An Eden for Sharks, not Competitors

Tiger Shark - Photo by Brian Skerry

You may all remember the National Geographic story: "An Eden for Sharks" (March 2007 issue) written by Jennifer S. Holland and featuring photos by Brian Skerry. I just finished watching a slide show narrated by Brian - what got me to post about him were not just his stunning images, but what he said about shark feeding / interactions.

Says Brian: "Is shark feeding a good thing? - I will leave that up to other people todebate but I certainly think that in this transitional period it is a heck of a lot better to having sharks being fed and appreciated and alive than being killed"

Listen to the complete slide show - it is a very positive message...

This also made me think about Sea Stewards somewhat critical comment on the "Gimme A Hug" video. It is just a constant reminder of BIG egos prevailing over the basic mission, and this was a blatant example of how "colleagues" and industry "peers" really see one another first and foremost - as business competitors even though the others' work is for the benefit of the cause.

RTSea Blog post, eco-tourism, sharks, and conservation

How are sharks, conservation, and eco-tourism intertwined? Read RTSea's latest blog post (great read) to get an idea...particularly interesting is the section on baiting/association of people and food as well as the part of the attitude-towards-sharks spectrum.  You may recall we covered RTSea's documentary in the past

I am not sure where exactly I fit on this spectrum - probably leaning towards the "fuzzy" side - fully understanding that sharks are predators and can be potentially dangerous.  

I myself have called them dogs (and the smaller ones puppies) and have seen various photos and videos (including documentaries) that make a point that humans and sharks can interact...speaking of course of our own photos and interactions and a trailer to a documentary that I recently saw called "Gimme a hug" (which I am very much looking forward to - refreshing to see a documentary title that does not include the word deadly.  And listen how slowly Cristina breathes through the regulator - peaceful!).  

And this leaves me with another thought: Not sure what the difference is between my dad hugging a shark or Cristina Zenato doing it - aside from the chain suit...a question that can only really be answered by people that dive and have spent a lot of time in the water with sharks.