tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50627874299644856162024-03-13T05:25:42.246-07:00eyemoceaneyemocean, the eyes on the ocean. our most precious resource, and most spectacular haven. an eye on the goings on near the shore, or far from it, under the waves or on them.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-42521792719484601292013-06-06T14:02:00.001-07:002013-06-06T14:05:52.584-07:00Scottish Basking Sharks are back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Wt3PwCbE8kySIjoYBcrLlo_wmQ1TWHp7w4wG68cePlp6JT5S-Llj7n5VC_aukbGySwmIl4NPXrTIm9E7DMND-Vt5UqrE-XLoA22sFqpQ1r27sSOBLVrWgezsTAkhloIZVukLj4sN8NIV/s1600/basking-sharks-scotland.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Wt3PwCbE8kySIjoYBcrLlo_wmQ1TWHp7w4wG68cePlp6JT5S-Llj7n5VC_aukbGySwmIl4NPXrTIm9E7DMND-Vt5UqrE-XLoA22sFqpQ1r27sSOBLVrWgezsTAkhloIZVukLj4sN8NIV/s320/basking-sharks-scotland.jpg" /></a>There are four places to see basking sharks with any kind of certainty in the UK - Cornwall in the south, Malin Head in Ireland, and the Isle of Man. The fourth, and in my own mind without doubt, the best place to see Basking Sharks is Scotland, especially the inner hebrides. Since <a href="http://www.acuatours.com/dive-basking-sharks-uk.html">2009 I have been running a dedicated basking shark trip</a>, based in Tobermory, partnering with locally established marine wildlife watching outfit - <a href="http://www.sealifesurveys.com">Sealife Surveys</a>. We have recently returned from our first trip of 2013 - which was a mixed wildlife itinerary. This trip consisted of the various other wildlife that can be found in the area - such as otters, eagles, and the impressive sea bird colony on Lunga. This was also the first trip that we tried out as a liveaboard based itinerary, and what a pleasure it was too - no hefty trips home each night with this beast. 4am sunrises and dusk landings were all possible due to us staying right on site. This also allowed us to go a little further in search of our sharks, which due to the cold weather and late spring, were a little harder to find than normal - but find them we did, with footage to boot.
So - it is with great anticipation, having now seen sharks in good numbers in the area, that we await the onset of our main block of back to back trips. We can still make room for one or two amongst our warm and friendly groups - so let us know if you are keen to join. We do already have one or two bookings for 2014 already so advanced bookings are advised, especially for groups.
Footnote - Like all great ideas, we knew it wouldn't be long before someone came along and began to offer an alternative service. Whilst we crept along gently over the last few years, growing the customer base in a responsible and organic manner, it seems a face book frenzied commercially driven effort is coming from new operators, and we sincerely hope this does not impact on the sharks in a negative way. Whatever happens, we will continue to bring you responsible, comfortable, fun and unforgettable basking shark experiences from Scotland. Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-87837825696503849792013-04-17T13:22:00.000-07:002013-04-17T13:22:03.606-07:00Basking Shark Spaces Available 2013 Season<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY47dj7ndK8f_J8dChdVp0dPGIPg9YY2YJOlsHrqcRc1dtUSnCBEMmM6KqlnOd1e6wCHErRp9yYV9He-DPZ5EHZWxiXkkAaevQRKo59jkmxTQQkJPm6Th7Qx-3wSks-4BpqtYAo2fzdi_/s1600/_DSC3517.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY47dj7ndK8f_J8dChdVp0dPGIPg9YY2YJOlsHrqcRc1dtUSnCBEMmM6KqlnOd1e6wCHErRp9yYV9He-DPZ5EHZWxiXkkAaevQRKo59jkmxTQQkJPm6Th7Qx-3wSks-4BpqtYAo2fzdi_/s320/_DSC3517.jpg" /></a>
For the most reliable but spectacular basking shark encounters in the UK - here are our space availability for the 2013 season.
26th May to 1st June. 2 Spaces.
21st to 26th July 1 space
28th July to 1st August 1 SpaceMark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-54961435621032552202013-03-04T12:50:00.003-08:002013-03-04T12:50:54.960-08:00Love is in the Air...basking sharks sniff the urge.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhag5P8Dq8zq-FEzSWQ9-O5RZG9qS4JcI52qQdKVLb9sF9qjUGV-eq4zrukvmyJwnPDC8JmOeptT8T9eKZsaXbzKkhESJ9U-0m6MfLv25mRUkzNsM54pdtjrvJf4kZwrySbqdno_SirRPcO/s1600/razor-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhag5P8Dq8zq-FEzSWQ9-O5RZG9qS4JcI52qQdKVLb9sF9qjUGV-eq4zrukvmyJwnPDC8JmOeptT8T9eKZsaXbzKkhESJ9U-0m6MfLv25mRUkzNsM54pdtjrvJf4kZwrySbqdno_SirRPcO/s320/razor-1.jpg" /></a>...Or is that spring? Yes, spring is springing, even though it's cold enough to (insert analogy here), the days are lengthening, and I'm quite sure there have been more than four hours of sunshine in the last week. YAY! I woke yesterday to the sound of pigeons cooing down the chimney pot at me. The birds, and the bees, are peeking out at the handfuls of buds on the trees and bushes, and the wheels are in motion for the inevitable arrival of spring.
