"Smiley" - the rising star of Tiger Beach.

With about 10-11 ft in length, she might not be fully grown but she is definitely an adult tiger shark who commands respect; she is serene and inquisitive; and above all she is most graceful, beautiful, and absolutely lovable. 

When she looks at you, as she does in the above image, you will be completely mesmerized by her striking facial expression. She has what we call in German a "Charakterkopf" (literally: 'character head').

It is impossible not to recognize her because her lower jaw has been disfigured while on an angler's hook.

She is "Smiley".

It is also hardly impossible not to meet "Smiley" at her beach. As soon as a dive boat anchors in the Tiger Beach area, you could almost bet that she will be on the spot sooner or later, mostly sooner. This year, I haven't missed her not even one single day.

I met "Smiley" back in November 2008 for the first time when she looked pretty much like any other female tiger shark. It was, however, not difficult to identify her even then  by the prominent dark spots on her belly and the inside of her pectoral fins. 

You could tell that "Smiley" was quite confident in the presence of divers. She never displayed any type of boldness, let alone aggressiveness. She was what tiger sharks generally are: Curious and gentle. When I say 'curious' I don't mean what a lot of even so-called experienced shark divers stupidly claim, namely that sharks always look at you to check out "whether you are prey".

The first year after she was hooked and mutilated in the process, "Smiley"  was extremely wary of divers - as if she related her trauma to humans. Fortunately, she eventually regained her confidence in divers. Her being hand-fed by the crew members of the "Dolphin Dream" might have also contributed to winning back her trust in 'humanity', as it were...

The large shark in the upper right side is "Smiley" approaching one of the hand-feeders.

Who knows, "Smiley" might be related to famous "Emma" -  I wouldn't be surprised as both dignified ladies have a lot in common. What I can say with certainty, though, is that "Smiley" is definitely on her way to becoming the new star of Tiger Beach. 

This is not the first time I wrote about "Smiley" - have a look at the blog I posted back in November 2011.

At any rate, this is a propitious opportunity to wish "Smiley" and "Emma", and all their relatives and friends, a long and happy shark life.


Here are a few images of "Smiley" taken before she got that distinguishing smile on her face....

All photographs by Wolfgang Leander

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Tiger Beach trip November 2011.

As you can see, Felix doesn't even need a mask to enjoy Tiger Beach!

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2011)

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For some reason, the pics in my blog "Tiger Beach revisited" could not be enlarged.

Click here - should work now.

Enjoy.

Back from Tiger Beach - and already looking forward to my next trip....

What can I do? There is nothing I like better than diving and interacting with the local sharks. I am totally addicted to it, and I don't want to be cured, ever!!

This reef shark could sense that I wasn't dangerous to her.

Photo: Michel Lonfat

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David: Fantastically composed shot! Thank you!

Photo: David Ulloa

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I just love this tiger girl, and she seems to like me, too!

Photo: Isabel Muscat

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Felix - way more elegant than his old man (no wonder being half his age... :-)

Photo: David Ulloa

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Feel like Tiger Beach bumming?....

Tiger Beach: Best underwater beach to bum around - by far!!!

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2009); the diver is Lyn Nelson, also a qualified TB beach bum - :-)

....I will, and I understand that Dom Macan of DiveAdvice has still three open spots on the forthcoming trips aboard the spacious "Dolphin Dream" (Oct 30 - Nov 5 and Nov 6 - 13).

As much as I am addicted to the tiger sharks of Tiger Beach, these two trips might be my last ones in the foreseeable future. *)

So, if you think that this is a chance to join a "professional" Tiger Beach bum, click here to get in touch with Dom.

Whoever you are, it would be nice to see ya "out there".

Wolf

*) Next year I will have a more traditional dive vacation to introduce my grand-son Wolfie to the marvels of the Bahamian undersea world (never too early to do that; I taught Felix to freedive before he could walk, also in the Bahamas).

And 2013? How could I plan that far ahead? In my age?!? No way, "Hosay" (= Jose)!!...

Here are two of the very few pics I took in four weeks - am I getting tired of photographing sharks?....

Not at all.

I simply don't photograph like crazy anymore.

