.

I see at least three breaches of the regulations:

• 6.13 It is strictly forbidden to offer any bait or to feed great white sharks from inside the cages (= no hang baits attached to the cages, sharks may not eat the bait, and definitely no hand feeding).


• 6.15 The operator responsible shall terminate the diving practice of any person who allows any part of the body to extend outside the cage or who tries to leave the cage when it is submerged.


• 6.16 It is strictly forbidden to touch the sharks.

And of course this was in no way some spontaneous occurrence.

This was planned and protracted, as indicated by the different bait (at least one head and one patty) and different divers; and it is equally obvious that some of the crew must have been complicit and as a minimum, provided the ropes and the bait - or may the bait handler and Shark grabber be a crew member and not a customer?

Be it as it may, some arses need kicking! 

Clients are clients, and some of them will always try to push the limits, and promise extra tips for special favors; but reckless crew and possibly even skippers that endanger the clients and harm the investors by jeopardizing the reputation and ultimately, the economic survival of the business need to get fired.

Mind you, just my 2c.

To be continued no doubt!

PS - more thoughts here.
PPS - check out the comment by the owner of the vessel in the comments section!
 

Sharks are Cool!

Michael with the great late Paul Walker - source.

Love this video!

Well done Michael.
Enjoy - or maybe not! :)

Trip Advisor - 200 Reviews!

Awesome!

Check this out!

So first and foremost, a big Vinaka Vakalevu to everybody who took the time to pen a report.

And the negative ones?

They basically come to the conclusion that the owner is an asshole which a) is certainly true and b) the owner, knowing the circumstances, wears with pride! Having said that, the owner has definitely mellowed - and thanks to mouth-to-mouth propaganda, we're also getting to host far fewer jackasses! :)

So here's to that.

And to many more stellar, insightful and sometimes, really very witty reviews by our customers!

 

Phantom Divers join Global Shark Diving!

Behold!

Needless to say that I'm elated.

Ever since I started blogging, about the then problems in Playa del Carmen, e.g. here, Chino and his group of passionate Shark divers at Phantom Divers have been advancing in leaps and bounds.

Thanks to the remarkable progress both in terms of conservation but also protocols, Playa is now  among the very best and most sustainable Shark diving destinations anywhere. This has taken an enormous effort both personally but also very much financially, and I must really commend them for their unwavering tenacity and passion.

So welcome aboard my dear friends - this is highly welcome and highly deserved!

GSD will of course continue expanding, albeit slowly.

We are really fully beholden to our mission and principles, meaning that potential candidates need to undergo a  rigorous vetting process where they must above all document a proven track record in every single one of our principles - and lemme tell you, with every candidacy requiring the consensus by all members, that is a tall order indeed!

But, we're already working on the next candidacy!

Onward and Upward!

HT: Eli, for having made the introductions. Thanks brother! :)

Sustainable Shark Diving - Funds needed!

Eco-Bulls - stellar pic by Danny!

Remember?

Now Rick has run into a brick wall.

He writes,

The Sustainable Shark Diving website is (according to the web designer) ready to launch. I think it looks good from a design perspective. But I'm still not happy with the reviews and rating functionality. It needs some tweaking to provide what I hoped to have. But I need to find a coder who can actually program for that, i.e. code the final steps of the rating functionality so it is performing as I hoped. 

I set a goal of $4K which should get me through the immediate coding needs and also provide some upkeep funds.
I really have not compiled a thorough business plan for this yet, but I think this tranche of funds will allow me to complete the database coding, add the site optimization I’d like to see - and even throw a bit to an intern to help administer the site over the course of the year provided the use really takes off.

I suggested he try crowd funding, and here is the page.

Sustainable Shark Diving is going to be the Trip Advisor for Shark ecotourism, and will be invaluable in propelling the global Shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model, much along the lines of the Global Shark Diving alliance of responsible operators.

If you care about Shark ecotourism, please do make a contribution.

Rick is 100% legit and I am convinced that he will manage any funds with great circumspection, integrity and absolute honesty.
For what it's worth, we support him one hundred percent.

Thank you very much.

Virtual GWS!

This is actually pretty cool.

I must confess that at first it left me kinda underwhelmed.

But then I discovered that one can change the POV with the cursor, and this even when the video is paused, leading to a completely different experience.

Enjoy - and don't forget to set it to highest quality!

Shark Bytes!

And I cite.

The third, and frankly often ugly stage of shark diving is upon us. 
The advances in underwater photographic equipment mean that getting fantastic photographs in reasonable conditions is almost guaranteed. While there are plenty of responsible dive operators offering superb shark dives to genuinely interested divers, a considerable number of attention-seeking types have emerged who, seeking to use sharks to make themselves famous, indulge in ever more vulgar and irresponsible stunts for the sake of the camera – stunts that soon appear all over the Internet, and beyond. 