That means that all of the conditions favourable for the generation of plankton are forming up somewhere out in the Atlantic, or if not there then at the tilt of a couple of tenths of a degree of the planet's axis and we should have enough of a warm up to get the plankton moving up around Mull and the surrounding islands for another basking shark feast.
What does that mean? Well scarily it means only about 12 more weeks until our first trip up, and we can, apart from basking sharks, have an excuse to land on some of the inner hebrides and search out shots like this one.
Trips spaces available:
Mull Photography Itinerary (some sharks, lots of land wildlife, including otters). 26th May to 1st June
Basking shark only trips: 7th to 13th July and 21st to 27th July.
Diving + Basking Sharks: 28th July to 1st August.
Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-15899293026820193922013-01-19T04:23:00.000-08:002013-01-19T04:26:19.121-08:00News from Peru<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuLbECzLFdmLTuIJlwSjLN-d3bHNFnZU7BJSWAPAT4sf5zrokRhyphenhyphen0hU97WL4W5ZxqGZgLttVHkwNbGhOza7MsBJhj3xluOv_gcPs8QS-kiYD0yVgrsbzEJzOjgBd0gYSZbWUaFsr6sf2Q/s1600/ec8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuLbECzLFdmLTuIJlwSjLN-d3bHNFnZU7BJSWAPAT4sf5zrokRhyphenhyphen0hU97WL4W5ZxqGZgLttVHkwNbGhOza7MsBJhj3xluOv_gcPs8QS-kiYD0yVgrsbzEJzOjgBd0gYSZbWUaFsr6sf2Q/s320/ec8.jpg" /></a></div>
This following press release summarises work carried out by a collaborative team of which I am and active member. In Jan/Feb 2014 we are planning a tagging expedition to the region. If you would like to be part of that expedition, please <a href="mailto:writepic@gmail.com">email me here</a>. To download the original press release (with images) from my site, <a href="http://www.acuatours.com/images/manta-ray-press-release.pdf">click here</a>.
<b>Press Release joint collaborative project for mantas and mobulas, Peru.</b>
Development of a conservation project in the north of Peru has made significant inroads into understanding the human impact on manta and mobula populations in the region; but ‘there is still a long way to go’, say the leaders collaborating on the project.
Peruvian conservation NGO Planeta Oceano, shark and ray conservationists Shawn Heinrichs and Mary O’Malley, and British manta conservationist and Manta Trust project leader Mark Harding formed a team in late 2011. The project aims to collaborate closely with fishing communities to identify risks to internationally
threatened species of manta and mobula rays that are found off the coast of Peru’s Northern provinces and to investigate a possible migratory link between manta rays in Peru and Ecuador.
Northern Peru is host to an aggregation of Oceanic Manta Rays (Manta birostris), a highly vulnerable species that is believed to take 10 or more years to mature and gives birth to only one pup every two to five years. Peru also holds a considerable population of mobula rays, species that are close relatives of the mantas and also of international conservation concern. Both rays are sometimes used in the local food dish ‘Chinguirito’. Oceanic mantas are reported by fishermen to migrate with the seasons to and from Ecuador where Mark Harding was the first person to begin researching these mantas back in 2005. This regional population of these rare and iconic animals is considered to be one of the most significant in the world.
Planeta Oceano’s director Kerstin Forsberg says “We are turning up regular and exciting aspects of the behaviour of mantas and mobulas in the region, and also learning a great deal about the trends followed by the fishing communities there. This could be the key to conserving these species as well as helping local communities to develop more lucrative tourism revenue from the rays. Giant Mantas are a greatly sought after ‘megafauna’ (marine version of Elephants and Lions) and people will travel from all over the world to come and see them. We have already identified one regular aggregation point for the mantas and we know the likelihood of more sites existing is really high. However the most exciting thing we have found is that pregnant females and also juvenile mantas are present along the northern coastline. Manta rays have been part of Peruvian culture since pre-Incan times, showing on artwork made between 200BCE - 600CE, so to be working with these rays and to discover that Peru could be an internationally significant nursery site is very exciting”.
Neighbouring Ecuador has spearheaded international conservation for Giant Mantas starting with national protection in 2010 throughout Ecuador’s waters and followed by their 2011 proposal to list the Giant Manta on the Convention on Migratory Species, an international treaty that encourages nations to cooperate to protect severely threatened animals that migrate across national borders. Success at CMS encouraged
Ecuador, along with Brazil and Colombia, to propose Manta rays for international trade protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2012. This March in Bangkok, Thailand, the 177 countries that are party to this binding international treaty will vote on the
proposal. Mark Harding says, “With a high likelihood that Peru shares the same Giant Manta population with Ecuador, as well as being host to a nursery site that could be critical to the survival of this important manta population, we hope that Peru will join Ecuador by implementing protective measures for Giant Mantas whilst they are in Peruvian waters and supporting the CITES proposal this March”.
This project is already attracting international attention and we are pleased to announce the recent grant from the New England Aquarium support this work. Collaborators continue to look for further funding as the future plans for the project are considerable.
