This is getting ridiculous. According to a couple of articles in the Australian, the Western Australian government has again decided to kill great white sharks. According to one article “Large sharks that swim into designated ‘kill zones’ near popular …
If you have been following us on Facebook, you probably already heard the news. Shark Diver is proud to announce that we are offering a special “Science Expedition” to Isla Guadalupe from September 19-24, 2014. Nicole Nasby-Lucas from the Marine Con…
Popular wisdom holds that Sharks do not get cancer. That is why shark cartilage is widely used to prevent/treat cancer. Turns out that popular wisdom is once again proven wrong. According to an article in “livescience” sharks can indeed get cancer. …
The Marine Conservation Science Institute has named a new great white shark at Isla Guadalupe Paul Walker, in honor of the late actor/director who was a big advocate for shark conservation.As most of you know, Paul Walker died tragically in a car accid…
Congratulations Australia! You have done it again. According to “The Australian” a catch and kill order has been issued for what is believed to be a great white shark that killed a surfer over the weekend.
The article states 35-year-old Chris Boyd, was attacked on Saturday morning by what’s believed to be a great white shark at the popular surf break Umbries off Gracetown, 270km southwest of Perth. Mr Boyd, originally from Queensland, was killed instantly when he was mauled by a great white shark while surfing at popular break “Umbies” off Gracetown, 270km south of Perth at about 9am WST yesterday
It then goes on to say that The state’s fisheries department issued a catch and kill order for the shark, saying there was an imminent threat of more attacks in the area. The fisheries department is quoted as saying they weren’t ”just going to randomly kill sharks – it depends on what they see”
This is ridiculous. What exactly are they going to see? Since they say that the shark that attacked Mr. Boyd was “believed” to be a great white shark, how exactly are they going to determine that a particular shark is the right one, if they don’t even know the species for certain?
This is another typical reaction for a government agency. Do something, no matter how stupid, just to appear to be doing something.
Our heart goes out to the family of Mr. Boyd, but indiscriminately killing an animal is neither bringing Mr. Boyd back, nor is it making the ocean any safer for anyone else.
Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
Shark Diver
About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com
So what does it mean, when you meet a great white shark at Isla Guadalupe and have it look you straight into the eyes? Well, for 2 of our divers this year, David and Fabiola, it meant something very special. Here is a message I got from them just …
We just finished our 2013 season, diving with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe. We had the pleasure to be able to introduce 173 divers to our smiling friends!
Here is a letter from Jen Saunders, one of our divers, describing her experience.
The year before my father passed away from pancreatic cancer we had a conversation about faith and God. My father, a retired professor of English literature, asked how I could feel complete without knowing and feeling the presence of a higher power. I simply replied by stating that his question was equivalent to one asking how I can sleep at night without having ever seen a space alien. My dad was unwavering in his notion that the little pit of emptiness I had always felt in the back of my soul stemmed from my disassociation with a spiritual deity, but it wasn’t until I journeyed to Isle de Guadalupe and gazed into the eyes of an 18 foot great white shark named Thor that this emptiness was filled with an awe for a god that had been absent all my life. 
We shared a moment. I was sure of this. As a well-travelled individual who has lived and seen enough to fill 10 lifetimes, never had I witnessed something so spiritually moving. I felt the presence of a divine being within this shark. This powerful, sensitive creature that never sleeps imprinted his soul into mine. About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com
According to a report in “The Daily Star” a tuna diver killed a 6 meter long (19.8 ft) great white shark. The article states:”It was either the shark or him. South Australian tuna diver, Dean Stefanek, 38, battled a 6-meter shark for 30 minutes and li…
I came across a headline on the shanghaiist website. “JAWS NOW IN SHANDONG” Shandong fishermen haul in horrifically giant shark!The article states: “Fishermen in Rizhao, Shandong Province, hauled in an utterly massive 10-meter-long (32 foot) whale sha…
What’s happening on the ‘shark boat?’
2013 Guadalupe Island
Yesterday, we woke to a beautiful sunrise and flat calm waters. A great day for shark diving! After a delicious breakfast we had our cage safety orientation and got into the cages. We have 9 divers on board who are not SCUBA certified and were eager to go into the cages and breath from a regulator for the first time.
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| Great White Don Julian |
Right after Steve finished clearing his mask, “Bite Face”, a 15 ft shark we have known for 13 years, swam by the cage, just a couple of inches from where Steve was watching. What a way to start your first dive ever! The morning was a little slow, but we had a few sharks cruise by the cages, checking out our divers. The action picked up considerably by mid afternoon.
During the last 2 hours we had up to 3 sharks at the cages at the same time.
Another nice day at Isla Guadalupe and 17 freshly minted “Shark Divers.” We ended up seeing a total of nine different sharks, with Bite Face, Big, Julie, #130, and Don Julian making an appearance along with 4, as of yet, unidentified animals.
After another one of Chef Mark’s excellent dinners, we are all tired, but excited to see some more sharks tomorrow.
~Martin Graf, Managing Director, Shark Diver
About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkoperations@gmail.com.
