Friday, July 29, 2011

Florida Fishermen Lands Massive 650-pound Thresher Shark

By Chelsea Bailey, CNN -- A leisurely day of sport fishing ended with an exhilarating struggle Sunday when a group of fishermen landed a massive thresher shark off the coast of Florida.

After two hours of fighting to reel in the 650-pound, 13-foot-long shark, Floridian Jason Fox, 30, landed the fish that he described Monday as simply "huge."

"This is really just a once-in-a-life
time fish," he said.

Fox caught the fish off the coast of Dania Beach, Florida, about five miles south of Fort Lauderdale.

The state record for the largest thresher shark was set in 1984 when a local fisherman caught a 544-pound shark near Destin, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Fox and a group of friends chartered a sport fishing boat to celebrate a family friend's birthday. They were initially pleased with the day's catch of kingfish and tuna but were stunned by the final catch.

"We just went out for a fishing trip ... and at the end of the day the captain asked me if I wanted to catch a shark," Fox said. He added he's reeled in a 150-pound fish before, but never anything this big.

Fox caught the shark in 350 feet of water, CNN affiliate WSVN reported. Fox said he plans to mount it on his wall.
Thresher sharks -- named for their extremely long tails -- are found throughout the world in temperate to tropical seas.

Below opinions are no longer affiliated with CNN or WSVN, but are of my personal opinion only:

For the fishermen this is the greatest fishing story ever, but for the shark it was no fairytale ending.  What I fail to understand is why couldn't a photo be taken with the shark and then the shark be placed back in the waters to live another day?  All three thresher shark species have been recently listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).  Therefore, by allowing fishermen to still actively catch and kill these sharks for trophies is only adding to the threat.  Plus, sharks mature very late in life, and with the "larger/largest" sharks being targeted to catch, we are killing off the generation of sharks that have finally reached maturation and can produced the next generation.  The moral of this story is...if you are going to fish for sharks...take a photo and return the shark to the seas.  

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Fisherman Cited Under Delaware's New Fishing Regulations

sand tiger shark photo
Sand Tiger sharks now protected by new Delaware fishing rules. 
On June 11, 2011 Delaware's new shark fishing regulations went into effect.  The reason behind these new laws was to hopefully discourage the targeting of protected species:
It shall be unlawful for any hook and line fisherman to remove from the water sandbar shark, or any other species of shark when prohibited from harvest under §3541.
Delmarvanow.com quoted fisheries administrator for Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Fish and Wildlife Division, Craig Shirey, as saying, “if you have to get out there in the water with the shark to let it go, then maybe it will discourage people from fishing for them.” DNREC fisheries scientist, Scott Newin, said that the current regulations need to be defined more clearly and also noted that the public needed to be better educated about how to properly handle hooked sharks to minimize injuries to the animals.  Violations of the new shark fishing regulations would carry fines of $25-$100. For more information check out Delaware’s 3541 Atlantic Sharks regulations.

The first enforcement of this new law!!

Delaware Online is reporting that an angler who caught and released a sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) was cited and fined for “failing to release the fish in the water as quickly as possible.” The new rules require that protected species not be removed from the water.

Kevin Schultze ended up paying $269 in fines and court fees after landing the shark on the beach at Cape Henlopen, according to the report.  Schultze took photos of the shark on the beach and then released.  Despite the fact that the shark was released, under the new rules Schultze was fined for bringing the shark up on the shore instead of releasing it in the water.  He said he was unaware of the new rules but will "live and learn" from the fine. 

Shark Bites E. Cape Surfer




A surfer was bitten by a shark at Cintsa East Beach, in East London, on Friday morning, the National Sea Rescue Institute said. 

A 27-year-old surfer was bitten on his upper left arm and on his right leg by a shark of unknown species," spokesman Craig Lambinon said.

He said the man was taken out of the water, either by his friends or other surfers, and placed on his surfboard.

When Aldersons Ambulance Service arrived the man had been taken out of the water.

The paramedics determined that he was in a stable condition and took him to a local private hospital.