Guy Stevens, director of international manta conservation group, The Manta Trust says “We know so little about the lives of these beautiful ocean giants, so projects like this are extremely important to the global understanding and conservation of these charismatic animals, especially in the face of the increasing global threats now faced by these species. Unfortunately, in today’s commercial world our marine resources must earn their protection, as simply attempting to gain protection based purely on intrinsic values alone will not work. Science is the tool which enables conservationists, nations and the international community to make informed and worthwhile decisions which can help curb the growing pressures exerted upon our planet’s oceans and their inhabitants, paving the way for a more sustainable approach to the utilisation of our natural heritage. This multifaceted approach to the conservation of these species in Peru will be the key to its
continued success.”
Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-29052883713405294502012-11-03T13:03:00.001-07:002012-11-03T13:05:03.150-07:00Long time - no blog. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5YgOHpivvFusa2mRmTfVZQplOqq4lUYY6zXEE9oGI3IxIz8ZDA1fJeZTaJd27cYeE9HQsfdFbXkiFQooLHHve83E-3MCPR3aVCbYPqKgKxPoQQT0pM9ItK4mBaS5Uz0107ACfUdtBHpC/s1600/turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5YgOHpivvFusa2mRmTfVZQplOqq4lUYY6zXEE9oGI3IxIz8ZDA1fJeZTaJd27cYeE9HQsfdFbXkiFQooLHHve83E-3MCPR3aVCbYPqKgKxPoQQT0pM9ItK4mBaS5Uz0107ACfUdtBHpC/s320/turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It is about time I write a blog on something or other. I do feel though that there is not a lot of point in writing a blog unless you have something conclusive to say, and there is a lot up in the air at the moment. Myself and a handful of enthusiastic, hardcore and dedicated conservationists are currently working on a very exciting project - but as part of that team, I can't say too much on the subject right now. Needless to say, watch this space.<br />
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In the meanwhile I have updated my image galleries. There are some shots that I feel have been the best I have taken - but, I still have a lot to learn, and the advancement in technology and also technique - leading photographers constantly raising the bar - mean I still have a long way to go in this career. Again, watch this space as there are some superb projects planned for the next twelve months, and I hope I will be coming up with some of my best work during this time.<br />
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Have a look at my updated site <a href="http://www.eyemocean.com" target="_blank">here</a>.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-81134191794360742972012-07-05T14:23:00.000-07:002012-07-05T15:42:41.748-07:00An ocean heroine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUQYO6vYQXMARQ8eP7jlK0ZKYrmk5ap7YiKLvZYv_6i5hdDNOi6dZBRxE8uN3hczUigs327JOUZCxBkv-jSBqV7GeRIrL0frLzJ2OsoanDNmxG3a-3hCVHkWv1m4YW5Xfz5qSNVGczV3u/s1600/flavia-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="189" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUQYO6vYQXMARQ8eP7jlK0ZKYrmk5ap7YiKLvZYv_6i5hdDNOi6dZBRxE8uN3hczUigs327JOUZCxBkv-jSBqV7GeRIrL0frLzJ2OsoanDNmxG3a-3hCVHkWv1m4YW5Xfz5qSNVGczV3u/s320/flavia-1.jpg" /></a></div>
This is not the first time that I have written about how some people have the ocean in their blood. Diving, or, let's be honest, the far more advanced 'art' of freediving, can only be achieved to a high level by those who can become one with the ocean.
This week I have been honoured to share some sea space with a very inspiring character, Flavia Eberhard.
Year after year whilst working with these sharks, whenever one comes close to us, we always wish we could represent a person and a shark in the same shot. However, due to limited visibility, and the fact that most of us are woosies who <i>snorkel</i> in cumbersome dry suits, makes it a very hard shot or sequence to achieve. So, Flavia agreed to help me in getting the job done, and in the most sensitive way possible, try to get a person and a shark in the same shot. The aim, to give anyone who hasn't seen one of these sharks a sense of their scale, and hopefully therefore generate even more fans of these home grown giants.
Even with a water person such as Flavia, the shots have not been easy; we never chase the sharks, and getting in position as a shark approaches has proved challenging for the both of us. I will post the takes in a video edit as soon as I have it finished.
Anyway, the purpose of this post was not to bang on about my work, but to say a huge thank you to Flavia, and send congratulations also, as shortly before coming on this trip, Flavia secured a new brazilian national record in the freediving discipline of Free Immersion to 69 metres (!!!).
Not only is Flavia an awesome freediver, she is a total pleasure to work with, and is without doubt a genuine, dedicated spirit of the ocean. An inspiration to be around, a gentle soul who is a credit to our race. Look out for her, hopefully you will share a piece of ocean swell with her some day like I have been lucky enough to do this week.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-58041926526822036312012-06-07T00:45:00.000-07:002012-06-07T00:45:22.134-07:00Ahoy! I sight a FIN!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCftXkA_S4cMS2mIzTgQydNECbygtWSOvwEoY8VWRnyJ1DOf-pBnDVrP9TZcF8JWrNlFHgwqPBJ5CQcjqFz4UidvsSEifniQctozcc3sY7kGmQrJoAU1m2coT1GcUee5LGfQ3VDL8MPV3/s1600/basking-shark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="122" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCftXkA_S4cMS2mIzTgQydNECbygtWSOvwEoY8VWRnyJ1DOf-pBnDVrP9TZcF8JWrNlFHgwqPBJ5CQcjqFz4UidvsSEifniQctozcc3sY7kGmQrJoAU1m2coT1GcUee5LGfQ3VDL8MPV3/s200/basking-shark.jpg" /></a>
Phew, the basking shark season has crept up on me a bit this year, I can't believe it's June already, and it's not long at all before we will be on the waves with our good friends at Sea Life Surveys based out of Tobermory to look for basking sharks. This is truly an incredible experience, and every year I am astounded that we have such an incredible migration of gargantuan marine creatures happening on our doorstep. The area itself in something equally special, beautiful islands, bays and lochs teeming with more wildlife than anyone can imagine.
