Dive boat operators face charges of illegally feeding sharks in state waters

[Narcosiss]

Ignorance is Bliss

---------- Post added May 15th, 2014 at 08:00 AM ----------

I booked another trip with Randy for the first Sunday in June. Even if you are against sharkfeeding, you should try it once to see for yourself what it's like. Randy is selective though on who he will take out which is probably why he does not have more accidents.

Ignorance is Bliss

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Conceivable, that much of Ritter's stuff turns out to be 'right', and all the guys, knocking him, are 'wrong'?

We've seen that one before ... Just a thought.

First off, granted I'm still looking, but where does SRI advocate against baited shark dives? What I'm seeing paging through their history is a lot of advocacy and research work focused on getting shark populations protected from overfishing. On their "good shark dive operators" page they list Hawaii Shark Encounters, which does conduct feeding (the snorkelers are in a shark cage, but I've seen them hand-feed sharks from the boat) and Stuart Cove, which one poster on here just blasted for having a number of shark bite incidents. So I conclude that they are not in opposition to feeding dives.

Second, someone asked how many shark experts I know. That depends on your definition. Let's go most conservatively and say established PhDs with a focus on shark research whom I've had direct interaction or extended correspondence with, as opposed to meeting at a conference or attending one of their lectures. I'll put that number at six. I won't name names because I don't feel like bringing them into this conversation (more on why in the following paragraph). That excludes the score or so of graduate students I know who have worked on or are working on shark research.

Third - for a scientist, your reputation and credibility is your lifeblood. Period. Produce crappy papers, use questionable methods, go sailing off into left field with your conclusions, or cozy up to people who do - it's the kiss of death. Your career is based on the confidence that the data you produce is solid, and your ability to keep producing good science. That's not to say it's all clean and whitewashed. Some Ph.Ds I've known are absolute tyrants to their students and their collaborators with occasional chronic backstabbing disorder, but their saving grace is that they produce groundbreaking work that stands up to critical scrutiny. The shark researchers I've known are renowned for the additions they've made to their knowledge of sharks - behavior, ecology, sensory biology, physiology, population biology, etc. Ritter is known for being the putz who was in hip-deep water with a bunch of bull sharks telling Nigel Marvin they had nothing to worry about right before one ripped his calf off. And then became the centerpiece of an hour-long craptacle widely regarded as the "jump the shark" moment where Shark Week stopped catering to science and started becoming a weeklong reality spectacle that many of my colleagues either regard as a pathetic laugh-fest or a depressing example of how far "science television" has fallen.

 

[The Chairman]

I've had a few PMs asking me how I support shark feeding. I really don't. I've been to one a long, long time ago and it bored me. I prefer to see my sharks in situ with no contrivances to bring them in.

But I can't stand bad science. It upsets me greatly. When people substitute emotions, inferences, extrapolations, fear and even anecdotal incidents for science it simply makes me want to reach through the monitor, grab you by the neck and yell ENOUGH!!! You can't cure your ignorance if you're convinced you know the truth. That some of you want legislation to push your preferences based on these emotions to stop anyone from diving in a way you don't approve of simply borders on the insane. What, you don't like it? Fine. Vote with your fins. Why do you feel compelled to force everyone to dive like you? Some of you come across like the Mugatu character in that scene from Zoolander. I'll leave you with it...

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[Deep Down Diver]

The sharks had become so aggressive she had to get out of the water....


The Florida Dive boat operators were trying to skirt the regulations. Read about the investigation that led to their arrests.


Ask law makers to throw the book a these lawbreakers. http://chn.ge/1nuVCDE

Is this the same guy who is running the petition?

Is he a shark hater??? Or a Randy hater??? Or Both???

Sharks Gone Wild ** Great White Alert - Page 6 - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum


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