Definitely pregnant - definitely good news!!
Photo: Wolfgang Leander

Tiger Beach girl - as graceful as sharks can be.
Photo: Wolfgang Leander

Also, since I still stick to film (yes: F I L M - remember???), I can't do (would never do) what many digital shark photographers do most of the time: Hold the camera against the sharks with outstretched arms and shoot 4-5 frames per second.

My camera, the good old Nikonos V, a manual instrument, is an extension of my eye, not of my arms - or a pole. No offense, my dear digital friends - let's just say that I am a "traditional" photographer, "old school", or, perhaps more fittingly, an "old fart" who is unable to adjust to the new modernity... :-)

I have dived several times, even days, with one roll of film (36 images); the digital colleagues typically took as many as 200 images per dive.

So, I came back from Tiger Beach with a total of not even 30 tiger shark images of which I have scanned and uploaded only a few - have a look:

I've definitely done worse than this.

Tiger Beach - simply magic!
Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2009)
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This is one of those images I had not thought to be worth digitalizing when I went through my films last year. Yesterday, a quiet Sunday in quiet Cochabamba, was the perfect day to review my old negatives once again to see whether I had not overlooked a decent shot.

I am glad I 'discovered' the photograph as I believe it captures the essence of that uniquely minimalistic dive site that is Tiger Beach: No pretty corals or rocks on the bottom, incredibly clear water, a vast, flat sandy area, an underwater beach, indeed, and - well, a few scuba divers which in this case served as a welcome compositional element.

In about two weeks I will be back at Tiger Beach with two or three of my good old Nikonos V cameras. While there is now an almost over-flowing abundance of good tiger shark photographs, I am hoping to get THE shot of my life which I know won't happen. Being quite hard on myself when it comes to delivering quality I will never be completely satisfied with my work.

What can I do? - that is what being a damned perfectionist is all about. This obsession isn't all that bad, though - it keeps me going which is perhaps the best post-operative cancer therapy there is.

Inside a Shark Bite without risking Life and Limb...

Last year Felix and I had the kind of friendly encounters with tiger sharks we both love: Just hanging around with the babes of Tiger Beach, swimming and diving freely with them.

Felix put together a nice video clip we thought you would enjoy watching.

At the end of the clip you will see one of the tigers getting very interested in Felix' camera.




We were both at the surface when the shark grabbed the camera, and already had it inside her cavernous mouth. Felix held on to his camera and managed to get it out of the tiger's jaws without hurting himself. It was easy as the shark's bite was rather gentle.

Felix filming the last sequence of the video clip.
Photo: Manuel Lazcano (2009)
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I was right next to them, and can testify that Felix did not risk "life and limb" going into the mouth of the tiger girl - definitely not the stuff "Shark Week" is made of.... :-)

Tiger Beach - undoubtedly the best underwater beach in the world.

Beach-bumming around where I feel completely relaxed...
Photograph: Paul Spielvogel
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A suntan you won't get there. Instead, you can expect lots of incredible tiger shark action hardly matched anywhere else in the world.

The other destinations for tiger sharks are Aliwal Shoal in South Africa, and Beqa Lagoon in the Fiji Islands.

All these places have their celebrities: "Emma" (Tiger Beach), "Ella" (Aliwal Shoal), and spectacular "Scarface" (Beqa Lagoon), the largest of 'em all, measuring some 5,5 meters.

"Emma" - as you can see revered by all who meet her.
Photograph: Wolfgang Leander
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These sharks are all dignified and very self-assured ladies - I was privileged to have met "Ella" and "Emma", and I hope to be able to get to know "Scarface" one day...

My friend Mike Neumann of Beqa Adventure Divers*) filming mamma "Scarface"
Photograph: Tim Rock
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For now, I am looking forward to a well deserved Tiger Beach vacation from the rigors of retirement... :-)

Those who know me will understand that I can hardly wait to board Captain Scott Smith's Dolphin Dream on November 6 for three back-to-back trips to "my" underwater beach!!!


*) Beqa Adventure Divers - click here to see who they are; also more images of "Scarface".

It's not every day you find yourself face to face with a tiger shark.

All Nick could do was read during the bad weather...