I will be posting updates from the trips here as and when I can jump high enough on deck to get a telephone signal. Watch this space!Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-18751444909283870172012-02-28T12:51:00.004-08:002012-02-28T16:31:47.178-08:00Shark Trade Online Continues Unabated<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5daKQCEm8sTUNXUD1kDke2thGR6Mm8V7U9y-H1hC_t3GDqYtv2Cum93xfE3Wp8U4A0ff0RMN9g1L3Xs5y-_zup15QKfiQd5XA2PPTCqfirZS71FoC09q4JMyJy0FAsuD9dFppn5QNxhHe/s1600/basking-shark-uk.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5daKQCEm8sTUNXUD1kDke2thGR6Mm8V7U9y-H1hC_t3GDqYtv2Cum93xfE3Wp8U4A0ff0RMN9g1L3Xs5y-_zup15QKfiQd5XA2PPTCqfirZS71FoC09q4JMyJy0FAsuD9dFppn5QNxhHe/s200/basking-shark-uk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714348747544870866" /></a><br />I had a conversation this week with Rich Clothier from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SharkGuardians?ref=ts&sk=wall">Shark Guardians</a>. Rich has been promoting shark conservation through an awareness drive, drawing particular attention to shark products being made readily available on popular domestic outlets such as ebay and Amazon. Their primary goal is to achieve ten thousand signatures in this <a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/41/a-petition-to-ask-ebay-and-amazon-to-prohibit-the-saleauction-of-elasmobranchii-sharks-rays-skates/">petition.</a> There will be a few people who read this who will grumble about petitions not being effective, but I would draw their attention to the fact that it was not so long ago, 2008/09 that one such opinion based movement managed to dislodge alibaba.com's zeal for online shark fin trade, and <a href="The_Shark_Group@googlegroups.com">thesharkgroup</a> campaign led by shark superman Wolfgang Leander achieved a promise by chairman Jack Ma that there would be a cessation of trade in shark fin products on alibaba. This <a href="http://www.alibaba.com/product-tp/120112178/Dried_Fish_Fins.html">recent listing</a> shows that orders do show up from time to time, but alibaba's 'no fins'policy is internally policed and such incidents are controlled whenever they come to light (we are told). <br />So, what about us bastions of conservation, the Europeans and North Americans, you know, the ones that make laws with handy finning loopholes allowing us to be one of the primary suppliers of shark's fin into the Hong Kong markets? Should we even be surprised that ebay and amazon have a vast array of shark products for sale? When I looked at ebay today to see just how many shark products are up for grabs, I could see over 14,000 listings for sharks teeth, beginning with full jaws of megalodon and great white, with the former topping nearly 60,000 USD. I'm sorry, did I say great white jaws were for sale? Surely I must be mistaken, as trade in their body parts are tightly restricted due to them being CITES appendix I listed right? Oh sorry, this guy's <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/s946-2-RARE-14-GREAT-WHITE-SHARK-JAW-jaws-Teeth-Tooth-Carcharias-/390391302487?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae5228957#ht_760wt_927">informative listing</a> tells me I can only buy it if I am not asking him to post it across a border. Silly me. <br />Squalene is the next item to have a series of multiple and sometimes high priced items, starting at a massive $US 750 for a few pills, with no less than 4000 listings on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/186-7961453-5261648?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sharks+teeth&x=0&y=0#/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ashark+teeth&page=2&keywords=shark+teeth&ie=UTF8&qid=1330462987">amazon</a>. <br />It would be naive of me to suggest that this trade is clear cut black and white good versus bad. Obviously it is not going to affect the megalodon population by trading a few fossils, I even came across a guy on our local beach last spring hunting for fossilised sharks teeth; for anyone who doesn't know, I live on the south coast of England where the now defunct fishing fleet wiped out our local sharks about 20 years ago, so fossils are about the only thing you can find here that is shark related here. I guess therein lies the deeper question: Is a person who collects shark fossils and memorabilia, the <span style="font-style:italic;">die hard shark fan</span>, are they deeply allied to the wider cause of shark conservation? There must be a philanthropic based shark research paper mileage in that one surely. <br />But the real problem here is the wider issue of online trade in shark's fin. Thankfully ebay and amazon were free from those products, but it was not difficult to find a number of online bulk traders elsewhere, pushing dried shark fin based in the Far East and India, with many traders promising to meet a demand of <a href="http://www.alibaba.com/product-tp/120112178/Dried_Fish_Fins.html">1 tonne per week</a>. So depending on what loophole your supplier is exploiting and the size of the shark caught that could mean anything between 3300 to 5000 small sharks (>1m juvenile hammerheads for example) or 400 to 550 medium sharks (2m requiem species) and I'm making a wild stab at those figures based on what I've seen happening daily on some beaches, and those wild stabs are probably way underestimating the fact that I'm totting up freshly caught sharks, considering these traded fins are dried, therefore a lot lighter. Remember, that 1 tonne is a <span style="font-style:italic;">per week figure</span> for one supplier, to one online trader. That means that one trader could be accounting for 1/4 million sharks per year. Ok lets not get into the whole <span style="font-style:italic;">how many millions?