The perpetrators inevitably claim that their antics are for the benefit of the animals. 
Sharks that were previously thought to be extremely dangerous (bull, tiger, great hammerhead) are now being fed, hand-fed, handled and posed with. (So too is the great white by yahoos who leave the safety of the cage – but that’s another story.) Elbowing each other out of the way for the limited limelight, these divers must come up with ever more idiotic stunts; one aging ex-model recently posed naked among circling sharks as her own contribution to shark conservation. 
Little wonder this genre has been labelled ‘shark porn’.

Hear hear!

Ageing ex-model? And who the hell is JSD?

But I'm digressing.

What I really wanted to talk about is the splendid book by John Bantin.

John and I go back a long, long time indeed - and this by never, ever meeting let alone diving together despite of being in the very same place at about the same time on countless occasions. The closest we've ever got to stumbling into each other was many years ago at the London Dive Show when my buddy Lam and I swooped in and kidnapped Ron and Valerie from a dinner held in their honor - and even then we managed to avoid each other despite of probably being only yards apart!

Hell, I even missed him when he came to dive with BAD in 2006 and wrote this stellar review!

That was then.

We've finally did run into each other as now crusty old farts a few years back at DEMA, and I must really say that I like the man immensely. Check out his FB page and you may intuit why. 

Or not - and then I couldn't possibly explain.

Anyway, you really must get yourselves the book.

John knows everybody and has been literally everywhere, and this often well before JSD's ghastly intrusion of scuba bubbles, and his tales are always witty and riveting, often surprising and sometimes endearing, like only a great storyteller can convey.

Required reading!

JASA Shark Expedition!

Source.

Behold!

Oldie but very much goodie.

Of course Jimmy is the ultimate image freak geek, and loves but above all, understands his Sharks like no other - and it sure shows! 

And yes, JASA are obviously a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving!

Enjoy - and you can find one or two more videos right here! :)

Guadalupe - the Regulations!

Click for detail!

My bad.

After so much ranting, I've totally missed them!

So here they are, in English and Spanish -  and they could not be clearer!

Do read them and pass them around!

I must really say that I like them.

Yes they are a tad stifling, possibly unnecessarily so - and no I'm definitely not alluding to the ban on going cageless and taking selfies etc which I very much applaud!

But this is after all a biosphere, meaning that the special circumspection is totally warranted. And after all the shenanigans by the shark molesting bimbettes all the way to the adrenaline junkies and their enablers, it is also not unsurprising that the pendulum has swung the other way. The really good news being that it will not at all affect business as instead of being suckered into the Great Slide (we miss you buddy!), the operators will instead be able to continue to offer an awesome, safe and long term sustainable experience with a likely minimal ecological impact, like it should be.

And the dreaded enforcement?

Looks like even there, progress has been remarkable. 

Two completely unrelated sources report that Ritter and his sharkitarians have been prevented from exiting the cage, incidentally much to the dismay of the poor googly eyed suckers that were coldly refused any refund, mind you by Ritter and Wirodive. 

Which begs the question, are they still fans?

And the other perpetrators?

Dunno - but by the same token, for the first time, I am really hopeful. 

And yes, mark this day in your diary! :)

So here's to that - and very well done indeed!

Shark Reef - still at it!

From today's dive.
And yes, forget what I said the other day!

CO2 and Sharks - Paper!

Read this.

Bingo.

Granted it's only one species, and the tests have been performed in a lab - but it stands to reason that under the same environmental conditions, those effects will be at least similar in the wild, and this for all Sharks.

Long story short?

Where many Shark conservationists are still stuck in species conservation (or god forbid, in finning bans), we really need to shift to a more holistic view that takes into consideration all the major threats to the marine ecosystem. Like Jaguars will not be able to survive without jungles, even the best protected Sharks will not survive if we continue to destroy their habitats and annihilate their prey.

You may want to re-read this.

It's old and thankfully, there has been progress on several fronts; and still, I believe it to be correct in its broad outlines - especially when it comes to the part about sustainability, and the need to refrain from uninformed activism and radical positions!
As in e.g. Jupiter - boy has that been an education!

Anyway.

I'm digressing as always.

Enjoy the paper!

Jawline!

Great video!

This was shot aboard the luxurious Nautilus Belle Amie, the new flagship of Nautilus Explorer & Nautilus Belle Amie. The Nautilus Group are a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving.

Enjoy!

The Running of the Bulls - Full House!

Bingo!

Didn't I say that they would be running soon!

We're still being niggled by the tail end of Ula, and diving has been challenging - but the action is fast and furious, with more and more of the big females popping by for a snack. Already sighted: Crook, Hook, Bum, Monica, Chica, Bumphead, Curly, Maite, Pointer, Blunt, Tip, Nani, Shorty, Junior, Fold, Nick, Pecker, Mrs. Jaws, Lefty, Saddle, Steps and Taryn - and this in only 3 days of Shark diving!

And the mating?

I'm still stumped as all we see are healed scars, like the ones on Nick at the top. And even more surprisingly, today we were visited by none other than Whitenose, meaning that the party may well be already over!

