When words do not mean anything...

...and actions do.

Mike has just written another great post on how we just cannot get enough sensationalism when it comes to sharks:

"How about unadulterated Shark Porn instead.  Once again, the life history of Sharks is being reduced to one dimension only: teeth, killing and attacks on humans. This has nothing to do with conservation, this is once again only about the adrenaline, the questionable fame of a Nat Geo production and yes, above all, the money!"

Enjoy the complete blog post.

Media Blues...

Excellent post over on the Shark Diver blog about poor messaging execution.  While people's thoughts and intentions are often in the right place - their tactics are off (and in some cases even have a negative impact on what they are trying to accomplish).

"Conservation messaging needs to be done without the "stupid pet tricks with wildlife...We can do better than we are with smarter messaging that actually translates into conservation gold."

And there have been several fails:

"This is on par with, if not as moronic as, recent media hits that were meant to convey important conservation messages such as:

1. Playing a guitar underwater while crooning to white sharks in a protected Bio Sphere Reserve. The message was, "white sharks are not dangerous." Since that video there have been 6 fatal white shark attacks and 11 non fatal predatory events on surfers and divers worldwide.

2. Holding up pizza box lids with lip stick on them to convey complex messaging about shark nets in South Africa. Since that media image over 2000+ sharks have been killed in shark nets all over the world."

Enjoy the complete post.

Stuart Cove gets the media thing right

And some people that have been in the business for only a few years - rookies - get it wrong not once, not twice, not three times, but a total of FOUR TIMES - you know who you are. Below is a short segment from ABC featuring Stuart's Cove - it has the right messaging and portrays the sharks how they should be - not like "killer lemon sharks".

My dad emailed me this:

"Sure this was a nice publicity gag for Stuart Cove and his operation. But at least sharks were not prortayed in a negative light.

That is the way to go: If you get interviewed, or involved in any way with a TV producer, you control the interview and make sure the feature won't be distorted by the editors.

If you do not have that guarantee - you simply stay out. I know, It takes character to tell a TV producer: 'I won't be part of this'. But that is what being ethical and principled is all about.

Who do I mean? You know EXACTLY who I mean....

Wolf"

Sharkdiver recent wrote about the segment but I missed the video - in case you did too, click here to watch it.

Another Voice

Jeff Schreiber was with us last November on our trip to Tiger Beach...it was the first time he dove with tiger sharks.  I have seen him on a more regular basis and have only great things to say about Jeff - the only bad thing I can say about him - "you wear to much equipement underwater" - this is coming from a freediver talking about a cavediver :) )Below are his thoughts about what happened today in the media and in general.  I thought this would be a good voice to be heard while the old man is out...you can also go to Amanda's blog to read it (which I encourage):

"Media Myths and the Proliferation of Fear

It is unfortunate that in this day and age, the majority of the population gain their opinions from what is packaged up and presented to them with absolutely no objectivity. Opinions are formed from what is fed to them via major media outlets. Sadly these outlets are businesses; their motivation is sensationalism to raise ratings and earn more in advertising dollars. How many times have you seen, or read, a report on something that you are truly experienced in; something where you've seen first hand, or experienced, or are on the 'inside'? In those situations, how many times have you been left horrified by the mistakes, errors and downright misinformation that is presented to supplant an opinion on the subject in the audience?

Recently a national media outlet aired a segment on shark diving, featuring a charter boat that I had been on last November. From the very start of the segment I knew where it was going, and I had to fight my way through the whole thing; absolutely disgusted by the spin that they chose to try and portray. I have no desire to name the outlet, nor post a link to the story; as it, like so many other stories, only serves to vilify sharks; to cast them in a vicious light and to paint everyone that interacts with them to be thrill seeking adrenaline junkies.

Instead, let me express a little of my experience. Yes; I am doing just what these media outlets are doing... telling a story in a way that intends to cause the audience to form an opinion. However my motivations have nothing to do with money, or fame, or advertising. My motivations are only to provide a contrary opinion to the common misconceptions that are constantly being reinforced. A small scream of disgust likely to fall on deaf ears in a overwhelming ocean of misinformation.

The fact of the matter is, as I embarked on my trip a number of months ago, I too had preconceived notions about what I was going to experience. I was nervous about being in the water with sharks because I was brainwashed by the misinformation that prevails. Even with the experiences I've already had from diving the shipwrecks in the waters off North Carolina, wrecks that are frequently populated by dozens of Sand Tiger sharks, I had managed to compartmentalize those. I convinced myself that Sand Tigers were an exception, they are just lazy lumbering creatures of no danger or concern. Not like other types of sharks, oh no... they are different, they are animals that should be feared.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Sharks aren't to be feared; it's the fear that causes the hatred and vilification which grows to action in the way of downright genocide. They are truly magnificent creatures that deserve our respect, our care, and an understanding that they are a key element in a delicate ecosystem that is being systematically destroyed by the true apex predator on earth... US.

Over a period of 5 days, I spent more than 24 hours underwater with no less than a dozen sharks at any given moment, every single one of them significantly larger than I. It only took a few minutes before I was able to gaze at them with an open mind. To watch them move, feed, and interact with one another was eye opening. I watched remoras hanging on for a ride, only to break off long enough to grab their own scrap of food. I watched schools of fish use the sharks for shelter. These fish weren't frightened of the shark, they were frightened of me. They used the sharks for protection from the humans, in hopes that the intimidating size of their graceful friend would keep them safe.

My experiences opened my eyes and mind dramatically. I was blessed with the opportunity to form my own opinion, one based on experiences rather than force fed to me as I 'witness' the world from the confines of my couch. 

The fact of the matter is that survival instincts are common among animals. Without survival instincts, a species would long be extinct. You are much safer fearing the unknown and be incorrect, then feeling safe and being incorrect. Will sharks defend themselves when threatened? Sure. So will we. Will sharks systematically eradicate every human they see? Absolutely not, but look at a human's reaction to seeing a mosquito. Will sharks exit their natural environment in order to seek vengeance for the death of one of their own? Obviously not, but I'll give you one guess as to what species on this earth does this time and time and time again, regardless of what caused the initial event.

Painting sharks out to be man-eating, or those interacting with them to be thrill seeking; does absolutely nothing but perpetrate the fear that is already present.

Special thanks should go to David Ulloa, who filmed and edited the following video, and to Amanda Cotton for the images included at the end of the video, and their attempts to raise awareness through the experiences that we've had first hand. If you want to see sharks being sharks; as opposed to sharks being used as theatrical props, this video, and those like it, are what you should be keeping in mind when you form your opinions.

-Jeff"

Media is not helping

Why does the media insist on calling shark incidents, shark attacks. And add a photograph of a white shark (for an "attack" that happened in Florida)???

Last "attack" happened in Orlando, 7 year old was bitten in the leg, not life threatening.

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_091211733.html

JAWS STILL SELLS.