</span> detraction, whatever the total is, that's a hell of a lot of sharks, and it is happening online, easily, and freely, just like our weekly shop at Tesco. <br />I am not going to theorise a solution here, but I have been somewhat surprised to see one possible solution bandied about freely, as if it were the holy grail of halting shark demise; that is eco-tourism through shark diving. The paraphrase popped up during the widely discussed Giam Choo Hoo fracas last week, and today is proposed as a discussion on the highly respected <a href="http://www.rjd.miami.edu/blog/?p=1493">RJ Dunlap</a> page. <br />I won't go into the pros and cons of the behavioural changes issue and how that weighs in against the pro shark Zeitgeist generated by elated divers emerging from such interactions, basically because <a href="http://fijisharkdiving.blogspot.com/">this guy</a> will, and has done a better job of it, but, I will say this loud and clear: the view that all sharks can, or should, be saved by eco-tourism operations is deeply flawed. Most of the sharks that suffer from pressure generated by overfishing are migratory, skittish and predominantly pelagic. Developing any kind of tourist activity around these sharks, if not impossible, would require an enormous amount of input, and many hours of failure at encountering the quarry, and a decent helping of insanity (in this summary, I don't mean rocking up and copying someone else's business model, I mean getting out there and changing the game from scratch). Many such species, threshers, makos, even blues, would be impossible to dive with for the average Joe tourist, who might be falsely lulled into thinking they were a reborn shark whisperer after being suffered by the slumbering cuddliness of a nonchalant whale shark or having enjoyed the approaches of an inquisitive manta ray. How many thresher shark dives are there worldwide? Two? one and a half? The interests of these ops are in the hands of a few locals or ex-pats, who have the capital to invest in a tourist class boat or resort, whilst the rest of the impoverished fishing community stick to eking out a meagre living from a very uncomfortable panga from an ever dwindling supply of fish. I think the quantifiable potential income for the wider fishing communities is as incalculable and unlikely as ever determining just how many sharks are falling victim to directed fishing each year. The real answer to the overall problem lies in community derived sustainability through fisheries management where the community is the stakeholder, and where eco-tourism forms a part (small or large, depending on the circumstances) of that plan. <br /><br />Oh dear, I seem to have wandered from the initial purpose of this post, please sign Rich's petition and then have a long hard think about the rest of this blog, if you come up with any more answers let me know.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-17138633548468584552012-02-23T15:01:00.003-08:002012-02-23T15:05:52.871-08:00Acuatours Spring UpdateWould you like to be included in these quarterly updates? If so click <a href="mailto:acuatours@gmail.com?subject=Acuatours Add Me Please">here</a>. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtT4OT45OSLDaZm5XbAB8AXPPsN6fyEwCMhEP6Ksl9mz7KM-SVJGoqaFZB9LrBFWUdR55uWe6RtA1xVmw6gpNvQ5_rjkd8Mr-u46vk96b0Qyiq3n3ujn4e1UW5ux4FdyCKwKqNIl7ODD1/s1600/acuatours+spring+update.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 146px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtT4OT45OSLDaZm5XbAB8AXPPsN6fyEwCMhEP6Ksl9mz7KM-SVJGoqaFZB9LrBFWUdR55uWe6RtA1xVmw6gpNvQ5_rjkd8Mr-u46vk96b0Qyiq3n3ujn4e1UW5ux4FdyCKwKqNIl7ODD1/s400/acuatours+spring+update.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712471155965743666" /></a>Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-35013066998892170572012-02-20T05:29:00.000-08:002012-02-20T05:37:17.246-08:00Acuatours, Blue Sharks Discounts until end of March<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhggbFc0OHgtj9EsvcUQpgKBgQ6Co3_MbuMrPRGfuGINXHOE-U-HvyNeLM0Qur2wc4m9YXwDcAeoHBfK1WftfC-EsYSg-_PM2K62FCBKwD-uLM3l2mNJmpO89sA0c1ncxKXVZicpONWu7/s1600/blue+shark+in+the+azores.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhggbFc0OHgtj9EsvcUQpgKBgQ6Co3_MbuMrPRGfuGINXHOE-U-HvyNeLM0Qur2wc4m9YXwDcAeoHBfK1WftfC-EsYSg-_PM2K62FCBKwD-uLM3l2mNJmpO89sA0c1ncxKXVZicpONWu7/s200/blue+shark+in+the+azores.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711211343611681410" /></a><br />Are you interested in diving with blue sharks in the Azores? The Azores is the upcoming dive destination of Europe, with superb reef diving and cetacean watching opportunities. Blue shark diving has been developed by a handful of operators in the southern islands and we have access to a week long program to see the very best the Azores has to offer. <br />We are offering a discount on our charters for 2012, if you book before the end of March only! Please <a href="mailto:acuatours@gmail.com">email us here</a> for more details.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-75670912352503338432012-02-03T04:04:00.000-08:002012-02-03T05:26:40.014-08:00Is Ecuador doing enough to limit shark take?