"Out of South Africa" - very bad news, again.

Aliwal Shoal Tiger Shark - most probably killed by now...

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2008)

While other countries are realizing that it is important to protect the sharks, South Africa seems to be going backward.

I don't want to get into a political discussion as I will inevitably be told by my South African ex-friends that there are too many local idiosyncrasies for an outsider to know to be able to utter a balanced opinion. As if such a common place would not apply to any other country on the planet...

Today I received the news that up to some seventeen (!!) tiger sharks have been caught recently, and killed, in the infamous shark nets facing the world-famous Aliwal Shoal shark diving spot, a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

If you have a Facebook account you should be able to access this link. If not, here is what Lesley Rochat wrote:

Lesley Rochat

Been on a film shoot all morning and just got a message from Fiona Ayerst notifying me that possibly more than 10 of our Tiger sharks have been killed by the Sharks Board in the nets in KwaZulu Natal. Spoke to a good friend in the area and apparently sharks board are lying about how many they killed. Anyone with any more info please let me know. We have got to stop them from doing this and getting away with it! (This photo attached is of Wolfgang Leander with one of our tigers some time back, no doubt a dead shark by now...)

Some of you might recall that last year I had suggested that all concerned should form a solid alliance of shark activists, conservation organizations, and shark operators vis-a-vis the government to get them to follow the example of other countries to FULLY protect their sharks which, of course, would have to include taking down the sharks nets.

Except for Lesley Rochat, Fiona Ayerst, and shark operator Walter Bernardis who would have spearheaded such an initiative, there was no resonance worth mentioning within the South African shark community, at least not that I am aware of.

All those South African shark operators who claim to love sharks preferred not to expose themselves, and, as they always put it, rather work "behind the scenes", each on his / her own depending on the "contacts" they have.

As long as these business people seem to be incapable of joining forces leaving their own agendas aside, at least for once, nothing will change.

And when they find out, yet again, that the Natal Sharks Board have pulled in another batch of dead tiger sharks, they will all start screaming and whining unisono with the backing of some voices from far away places such as Toronto, and demand that "this has to stop". It's pathetic.

Already now tiger shark sightings have become a rarity in Aliwal Shoal.

Soon the truly magnificient tiger sharks of Aliwal Shoal will become extinct, thanks to the Natal Sharks Board and the lack of determination of the shark operators to launch a frontal attack on the government. After all, they will be directly affected by this particularly unfortunate development that was already foreseeable only a few years ago.

Perhaps the sad news about the killing field that is the Aliwal Shoal MPA will have the effect of a wake-up call among all those who either make a living with the tiger shark dive business or "just" care unselfishly for the well-being of these most gracious creatures.

On female divers, sharks, and women power.

Hanli Prinsloo: Freediving instructor, motivational speaker, creative writer, film producer, great companion - and, above all, a real "Mensh" *)
Photo: Wolfgang Leander

Sophia van Coller: Photographer, boat skipper, adventurer, talented and extremely elegant freediver, full of warmth and a fine sense of humor.
Photo: Wolfgang Leander

Click on images to enlarge

I was lucky, and privileged, to meet again some remarkable ocean ladies in South Africa, all committed in one way or another to the preservation of sharks.

Hanli Prinsloo, Julie Andersen, Olivia Jones-Symcox, Sophia van Coller, Fiona Ayerst, and Lesley Rochat are a bunch of strong-willed and focused women with a clear perception of where, and how far, they want to go.

For them, as for many others, sharks are the paradigm of the oceans' vulnerability - but not only that. They love sharks just for what they are: Awesome, powerful, and essentially gentle animals in the Big Blue.

These women are fantastic divers, very professional, very experienced. I did not photograph all of them this time as the weather conditions, especially the visibility, were quite adverse during my entire stay stay in South Africa. I snapped only 500 pics in four weeks, and came back with perhaps 20 acceptable images, among them the two posted above.

While I could be biased, I believe that women are, in general, closer to nature than men. It must be a gender specific intuition that makes women more sensitive to, and respectful of, life. Men hunt, above and under water; women don't.

