Sharks: To touch or not to touch them - that is not a question for Mike Neumann.

Mike Neumann will not compromise. Divers who touch sharks, worse: ride them, are, in his opinion, submarine perverts. He calls them 'Shark Molesters'. 

I have a slightly different opinion. I say: If you have a lot of experience diving with sharks, have learned to understand their distinctive body language, and, most importantly, if you love and respect these animals, actually all animals, then I believe it's OK to touch, even caress sharks.

Nurse Shark love. These sharks are very gentle if you treat them gently.

Photograph by Karin Leander (Bahamas, 2004)

Click to enlarge 

Riding them is a different story. Sharks are not horses or bulls, and even former rodeo riders should not manipulate sharks abusively, like turning them upside down or jam Go-Pro cameras on a wand into their mouths (I have seen such totally unacceptable behavior during my last tiger shark trip).

Further down is a brillant article wherein Mike puts forward his thoughts about the subject. Not only do I hold him in the highest esteem for his convincing arguments, but I really believe that his way of introducing his underwater guests to sharks as a responsible and sensible diving operator should become standard protocol in the shark diving industry. 

I am sure that after having read the interview with Mike you will agree with me that this is how shark operators should run their businesses - always allowing certain exceptions,  of course...... otherwise, how would I be able to go back to where I could caress my beloved striped girls again?.... :-)

http://fijisharkdiving.blogspot.com/2014/03/molesting-sharks-article.html

Contrary to their bad press, tiger sharks can be as gentle as nurse sharks - if you know how to communicate with them.

Photograph by Felix Leander (Aliwal Shoal, 2008)

Click to enlarge

Impossible Shot + Sharkzilla - Shark Week 2012

So far so good…after watching three episodes I have yet to see blood in the water – and that is a great thing.  The Impossible Shot is just about that – pushing the limits of getting that new angle using creative and ingenious ideas + technology.  There was a nice integration of some of the pioneering shark U/W videographers such as Stan Waterman and how they have progressed over time. 

Both the GoPro and Phantom cameras were featured again as in the previous episode.  But this one added one more variable…45 HD cameras filming at the same time to create what is know as a time splice.  Some very interesting footage was captured as a result.  As of now, a lot of focus seems to be going into the capability of these new cameras and how to get views that have never been captured before.

I have to admit that I breezed through the Sharkzilla episode, as I personally did not find it that interesting.  However, anyone that finds, prehistoric sharks, engineering, and crowds chanting entertaining will enjoy this one.

What next…

Note: Unfortunately due to travel I will not be able to watch the other episodes until next week - will write about them then. 

Air Jaws Apocalypse - Shark Week 2012

What can I say – I am highly impressed with the first episode of Shark Week 2012 and very much looking forward to the rest.  While Air Jaws as a concept is not new and breaching White Sharks are not novel anymore – the technology used to film this episode made for some stunning footage and made me feel like I was seeing these majestic animals up close again for the first time.

A Phantom camera was used to film most of the episode, which allows for extremely high quality video and the possibility to slowing down frames without losing any detail.  The camera can shoot at resolutions up to 2560x1600 pixels at anywhere from 10 frames-per-second up to 1,455 frames-per-second (fps).  To put that into perspective, my GoPro shoots at 720 pixels at 60fps. (Then again, my GoPro only costs a few hundred bucks – I believe the Phantom can go into the six digits).

Some other things I enjoyed:

• Labeled sharks as highly intelligent, with individual personalities that actually learn from one another.  Good to hear when others speak about sharks having small walnut brains with only two modes – predator and not.  Anyone that has spent enough time in the water with these animals will know that sharks are adaptable, intelligent, and each unique.
• GoPro seems to be a standard for all U/W productions these days one-way or another.  Fantastic product!
• Luke Tipple and the VW ad – congrats on the work Luke!

There was only one thing I did not enjoy and that was the Jaws DVD release ad– give sharks a break.

Good stuff Discovery.

RADICAL GROUPS THAT DISRUPT LEGITIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION NOT WELCOMED BY FIJI

I did not actually come up with that title - The Government of Fiji did on their blog.

(The following statement was issued by the Ministry of Defense, National Security and Immigration)

The Republic of Fiji takes very seriously the protection of its pristine environment, specifically with regard to the sustainable preservation of its waters and fisheries.

Government is currently working with local and international conservation organisations and the fishing industry, which are assisting the Fijian Department of Fisheries with monitoring, education, and awareness. Together with these partners, Fiji is committed to sustainable development policies that aim to protect the country’s marine resources, while taking into account the socio-economic needs of Fijian citizens, in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods.

Radical international groups, such as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, any similar organisation or any other related party, which seek to sensationalise esoteric fishing practices, including on so-called "reality television," do so for purposes of self-promotion at the expense of disrupting legitimate conservation work. These groups are not welcome in Fiji and will not be tolerated by Government.

