The Dorsal Fin – Shark News

The Texas Senate has voted down the “shark fin bill.” The bill (SB 572), had it been passed into law, would have prohibited the sale, purchase, trade, and transportation of shark fins within the state of Texas.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Senator Troy Fraser spoke against the bill arguing that fishermen who catch sharks should be able to sell whatever part of it they choose. The bill needed permission from 21 senators to reach the floor for a vote. Fraser’s speech managed to sway enough senators to prevent the bill from being voted on.

Shark finning is already illegal on a federal level. However, supporters of the bill argue that legislation on the state level is necessary, since the profits from shark finning outweigh the current federal fines.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s 60-day campaign for Massachusetts great white shark license plate pre-orders is about at the half-way mark. The minimum number of pre-orders required to make the license plate a reality is 1,500. Unfortunately, the current number of pre-orders sits at 245, according to the white shark license plate campaign site.

If you’re a Massachusetts resident who would be interested in adorning your vehicle with a snazzy-looking great white shark license plate, head on over to the campaign site and reserve your plate for $40 before time runs out. If you know a Massachusetts resident who might be interested in the plates, please spread the word.

For non-Massachusetts residents, would you be interested in a similar shark-themed license plate if your state/province offered it? Sound off in the comments below.

2013 Kids Ocean Day – Artwork designed by Adam Mendoza – Photo by Lou Dematteis

Press Release – Kids Ocean Day

More than 3,500 Los Angeles kids, teachers and volunteers form a giant kid, designed by 8th grader Adam Mendoza, holding a seashell to its ear as the ocean says "Listen" as part of the 20th Annual Kids Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Clean-Up organized by the Malibu Foundation, City of Los Angeles, Spectral Q, Keep LA Beautiful and the California Coastal Commission in Los Angeles on May 16, 2013. The kids are alerting the world about the need to listen to the ocean and protect it from the everyday trash and plastic litter that flow down the streets, killing marine life and polluting food resources.

Kudos to all those who participated in this year’s Kids Ocean Day at Dockweiler State Beach. Not only did the participants join together to make some very cool “aerial artwork,” they also contributed their time and hard work to help clean up the beach!

Grant Bond got a little more than he bargained for off of Perth, Western Australia earlier this year. Bond was fishing from his kayak when a shark decided to get up close and personal with him. He thought at the time of the encounter that it was a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) giving his kayak a workout, but after reviewing the footage he was able to identify the species as a shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus).

When Bond first encountered the mako, it was circling his kayak, and after about five minutes he thought the shark had left the area. It was at this point that the shark, estimated at 3m in length, starting bumping the kayak. Rather than playing a game of bumper-boats with the shark, Bond decided to call it a day and head back to shore. Bond believes that the shark was attracted to his kayak by some herring in the foot well. He threw the herring as far from the kayak as he could, cut his anchor line, and headed in under sail.

Bond went on to point out that even though the mako nudged and rubbed up against his kayak multiple times, it never bit the vessel. He said the old adage about the worst day of fishing being better than the best day of work turned out not to be true, after all. Thanks to Grant for sharing this video!

Note: There was a typo in the date on the video, which was shot on March 10.

WVSN-TV reports that photographer Guillaume Bauch captured some relatively rare underwater shots of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) off the Florida Keys. The WVSN-TV report does seem to go a bit overboard with terms like “monster shark” and “cold-blood killer,” but Bauch’s account of the encounter manages to steer clear of such cliches.

Bauch was planning on photographing hammerhead sharks, but the hammerheads never showed. Bauch was beginning to think the trip would end in disappointment. Fortunately, a dorsal fin eventually appeared, but it was not that of hammerhead or silky shark, which are typical for the area. Instead, it was the dorsal fin of a white shark.

Bauch initially opted to photograph the white shark from a cage, but soon left the cage and photographed the shark in open water. Based on Bauch’s photos and reaction in his interview with WVSN-TV, it seems like he had a pretty good trip, after all.