Guest post by Nick Ashley-Cooper who was with us last year at Tiger Beach:


The opportunity to meet these amazing animals arose when Wolfgang invited my girlfriend Dinah (his niece) and I to join Felix and him and a small crew of people on board a boat to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas in November ‘09. This was going to be a 7-day shark intensive trip – with opportunities to observe and interact with tigers as well as lemons and any other sharks who happened to be close by.

Initially, my reaction had been one of genuine excitement and eagerness. A chance to see sharks up close does not come around too often and I found myself captivated by the idea. However, that excitement was soon dampened by the wiki page on tiger sharks which describes them as the 2nd most deadly shark after the great white, (in terms of attacks on humans) – it all got a bit serious.  

However, you soon realize the Internet is full of terror stories about sharks and their attacks. I knew, seeing videos of Wolfgang swimming freely amongst them, that there was a way you could behave around sharks that they tolerated. After a calming chat with Felix, the nerves were back under control and the trip was underway.

There is something mysterious and intensely captivating about sharks. Years of evolution has produced an animal that is supremely adapted to its environment. They move gracefully through the water and never seemed to be bothered by our presence.

Initially, we were with the lemons who seemed far less shy and allowed us to get our confidence going. It wasn’t until the third dive that the first few tigers came along. It was an awesome experience to see them. They moved much slower than the lemons and kept their distance initially, but were much bigger. We just sat there transfixed, turning and moving with the shark to keep its gaze. It was a remarkable experience, unlike anything I have felt.

Every so often I looked over our shoulders to check we were not going to get any surprises. I remember thinking the air was going down pretty fast on my tank, so I presumed my breathing and adrenalin had been pumping. However, the irony is, under the water the world is so calm and peaceful. Once you get more adapted to the animals and the situation you feel you can stay down there all day.

The trip was hit by bad weather and we spent much of the final days on the boat. However, the initial dives had been enough to satisfy us and we both felt we had had an experience of a lifetime. My feelings towards the animals have changed dramatically since the trip. In a way, I see them much more as threatened rather than threatening. Seeing them first hand you can really appreciate what wonderful animals they are.

I feel we were in safe hands on this trip and we respected the sharks and their environment. It doesn’t take much to go wrong before you are in serious trouble, so that is a constant theme when diving with these animals, but if you respect them and learn how to approach them, then you can have a truly unforgettable experience.

Second choice -

Reflecting on Tiger Beach
Photo: Wolfgang Leander
November 2009
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... or so I thought when I looked at this negative for the first time.

Today, I scrutinized it again, and now I don't think it is such a bad image.

Actually, I like it enough to share it with you, dear reader.

Just looking at it makes me want to be back with my striped friends. Gotta be a bit patient, though...

My next trips to Tiger Beach will be in November of this year.

I am planning to do at least two back-to back trips, probably three.

Would you like to join me? Here are the details: DiveAdvice.

My diving method at Tiger Beach is "FILO" (= first in, last out). I normally dive there 8 hours non-stop, and if you asked me what I'd do when I have to pee, well, then I would tell you that there are two types of divers: Those who pee in their wetsuits and those who lie about it... :-)

Best beach in the world? Tiger Beach!!

My friend Paul Spielvogel, aka Paul Playbird, another multi-talent, not unlike Fiona Ayerst, sent me these photographs today:

Tiger and lemon girls feeling comfortable next to a submarine wolf.

"I need you girls to get a bit closer."

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Paul is a passionate underwater photographer and a successful lawyer with a doctorate degree - I told him that in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland he would be addressed to as "Herr Doktor Schpielfogel", in court as well as in his super market or laundry shop, and also underwater.... :-)

Herr Doktor Schpielfogel knows that happiness to me means playing at the best beach in the world. So, with these images he made my day, actually my night as it is 2:00 a.m. right now!

Follow-up on "Olga", the gentle tiger shark girl.

Photo: Wolfgang Leander

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Here is a portrait of "Olga" I particularly like a lot. It is minimalistic in that it just shows the shark in all her beauty and nobleness - no distracting scuba divers, no corals, and a plain, sandy bottom.