Sure, there are a few spearfisher'women' - but they are the exception to the rule. Olivia is such an exception; she is exceptional in many other ways as well. I have learned to know her as a very principled, genuine, and compassionate individual.

What I also find quite intriguing is that women are, proportionately, more passionate about sharks than men. Most of the "fan" mails I receive from the viewers of my shark photographs are female.

When I was younger, and that was a loooong time ago, I always thought that sharks were for boys, as kitty cats were for girls. How wrong was I. But what can I do - I was (still am) like most men are: Prejudiced and narrow-minded....

Thanks to my beloved wife Karin I have learned a few lessons in the subject 'Women's Liberation' even though she tends to believe that, deep down, men are incapable of learning anything when it comes to gender issues. To her, I am still a hopeless 'macho'. I will not say that she is right, but I can't say she is completely wrong, either.... :-)

Whatever, as far as I am concerned, we'd fare much better if women ruled the world. Now more than ever.

*) Yiddish for "a decent human being".

Fiona Ayerst and Amanda Cotton: Two world-class underwater photographers.

Photo: Fiona Ayerst

The better an image, the less it needs to be explained....which is how I would describe Fiona Ayerst's photography.

Click here to enjoy Fiona's remarkable work.

Photo: Amanda Cotton

While Amanda Cotton is a highly talented and rigorously trained photographer, Fiona, a very successful ex-lawyer, became a self-taught photographer when she realized that an office job, no matter how demanding and rewarding financially, wasn't her thing in the long run.

Now, don't think that as an autodidact Fiona is less professional than Amanda - she is not!!

When I met Fiona for the first time in South Africa some two years ago, I could not believe how much photographic stuff she brought along for just ONE day of diving with the tiger sharks of Aliwal Shoal, and told her so. She, in turn, looked at my "equipment", a good old Nikonos V, with what I first thought was disdain but then she explained to me that although she began her new career with a Nikonos V she had to go digital as a pro.

Both Fiona and Amanda are award-winning photographers. I expect them to become two of the world's ten best underwater photographers in the not too distant future.

What is truly amazing, yet not surprising to me, is that both ladies developed into ardent shark conservationists as they began "shooting" sharks.

Since we already have so many "Sharkmen", I would love to see more "Sharkladies" that are cut of the same cloth as Amanda and Fiona.

Ocean Men - Extreme Dive

Felix L. freediving with Lemon Sharks
Photo by Fiona Ayerst

One of the best ocean documentaries that I have seen is "Ocean Men - Extreme Dive" by Bob Talbot featuring freedivers Pipin Ferreras and Umberto Pelizzari. The movie tells the story of each and marks the clear differences in style - Pipin was all about power while Umberto was elegance - both attain records (at the time) in different disciplines.

The cinematography is absolutely phenomenal coupled with a great musical score - all elements make for an exceptional experience. I saw the movie twice at an IMAX theater - wish I could get my hands on a DVD - although it seems like it was never released.

I will never forget the last words spoken in the movie:

"A true diver knows that the essence of freediving is not to challenge others but to dive deep within himself and for a few precious moments become one with the sea"

Becoming one...
Photo by: Fiona Ayerst

If you do not freedive - you will never understand the quote above - but anyone that does will know exactly what it means...and in becoming one with the sea you will respect, love, and yearn for it.

Fiona Ayerst: "Not a professional"

Photo by Fiona Ayerst - Wolf freediving at night

Let me first give a little background about the title and the inside joke Fiona and I had on the trip...

I first met Fiona when we picked her up at the West Palm airport on our way to Tiger Beach. I was intrigued by her National Geographic backpack which had a broken zipper exposing a lot of papers and other stuff - not sure if any of them were important - somewhat "unprofessional" I thought. On the second day of the trip I asked her what exactly RAW files were - she explained it to me and also pointed out that I would not need these as I was not "professional" - ouch...that was the jab - then she came back with an uppercut when she said that she does not use "stupid" point and shoot cameras - which I have as well and I showed it to her...we both agreed that I am not a professional and throughout the trip we kept reminding ourselves of that...

