Shark Warrior Lesley Rochat was here!

'Here' means Tiger Beach. Lesley Rochat was here for the second time, and she absolutely loved it! I wouldn't be surprised to meet her at the Beach again next year.

Unfortunately, Lesley had a cold, so her diving was limited (as was mine due an ear infection coupled with a sinusitis). 

However, she worked hard for an upcoming conservation project the details of which I cannot divulge at this time. She even convinced me to be interviewed by her - although I felt rotten and scatterbrained because of the medication I took against my otitis. 

Larger than life - that is the expression that best describes this small, fragile looking  ocean lady. 

Lesley has dedicated her life to the conservation of sharks, and her enthusiasm for the cause is truly contagious. Craig Baumann, a new congenial friend from Oregon, who was also on our trip, grew so fond of Lesley that he decided to join her on her dive safari during the next Sardine Run south of Durban.

I used only one roll of film (36 frames) during the two weeks on Tiger Beach. The best - and only - photograph I managed to take of Lesley is this one. I squeezed the shutter at the right moment as both ladies were swimming perfectly synchronized.

HIM - Harmony in Motion

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Total Diving Freedom.....

..... is what I always said was the salient feature of diving with Captain Scott W. Smith ("Scottie") aboard his Dolphin Dream (DD) . Now, being back from my last two one-week trips to the Tiger Beach area, I could add: On the DD, guests have also total cooking freedom.  

Some of you probably know that I have had a serious health issue (gastric cancer) almost four years ago. After the removal of my stomach I had to adapt to new eating habits: eating small portions frequently, avoiding stuff that is not cooked adequately which led me straight to discover, and absolutely love, the joy of cooking.

Thus, going to a restaurant ain't no treat for me no more. But if I were invited to have lunch or dinner with the explicit permission to prepare my own simple dishes, I'd  say: "I'll be your guest!"

Needless to state, if Scottie allows me to freedive with the tigers, he has nothing against my cooking my own stuff in the DD's galley.

Normally, I am a pretty messy cook, but on the DD I really tried to be tidy which can be appreciated in this image:

Da old Wolf has a new passion: Cooking!

Photograph: Felix Leander

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The asparagus was absolutely delicious. By the way: You should never steam it longer than 10 minutes so as to have it "al dente", and serve it with good ol' plain melted butter. A lot of people, also the cook of the DD, grill the asparagus with cheese which, IMHO, takes away some of the delicate flavor of this divine vegetable.

Now, as to the diving: We had some excellent days, not at Tiger Beach proper due to sub-standard viz during our stay, but in a near-by place Scottie discovered a few years ago.*) That place, christened "Fish Tales", boasts of an incredible variety of tame (call them 'conditioned') sharks: Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, tiger sharks, and the occasional great hammerhead shark. It is truly a paradisiac spot for shark lovers, and it comes in very handy when the weather conditions at Tiger Beach aren't that great. 

Tiger sharks: Just as curious as we are...

Photograph: Wolfgang Leander

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The best part of diving with the Dolphin Dream is the fact that Capt. Scott Smith allows  you to move freely underwater whenever you feel like it as long as you follow the basic rules of common sense and good behavior. If you want to dive at night, Scottie will ask his deck hands to accommodate you.

Those who don't like to be lead by their noses will agree with me that it is the total diving freedom that makes diving the Beach with the Dolphin Dream such an unforgettable experience.


*) It was also Capt. Scott Smith who discovered Tiger Beach many years ago. 

Since "Opa" is not allowed to post (and brag) about his gorgeous grand-son Wolfie.....

.... here are just two recent photographs of him taken by his father:

White Shark in Miami Beach

Never thought I would be using that title for any of my posts...about a month ago Raul Boesel Jr. was freediving right off Miami Beach in about 80-90ft of water when Neptune decided to be good and grace him with a 10-12ft White Shark.  The encounter was quick - the shark was shy, but Raul was able to capture the moment.

A lot more to come about Raul - he is part of the next generation of elite U/W photographers and a solid freediver.  He and I recently got back from a phenomenal trip.

Tiger Beach: Last Minute Deal - and I mean "D-e-a-l"!!

Dom Macan from DiveAdvice who arranged the November 10-16, 2012, trip to Tiger Beach on the Dolphin Dream received two cancellations from Germany due to an emergency today.

 

In view of the tight time factor, Dom is willing to sell the two vacant spots at an incredibly low rate. The regular price for this year's fabulous interactive shark dive, to me the very best in the world, is US-$ 2.495.

Send Dom a mail, and find out at what bargain price you can grab this deal: dom@diveadvice.com

 

 

 

Tiger Beach:  Best interactive shark dive in the world - by far!!

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2010)

  

Whoever is flexible enough to take a quick decision should not let this chance slip away!!


    

No words, just an image....

..... to express the excitment I feel at the prospect to be with "them" soon again.

Photo: Wolfgang Leander (Tiger Beach 2011)
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How Jaws Changed the World - Shark Week 2012

I vividly remember watching Jaws for the first time – actually, I spent most of the time hiding behind the couch or my hands – peeking out once in a while trying to catch a glimpse of the monster.  Going to the swimming pool became an ordeal, my imagination would always run wild as Jaws was stalking me to the tunes of John Williams.  Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have had a balance in our home due to the constant interest in diving, the ocean, and sharks.  Jaws had a profound effect on everyone that watched the movie at the time in one way or another.

“How Jaws Changed the World” attempted to shed light on the positive impact it had on people and sharks – such as a generation of marine biologists or that it inspired salvation (if anything, maybe the aftermath of the movie inspired salvation).  This might be true, but there is no way that it comes even close to the damage it did / still does to sharks – not just in terms of those killed mindlessly , but also as far as human perceive these creatures.  More people became Quinn opposed to Hooper…there was a significant decline in the shark population in New England and probably elsewhere.  The movie did what it was supposed to do…scare people and then some.

One may argue – times were different then, and people did not know much about sharks. On the other hand,  as a result of the movie, more funds were made available to research sharks.  Discovery Channel aired various Jaws DVD ads during Shark Week 2012 (even during “How Jaws Changed the World”) – why not donate a percentage of those proceeds to shark research / protection – why was there no drive whatsoever during that episode to encourage people to donate? Wasted opportunity…

Some other thoughts:

• Why was Mark the Shark given airtime?
• Where were the usual shark industry critics…more attention was given to the VW ad than Shark Week.  I guess you cannot bite the hand that feeds you…
• Wish Joe Romero would have been given more airtime – his work is phenomenal