Help Us Help Sharks - Great White Sharks are in Danger!!!!

[wahlaoeh]

Hi, I just came back from a cage-less great white shark expedition and had a blast swimming with these beautiful and magnificent animals. I was honored to have a chance to meet some really amazing shark enthusiasts and learned alot from them. One thing that I never knew was that the improper tagging of these sharks caused more harm than good. Attached is a pic with a sharkie with a damaged fin WHO did that?? WHAT caused this?? AND WHY??? There are many misinformations about these sharks and many more doubts that need to be answered. Awareness is crucial to change. Skyler Thomas, is in the midst of producing a film, The Price of Existence, that exposes misinformation, politics, corruption, and financial influences that continue to plague a protected species, the great white shark.This is a non-profit organization and needs funds to complete the filming.

SHARK LOVERS out there, pls help to contribute some $$$ and share this link to ensure that we still have the chance to see them in the (near) future. Thank you and happy bubbles, as always ..

The Price of Existence | Indiegogo

 

[Arubandi07]

"What ..." could be considered a reasonable question ... As you can see, the lower lobe of the tail fin is also missing a piece, and my first guess would be violent encounters with other GWs, rather than these injuries being the result of human action.

That said, I think that the documentary is a great effort in advancing this cause.

 

[wahlaoeh]

Whilst my photo is debatable but hopefully below are some links that could possibly convince you ..

PLOS ONE: Effects of Smart Position Only (SPOT) Tag Deployment on White Sharks Carcharodon carcharias in South Africa
Frodo the Shark's Fin Damage shown over the seasons - White Shark Video
Severely injured great white shark found, are scientists responsible? « Southern Fried Science

 

[Arubandi07]

Much better, relevant documentation ... And, no need to convince me.

 

[drbill]

There is no doubt in my mind that the "tags" used by Chris Fischer and OCearch are damaging to the sharks, I don't see the image you've posted as indicating damage of that nature. While I've encountered great whites while uncaged here off Catalina (or rather the sharks encountered me), I'm not sure I'd be entirely comfortable intentionally swimming with them.

 

[Wingy]

How do you feel about internal tracking systems? we have begun moving here from tagging to internal implants...quite a feat when you consider our whites run in the 3 - 5m range.

 

[Bob DBF]

Your Theory:

Tagging GWS bad.

Baiting GWS and changing their relationship with divers good.


Rebuttal

Remember both activities are done for the money, but at least the tagging is done for scientific research as well.

Just hope you don't run across a GWS that equates diver with free meal without your cage.

If you want sharks out of danger, leave them alone and thereby set a good example.




Bob
------------------------------------
I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36

 

[wahlaoeh]

@drbill: Having just seen some really disturbing images on the so-called Ocearch tag & release mission, I’m angered and am positive that what they are doing are certainly wrong and damaging to the sharks. Soon, the truth shall be unveil!!

---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 01:22 PM ----------

@ Wingy: As long as there are proven fact that the internal tracking systems are not causing any damage to the sharks .. I think I’m okay with them. BUT, still I’d think that the animals themselves wouldn’t like having some foreign objects attaching to them … would you?? I also believe that shark scientists already know the migration patterns and nursery areas of these sharks from the data collected over the years .. are they using these information wisely? Do we still need more??

---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 01:31 PM ----------

@Bob: My theory
Tagging GWS and causing damage to the sharks is 100% BAD.

Baiting/chumming GWS and changing their relationship with divers (not proven) has it’s pros and cons. It has been a controversial subject for so long.