Just look at "Olga's" expressive dark eyes - and you will understand why I am in love with these vilified creatures.

I heard that one Tiger Beach dive operator, Jim Abernethy, has not seen some of the resident tigers anymore. I am worried and fear the worst: 'Recreational' fishermen who are going after the tigers of Tiger Beach.

Should that prove to be correct, then war will be declared to what to me are wreckless poachers and senseless killers.

You, "Olga" - may you live to the tiger shark equivalent of 120 human years!!!!

I know, I know....

"Olga" - gentle as ever.
Photo: Paul Spielvogel
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..... you have seen these type if pics before, and some of you might say: "What else is new? Wolf - this is beginning to bore us."

It's just that I am so excited at the thought of being back in about 5 weeks, hopefully meeting "Olga" again. I will definitely recognize her; she probably won't as I was not as close a friend of hers as was my good old Swabian buddy Folkart ------ :-)

And you know what? Next year I hope to be able to freedive with Great Whites. A famous photographer who leaves the cage to swim around with these awesome creatures when the conditions are right calls this ultimate shark diving adventure "The Everest of Diving".

Gotta talk to DaShark.

Would I become addicted to the whites? You betcha!! However, I would never be unfaithful to "Olga" and all the other beautiful and gentle striped girls that have enriched my life, and actually kept me going when the going got really rough a few months ago...

Would YOU like to dance with Bahamian Tiger Shark girls?....

Wolf among his aquatic friends at Tiger Beach
Photo: Amanda Cotton

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........ then you should join the Leanders, Felix and the Wolf, on one of the forthcoming trips to Tiger Beach.

The arranger of the trips, Dom Macan, told me that there are a few spaces open: One on the November 8 to 15 trip, and four on the November 16 to 23 back-to-back trip.

The live aboard is the "Dolphin Dream", a comfortable and spacious dive vessel owned and operated by Captain Scott Smith.

Look forward to being pampered by the cook on board the "Dolphin Dream", Gale. She is Scott's sister-in-law - and her food is so delicious that if you don't look after yourself, you'll be a few pounds heavier once we head back to Palm Beach... :-)

I will be the shark dive guide, and I can assure you that diving with tigers and lemons is an elevating experience you will never forget. It has changed my life since I did it for the first time.

Interested?

Here is Dom's e-mail address: dom@diveadvice.com

Cheers,

Wolf

Tiger Beach - hard to beat.

Copyright: Fiona Ayerst

I was going through my album and found this image, taken by talented South African photographer Fiona Ayerst last November at Tiger Beach.

This is Tiger Beach at its best: Clear water, a vast underwater beach (no corals, no rocks - just white sand), and friendly sharks; where else do you find that? Nowhere, trust me!

I can hardly wait to go back, and since I need to pamper myself a bit, I booked two weeks with the Dolphin Dream in November 2009.

I understand that there are three spots left - if you feel like joining me and a bunch of hand-picked fellow shark divers, send me an e-mail (wolf@oceanicdreams.com), and I will put you in touch with Dominick Macan of DiveAdvice who is the arranger of these trips.

Guy Harvey Tags Tiger Sharks

Tiger Shark (Tiger Beach / Bahamas)
Photo: Wolfgang Leander

Today there was an interesting article in the Miami Herald written by Susan Cocking about Guy Harvey and a group of researchers tagging Tiger Sharks in the Bahamas. The report is well written and in no way sensationalizing the interaction with sharks.

It seems like the long term goal of studying the Tiger Sharks in the Bahamas is to protect them from fishermen - what a beautiful thing that would be...

David Ulloa: Filming Sharks with the Power and Beauty of Poetry

David Ulloa

It took me about ten minutes to come up with this title, and without wanting to praise myself, it couldn't have been more accurate to describe David Ulloa in a nutshell.

I met David last fall when we both signed up for a dive trip to Tiger Beach. David is a professional film producer, cameraman, technical diver, script-writer, director, and above all a warm and compassionate human being. We felt at once the bond of friendship that comes from the heart. A platonic coup de foudre as it were.

