White Shark - Terry Gross

A simple wrong turn, no doubt by one or two pregnant females, somewhere in the vicinity of 450,000 years ago during climate changes, could have caused sharks to show up in a place they were no supposed to be. This is according to research which was Published this past Wednesday, in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (It should however be noted that we don´t necessarily agree with the findings here at AC as competition for space is an easier explanation on why some fish first swam into the Mediterraneanan.)

And of course liking the area, they have stayed on in the Mediterranean – albeit in small groups – because much like salmon they go back to where they were born. It is also believed that the narrow channels in the Mediterranean have made it nigh impossible for the sharks to get back out again.

Researchers believe this “wrong turn” happened due to a mixture of climate change, high sea levels, and changing currents at the time, and as a result the sharks gained a permanent foothold in the Mediterranean.

Thanks to genetic analysis and tagging, researchers now know that sharks do indeed swim between Australia and Africa, and actually have a tendency to swim towards the east to where they were born, making their way using cues from the ocean currents they swim through.

However, in the case of long long ago, scientists still believe that some sharks simply became confused, and wound up a little bit off course, and as a result, permanently made a change in the way the world we live in today is.

Tiger shark - Credit: Richard Ling

The people in attendance mowed down on cheese and crackers, celery and crisps. But as soon as Greg Skomal, a state shark expert, opened up his mouth, he told them what it really meant to chow down.

Skomal, who was the guest of honor at the Harwich Conservation Trust’s yearly get together this past Sunday evening, gave the people in attendance at Wequassett Resort the low down on great white sharks. He told of tagging them off Chatham’s coast near Monomoy. He explained how they weren’t very discriminant about what they chowed down on, and how they hunt a myriad of fish. Given that there is an abundant supply of gray seals in the area, and it’s ever increasing, more and more great white sharks are going to be making their way to the waters of the Cape every summer.

“You can eat as much popcorn you want or you can have one big steak,” Skomal commented, which accurately depicts why great white sharks like to pick out the gray seals in the area, especially near Monomoy. Just one gray seal can satisfy a great white shark for one to two months.

According to Skomal, who happens to be a shark expert with the state Division of Marine Fisheries, has commented no one can know for sure just how many great white sharks make an appearance every year, but it is becoming quite a “hot spot” off the Cape.

Shark fins

Are sharks going to be able to make it through the 21st century?

This is the question which shark enthusiasts and conservationists the world over are contemplating. Shark populations are declining, and the inhumane practice of “finning” sharks appears to be at an all time high, despite efforts to stop the vile practice. Scientists say that if the sharks disappear, it will have drastic effects on the health of our oceans.

Wolfgang Leander, an avid shark conservationist, is imploring the officials of the Bahamas to put a ban on all shark fishing in the Bahamas, which currently is home to one of the worlds’ most large and diverse shark populations in the world.

The shark enthusiasts and conservationists around the globe want to keep it that way.

Shark enthusiasts and conservationists do have cause for concern. It was recently reported that Sunco, a fishing outfit hailing from Andros, is considering expanding its scope, and selling off shark fins to the Japanese.

This news was not taken lightly, and shark enthusiasts and conservationists, among them Mr. Leander, have made cries that the sharks of the Bahamian waters must be protected.

As of right now, there is no specific law governing the fishing of sharks in the Bahamas, however there is a ban in place which should make it more difficult, as it dictates that the use of long line or gill net fishing is strictly prohibited.

What will befall our sharks? Only time will tell..

Whale shark - Zac Wolf

A tiny whale shark has been stuck with nowhere to go at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s waters, marine researches commented on Monday.

The whale shark, locally known as a “butanding”, was first discovered at the Boton Wharf this past Thursday, according to Arkilo Villacen, a worker in Subic.

Arkilo, who operates the cranes for a living, has commented that he and his colleagues were expecting the arrival of a speedboat on the wharf when they spotted this 5 meter long interloper.

He has said that he was rather shaken at first, as he thought the thing was a meat-eating shark. Which isn’t surprising, as they do share a striking resemblance to those other sharks.

However, the whale shark really does get a bum rap. They are peaceful creatures, and subsist on plankton and other small plants. They can grow to be over 12 meters long and are the largest living fish species known to science at this time.

