The Dorsal Fin

Anthony Hoy has posted a follow-up video to his earlier report on the shark feeding debate to his YouTube channel.

The follow-up report features commentary from George Burgess (University of Florida) and Dr. Carl Edmonds, both of whom liken baited shark dive operations to Pavlov’s conditioning of dogs.

Burgess compares the baited dives to circus acts taken place in the natural environment. Edmonds says that it’s well-established that a Pavlovian response occurs with sharks when they are baited in the wild. Both Burgess and Edmonds indicate that they are of the opinion that baited shark dives are potentially detrimental to both sharks and humans. Burgess goes on to say that baited dives are, in essence, drawing divers to see sharks in their natural world but at the same time are causing them to act unnaturally, due to the element of humans feeding them.

Hoy adds that marine experts argue that the best place to view sharks is in an aquarium, which Hoy says is safer for humans and “certainly, a hell of a lot better for the sharks.”

The implication of the Pavlovian response caused by feeding sharks could arguably increase the chance of a shark attack. Edmonds offered a analogous situation involving divers feeding morays, which he believes caused the morays to begin attacking divers.

While the idea that feeding sharks in the wild is unnatural may seem like a fairly black and white argument, the notion that conditioning sharks through baited dives could result in more attacks on humans might be a bit less clear-cut.

Those on one side of the argument could argue that conditioning sharks to associated dive boats and divers with a feeding situation might increase the risk of shark attacks on divers. Those on the opposing side of the argument might suggest that the sharks are attracted to the bait itself and while boats and divers might signal the presence of bait, it does not necessarily mean that sharks are going to attack humans in the event that the expected bait is not present.

Burgess, Edmonds, and Hoy seem to be in agreement that legislation is needed to address the issue of shark feeding operations. So, where do you stand on the shark feeding debate? Feel free to sound off in the comments section.

Australia’s Montrose Access offers a hydrotherapy program which teaches children with duchenne muscular dystrophy how to scuba dive. The ten week program, which was named by the children, is called “Shark Bait Kids” and allows the children to dive with sharks at Seaworld at the Gold Coast.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common and severe form of MD and is characterized by rapid muscle degeneration. By using hydrotherapy, the difficulties associated with the disease become less of an obstacle, allowing the children to “feel free” by lessening the effects of gravity.

A great white shark at Isla de Guadalupe.

For the second year in a row, Amos Nachoum’s cage-less diving exploits at Isla de Guadalupe have appeared in UK media. The Daily Mail features multiple photos taken from Nachoum’s most recent trip to Guadalupe. The article states that customers can pay an additional fee to dive outside the cages with the white sharks at Guadalupe. What the article fails to mention is that it is illegal to offer commercial cage-less diving in the waters off of Isla de Guadalupe.

Nachoum has already drawn a lot of criticism for a similar trip offered to Isla de Guadalupe last year. I suspect his recent photo spread in the Daily Mail will evoke a similar reaction, especially considering that these types of actions put other dive companies, who are operating within the bounds of the law, at risk.

The footage above features Mark Addison of South Africa’s Blue Wilderness free-diving with tiger sharks at Aliwal Shoal. Admittedly, I’m more of the no-touch diving mindset, so I’m not a big fan of the shots of “shark riding” seen in the video. That being said, the video does a good job of illustrating that tiger sharks aren’t mindless eating machines that will attack anything they see.

Eric Cheng posted some amazing whale shark footage to his blog/journal yesterday. The footage was shot off Isla Mujeres, and according to Cheng’s journal they had over 500 whale sharks around the island. Cheng’s work never ceases to amaze. In addition to the video above, Cheng has posted an exceptional close-up shot of a “whale shark gulp” in both 2D and anaglyph 3D versions in his recent blog/journal entry.

For more about Eric Cheng check out his website EricCheng.com. Additionally, you can view some of his amazing photography on his Flickr Photostream. Cheng also owns and runs WetPixel.com, an online community for underwater photography and videography.