The NSRI was alerted to the incident, but both they and the emergency medical rescue services stood down because the ambulance service had dealt with the situation, Lambinon said.


iafrica.com | news | sa news | Shark bites E Cape surfer

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Spear-fisherman Gets an Up-Close Visit From a Tiger Shark


Truly an amazing close encounter with a peaceful tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).  A shoutout goes to YouTube user, oahusquid, for posting the above video.

Quick Facts about the Tiger Shark:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Galeocerdo

Scientific Name: Galeocerdo Cuvier

Type: Fish

Diet: Carnivore

Size: 3.25 - 4.25 m (10.7 - 14 ft)
Size Rank: 4th largest shark 

Weight: 385 - 635 kg (850 - 1,400 lbs)

Top Speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)

Life Span: 30 - 40 years
Lifestyle: Solitary

Conservation Status: Threatened

Color: Grey, Brown, Black, White
Skin Type: Smooth
Special Features: Dark black markings and large body size

Favorite Food: Squid 
Main Prey: Squid, Fish, Turtles
Predators: Humans

Habitat: Tropical coastal waters

Litter Size: 10 - 80 pups
Average Liter Size: 35

Threat to Humas:  Tiger sharks are extrememly aggressive animals and are thought to be one of the most dangerous sharks for humans to come into contact with.

Things found in "one" Tiger Shark's Belly: nine shoes, a driver's license, a cow's hoof, the antlers of a deer, medieval armor, and a chicken coop with feathers still in it.

Did you know?:  The tiger shark's reputation as an indiscrimiate eater that will swallow anything it finds, including garbage, has earned it the nickname "wastebasket of the sea." 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Open Wide: The Diver Who Nearly Got Swallowed by a Whale Shark

Just after a day after I posted how docile whale sharks are there is a news article that reads that a diver "almost" got swallowed by one.

The UK's Daily Mail posted an article, today, with the title "Open Wide: The Diver Nearly Got Swallowed by a Whale Shark".  Even though the title seems a bit far-fetched in nature, the article does feature some nice shots of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) off of Isla Mujeres, which were taken by Mauricio Handler.


In the photo that is captioned with "Jaws: This diver almost got sucked into the mouth of a massive whale shark as it fed on plankton" using perspective that might give the impression that the diver is about to be sucked up by the whale shark at first glance.  However, as one of the Daily Mail readers commented, the whale shark in this photo is actually closer to the camera than the diver, which exaggerates its size in relation to the diver.  The diver appears to be behind (in relation to the camera) the whale shark and not in any harm's way.  Also remember, that whale sharks are filter feeds and have absolutely no interest in eating a human!  In the end, they still remain very docile creatures and no harm to a human.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Whale Shark




This video has been around for sometime now and there is nothing super exciting about it, but there is an aweness about it that I feel is inspiring enough to be shared.  To be able to see a create this enormous, yet so gentle, speaks wonders about the mystical magic of nature.

The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 fee (12 meters) or more!  That would be one fishing story to tell.  Whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose.  Fortunately for most sea-dweller, and us!, their favorite meal is plankton.  If this isn't an ironic joke told by nature then what is?  The largest fish eats microscopic plants and animals! HAHA!  The whale shark will scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water's surface.

The whale shark, like the worlds' second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder.  In order to eat, the beast juts out its formidable sized jaws and passively filters everything in its path.  The mechanism is theorized to be a technique called "cross-flow filtration," similar to some bony fish and baleen whales.

Appearance: The whale shark's flattened head sports a blunt snout above its mouth with short barbels protruding from its nostrils.  Its back and sides are gray to brown with white spots among pale vertical and horizontal stripes, and its belly is white.  Its two dorsal fins are set rearward on its body, which ends in a large dual-lobbed caudal fin.

Size: Maximum size is thought to be 20m, but some scientist believe the can grow even big.  The smallest free-living individuals are from 55 cm (21.7 inches) long.  

Distribution: Preferring warm waters, whale sharks populate all tropical seas and oceans, except the Mediterranean.  They are known to migrate every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia.  The coral spawning of the area' Ningaloo Reef provides the whale shark with an abundant supply of plankton.

IUCN Listing:  They are currently listed as a vulnerable species; however, they continue to be hunted in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines.  If not regulated carefully these magnificent, docile creatures, will soon join so many other sharks listed as threatened/critical.