-ENDS-

Short, sweet, and to the point - the message could not be any clearer.  For a complete synopsis of the situation read the following posts:

Shark Diver Blog and DaShark

China - Sharks...this could be huge

As per the Humane Society International:

“The news that the government of China will stop serving shark fins marks a watershed moment for the global movement to protect sharks and pushes China onto the world’s stage as an emerging leader in shark conservation."

Read complete article here 

Freediving with Sharks

Last November I had the opportunity to go back to the Bahamas to freedive with my old man - something I have come to cherish particularly since overcoming his third cancer.  While we do not always talk that much (snorkel in mouth) - we definitely know what is going on in our minds.


The visibility and conditions were not always perfect -but the time we were able to spend in the water was just that - perfect.  I hope to have captured some of those moments in the video below.  By no means is this a short film / documentary - just memories that run over and over in our heads.





All video shot with GoPro while freediving.  Photo credit Wolf with Caribbean Reef Shark: Michel Lonfat

The Good of 2011

Be sure to read Mike's latest post recapping the good things / people of 2011 as related to the shark world - you might be surprised.  Learn who is the most improved NGO, impressive individual shark advocate, and more.  Part two will likely bring some flair - the BAD of 2011.

Complete post

Tiger Beach trip November 2011.

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

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2011)

Click to enlarge

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

Click here - should work now.

Enjoy.

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.

Best PR for sharks....

.... is to get serious and environmentally engaged journalists interested in the plight of these endangered creatures. Professional writers are the ones who can make a difference by informing and educating their readers.

They need good PR professionals, badly!

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (Tiger Beach / Bahamas, 2010)

Click on image

Here we have a good example how this can be done: Juliet Eilperin, "Washington Post" reporter, took a bunch of journalists on a shark tagging tour with Neil Hammerschlag of the University of Miami.

Read this one account of the trip, put together by Todd Woody, a "Forbes" editor.

Good job - excellent, far-reaching multiplier effect!

And dig this: A very well researched new book on sharks written by Juliet Eilperin. Highly readable, highly recommended!

Not the Mossad after all

There have been many theories as to why there have been so many shark incidents in Sharm El-Sheikh, there were even stories that the Mossad had been training / introducing sharks close to the tourist resorts.

Turns out that sheep carcasses has been the cause of sharks coming in closer...

Complete story here.

It’s Better in the Bahamas – even if it is just for a day…

One of the perks of living in Miami is that you can take a day trip by boat to The Bahamas – depending on the conditions and the boat you could be there in about 1.5 hours.  Crystal clear waters and an abundance of fish that you just don’t find in Miami anymore.

One of my diving buddies and friend, Manuel M was able to secure two spots for us on his friend's (Pedro Q) power boat – a 24ft cata.  The purpose of the trip was to go spearing and hopefully bring home some dinner.  I am referred to as “Greenpeace” – I was armed with my camera – although I did spear some dinner as well.

We met at 5:30AM at Pedro’s house and moved our gear to his truck and were off to the marina.  The boat had been readied the night before, so by 0600 we were east bound.  It was a close to perfect crossing, conditions were calm and we were able to cruise at 30 knots.

We explored several spots, some better than others.  From the good ones we were able to get a few hogfish, lobster, snappers, and groupers.  Of course we were also greeted by the Bahamian sharks (six at once) – who were extremely excited at the notion of wounded hogfish in the water…one took off with fish and spear, chased by three other sharks.

As the spearing continued, the sharks became more curious and bold, coming to the surface and standing their ground…we decided to move on…it’s their reef.

Was able to get some decent video sequences of the trip which I will have to put together over the weekend…that is of course unless there is diving to be done.

Neil on CNN

Neil Hammerschlag is a shark scientist right here in Miami who is very active in researching and protecting sharks - as per Mike's blog (and an email from Neil) - I found out that he had been featured on CNN to discuss the possible impact that oil spill may have on sharks:





Read the complete story here - Neil and team, keep up the good work...

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".

Update on Atlantis Resort and Shark videos

Atlantis Resort has written back - just an official statement - lot's of words and not sure if there will be any actions - it definitely did not address my concerns:


"Dear Felix,

Thank you for your concern, I wanted to forward to you Atlantis' statement on behalf of this incident:

Atlantis prides itself on being a place where people can come to observe and become educated about different sea life.  At various points around the habitats, there is signage posted strongly warning guests not to touch or feed the animals -- to please respect their home.  We have secured the exhibits with fences and partial walls to keep guests out and to keep our marine life safe, while still allowing guests to get an “up close and personal” experience with the sea life.  We employ 400 security guards a day who patrol the property and exhibits.  We are very disappointed that these guests behaved irresponsibly and compromised the safety of both our animals and themselves.  With the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, it is the penultimate site to observe marine creatures in their own environment.  Our vast waterscape is comprised of almost 20 million gallons of water spanning 141 acres and is home to over 50,000 marine creatures.   There is much to explore and even more to learn at Atlantis.  We have numerous sea-keepers attending to the marine life daily – feeding and observing the fish and caring for their habitat, which operates as an open-system, meaning water comes in from the sea and cycles through system.  We are very disappointed that, in this rare instance, some of our guests behaved irresponsibly and compromised the safety of both our animals and themselves. There must be a level of accountability from all Atlantis customers in terms of respecting the posted rules and the space put between them and the animals in our exhibits.  However, as a result of this unfortunate event, we have reviewed and revised our existing security measures.  Our animals’ safety is a priority to us, as is that of our guests, and we will ensure that all visitors to our property respect the established rules.