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdgBixKhEODyft5Xd9ghgC0Xs-86Ty1DLBm3hQ5TO7nmBhG6j25hMajkmqictWBnoXjTkIolEzzpB8Hr7p52n8ROy9EV5RZxkjdQx_m2_KJU_42R-UsUn0kBSI0sx9TrpqzkMinPHqXe9/s1600/shark-finning.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdgBixKhEODyft5Xd9ghgC0Xs-86Ty1DLBm3hQ5TO7nmBhG6j25hMajkmqictWBnoXjTkIolEzzpB8Hr7p52n8ROy9EV5RZxkjdQx_m2_KJU_42R-UsUn0kBSI0sx9TrpqzkMinPHqXe9/s200/shark-finning.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704898904023957410" /></a><br />There have been a couple of interesting articles springing up across the internet over the last couple of days, bringing with them the ubiquitous 'likes' and whooops of joy from pseudo-satisfied readers on the ever burgeoning social network. <br />But how new are the efforts alluded to in these articles? How many sharks will be saved? <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=5570131279468310546&gid=685547&type=member&item=92718363&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbiodiversity-l%2Eiisd%2Eorg%2Fnews%2Fcentral-america-and-dominican-republic-outlaw-shark-finning%2F&urlhash=EamA&goback=%2Egde_685547_member_92718363">This article</a> on the International Institute for Sustainable Development site highlights the recent development by <a href="http://www.acronymfinder.com/Organizaci%C3%B3n-del-Sector-Pesquero-y-Acu%C3%ADcola-de-Centroamerica-(Spanish%3A-Organization-of-Fishing-and-Aquaculture-in-Central-America%3B-various-nations)-(OSPESCA).html">OSPESCA</a> nations who have agreed to a multilateral approach to the problem of finning and passed a law prohibiting the finning of sharks. <br />But wait, before you press the like (or even worse the share) button, take some time to read the article, particularly the paragraph that states 'Furthermore, exports from or imports into SICA countries of fins not attached to a body must be accompanyied by a document from the competent authority in the country of origin, certifying that it is not the product of finning'. <a href="http://www.millerchevalier.com/portalresource/2008LatinCorruptionSurveyReport">Oh dear!!!</a> If anyone is unfamiliar with latin american gang politics, due to the normality of the extended family structure within latino society, it is most likely that any boat captain will have corruptible contact within the enforcement agencies. So this add on paragraph will only serve to increment opportunities in corrpution, otherwise known in Europe as a 'loophole' similar to the one we cleverly structured around the <a href="http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/sharks_HSIEU_whyeuregulation.pdf">5% law</a>. <br />Then <a href="http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=4745"">this</a> article throws Colombia into the mix, saying it too has agreed to work with Costa Rica on prevention of shark finning.<br />Meanwhile, Ecuador sits quietly below (geographically, if not morally) having already regulated against shark finning back in 2007. Decreto 486 prohibited the landing of directed fishing of sharks, with all shark having to be landed whole. Fins are allowed to be commercialised under a licensing system, lo and behold exactly as in the OSPESCA nations pact. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaZmEnqTLmR_aBSrIXGO0MS-3_9DhVtXDK7dskjvJT2P-6B8cRQ8XfSjoLE09GebHaHALt1mVxXNIrYw3OhDS_SN8Ya7gkyQL2NPdUmxat-yAXws0A097fX3NQUofC5IL5NkmoipNcKIu/s1600/shark-fins.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaZmEnqTLmR_aBSrIXGO0MS-3_9DhVtXDK7dskjvJT2P-6B8cRQ8XfSjoLE09GebHaHALt1mVxXNIrYw3OhDS_SN8Ya7gkyQL2NPdUmxat-yAXws0A097fX3NQUofC5IL5NkmoipNcKIu/s200/shark-fins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704899003967489538" /></a><br />Personally having worked in Ecuador since 2005 and being closely involved with marine conservation there, I have not seen the slightest reduction of sharks landed on any beach in Ecuador before or after Decreto 486 and I can only assume that the OSPESCA agreement will work about as well as trying to pick a lock with recently caught mackerel. <br />It is astounding to think that given the latin amercian love affair with corruption, that anyone could think that making any kind of law with such easy opportunity for flagrant disregard would do any good at all, unless of course such activity was created with the sole aim of appeasing the green (blue?) lobby. <br /><a href="http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/sharks_fins_in_europe_implications_for_reforming_the_eu_finning_ban.pdf">This document by the Shark Specialist Group</a> has some useful and telling histories of Shark Finning Law over recent years. A read of it will leave you unsurprised as to why the shark fin trade continues unabated, and where fins-on law has been successful has not reduced shark take from the ocean, but has resulted only in <a href="http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2012/01/25/shark-burger-coming-to-a-fast-food-joint-near-you/">this</a>.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-4403580547701315432012-01-19T10:55:00.001-08:002012-01-19T11:18:20.012-08:00The end of the Amazon Rainforest?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43uNKGQCFt_LRpcNHoph93_r-KPe9sgJMWARt0nDM7mydcohydK8zrpGeuArV66kLcccFc4uTy4IgX99YW6V0sWGLTn7pYOBTZE2B4YTZcKfy6Tj9qkukeou1s8W3FfVQOakBxoQVf9ah/s1600/stick.