Or may this be merely a temporary lull like last time?

We shall see!

In any case, we're already at 45+ bulls, tendency very much increasing.

So, what are you waiting for!

Rodney Fox Highlights!

Amazing Shark action - source.

Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions are a member of Global Shark Diving, your one stop shop for responsible, safe and long term sustainable Shark diving.

Enjoy!

Boomerang Cyclone?

Check out this surprising forecast.

Looks like we're in for some trouble.

If you play with the time line at the bottom, you will discover that Cyclone Ula that has been afflicting Tuvalu before hammering Vava'u and Southern Lau will not dissipate in the south like anticipated but instead track back all the way to Viti Levu and then depart towards Vanuatu and finally, New Cal.

Amazing to say the least.

Well, it's only a forecast so this may change - hopefully!

But for now, that's what we got to plan for.

You know what to do!

Healing in Sharks - Paper!

Click for detail!

Love it!

Check out this new paper.

Much like we continue to document the miraculous healing power of our Bulls, the authors describe the same faculties in Blacktip Reefies, often equally through observations in the field.

Very nice!

And I like the part about releasing hooked animals!

Our Sharks regularly steal bait and fish from the local fishermen, and we get to see countless individuals sporting hooks, with and without lines; and with the notable exception of Pointer that got hooked in the throat and had a rope trailing from her gills for several years, we could not discern any notable reduction in the Sharks' fitness, with all hooks disappearing within weeks to as couple of months.

With that in mind and considering the substantial fragility of some species, I totally agree that it's probably best to forego hook removal in favor of minimizing handling time and thus potentially lethal stress for the animals, and that all unwanted Sharks should be released even if mechanically injured.

Anyway, very well done indeed.

Enjoy the paper!

Basking Shark Scotland - Scottish Wildlife Spectacular!

Source.

Spectacular indeed!

Basking Shark Scotland are a member of Global Shark Diving, your home for safe, responsible and sustainable Shark diving.
Story here.

Enjoy!

Conservation Shark Diving in Fiji!

Love the title! :)

Martin has penned this piece about his next trip to Fiji.

Yes it's obviously marketing for his trips - the good news being that every single word is absolutely true!

Thanks buddy - much appreciated!

And here's that video again.

Enjoy!

Cristina - Shark Love?

Source.

Watch what happens at 1:45ff...

Amazing isn't it.

A pal writes,

The romantic in me says it's LURVE. 
The cynic says the shark is assuming that position to have ectoparasites removed - and simply following what it takes to be the ecto-parasite-removing creature when it retreats. I think this shows how we, as hug-loving mammals, are hard-wired to misinterpret what is presumably going on - and hence how easily the idiots (Ritter, Treadwell et al) can go off the transcendental deep end. 

Yes and no!

Clearly, those are conditioned Sharks that as a minimum have been habituated to humans insofar as they appear to have lost their natural fear of them. This is one of the known side-effects of provisioned Shark dives that when they are conducted responsibly, leads to less agonism = defensive aggression - the flip side being that the resulting familiarity can lead to the well-known problems with those infamous beggar Sharks, hence the need for good protocols.

So yes those Sharks may well want to get cleaned.

Jimmy did show me equally amazing footage of Lemons snuggling up to divers at the Tiger Beach cleaning station, and equally only being rewarded with a friendly rub. Both Jimmy and Cristina have removed squillions of hooks, and the Sharks may indeed regard, and thus seek them out as some sort of cleaner organism as a consequence.

But maybe it's something else?

Specially in the case of Cristina that induces a trance-like state (not tonic!) by stimulating the Sharks' snout, the Sharks may simply come in for the resulting, obviously pleasurable sensation. Does that equal LURVE and affection and the like? Methinks not, it may be more akin to us, ahem, visiting a brothel - but it is totally amazing nevertheless!

And now?

Does this mean that we should all swarm out and start giving Sharks affection, or whatever, by conditioning them to come in and get petted?

Certainly not!

Back then in 2008, Patric asked

Is it not enough to "witness" these animals in all their grace and elegance? Do we need to touch them and ride them as well? Do photographers really need to shoot inside a Tigers mouth? Do we need to throw pokey-sticks at them? Where does it end, where do we call the game and set the safety goal posts?

And for me, the answer is crystal clear.

Like I never cease to repeat, Shark dives need to be regarded as wildlife encounters and subsequently, conditioning needs to be kept at an absolute minimum = limited to attracting otherwise shy species, and ensuring the necessary degree of safety. All else is just simply unwarranted and often disrespectful showmanship that benefits only the human, with only more risks for the animal.

Cristina and Jimmy of course get a pass.
Mind you, this not because of what they do but because of who they are!

The other molesters, not so much - but once you've logged thousands of Shark dives, devoted your life to Shark conservation but above all, removed hundreds of hooks, you too will be entitled to some rather superfluous, and clearly not reciprocated Shark LURVE - petting, scratching, hugging and kissing included!

In diesem Sinne - happy Shark diving!