TV show handfeeding Makos

[Blacthorn]

Hi,

A number of years ago on Discovery there was a show where a scientist from OZ was in Fla. studying Mako sharks. He ended up hand feeding one big female and eventually dove with her and fed her while on scuba. Does anyone remember this show and what it was called. I keep looking for reruns of it, or a vid of it or anything. It just bugs me that I can't find it.

Thanks

 

[isurus]

iain gordon is an aussie shark researcher with a show on discovery. don't remember this though. try "shark gordon" on google.

 

[robbcayman]

I know Manny (the guy who also wored with the wild boys) has dove and handfed makos, it might be him???

 

[Bill Fisher]

The first post said the person was on scuba.
I've only seen Manny with a snorkel.
The episode with Manny hand feeding Mako sharks took place in the Gulf of Mexico.
That was some awesome stuff, huh?
The episode was called "Diary of a Sharkman"
I would love to see the stuff with "shark" gordon though, I've never seen that...
Bill

 

[DeepBlueResort]

Hi

Yes it was Ian Gordon, you can buy a DVD with 2 programs on one is about Whale Sharks and the other is him with the Mako's it we filmed in New Zealand.

I have just done a quick google on Ian Gordon Mako and come up with this

http://www.discoveryeurope2.com/wad/ontv_uk.htm

and the write up says

08:00 SHARK GORDON: MAKO FRIEND OR FOE
Join us on an amazing journey to New Zealand to address the concerns of the recreational divers who visit the poor knights Islands, but first the people are concerned that methods used to attract the fast and deadly Mako Sharks to the boat will lead to trouble.

Also here it is to buy

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shark-Attac...m_fullview_prod_6/026-2880999-3913266?ie=UTF8

Hope that helps

 

[isurus]

08:00 SHARK GORDON: MAKO FRIEND OR FOE
Join us on an amazing journey to New Zealand to address the concerns of the recreational divers who visit the poor knights Islands, but first the people are concerned that methods used to attract the fast and deadly Mako Sharks to the boat will lead to trouble.

Thats the show I was thinking of (although it doesn't sound quite like the show the OP mentioned which I'm guessing may have been Extreme Contact). From memory there was an interesting moment with a small mako with a massive bite mark on it. It flaked out mid-dive and they get out of the water on the basis that they don't want to swim with whatever scared it off.

On the subject of kiwi makos check out the pic on this story from Diver magazine here in the UK:
http://www.divernet.com/biolog/0503mako.shtml

 

[Blacthorn]

The thing that really stood out in my mind as interesting in the show was that after a while, as he was hand feeding the mako on the surface she stopped rolling her eye back as she took the food. It seemed that she was understanding that there was no danger and thus was able to watch the guy as he fed her. The fact that a mako was able to go against instinct to roll the eye back to protect itself while feeding was a pretty amazing thing to see. Also that this shark started to trust the man enough that once he was in the water with her and feeding her, she would let him rub her, and hold her fins, she never once acted aggressive or dangerous to him, even when held her dorsal fin while she was swimming away. BTW this was a 12 foot mako.

Thanks for the suggestions, I don't think the Gordon one is the one I am thinking of, it doesn't sound right, but I will check it out.