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43uNKGQCFt_LRpcNHoph93_r-KPe9sgJMWARt0nDM7mydcohydK8zrpGeuArV66kLcccFc4uTy4IgX99YW6V0sWGLTn7pYOBTZE2B4YTZcKfy6Tj9qkukeou1s8W3FfVQOakBxoQVf9ah/s200/stick.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699419729268450370" /></a><br /><br />The end of the Amazon rainforest could be in sight if a highly controversial road is allowed to go ahead, ploughing its way through the heart of Peru's most pristine rainforest, <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1202915/amazon_uncontacted_tribes_at_risk_from_new_highway_plan.html">disturbing at least two previously un-contacted tribes</a>. <br /><br />The proposed road will connect directly with the 'Inter-Oceanica' highway, already well under way in Brazil, that would make road transport possible between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. <br /><br />Such a highway has been the nightmare of conservationists for years, but until now political instability in the entire Amazon region has kept the completion of it at bay.<br /><br />However, recently, many inter-Amazonian governments have stabilised due to high economic growth fuelled by a number of factors, including not least the boom in the Chinese economy that has seen investment in the Latin American region spiral without check. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxGQA_0zCfybU4LMA0iK7qZikB_YJEcPVsrUI0IXvuiVILKalXhztMqYRcHY5kl0AwdBzXvUCRbNE4k1KclmPYfFs9G3INcwGTOCiJ2YEZTpyJcXF3-6XCGEp0YRsGj77uXS00Q31LppV/s1600/frog.tif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxGQA_0zCfybU4LMA0iK7qZikB_YJEcPVsrUI0IXvuiVILKalXhztMqYRcHY5kl0AwdBzXvUCRbNE4k1KclmPYfFs9G3INcwGTOCiJ2YEZTpyJcXF3-6XCGEp0YRsGj77uXS00Q31LppV/s200/frog.tif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699423731594165394" /></a><br /><br />If the 'Inter-Oceanica' highway goes ahead the fragmentation of the Amazon basin is likely to grow apace, so bringing the end the huge rainforest tract as we know it.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-84361115523122947712012-01-17T09:55:00.001-08:002012-01-17T09:59:20.888-08:00Blue Shark Azores Gallery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfVd6WVg6KxlCYejnxzr2_6_x6hssbMDxE-Dxxv0M-2hH9D9iaYEjKsdYEl-N0-homGj8WUYe4c1rIZLfzaeEhYRq6ANnfYpervR-BaCE7r_5cdp5ceu4s_hWIxvw-0VL6MBwaeP0HBid/s1600/_DSC3987.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfVd6WVg6KxlCYejnxzr2_6_x6hssbMDxE-Dxxv0M-2hH9D9iaYEjKsdYEl-N0-homGj8WUYe4c1rIZLfzaeEhYRq6ANnfYpervR-BaCE7r_5cdp5ceu4s_hWIxvw-0VL6MBwaeP0HBid/s200/_DSC3987.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698661683020095394" /></a><br />I've just got around to posting some images in our <a href="http://www.eyemocean.com/dive-with-blue-sharks-azores.html">blue shark gallery</a>. If anyone is thinking of joining us for the 2012 season with a hosted trip to the Azores with our chosen top operator, don't hesitate to get in touch.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-19717938635550692552012-01-03T11:02:00.000-08:002012-01-03T11:06:56.729-08:00Humboldt Giant Mantas Exceed Expectations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzt9FOKNqxpfISo6sps6VJTeM_KOp6XlFKLB9wj3xdacpyQ-huQPsAoX94zDBiQstld_76WvvEz2SF8npID_aP_LSG-Ieq9xr734J-Ixp5uW5AeTRJqBOKtrT4GHvHY-RSTWioYnF2YV87/s1600/mantarraya-gigante-ecuador.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzt9FOKNqxpfISo6sps6VJTeM_KOp6XlFKLB9wj3xdacpyQ-huQPsAoX94zDBiQstld_76WvvEz2SF8npID_aP_LSG-Ieq9xr734J-Ixp5uW5AeTRJqBOKtrT4GHvHY-RSTWioYnF2YV87/s200/mantarraya-gigante-ecuador.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693483724176873042" /></a><br />Of any project, the field work is where the foundations are laid for successful data processing. Processing that data is maybe not as action packed as collecting it, but it is equally as engaging and fascinating. It is here, in the frigid blue light of a computer station that the real secrets of what we discover are revealed.<br /><br />I have probably mentioned already that the start to this season was depressingly non productive. Almost a whole month without seeing a manta, but the later stages of the field work more than made up for the lull at the start. Herein lies something of a problem. Last year I chose a later field trip, but frustrated by local reports of mantas earlier in the season, in 2011 I organised an earlier field season to try to take advantage of those early mantas, and perhaps avoid the blank two weeks suffered in 2010 as the mantas left early. Our budget only stretches so far and aiming our field time to coincide with these mantas remains something of a guessing game. Unfortunately in a script written by murphy himself, the mantas arrived and left late, a complete opposite to last year.<br /><br />Just as we finished the field work, some critical hardware problems caused a delay in processing of the data, but luckily our hard copy originals saved the day. Now, as our mantas are somewhere perhaps distant, and certainly a yet unknown, I am wading through gigabyte after gigabyte of data. It is going to take some time yet but early results show an increase in our year on year re-sightings. This is encouraging as previously we had only managed to capture one re-sighting. Whilst it is great to see new manta after new manta, it is important to quantify a result and simple addition is of little value for this purpose.