Flying Fish Hunt - Epic!

Source.

This is simply insanely awesome.
Enjoy!

Cyclone!

Click for detail - source.

Hang in there Vava'u!

Shark Bites in Moorea - Paper!

Pretty grim - and these bites are merely superficial! Click for detail.

Bingo!

From the Abstract.

• Introduction: Shark-based ecotourism is significantly developing around the world, often without appropriate management of risk. This activity involves a risk of accidental bites on divers that can be quite severe or even fatal.
• Objectives: To determine if ecotourism companies’ liability can be engaged in the context of bites on scuba divers in presence of hand-feeding practices, supporting the legitimacy of financial compensation for the victims.
• Methods: We analyzed the development from the mid-eighties to 2010 of shark-based ecotourism through artificial provisioning practices in Moorea Island (French Polynesia) and more specifically the features and motivation of two bites on divers by Sicklefin Lemon sharks.
• Results: The specific practice of hand-feeding can be considered as a facilitating factor for accidental bites on divers, potentially involving the diving operator’s responsibility.
• Conclusions: Our findings should support the technical work of experts that might be called in such cases.

Didn't I tell you that the last paper had an agenda!

This one, titled Determining the Role of Hand Feeding Practices in Accidental Shark Bites on Scuba Divers is by one of the previous authors, my pal Eric Clua, and by, I believe, anthropologist Frédéric Torrente. It describes the history of the chaotic and now largely defunct Shark diving industry in Moorea along with two of the numerous non-predatory strikes by provisioned Sicklefin Lemons, see pic at top. It comes to the general conclusion that in certain cases, Shark diving operators may bear some responsibility and may even be liable should a client be injured.

Totally agree!

Like I've stated for many, many years, baited commercial Shark diving is not SCUBA diving, and the clients have a reasonable expectation that we operators keep them safe. Yes, we make them sign liability waivers which should hopefully exclude the most frivolous complaints - but when operators are clearly negligent, it is only fair that they be held accountable!

Case in point!

Seriously, WTF? 

But having said that, Elke obviously likes to get real close and undoubtedly bears her share for the fiasco. Having been at the receiving end many a time, I can attest to the pressure those eager image hunters will bring to bear - not easy to handle in an industry where client satisfaction and word-of-mouth recommendations are critical to one's financial survival!

Long story short?

Good one Eric - and for you out there who STILL don't understand what it means to conduct Shark tourism dives, re-read a) these 90-odd posts about our industry and then, b) these 80-odd posts about the need for proper procedures!

Enjoy! :)

Brinkley - September!

Source - Fabi and the nae nae in the video!

Nice!
And yes, we got Sharks! :)
Thanks Brinkley!

Enjoy!

Feeding Sharks and Rays - Paper!

One of the many stupidities found here!

Johann alerts me to this new paper.

It comes to the conclusion that ecologically, provisioning can have effects at the individual, group and population level, and that those effects are generally neutral to negative.

Well what can I say - probably that's true!

It just so happens that every single one of the authors is a pal of mine - and because I know them, I also suspect that on top of the science that is probably pretty much irrefutable, the paper also has a political agenda, and that is, to obliquely address the mess that is Shark diving in French Polynesia, see the link at the top.

Now don't get me wrong here.

Shark diving in French Polynesia is nothing short of stellar.

But when it comes to the feeding dives, most local moniteurs appear to believe that they're god's gift to Shark diving, meaning that they are entirely impervious to accepting even the most common-sense advice (steel mesh gloves anybody?) - and as a consequence, bites are rife. So far, most of the accidents did involve the comparatively harmless reefies - but now that everybody and his dog is flocking to the new, completely unregulated and multi-user Tiger Shark dive just outside of Papeete, the risk profile has risen astronomically and once again, it's really only a matter of time til things will end up in tears. Same-same for the stupid idea of having snorkeling tourists hand feed the small reefies - seriously, WTF?