Jonathaniel Apurado, a marine biologist, thinks that the small whale shark hails from the South China Sea, and is quite possibly lost.

He has expressed concern that the whale shark might be injured or killed if it is hit by propellers by the seafaring vessels and speedboats in the highly trafficked waters at Subic.

Apurado has stated that the whale shark should be helped back out to the open seas, as there is not enough plankton available in Subic Bay. He added that the whale shark will also be reported to the Bureau of Fisheries ad Aquatic Resources, so that they may help the poor creature home.

Shark fins

Individuals involved in the European Parliament have commenced an initiative to more heavily enforce the EU ban on shark finning. Shark finning is a barbaric practice which involves capturing a shark, ripping of its fins, and tossing the rest overboard.

The shark finning ban in the EU is one of the least enforced in the world, as it contains loopholes which prevent law enforcement officials from properly enforcing it. You see, the regulation which bans shark finning in the EU also has a derogation which allows different states of the EU to give out licenses to “process” sharks, and remove their fin on ocean faring vessels.

The most effective, and easiest, way to have a ban on shark finning would dictate that sharks need to be reeled in intact, meaning that fishermen can’t just bring in the fins in their hauls.

“For too many European fisheries, the EU ban on finning is the only measure in place that helps curb excessive killing of sharks. The ban must be strengthened to ensure that this incredibly wasteful practice is prevented,” explained Chris Davies MEP. “France has long supported strong bans on shark finning, in European waters as well as in our overseas territories,” said Jean-Paul Besset MEP “French fishermen are already leaving the fins attached to sharks caught in oceans all over the world, demonstrating that this strategy is entirely feasible. We cannot wait any longer to enforce robust protection for these important predators, which are so key to the balance of life in the sea.”

It’s good to see that someone in the parliament is finally making a stand for the poor sharks. Let us hope that something is done soon to protect the poor creatures more effectively.

bluntnose sixgill shark

The Cape Eleuthera Institute, located in the sunny Bahamas, has just begun a new study this past week, which aims to figure out the numbers and diveristy of deep ocean sharks living in the calm waters of the all too popular tourist destination.

The scientists behind this new study include: Lucy Howey-Jordan, of Microwave Telemetry Incorprated; Dr. Demian Chapman, of Stony Brook University; and Dr. Dean Grubbs, of Florida State University. This group of savvy researchers has traveled to the Cape Eleuthera Institute to help get the project on its feet, and have had some great success.

During three days, performing six different surveys, the group managed to reel in six different species of deep water sharks. The sharks reeled in included some 13 foot bluntnose sixgill sharks, and even an 18 inch, which is still fully grown, sawtail catshark.

We don’t really know a whole lot about the myriad of species which dwell in the depths of our oceans and this is no less true when we talk about deep ocean sharks. Of all the current species of sharks known to man, fifty-six percent of them dwell below 600 feet of water. Of these fifty-six percent, only five of the species encompassed have life history, and only three species have movement patterns mapped out.

This study aims to change all that, and they are off to a good start. It hasn’t been at all harmful to the local tourism industry either. While the teams are buying goods and provisions locally, tourists are also being drawn to the research as well.

Shark fins

Both local and international conservations groups and organizations are banding together to help protect sharks which call the Bahamian waters home, after an article published in Tribune exposed the potential for shark finning practices in Andros.

James Mackey, Chief Executive Officer of Sunco Wholesale Seafood Limited, told the Tribune that the company was thinking of expanding their operation of sea cucumber export in Mastic Point, North Andros, to encompass the exportation of shark fins to eager clients in Hong Kong.

Well, that was obviously a BIG mistake.. The comments he made, and subsequently were published, really created an uproar from different groups and conservationists not only from the Bahamas, but from round the globe. This comes in response to shark populations declining up to 80% around the world, due to the $200 per kilogram delicacy being fished out of our worlds’ oceans.

Interestingly enough, and what caused most of the ruckus, is that the Bahamas is home to the most biologically diverse and pristine shark populations which the Atlantic has to offer. This is due to the fact that the commercial fishers have never really taken an interest in them, that is until now.