Joking aside - Fiona is a professional photographer in every sense. I will let her photography speak for me... http://www.fionaayerst.com/

A little about Fiona: "Fiona Ayerst ( Girls Collegiate matric 1983) practiced as an Attorney and ran her own law firm in Johannesburg for ten years. Fiona retired early and is now a freelance adventure sport and underwater stills photographer and photo-journalist who loves sharks. Fiona turned professional in April 2006 has not looked back since leaving the legal profession. She travels the world extensively and writes about adventure travel and conservation for various local and international publications. She is the editor of an online magazine about the oceans www.beyondbluemag.com

Fiona has a particular interest in sharks. This is not only because she was an Attorney for five years, but more importantly because of the rapidly dwindling shark numbers and her interest in their protection and conservation.

Fiona is a founder committee member of an N.G.O called SHARKLIFE. This organization is involved educating people about the value and beauty of these creatures.

Fiona also has one of the most contagious laughs - I watched Super Bad with her - movie was so much more fun watching with her than the first time around. One more thing - Fiona loves and cares for animals, especially sharks - and when I mean love - I mean love...I was with her when the sad news from Aliwal Shoal was passed on to us and saw her reaction...was as if she lost someone very close to her.

Tiger Beach Freedom

Where on earth can you find this??

(Photo: Fiona Ayerst)

This is what makes Tiger Beach so unique: The incredible clarity of the Bahamian Sea, the submarine beach, and the majestic tigers...

Felix and I have the added bonus that Captain Scott Smith of the "Dolphin Dream" allows us to freedive with the sharks. While it may not sound like a big deal, it is Scottie's way of saying: "I trust you guys as you know what you are doing."

Diving freedom and as little interference from the operator as possible (preferably none at all) is what I want, indeed need, to feel good when I dive with sharks.

I have free-dived almost all my life alone; it's been forty years when I saw my first shark while spear-fishing in the Virgin Islands. I was 27 then. Many shark operators are in their late thirties or early forties - what can they tell an old, saggy bagged sea wolf about shark-diving? :-)

Feeling good in good company...

(Photo: Dr. iur. Paul "Playbird" Spielvogel)

To imagine that somebody would tell me: Kneel down, here is your shark billy just in case, form a semi-circle, and don't touch "it" (touch what?, the fish called Wanda? :-) would be totally unacceptable - NO WAY, JOSE. Not for me!!!

Aliwal Shoal Tiger Sharks - a brief update

Aliwal Shoal Tiger Shark girl - safe for now; but how long?

So far, no arrest has been made. The fisherman who killed the sharks is free to go about his business but will certainly not touch any sharks in the MPA - at least not while the case against him is pending.

Friends of mine wanted to see, and photograph, the corpus delicti (frozen and locked) but were denied access to the tiger shark carcasses that have been confiscated a few weeks ago.

We all hope that the culprit will be convicted to the full extent of the law. The judges have a unique chance to use this case to show that they mean 'business' when they read out the sentence. That message should resonate throughout South Africa, and beyond.

Peter Symes, Editor of the X-Ray Magazine, and Fiona Ayerst, a South African lawyer and underwater photographer, have written two passionate features on the subject. Please read them, and send the links to your friends:

http://oceanicdreams.com/sharktales.pdf
http://oceanicdreams.com/xray0408.pdf

Fiona and the Wolf dive the Tigers in Aliwal Shoal

Fiona Ayerst, one of South Africa's foremost photographers (not just underwater), honored me with a one-day visit to Umkomaas. We had known each other from exchanging e-mails, and planned to dive together during my recent three-week stay in South Africa.

The Aliwal Shoal tigers were not unknown to Fiona, she had been here before a few times, and while the primary reason to come down from Jo'burg was to meet me, to revisit the friendly striped sharks definitely made her short trip worthwhile.

Fiona brought all her equipment with her. I was quite impressed seeing all the photographic stuff she had to carry along, and I said to myself that I would never switch to digital photography, even though I do toy once in a while with the idea of going digital...