I hope this addresses your concerns.

Send your comments to Atlantis Resorts via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/atlantis?ref=ts

Save the Bahamian Garden of Eden for Sharks

Below is a link to a petition (requires 5,000 signatures) to the banning of fishing for sharks in the Bahamas.  Sure - many wonder do petitions have any effect - I myself am not sure...however, I still sign them.  It requires little effort and you can easily pass it to your friends.


So, having said that please go ahead and sign it:


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-the-slaughter-of-sharks-in-all-of-the-bahamian-waters-slaughter-of-sharks-in-all-of-the-bahamian


Thanks 

One Vote from You = $1 Million for Sharks

While Haiti should definitely be a priority at the moment...you could help another cause that just requires you to vote on Facebook.  

Georgienne Bradley from the Imaging Foundation sent me the following information:

"Shark Finning is a brutal practice that persists practically unchecked throughout the world's oceans. Cocos Island - a UNESCO World Heritage site - is ground zero for shark finning. We need to stop this practice there now and educate future generations. 

As you know I am trying to stop shark finning and protect Cocos Island. please help me with this daunting yet possible cause. Vote with me, and get the message and vote out to your circle of friends. Instructions are below.

Please email me at earthiamag@aol.com if you have any ideas on how we can best get this critical vote out or want to get seriously involved in this cause.

We are currently positioned to win a $1,000,000 grant in the Chase Community Giving Facebook contest. The Imaging Foundation has a strong history of shark advocacy and education.

If you are a Facebook member, please consider casting a simple vote for the Imaging Foundation-Sea Save before Jan 22th.

Here’s how to vote:

Step One: Log into your Facebook account and paste this link into your web browser:http://www.imagingfoundation.org/vote

Step Two: Become a fan of “Chase Community Giving.” (You can remove them once you’ve finished voting.)

Step Three: You will be asked, “Vote for Charity?” Make sure the charity Imaging Foundation and click “Yes”

Once you vote, your Facebook picture will appear on the page, showing your commitment to protecting sharks. 

Thank you for your support!"

Duck "Doc"??

Photo: Wolfgang Leander

--------- yes, that's right: The one and only Shark "Doc" also loves ducks. He has a few in his house, just to have them, not to eat them. I have forgotten their names but they all do have names as befits full-fledged members of a family.

"Doc" hand-feeds his ducks and talks to them in their language which is what true animal lovers generally do - Quack, quack ... :-).

A couple of weeks ago, when Karin and I were still in Miami, "Doc" and his charming wife Marie invited us and our kids, Felix and Carmen, over for coffee and cake. The cookies they offered us were good, old Jewish "rugelach" - the sweet equivalent of "gefilte fish", as it were.

We had much fun with the Grubers, but not only that: Being around the "Docman", as I call Samuel, is always an inspiring educational experience.

While I learned quite a bit about the sharks' highly developed intelligence, Karin got an expert introduction into the anatomy of the upper human spine - actually, Samuel explained Karin with a truly DaVinciesque drawing why he needed an operation of his neck.

Photos: Wolfgang Leander

If you want to learn something about lemon shark behavior, try to meet the "Doc", and if you are lucky enough to get invited for lunch or dinner, you can be sure that the hospitable Grubers will serve you excellent stuff, Japanese, American, East European, just about anything that is exquisite - but duck!!....

Great Video from Save our Seas

Thanks to The Dorsal Fin for posting this video on their blog...Save Our Seas Foundation continues to do extremely creative work with a great message...enjoy:

South Africa Sharks Need Your Help

A message from Lesley Rochat founder of AOCA (please sign the petition at end):

"Hello Everyone,

I have been running a petition for the protection of a number of shark species in South Africa and getting ready to submit it. Our fishery department is in the process of revising the National Plan of Action for the conservation and management of our sharks, a document drafted in 2000 and subsequently referred to as the National Plan of INaction. It is therefore important for us to get this petition in shortly.

I am trying to get a last boost of signatures and will appreciate your help. So far we have about 5000 signatures but of course more would be better. Please sign it if you have not already and then send it to as many people as possible, your support will be greatly appreciated.  

Herewith the Petition link:  http://www.aoca.org.za/petition.php

Kind regards, Lesley Rochat"