It's same old same old, so I'm really not gonna dwell, the more as having been there, the discourse is way too ego-driven and frankly leads to nowhere, meaning that the situation appears pretty much hopeless unless the regulator decides to finally regulate.

Hint hint! :)

But I'm digressing.

I can't really say that I love the paper because its conclusions are pretty much obvious, and because it does not really address the principal cause of most of the enumerated problems = bad procedures. As an example, the much-cited disaster at Stringray City is entirely the consequence of piss-poor management and regulations!

Anyway - worth reading!

My take-away: better procedures and more research into those possibly negative effects - pretty much done on the former (tho always learning and always adapting!), and very much working on the latter, so keep watching this space!

And one last thought if I may.

The problem is not Shark diving - not for the animals and not for the people.

Compared to the overfishing and the habitat degradation, the inconvenience caused by the industry is nothing. And yes there have been many, mostly accidental bites - but as far as I know, during literally innumerable provisioned Shark dives, there has been a grand total of ONE documented fatality. Compare that to the same time spent engaging in ordinary SCUBA and ask yourself the question, which is by far the safer activity? 

Just sayin'!

So, lets please keep things in perspective - and let's also never forget to always mention the industry's enormous contribution to both conservation and research that outweighs any of those possible minor deleterious effects by far!

 

Lupe: pregnant GWS with Boyfriends?

GWS with boyfriends?

Oh for crying out loud.

Have you seen this?

So Deep Blue has a boyfriend; she and several other GWS that come to Lupe are pregnant; and they are now at danger of being killed by poachers when visiting the nursery grounds. And Mauricio wants to tag them in order to then help protect those nurseries.

How touching. 

If only this was supported by any evidence.

GWS litters have tested positive for multiple paternity = no boyfriend; GWS females at Lupe often feature mating scars = if they're mating they can't be heavily pregnant; Domeier's multiple satellite tracks do not show them coming to Lupe during pregnancy; most other specialists ascribe their girth to their age (like many other Sharks, GWS do bulk up as they get old) and possibly, recent predation = a full tummy. 

Re-read the paper by Domeier!

Long story short, methinks this is a load of crap.

I say, hombre: how about more real science and less media!

After all those years of countless donations and freebies from the Shark boats, how about finally coming up with some good old-fashioned quid pro quo = some scientific paper describing the movements of those GWS around Lupe?  Wasn't that the purpose of all that industry-sponsored acoustic tagging?

Yeah I know.

Writing papers is fucking boring, whereas all that playing at science = the television cameos, the junkets, the hanging out with the Shark crowd, and being popular on social media is much, much more exciting - but the output so far is thin, and I hear that the patience of the donors is rapidly eroding, as is the scientific relevance. Plus, is it really still satisfying to be used as the provider of permits, only to then play the token Mexican in those productions and in those papers by the gringos?

Just wondering!

Sustainable Shark Diving!

Remember?

Looks like yet another initiative is about to be launched!

According to this announcement, the indefatigable Rick will be unveiling his Sustainable Shark Diving project at this year's DEMA show in Orlando. Like I never cease to repeat, I'm a big fan, and this promises to be yet another brilliant undertaking.

Like I said back then, there will have to be industry buy-in.

I ignore the finer details but Rick being Rick, I anticipate that BAD will embrace and promote it enthusiastically - and probably also GSD, at least if I should have it my way.

But first, let's see what's been cooking.

My hope is that the criteria will follow Austin & Co's stellar rating system and if so, this could not have come soon enough!

So kudos buddy - for now! :)

More once I've had a chance to see it - keep watching this space!

Shark Conservation - Job done?

Yao Ming - Shark saver extraordinaire! Source.

And I cite - proudly posted by Shark Savers.

Ming joined forces with conservation non-profit WildAid to launch a public awareness campaign about the devastating effect this soup is having on the ocean’s wildlife...

The campaign has been a huge success, credited with a 50 to 70 per cent drop in shark harvesting. Even better, recent studies show that 91 per cent of Chinese citizens now support a ban on shark fin soup.