As I had done with other guest divers of Blue Wilderness, I talked Fiona into freediving with the tigers, which she did - for a while, only to get back to the boat and have good ol' Markus help her put on the tank. Fiona is a very sporty girl; all she needs is some expert guidance in freediving. Once adequately trained, she will capture the "big" stuff on one breath of air as effortlessly as other freediving photographers.



Fiona thoroughly enjoyed the added bonus to the tiger shark dive - being surrounded by some 40-50 black tip sharks, some close to 2 meters. These sharks are as friendly as the tigers, just a bit (well, actually a LOT) more hectic. Other than that, they are as harmless as a bunch of nice doggies.

As photographers always do, Fiona and I photographed each other. When you see the photographs I took of her (the black and white ones) you will certainly agree with me that she looks much cooler as a freediver than with a tank on her back. What do YOU say, Fiona? :-)

See ya next year in Mozambique with your 'Zambies' (= bull sharks).....

Thomas is putting a Tiger in his tank...

Thomas Peschak and Michael Scholl wrote a fantastic book about South Africa's Great White Shark (that's also the title of the book which was first published in 2006). Not only is it fun reading but scientifically rock solid as well (both Thomas and Michael are marine biologists).

And you should see Thomas' photography - absolutely stunning!!! In fact, I believe Thomas is setting new standards as are other young South African photographers (e.g. Roger Horrocks, Fiona Ayerst). After having seen the book about Great Whites - the Blue Wilderness team gave it to me as a farewell present last week - I urged Thomas to publish a book dealing with Tigers Sharks exclusively.

He didn't say 'yes' or 'no', but looking at the the pics I took of him photographing a beautiful tiger girl near Aliwal Shoal, you will agree with me that he appears to be dead serious about that new Tiger Shark book. So much so that he seems to want to find out in the most personal way possible how forgiving tiger sharks can be.

Getting as close as 20-30 cm to the big tiger girl to shoot a nice portrait ain't enough for Thomas - his scholarly interest in the behavior of tiger sharks goes as far as letting the charming tiger lady nudge him in his tummy with her mouth half open.... Now, THAT I call professional enthusiasm!

Tiger Sharks have a very bad reputation, and yet they are the most gentle sharks I have ever been close to. It is thus very important to dispell the myth of the sneaky man-eater, and give the tigers the dignity they deserve. That is the reason I asked Thomas to publish a book about the magnificent Tiger Sharks of South Africa, the Bahamas, and the rest of the world. So, Thomas: You will just have to do it again!!..... :-)

More Tiger Sharks .......

....... personally, I can't get enough of them! That is why you'll find me at the end of next week in South Africa, south of Durban, where I will be free-diving with dem big tiga ladies what you find ova dere (can't get rid of my Bahamian accent...).

I will have a dive buddy this time: Roger Horrocks, a very talented underwater photographer and a confirmed free-diver (it is good to have tough competition!!). Fiona Aherst, another great photographer and a fan of bull sharks, might join, too.

In December 2007 I will be back at Tiger Beach, and - psssst, my wife doesn't know yet! - I am already toying with the idea of booking yet another tiger shark trip to Tiger Beach in March 2008. Which ain't gonna be the last one. Remember what I said recently: I am hooked on tiger sharks....

So, what do you all say? Am I nuts or what?

See more photos here

Bulls have balls...

I always hear people telling me that any shark they see is a bull shark, sometimes they may be right, but I have a feeling that most of the time they are wrong. In the Abacos I have only seen reefs, all the locals have seen bulls (in the same place I dive) - kids, grandparents, fishermen. I guess they hide when I dive. Same story in the Galapagos - I am not even sure they exist there.

Now the question is - do I ever want to see a Bull Shark: on one hand I do and on the other I don't. For the do: they are impressive, massive, dominant, and beautiful (see photo above). For the don't: they have balls and too much testosterone - more than me anyway. Here is an interesting article - I just wonder how big the boat and the shark was...

Credit to the picture above goes to Fiona Ayerst - have a look at her gallery, amazing photos - and yes those are real BULL SHARKS.