However, the outcry comes from the fact that the Bahamas National Trust, in conjunction with the Pew Environment Group which is in the midst of launching a campaign that would hopefully make the fishing and finning of sharks illegal.

The caught shark

Just as a deep sea fisherman was about to cut away a hook from a wide open mouth of a shark to let it go back on its merry way to the sea, the most surprising thing sprung forth.. A human foot.

“Everything was intact from the knee down,” commented Humphrey Simmons, a Bahamian investment banker, “it was mangled, but there was still flesh on the bone.”

What a morbid way to end such a beautiful day of fishing for Mr. Simmons and his two cohorts, who spent the majority of their morning trying to get away from the sea beasts.

When they finally managed to reel in the curiously heavy and bulging Tiger shark, at the Defence Force’s Coral Harbor base and they got around to sticking a knife in him, to see what was what, a headless body came tumbling out of the freshly opened cavity. The leg which the shark so unceremoniously coughed up appeared to belong to the man, as he too was missing a foot. Upon closer examination of the sharks insides, they indeed found the rest of the man; severed right leg, two severed arms and a torso in two sections.

As Mr Simmons’ ten year old daughter calmly pointed out, the shark had the feast all to himself. There were no signs of a struggle, or fighting from other sharks. The theory going around now is that the unlucky man drowned, and then was scarfed up by the shark.

Sand tiger shark aka Grey nurse shark - Credit: Richard Ling

Some tour operators, who specialize in shark tours, who were accused of chumming off the North Shore have commented they plan to challenge the preposterous law.

However, by challenging this law, they are going to be paying a pretty penny, as court costs are likely to exceed the cost of a fine, as complex issues are going to be raised.

“It’s basically a ridiculous charge and we are going to fight it all the way even to an appeal,” commented, Ken Kuniyuki, an attorney on the case.

Federal investigators supposedly collected hard evidence for almost a year, before charging five employees of two Haleiwa shark tour companies with illegal chumming this past week.

The charge itself is classified as a petty misdemeanor, with a maximum of a $1,000 fine, however an attorney for one of the accused has cried foul, stating his client was treated like a felon by the game warden.

“There’s only a fine involved here and yet (Department of Land and Natural Resources) sent three and four armed people to serve the penal summonses is certainly a waste of resources,” Kuniyuki explained.

The argument is that the tours these companies run is bringing too many sharks into areas used for fishing, and is increasing the chance of sharks attacking a human, however the tour operators are disputing this.
“There’s no scientific proof that these shark tours lure the sharks onto the beach. In fact, the scientific proof is opposite. There’s no legal or factual basis for this law at all. So, we are going to challenge the law as well as the fact that these people are being charged,” Kuniyuki explained.

Sand tiger shark aka Grey nurse shark - Credit: Richard Ling

Left on the beach for dead. This is the extremely sad thing which happened to an 8 foot sand tiger shark at Carolina Beach the night before yesterday. WWAY found the shark dead and decaying in a maintenance yard today.

A 15 year old resident and his cohorts are claiming that the police told them to take the shark out of the water and leave it on the beach to die. The youngsters admonish that they wanted to save the poor thing, by pushing it back out into the water, but they did as they were told.

The sand tiger shark is a protected species, and as such it should not have been left to die out there on the beach. The shark was discovered at 11:30 PM Tuesday on Carolina Beach in front of the boardwalk. The local authorities called in a tow truck to remove the beast before any tourists arrived in the morning. Spectators could only watch in awe, as the shark swung from the back of the truck, taking its last breaths.

The shark was just unceremoniously dumped off in a maintenance yard, where later, someone decided to take its teeth as a souvenir. Evan Pye says that the local constabularies just sat back in their cruisers and watched the horrid scene unfold last night.

“They were just like, ‘Sons bring it up here.’ We’re like ‘Why? Why bring it up here?’ because we were trying to make it live. ‘No, you got to bring it up here. You got to bring it up here.’ We’re like ‘We’re not going to bring it up there,’ and they’re like, ‘Bring it up right now,’ and started yelling at us and stuff like that and telling us that they’re going to arrest us and stuff like that,” Pye explained.

The chief of police has made an apology, but it is not yet clear if the officers in question will be reprimanded for this horrid decision they made.