Ming’s not stopping there. Having saved the lives of some 50 million sharks...

Oh well - then let's all go home!

According to the paper, killing those remaining 30 to 50-odd million Sharks (or possibly, based on assumptions, even a lot less - read it!) would more than halve the exploitation rate, allow Shark populations to rebound and thus be sustainable! Plus, it turns out that after all, the Chinese don't like that shit anyway! 

And this is just what Yao Ming and WildAid have achieved!

Add the Shark sanctuaries, the fin bans, the airline boycotts, the management measures and of course the petitions (!) and it becomes blatantly obvious that the problem has been solved!

I say, this is just simply egregious - facts here.

Let's see whether WildAid and Shark Savers have the integrity to post a retraction/correction.

Or not!

Wednesday, October 21st, 2015!

This is beyond epic.
Enjoy!

Duncan - Showreel!

Source.

Bravo Duncan.

He may be kinky but he sure knows how to handle a camera - and he obviously understands and above all, respects the animals!

Enjoy!

Adi!

We don't poke, grab, ride or molest - and this is a totally relaxed Shark that doesn't even bother to deploy the nictitating membrane! Click for detail!

Bingo!

The Bulls are pregnant and skittish, and here she comes!

We've known Adi since 2005 when she was a feisty tiny teenager that turned up on one of Michael's first Shark dives in Fiji, see below, and she's been gracing us with sporadic but always memorable visits ever since.

And in the process, she has obviously gotten way bigger.

No, not the whopping 5 meters that are sometimes being reported; but at slightly under 12 feet, she's still of respectable size - and it really does appear that her age and size have finally brought about some Scarface-like gravitas, too! Usually a total wrecking ball and a nightmare to handle, she glided in on her very best behavior, gently took a couple of offerings from Tumbee and elegantly disappeared back into the blue.

So here's to Adi.

May she continue to successfully dodge the hooks, and may she continue to be as gentle and mellow as she was today!

Rusty!

Great pic!

This our cat Rusty - she popped by as a stray, discovered the unlimited supply of Tuna and conquered the dive shop!

Thanks Hope for posting it!
 

Big Sharks scavenging - Video!

Wow - watch.

What can I say.

When the video came out in August and the usual dipshits started using it as "proof" that Sharks are harmless, I decided to look the other way; but now it turns out that one of those dudes is none other than my pal Allen who managed to overcome his angst and reluctantly hop into the fray. In case you wondered, I would never ever ever ever!

Ils sont fous, ces  Sudafricains - as in batshit crazy! :)

Plus, there is that Bull Shark, see Allen's pic at top.

You can check her out at 0:04 and she sure does not look good!

Over here, such an emaciated, wrinkly animal is usually either sick and/or very old - or more rarely, simply famished after having gone walkabout during the pupping and mating season whereby it usually manages to bulk back up in no time at all.

Anyway, this is pretty epic.

Allen tells me of multiple GWS, a dozen plus Tigers, plus Bulls, Duskies and Blacktips all feeding simultaneously which is in itself totally spectacular. Maybe I haven't been paying attention - but I was under the impression that the only two species reported to scavenge on Cetaceans are GWS and Tigers, and stand accordingly corrected. This sure raises all sorts of interesting questions about inter-specific competition and dominance, etc., and would certainly be great science fodder - any takers?

So congrats buddy, it must have been awesome!

And no - do not try this at home!

Shark Consciousness, Energy Balls and Quantum Levels - and Spider Beings!

Watch.
Skip liberally - and be amazed!

Wow.

Normally I would say, you just can't make this shit up - but obviously you can! Quite frankly, it makes Ritter with his shamanic seminars and the ghastly Veronica Grey with her pineal gland look like bloody dilettantes by comparison!

Crafty crafty - in so many ways!

And now that she says it, it's so blatantly obvious!

All you gotta do in order to prevent those annoying Shark strikes, is to project your energy ball - much like when dealing with disrespectful Spider Beings, present and future, as per the following equally telephatically insightful instruction!