Although massive, whale shark are extremely docile sharks and will sometimes even allow swimmers to hitch a ride.  And people say all sharks are man-eating machines....

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

How Not To Cage Dive



Shortly after I posted the blog about cage diving I came across this video that I just had to post.

DiscoveryNetworks YouTube channel offers up a short preview clip of the upcoming show "Jaws Comes Home," which features footage of several blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and one 18' female white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) feeding on the carcass of a whale.

Researcher Greg Skomal and cameraman Nick Caloyianis take a risky opportunity to film the encounter from with a cage.  This particular cage set-up is supported by buoys to keep the cage from sinking to the bottom of the ocean.  The underwater filming starts with the great white feeding on the carcass of the whale, but then it quickly changes its interest to the orange buoys (which the narrator dramatically describes as "attacking," which in my opinion is a little extreme, more like curiosity), however,  this curiosity of the shark cased it to become trapped between the surface and the top of the cage.

Hopefully, in the future this particular cage will be redesign to better protect not only the humans inside but also the sharks.

Cage Diving Stirs Controversy

Cage diving, a new rush for the adrenaline junkies or a dangerous risk to by-standers?  Currently, there is a massive debate raging about whether cage diving is causing shark attacks to increase in frequency.  Especially, in South Africa were cage diving is a growing tourist industry in the Western Cape that generates over 30 million Rand per year for its operators.  

Currently this debate, like all debates, has two sides:  the side that supports cage diving and see it has a friendly ecotourism business and the side that is against cage diving because they feel that it dangerous association between humans and sharks.  

The cage diving detractors say that cage diving businesses are conditioning sharks to associate humans with food because many of the cage diving operators use a method known as "chumming" to attract the sharks closer to the boats.  Once a shark is spotted by the boat some operators will then use a piece of bait on a hook to draw the shark next to the cage (where the divers get a up and close personal view of the shark).  This group believes that sharks over time will start associating humans with food, thus increasing the number of attacks on humans. 

South Africa is at the forefront of these allegations because the cage diving industry has boomed over the past decade.  In the Western Cape of South Africa cage diving, as stated earlier, is a large a booming industry.  However, it is also in this area that shark attack figures have shown an upward trend from the time that the industry was established.  There have been nine attacks in all between the years 2000 and 2005, where three of them have been fatal.  

Granted nine attacks in five years it not an extremely high number, but the data does show an increase of attacks since cage diving was established in this area.  On average 100,000 people a year partake in cage diving in the Western Cape of South Africa, which is 100,000 more people in the water than before cage diving become a business.  

Are you going to be one of these 100,000 people?  Are you worried, ethically, that your cage diving experience could cause a down stream swimmer to be attacked?  If yes, then you should read on for what current research is saying...not just an opinion of some group.

Research, conducted by the World Wildlife Federation, states that there is "NO" scientific link between cage diving and shark attacks.  Other groups, like the Shark Trust based in South Africa also came to same same conclusion that scientifically speaking the increase in shark attacks can not be blamed on the cage diving industry.  The reason behind this finding is because many of the attacks take place away from cage diving locations.  Meaning that the sharks that are doing the attacking have probably never been associated with a cage diving group.  The city of Cape Town has been conducting research since 1998 and stated that, "people that believe cage diving and an increase of shark attacks is linked are clutching at straws".  Therefore, from the scientific community's point of view this is no link between shark attacks and cage diving.  

You might be wondering why there is an increase in shark attacks then?  For there must be a factor causing this increase.  Currently, there are a few different hypotheses put forward by the International Shark Attacks File (ISAF) as to why the number of shark attacks has increased over the past few years.  One hypothesis is that there are simply more people swimming, surfing, body boarding and windsurfing in the ocean, which means that the chances for an encounter with a shark are statistically increasing.  Another factor is that with advanced technology of wetsuits people are able to stay in the water for longer periods of time, thus increasing the number of hours that an encounter could occur.  Another hypothesis is that shark attacks really are not on the rise, but are just better reported these days.  Shark attacks are now reported and recorded worldwide, which wasn't the case a decade ago.  Therefore, maybe the number of attacks where just under reported in the past?  