I’d love to dive with the GWS (any sharks) in their natural habitat if given a choice, trust me!!! But my personal feelings are that interacting with them is important if we are to learn more about these species. Only by learning more about them will people begin to understand that they are not monsters. I grew up eating shark fin soup at wedding banquets as I’m Asian Chinese; and has no clue then on the cruelty in shark finning. But now I love sharks! I have done a few chumming shark dive expedition and have taken photos of these beautiful animals and show to my friends to discourage them from consuming shark fin soup. Now, with a photo of myself swimming with a GWS has convinced many of my friends that Jaws is not the man-eating machine.

$$$$ .. Yes!! I paid top dollars to dive with them!!!
In my experience, not all shark expedition leaders are doing it for the money. I have met many shark enthusiasts who love sharks and are doing the chumming activities to promote the sharks.
Eli, from Shark Diver Magazine, for example has been given lectures in schools, educating little kids to help them overcome the curse of “Jaws” and to love these animals.
The numerous sharks that I have dived with during these activities were relaxed and ever so graceful. No word can described the incredible joy and breathtaking moment locking eyes with a GWS.

End of the day, we have to remember that we are in their environment. It’s not our playground, it’s their home. We have to look after the sharks and their environment. We have to respect them!!!
I say here publicly. If I die when diving with sharks, don’t blame the shark! Same goes for diving .. don’t stop diving!!

 

[Wingy]

@ Wingy: As long as there are proven fact that the internal tracking systems are not causing any damage to the sharks .. I think I’m okay with them. BUT, still I’d think that the animals themselves wouldn’t like having some foreign objects attaching to them … would you?? I also believe that shark scientists already know the migration patterns and nursery areas of these sharks from the data collected over the years .. are they using these information wisely? Do we still need more??---------- Post added October 24th, 2013 at 01:31 PM ----------

I am of the opinion that the reason the tagging program here in Western Australia is in place is to allay public fears due to the perceived fear of shark attacks, as we have had several fatal and non fatal gws chomps here. When someone is bitten and the cry goes out for a cull CSIROs research is showing us patterns of there home range behaviour here. Identifying areas where previous bites have occurred correlating with repeated visits by sharks with tags or internal transmitters seems to keep the public informed and at ease. The Govt have just announced the trial of a shark barrier (not a net) around an area frequented often by sharks and used extensively by surfers and swimmers. Tagging has allowed concrete evidence of frequency of sharks in the area to be used in the decision to put in the barrier. The litigation culture here is nowhere near the US so there wont be issues of "You are liable for me being bitten by a shark because you had information a shark was in that area and did not inform me" as the information is available to the public. If that stops baying for shark blood every time there is an incident, then I am ok with that.

Would I like something implanted in me? no. Would I like to be shot because another shark bite happened in the general area and I happen to be the first shark spotted in the area? no.

I have had a sighting of a white in the wild, was awesome, have never partaken of any baited dives because I am happy enough to take my chances and increase my chances of having wild interaction with Sharks by travelling to known shark hotspots - ie French Polynesia. Regarding baiting - topdive bora bora continue to offer baited dives even though the moment you happen to step off their boat if you are unlucky enough to have them as the only op going out that day, the sharks are there waiting at the mooring line. Have they had any incidents? yes, a few months ago. Were other operators on other islands and locals warning this was going to happen? yes.

I also say it publicly and often - If I die diving with sharks, dont blame the shark...celebrate the fact that im returning to play another part of the ecosystem I love even if it is in a 3 second kinda way

 

[DanMont]

Unfortunately tagging of individuals does sometimes cause damage, as as been documented with the SPOT tags attached to GWS in SA. However stating that tagging is 100% bad is jumping the gun considerably. Believe it or not us science types care a lot about the individual animals as well and hate to see individuals suffer as much as you do! I know that SPOT tagging is no longer commonly used in SA and hasn't been in a while. I volunteered on a PhD project in Australia recently in which we were using visual tags on sharks to help identify individual animals. However as soon as we saw that the tags were causing damage to fins we immediately began removing them, this added a lot of time, effort and expense to the project but we didn't care as we hated seeing the sharks injured by our tags. The majority of shark species have not been studied in any detail and so these studies are needed, the more we learn the more we can do to ensure their protection.