Bingo - that simple!

Having done some researching (that I now frankly very much regret!), I discover a whole universe of globally interconnected brazen con artists and charlatans visionary benefactors conducting seminars and seances about telephatic animal communication - not to be missed and guaranteed to work!

So now you know.

Consider this a personal favor, from me to you.

You're welcome!

 

TGIF - Double Crunch!

Source.



PS - the original ad has obviously disabled because of the inevitable yada yada - but I've found another link!

Jimmy, Neil and Al Jazeera - great Shark Media!

Affectionate Sharks? Hmmmm...

And talking of bimbos and Sharks.

Watch this.

This is how you do it!

No drama and undue hype but instead, plenty of science and passion garnished with the right conservation messaging that is being delivered unobtrusively between the lines as opposed the usual tired old unappealing pathos. This is really excellent, highly entertaining and highly informative programming - love not loss, remember?

Kudos!

And bless Jimmy!

His love and passion for his Sharks is just infectious and really quite endearing.

Tho the Tigers and affection thingy, hmmm...

Tricky tricky. I've not been to TB and have never met those specific, highly conditioned individuals. And I totally respect Jimmy for arguably being the world's foremost authority on diving with them, and I also believe him when he states that there's something going on.
 

Still, from my own, granted much more limited experience, I do consider Tiger Sharks to be highly deceiving.
Yes they certainly appear mellow but the way I see it, they are actually always probing for opportunities and likely to pounce when not properly acknowledged and dominated = what I call a head on a swivel Shark that requires constant supervision and should never be underestimated!

Case in point.

To me, that is typical Tiger.

Yes the situation can usually be defused by reacting assertively, much like that dude did with the attacking Blue - but IMO this is never the less a highly dangerous Shark that should never be taken for granted! But who knows - maybe the TB sharks are somehow different? I say, possibly but not very likely. So, please, don't do that at home - and if you really must, then only with great circumspection and flanked with copious amounts of fishy bribes!

Anyway.

Love love love that feature and once again, big congratulations to everybody that has made it possible!

Shark Diving with Salmon Sharks!

Source.

Watch.



Very cool - and great images!
Alaskasharks here!
 

Chris Lowe - excellent Article!

And I cite - the link is mine.

The rise in public and media interest is closely related to the increased focus from a wide array of elasmobranch conservation organisations, many of which religiously sound alarm bells, but often without any need or use for the supporting science....

While sounding the alarm is necessary and will always be needed to promote change and conservation, I worry about its effect on how we do science. I see an unfortunate trend where the best way to make our science important and relevant is to focus on ‘the-sky-is-falling’ issues. Of the past 20 elasmobranch-related grant proposals and manuscripts I’ve reviewed, more than 80% have resorted to ‘the sky-is-falling’ statements to justify the importance their research, regardless of whether they offered a concrete remedy. In addition, there are already signs of ‘the-sky-is-falling’ science having the undesired effect of generating hopelessness among the public and, more disturbingly, among legislators. Crying wolf without good cause is weakening managers’ ability to implement adequate strategies.

Absolutely correct!

You must really read this brilliant article by Chris Lowe, the President of the American Elasmobranch Society.

Well said!

And since we're at it.

Think the recent deluge of pics of the aloha chick posing next to big sharks is conservation like she would have you believe?

Think again.
It's nothing more than the same old self-promotion for, gasp, money - and the inevitable tired old image of her riding a GWS, a protected species, is not only not conservation, it is instead evidence of illegal out-of-cage diving and also animal harassment  = really nothing to be proud of!

So much for "don't be fooled by appearances, I'm more than just a pretty face" as per her recent plea. I say, as long as the chick continues to define herself through those stupidities, caveat emptor - and yes I can certainly leave it at that!

And the Sharkette taking some other random galeophobic gal Shark diving?