For the moment, until scientific evidence proves otherwise, there is no link between cage diving and shark attacks, if cage diving is on your bucket list, go and experience these amazing predators at close quarters with a clear conscience (that is if you think your nerves can handle it...du..du du..du dudududududu...)  

For now, scientists do not know the exact answer as to why shark attacks are increasing, but remember to be safe and aware of your surrounding when you are in the water.  

Follow these 13 steps to decrease your chances of a shark attack: 
1) Always swim in a group.
2) Don't wander too far from shore.
3) Avoid the water at night, dawn, or dusk for this is when sharks are most active.
4) Don't enter the water if bleeding.  Shark can smell and taste blood - tracing it back to the source.
5) Don't wear shiny jewelry.  The reflected light looks like shining fish scales.
6) Don't go into waters containing sewage.  Sewage attracts bait fish - bait fishes attract sharks.
7) Avoid water being fished and those with lots of bait fish.  If you see a lot of diving seabirds that is a good sign that there are bait fish in the water.
8) Don't enter the waters if sharks are present. Does this really need to be stated?
9) Avoid an uneven tan and brightly colored clothing. Sharks can see contrast extremely well!
10) Don't splash a lot. 
11) Use care near sandbars or steep drop-offs - a shark's favorite hangout.
12) Don't try to touch a shark if you see one.  You are NOT the shark whisperer!
13)  If you have followed rules 1-12, but still find yourself being attacked by a shark, then "Do whatever it takes to get away!"  Some people have successfully escaped an attack by being aggressive, other passive, some yelled, and others blew bubbles, regardless of your action of choice, DO ANYTHING!  Personally, I would go down fighting - all is fair in love and war.

Ecuador: Boat Caught with 357 Dead Sharks


Friday July 22, 2011: Ecuadorean authorities have seized 357 dead sharks from a boat that was fishing illegally in the protected waters of the Galapagos Islands National Park.

The government news agency says criminal proceedings will be pursued against the crew of the Ecuadorean fishing boat.

The report says the boat was detained on Tuesday southeast of Genovesa Island inside the marine reserve.

The Galapagos area has been a United National Natural Heritage Site since 1979 because of its unique marine and land species.

It is prohibited to catch, sell or transport sharks in the reserve.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Shark Breaches and Lands in Boat

A 3-meter great white shark breaches and lands into Oceans Research Team's boat.  They might be shark lovers but this encountered was a little too closer for comfort.

On July 18, 2011 in Mossel Bay, South Africa the Oceans Research team got the surprise of a lifetime when a 3 meter great white shark breached into their research vessel.

Field Specialist Dorien Schroder of Mossel Bay and six crew members had been chumming, an act of throwing food into the water to attract fish, since 0730 the morning of July 18 off Seal Island; Oceans Research has been conducting research for a population dynamics study in this area since 2008. Around 0830, after about 1 hour of chumming, there had been a fair amount of activity around the boat, taking data on at least four sharks, including an old friend known to the team as Pasella, which has been frequently spotted over the last three years.

However, the events of a casual day of collecting data was all about to change.  Activity around the boat suddenly ceased and all was quiet for about five minutes.  Schroder goes on to describe the following incident; Next thing I know I hear a splash and see a great white shark breach out of the water from the side of the boat hovering, literally, over the crew member who was chumming on the boat's portside.  Schroder automatically sprang into action and pulled the crew member quickly away towards the stern of the boat's platform into safety.  With all the crew members rushing to safety the 3m, 500kg shark landed in the boat on top of the fuel and bait storage containers.  The shark landed only halfway in the boat and the team hoped that as the shark thrashed around that it would make its way back into the ocean.  However, this was not the case and the shark proceeded to get itself stuck in between the 1.5 by 2 meter area behind the container and boat's stern.  The shark, in a panic, began thrashing around, destroying equipment and even cut the fuel line.