Felix and David had the same going between them. Thus, one could also say ours is a platonic menage a trois - to stay in French... :-)

David in full gear - he must love what he does otherwise he couldn't put up with all that stuff

David's love of animals, and his ability to speak, whisper, sing silently to them in their language, be they horses, dogs, birds or sharks is absolutely stunning. He connects with animals on a level that is almost magical as you feel immediately, actually can see, how they respond to the communicative energy he emanates.

I have learned from David in thirty minutes just watching him handling horses more than I could have gathered from a scholarly treatise on man-horse interaction.

"Doc" Gruber and I were in Nassau last week to meet with some government people in shark protection related matters. As a "sales" tool I had requested David to furnish me with a short video clip of our friendly shark encounters at Tiger Beach.

This is what David put together - have a look, and you will agree with me that when David films underwater, it is the poet who writes, not the sophisticated camera technician who records.

David Ulloa's shark films are not documentaries about sharks - they are odes to them.

Feeding Sharks - a Battlefield of Opinions. Finally a Voice of Reason and Authority...

Dr. Samuel Gruber in his element
Photograph: Wolfgang Leander

... the voice of "Doc", Dr. Samuel Gruber, one of the most experienced shark biologists of our time.

Very kindly, Doc gave me the permission to quote a letter he wrote to a TV producer who wanted an expert opinion on the subject of diving with, and feeding, 'dangerous' sharks; specifically, how it does affect or else alter shark behavior, and also whether Dr. Gruber would consider cage-free shark diving a "hazardous" activity.

Quote

Hi ................. :

I am a proponent of shark diving. While it does affect a few sharks, when compared to the approximately 100 million killed annually for fin and flesh the minimal impact of this human activity pales in comparison.

I feel that shark dives produce several very beneficial outcomes for humans and sharks. First exposing divers to sharks, safely and professionally - and in a beautiful environment will inevitably turn fear into fascination. Quickly these people become ambassadors for shark conservation. Further it produces jobs and income for areas and folks that need the work - especially in an economy such as the Bahamian one. Tourism in the Bahamas is the country's life blood, and sharks are a draw!!

As for hazard - tens of thousands of divers worldwide have safely enjoyed professional shark encounters ever since they were established in the Bahamas nearly 40 years ago. It is true that some people have been injured and there was even one fatality, but compared to other water sports this is a pittance.

Nearly a decade ago the World Health Organization estimated that over 400,000 people drowned in year 2000 making this the second leading cause of unintentional death after highway accidents. So shark dives turn out to be a very SAFE form of water activity when conducted in a professional way.

Dr. Samuel Gruber using his "magic wand" to lead a lemon shark, Bahamas *)
Photograph: Matthew D. Potenski

What I have written is controversial. Animal lovers think that humans have no right to interfere with non-human creatures. This is their opinion, not mine. Biologists always say "don't feed the animals." But I have been feeding sharks at my field station for over 20 years www.miami.edu/sharklab, and have observed their behavior carefully (my degree is in marine animal behavior and sensory physiology). I know for a fact that our shark encounters do not greatly affect the Caribbean reef sharks we feed.

- They do not become habituated to humans such that they completely lose their natural fear.

- They do not begin to consider us as food.

- They are very focused on what we do and learn almost instantly what the feeding situation means.

- They do not depend on us for food but hunt normally and supplement this ordinary behavior with our feedings.

- New individuals join the colony all the time, learn what we do and do not pose a danger. These reef sharks leave the area during breeding season in August and go about their normal reproductive activities. They return about three months later.

My favorite dive site is Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, and I would be very pleased to take you there (on your nickel) to show you amazing sights that should make you a believer. We are planning a trip later in the month.

"Doc" freediving at Tiger Beach, November 2008
Photograph: Wolfgang Leander

Remember many sharks are headed toward extinction which will have very deleterious effects on the Ocean ecosystem. We call sharks the "Lords of Time," having survived multiple extinction episodes for half a billion years. We really need sharks more than they need us! An ocean free of sharks will be a sick ocean. This is the story that shark dives engender - not the tired old monster jaws images.

Unquote

Thank you very much, Doc - that's certainly good enough for me!! :-)



*) Doc's "magic wand" is a bi-metallic rod that stimulates the sharks' ampullary system so that they think the end of the pole is a living prey.