The Dorsal Fin

NatGeo Wild’s “Shark Attack Experiment: Live” premieres on Friday November 25 at 9pm EST, 6pm PST. The two-hour live event will reportedly investigate if “sharks are out to get you” and will feature divers and conservationists interacting with sharks in South Africa’s waters. According to the NatGeo site, the team of experts will attempt to “separate shark attack myths from realities.”

“Shark Attack Experiment: Live” will cap off NatGeo Wild’s “Sharkathon” which will feature 9 hours of shark programming shot at various locations around the globe.

National Geographic reports that the Marshall Islands is now home the world’s largest shark sanctuary. According to the report, the Parliament of the Marshalls unanimously passed legislation that bans commercial shark fishing in the country’s waters, which cover 768,547 square mi (1,990,530 square km).

The new legislation also bans the sale of any sharks and has a “zero retention” stipulation, which requires any sharks that are accidentally caught by commercial vessels to be set free. The legislation also has provisions for enforcement which include large fines for fishing for sharks and possessing sharks or shark products. The law also requires all fishing vessels to land their catch at local ports within the Marshall Islands and bans at-sea transfer.

Photo courtesy of National Geographic. ©Michael Aw / National Geographic

The upcoming October 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine will feature the story “Sharing With Sharks,” which documents interactions between whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and local fishermen off the island of New Guinea. The world’s largest species of shark is known to congregate in the area, where they have been observed searching for “free meals” either by pilfering a fisherman’s net or through voluntary hand-outs from the fishermen.

From National Geographic…

The giant fish is hard to study in part because it is hard to find and track. By tagging individual specimens, scientists have learned that whale sharks can log thousands of miles in years-long trips. But they sometimes disappear for weeks, diving more than a mile down and resting in the chilly deep for a spell. No one has ever found mating or birthing grounds.

Whale sharks are ordinarily loners. But not in one corner of Indonesia. The photographs on these pages, shot some eight miles off the province of Papua, reveal a group of sharks that call on fishermen each day, zipping by one another, looking for handouts near the surface, and nosing the nets—a rare instance when the generally docile fish act, well, like the rest of the sharks.

You can check out the entire online story at National Geographic’s "Sharing With Sharks". For more of Michael Aw’s photos taken on-location while working on this story, visit National Geographic’s accompanying "Sharing With Sharks" photo gallery.

"Sharing With Sharks" is featured in the October 2011 issue of National Geographic magazines, on newsstands September 27.

Snagfilms.com in agreement with National Geographic has made the documentary “Great White Shark: The Truth Behind the Legend” available for free online viewing. The documentary, originally released in 2000, focuses on comparing myths about white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) to facts about the species. The documentary features late “Jaws” author Peter Benchley, National Geographic photographer David Doublet, and white shark attack survivor Rodney Fox. It also features the use of National Geographic’s “Crittercam” on a white shark.

While the film shows somewhat shows its age, it’s still stands on its own as a solid white shark documentary. To watch the film in its entirety, head on over to Snagfilms.com.

The National Georgraphic YouTube channel recently added this video featuring photographer Tom Campbell discussing capturing a shot of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) at Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef. Campbell talks about how all the elements came into play just right to capture a “killer shot.”

While this video has been around for a few years on National Geographic’s site, as well as YouTube. This recently uploaded version appears to have significantly higher video quality than some of the past offerings.