Schroder was able to calm her crew and direct them to walk along the railing towards the bow of the boat to a safety.  Schroder immediately radioed the directors of Oceans, Enrico Gennari and Ryan Johnson to inform them of the incident and to request help.  Gennari and Johnson assembled a team as they raced to assist Schroder and her crew.  During the next 15 minutes while Schroder was awaiting the arrival of help, she kept the shark alive by pouring water over its gills.   On arrival Gennari and team immediately pulled their boat Lamnidae alongside the vessel Cheetah and climbed aboard.  Once aboard they made sure that no one was injured and all crew members were safe.  With the area secured they did their best to formulate a plan to get this great white back into the water as quickly and safely as possible.  Johnson and Gennari secured one end of a rope around the tail of the shark and tied the other end to the vessel Lamindae and attempted to use the side of the boat as leverage to tow the shark out of the boat back into the water, this attempt was unsuccessful.  They then tried this method again, but this time through the opening between the motors, but this too was another failure.  Port authority was then contacted requesting a crane that could lift the shark off the boat and safely release it.  Since the shark had severed the fuel lines of vessel Cheetah it had to be towed back to the harbor with the shark still onboard.  That shark had the ride of its life I am just sure of it.

Once back in the harbor, Cheetah moored next to a fishing boat and they assisted by giving the crew a water hose which was placed inside the mouth of the shark so that water could further ventilate the gills.  The Smit Lombok then moored alongside Cheetah and they connected one of their large lifting hooks to the rope which was secured to the shark's tail and began to life the shark off of the boat and back into the water.  The shark instantly began thrashing as soon as it hit the water and Johnson and Gennari quickly cut the ropes as the shark swam away from the stern.  The shark was then seen swimming towards the harbor mouth.

The Oceans team had hoped that the shark would be able to orient itself out of the harbor, however, about 30 minutes after its release the shark beached itself onto a small beach inside the harbor.  Gennari and Johnson returned to give aid to the shark in its orientation by physically trying to walk it, but the shark was unable to orient itself within the harbor and again proceeded towards the beach.  The team of scientists then decided that they would have to safely lead the shark back out into open waters.  The team fasten the shark to Lamnidae using two ropes attached to both the tail and behind the pectoral fins with the shark's head tilted upwards in order to ventilate the gills properly and slowly started making their way our of the harbor.  Around one kilometer from the harbor the shark began to regain its orientation and strength and was cut lose, where it swam away with powerfully strides.

Thanks to the quick thinking of these scientists no one was injured and the shark survived to swim another day.


Photos and story courtesy of Oceans Research.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Commercial Shark Fishing Banned in the Bahamas

Sharks in the Bahamas took a huge victory today, 7/5/2011, after the nation's government announced that all commercial shark fishing in the estimated 630,000 square kilometers (243,244 square miles) of the country's waters is now prohibited.  One point for the sharks!!

Jill Hepp, manager of global shark conservation for the Pew Environment Group stated, "Today's announcement permanently protects more than 40 shark species in Bahamian waters.  We applaud the people and government of The Bahamas for being bold leaders in marine conservation."

The Bahamas was not the first nation to banned commercial shark fishing, other nations such as Palau, the Maldives and Honduras also passed laws prohibiting commercial fishing of sharks.  Together, this adds up to almost 2.4 million square kilometers (926,645 square miles) of ocean, where these animals can now swim safely.  Lets just hope more nations hope on this bandwagon...

The Bahamian sanctuary was created by adding an amendment to the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act (Chapter 244) to prohibit commercial shark fishing along with the sale, importation and export of shark products.  "The Bahamas prohibition on longline fishing gear 20 years ago protected the marine resources of the Bahamas and ensured that their shark populations would remain healthy, stated Eric Carey, executive director of The Bahamas National Trust (BNT).  "But there was no specific laws in The Bahamas for sharks, the crown jewels of ocean health.  The new regulations signed this morning by Minister Cartwright ensure that sharks can continue to thrive for generations in our waters, one of the world's best places to see sharks."

The new sanctuary is the result of a partnership between the Pew Environment Group and BNT, which began just as a major Bahamian seafood company announced its intention to catch sharks and export their fins (tsk tsk on this seafood company!)  Globally, commercial fisheries kill up to 73 million sharks annually (threatening the future existence of many species!) - mainly for their fins.

A huge shout out to The Bahamas for making a huge leap in protecting the sharks and the future of our oceans!!