I wish it were that simple! Every single one of us Shark diving operators does the very same thing on a daily basis, albeit sans the bombastic noise, the self promotion and the media hype! Were that a legit conservation strategy, the decline in Shark populations would have been halted decades ago!

Plus let's never forget that those same tame friendly Tiger Beach denizens remain wild animals that would have no compulsion whatsoever about snacking on some unfortunate Haitian boat people they would chance upon - meaning that using controlled Shark diving as some kind of "proof" against the hazard of Shark strikes is both stupid and totally misleading!

It's like I said quite a while ago.

The fishermen in, say, Indonesia, UAE and even Spain where the slaughter is happening really don't give a shit about those shenanigans but will only stop fishing for Sharks and killing them as bycatch if and when adequate legislation will prevent them from doing so. Case in point: as we speak, a group of generous philanthropic individuals and foundations are anonymously (!) pumping several million dollars into Shark conservation - and guess what: bimbos and Sharks are not a part of the global strategy mix!

But I'm digressing as always.

All I really wanted to say is, read Chris Lowe's excellent article.

Enjoy!

PS: Case in point: what is better, the drama about some random galeophobic chick, or this? :)

Whale Shark tourism in Ningaloo - Paper!

The strobe ban is baloney (and should be exchanged for a ban on self-promoting peroxide piranhas) - but other than that, this is excellent. Source - click for detail.
 

Wonderful!

Love love love the paper!

Great to see longterm monitoring much like we do here and has been done by Avi in Cocos! Also great to see that grouper challenge  winner Rob is being mentored by Shark tourism supremos Jessica and Mark. And finally, great to see yet another piece of evidence that when done correctly, Shark tourism does not harm either the animals or their environment!

This is obviously different, meaning that it is high time for the regulator to step in and step up - re-read this!

But I'm digressing.

Very well done!

Enjoy the paper!

Red Meat?

Watch.

Yeah that would be a Shark attack.

It happened because, and I cite,

"Sharks like to eat fatty red muscle...” David said.

Indeed - especially Whale Sharks and Angular Roughsharks!

I mean, seriously, that statement has the same truth content and educational value as if I professed that Mammals like to eat Eucalyptus leaves - meaning plus/minus zero! Like Cristina (brava!), it really bothers me that we put all ‘sharks’ into one pigeon hole and ascribe the same basic behaviours to them all, seldom realising that there are more than 400 species of different sizes, living in different environments and showing different behaviours!

And then, I read

So why do sharks bite?
Shiffman says it’s usually a case of mistaken identity. “Sharks aren’t used to things being in their environment that isn’t food. When a surfer cuts through the water on his board, wearing a white suit, he can easily be mistaken for a seal,” he says. But most of the time, once a shark gets a taste of his bony human dinner, he backs off in disgust. “The ‘hit and run’ is a common bite — they take one bite and realize it’s not what they wanted to eat,” Shiffman said.

Really.

Same old same old, and equally totally misleading - except that apparently, surfers now wear white garb! I can categorically assure you that the Blacktips and Spinners that strike surfers in Florida and the Bulls doing the same in Reunion Island are NOT mistaking them for seals!

Likely, the Floridian Sharks act in perceived self defense or are maybe caught up in a feeding frenzy (read this!); and equally likely, those Indian Ocean Bulls are engaging in predation - but of course we will never know for sure!

Bravo David for the laudable intention of wanting to put Shark strikes in perspective - but the stubborn ultracrepidarianism, and this from a self-proclaimed dragon-slaying myth-busting fact-based researcher is really irritating!

And that Blue Shark?

Judging from the head shake etc, methinks this is an attempt at predation - but again, who knows. But divers hovering next to bait bins whilst being obviously oblivious of the dangers and of their surroundings are a recipe for disaster. If this is a fun dive, then OK, shit happens - if, like it appears, this is a commercial dive with tourists, then those lousy protocols need to be changed, pronto!
Remember this shit? It gets triggered by stuff like that!

Anyway, just sayin!

PS: thread here - agree agree disagree who knows! :)