Shark feeding

[cdiver2]

I can see what you mean but I think we're gonna disagree on this one, i'm prob taking an idealistic point of view on shark feeds that are organised well and not purely to make a quick buck with scant regard for the sharks.

And neither of us can say we are right. Ita just how we feel about it.

 

[peterjmaerz]

Hi Folks,

Haven't read nearly all the posts in this thread but, working at a Public Radio station, I've had the opportunity to host a program devoted to this subject. After hearing all of the input from my "expert" guests and the calls that came in during the program, I found myself somewhat ambivalent, though I still lean towards leaving sharks, as well as all other creatures, as undisturbed as possible in their natural environments.
To find out more about the issue, you may want to check out the research and writings of the following, each of whom participated in the program I hosted:

ANTI FEEDING:
Dr. Bill Alevizon "Reef Relief" Scientific Advisor
Internationally recognized expert in marine biology
· Has served as a consultant to foreign governments as well as Federal, state and county agencies in the U.S.
· And on advisory panels of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
· The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences
· Certified SCUBA instructor and research diver.


PRO FEEDING:
Dr. Samuel H. Gruber
Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries
Head of the Bimini Biological Field Station
· Over 30 years of active research into the shark, mostly revolving around the Lemon Shark and much of it underwater
· Has led a number of research projects attempting to define the role of the shark in a tropical marine ecosystem


NEUTRAL:
Dr. George H. Burgess
Director of the International Shark Attack File at the
Florida Museum of Natural History (which compiles
Statistics on shark attacks around the world)
· Vice Chair, IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
· PI, Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program

JOURNALIST:
Susan Hocking
Outdoor writer for Miami Herald


Hope this helps "clear the water"



Best,

 

[H2Andy]

Isn't this more reason to encourage more people to get up and close with endangered animals like sharks?

i agree, but HOW you do that is more important than doing it.

first, do no harm.

 

[cyklon_300]

Im not talking from the point of view of giving nature an hand, but rather of improving publice perception of sharks generally and reducing ignorance.

Of the general public, divers are probably far more educated about marine life and have the least negative perceptions of sharks...PR about the importance of sharks in the marine ecosystem needs to be delivered to other audiences by other means.

 

[Phaethon]

There's an article in this month's DIVER Magazine (March 2004, pp:28-33) profiling Florida Shark Dive operator Jim Abernathy. Lots of tales of 'derring-do' and one particular quote: "There's never been a death at an organized shark dive anywhere in the world"

Anyone know different?

Jim also has the COOLEST way to get to a dive site: http://www.scubaboard.com/t49654.html

K.

 

[hantzu701]

I was on a shark feed in the Bahamas w/ Blackbeard Cruises. It was one of the most thrilling experiences that I have had in a long time. Nothing like 30+ reef sharks circling the waters just feet in front of you. While I was pro-shark feed before the dive, I am against shark feeding now.

We are not underwater tourists. The ocean is not an amusement park in which we follow DM's on tours designed for our comfort. The ocean is wilderness and is a habitat for those creatures who live, feed and breed there. We ought to respect that.

Although the sharks on my shark feed were not hand fed, it was obvious that they were conditioned to equate large sailboat, the sound of divers entering the water, and the sound of a chase boat circling overhead = food. The dive site is used so often that a large nurse shark has become very aggressive about approaching divers to be touched and scratched. This is not normal behavior.

 

[docmartin]

We are not underwater tourists. The ocean is not an amusement park in which we follow DM's on tours designed for our comfort. The ocean is wilderness and is a habitat for those creatures who live, feed and breed there. We ought to respect that.

best to not dive at all then. if we are not underwater tourists then what are we in your opinion? of course that does not mean you have to be an obnoxious tourist.

This is not normal behavior.

what is normal? the way animals behave in the absence of human interaction? maybe. however, divers have an undeniable impact on animal behaviour whether they participate in shark feeds or not. just look at all the places where they used to have sharks, eagle rays etc and where they don't appear anymore because they feel disturbed by the frequent visits of divers (cozumel, bonaire...). that's not normal either. or where the animals lost their flight instinct because they have become so accustomed to (non-feeding) divers.
i understand your view but it seems a bit overzealous to me. after all, if you do shark feeds right (e.g. no hand feeding and petting of sharks) they clearly are not dangerous. if you really feel this way and consider the impact of humans on animal behavior so disturbing you should not only stay out of the water but would probably have to reconsider many of the things you do. it becomes tricky where to draw the line. changing behaviour is -in itself- not harmful. i have neither seen nor heard of sharks being hurt by shark feedings. as far as humans, there have been extremely few incidents and the victims were willing participants. If you're not a participant and you dive a shark feed site when there is no feeding going on you will notice that the sharks show little interest in you. they will show up when they hear the boat engine but will quickly disappear and show very little interest in the divers. this may be different where they are used to being hand fed. i don't know because i don't have any experience with hand fed sharks. however, that would only be an argument against hand feeding and not shark feeding in general.
personally, i am not a great fan of the shark feeding circus in the bahamas mostly because it is so staged. but in order to interact with harder to find species like great whites, tigers or great hammerheads i have no qualms to go with someone like abernathy who chums to attract the buggers.

 

[Dot Wethington]

Do you think shark feeding is OK or not. Reasons why.

The thing with shark feeding is that they are wild animals, unpredictable and I think that all animals can like the experiment with Pavlov-- be trained and conditioned to do things. I have heard that when divers go out to a dive site where there is shark feeding-- the sharks actually know when the time is to eat- based on whatever it is they can tell what time of day it is-- via tides, light, etc., and when they hear the engine of a boat they know that it means "basically a dinner bell", and they will start congregating. We aren't usually on the menu for sharks, but the shark feeding controversy may have something to do with some of the attacks over the years it has been popular.

What if the boat doesn't come that day, and there are divers there??? What then? or what if shark feeding is near a beach that people congregate at? I think if you can see sharks in their natural element, and get lucky to photograph them-- all the power to you. What if there is shark feeding of bull sharks, makos, great whites, etc., With more people going into the water for activities and recreation, we are entering the shark's territory, we are guests in their world, and we should respect that, we should try more on getting the idiots that kill the sharks for their fins to stop and the sportfisherman who hunt them and kill them for their jaws, or record breaking trophies.

Sharks are an important part of the ecosystem, as vultures or carrion birds are on land to get rid of disease and dead animals. Sharks are very important, The number of sharks still being killed is unbelievable, their birthing cycle is so precarious that if the senseless killing continues, they will be wiped out in a short time.

Peter Benchley who wrote Jaws is a proponent in trying to protect sharks, believe it or not, he has seen what his book and movie did to scare people into a melee of murder of sharks, and he is trying hard to change that for years, The Great White is protected in Australia, but what about the other sharks???? That's what I think about feeding sharks.

I'm sure the surfers in Florida don't like the idea of feeding sharks.

Dottie Wethington from Florida

 

[scubadude010]

I don't think so since it will screw up with the shark's daily routine of being on the hunt. Plus, its never fun to get a hand taken with the food. lol.

 

[bmarkle71]

I encourage it, if anything it may help public opinion regarding sharks. Anyone who is "Really" interested in preserving/protecting these animals would agree. I am sure that associating humans with food and feeding might not be the best practice but it sure is better than driving them to protection status or even extinction. I know many people who would love to catch a mean terrible shark and kill it, I do not know of too many people who have considered just watching and feeding them. I was one of them. After interacting with sharks (feeding only), I will not fish for them again...I will feed them however. By the way, I am looking for a shark cage, if anyone has some good information that they would like to share, please bring it my way.