<br /><br />Another result that looks promising is that this year a greater percentage of females were recorded. Although the population remains predominantly male it is interesting to note at least one year where we captured more females than normal. There are some trends beginning to show. Our repeat sightings show some interesting patterns, and the next batch of ID’s I am working on will hopefully underline these early suggestions.<br /><br />Piece by piece, my small dedicated team and I are beginning to reveal the secrets of this population. We look forward to what we will find out about them as we reach further into their unknown territory.<br /><br />This post also appears on my <a href="http://saveourseas.com/projects/mantarays_ec/humboldt_giant_mantas_exceed_expectations">Save Our Seas blog entry</a>.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-88194090189664446602011-12-13T00:55:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:48:22.968-08:00Is Shark Porn a Recent Fad?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvrWIKt0il0jVeoGTNrujauOUP1ZPhN3fD3QaWCfQUkDT3XJL1gyC69bbiir-jCJNgNrXLA1Y3huOk3Y0hUDuXloqxvP9xErRIhbRCQ20VrJuwxs1jKez4flAG2XARmvnRoqojlhOHdlV/s1600/watsonfull15.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvrWIKt0il0jVeoGTNrujauOUP1ZPhN3fD3QaWCfQUkDT3XJL1gyC69bbiir-jCJNgNrXLA1Y3huOk3Y0hUDuXloqxvP9xErRIhbRCQ20VrJuwxs1jKez4flAG2XARmvnRoqojlhOHdlV/s200/watsonfull15.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685548416335482050" /></a><br />Here's a great video recently published of a shark subject heavy conference occurred at the California Academy of Sciences. A number of speakers cover a variety of subjects from shark attacks, to the politics of protective legislation, to the role sharks play in coral reefs. You can <a href="http://fora.tv/2011/11/08/Communicating_Science_Creating_a_Science_Savvy_Public#fullprogram">see the video here</a> on web conference channel FORA.tv. <br /><br />One part of the conference that I found interesting was where Juliet Eilperin talks about the celebrated painting Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley. I am not going to add my own overview of the ins and outs of the painting as you can read a full <a href="http://www.nga.gov/feature/watson/story1.shtm">breakdown of events here</a>, but what is interesting is that the painting was commissioned by the victim himself, and helped him further his career as a politician. Watson became the Lord Mayor of London between 1796-97. <br /><br />So, long before The Sun newspaper got to dream up such killer headlines as Der-Dum Der-Dum (come on Sun you can do better) when someone saw a basking shark off the Cornish coast, the modern artists of the day back in the 18th Century were already at it. The public loved it too, and the painting propelled Copley to wider recognition, particularly in the UK. Less can be said for Watson, whose political enemies regularly commented that a wooden head would have served him better than the wooden leg left him by the shark.<br /><br />Disclaimer: Shark Porn, for those who don't know it, is a derogatory term used by the conservation movement to refer to the poor level of media coverage ascribed to the subject of sharks, usually resulting in poor quality coverage of shark attacks and high drama, rather than informative biology or conservation based documentary. It is not my attempt at using porn as a keyword to get more hits ;)Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-46591586432942667072011-11-29T03:24:00.000-08:002011-11-29T03:56:59.303-08:00WHO THE HELL IS DAVID SHIFFMAN?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlLQXHnF-3lTFI2GRfAeJEArGEEFelmDGm4r1YqsiCMEs1ysTq6Um4eunUUX9F4Mopo8yBJzt3dKzyeYpq4sA-HIYDkRbqMCIqUhPeu2Bf-FJS9-WTDpSonbZsNlaW1fDYqqWH4i8PySi/s1600/shifty-david-shiffman.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlLQXHnF-3lTFI2GRfAeJEArGEEFelmDGm4r1YqsiCMEs1ysTq6Um4eunUUX9F4Mopo8yBJzt3dKzyeYpq4sA-HIYDkRbqMCIqUhPeu2Bf-FJS9-WTDpSonbZsNlaW1fDYqqWH4i8PySi/s200/shifty-david-shiffman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680385030572430034" /></a><br />It just so happens he's probably one of the best marine science and conservation bloggers of today. This doubtless won't be the the only post written about this energetic young <a href="http://www.southernfriedscience.com/">blogger and academic</a>, as he is possibly quite close to winning $10,000 US in a <a href="http://www.collegescholarships.org/blog/2011/11/18/2011-blogging-scholarship/">blog voting contest</a> that has got the shark world in a bit of excitement. It is almost crazy to think that a blog that heralds sharks as worthy beings on our planet would be so popular, something almost unthinkable just a few years ago, but such has been the momentum in the wider community to get people to love our sharks, and to consider the toothy carnivores as not just the domain of heavy metal loners sporting <a href="http://www.labyrintherock.com/megadeth-tshirt-shark-p11468/">dodgy T-shirts</a>, and misinformed film directors. (seriously, if you are over eight years old and wear a T-shirt like that, there IS something wrong with you). <br /><br />So, here's a blog wishing shiffers good luck over the next few hours, I see there are a couple of competitors creeping up the ranks today (ooooh). Keep writing fun and engaging blogs David and I'm sure you will be successful for a long time to come. It is refreshing to see someone who doesn't have an ego so big they can't get out of bed due to the weight, and, well, by the looks of the shirts <span style="font-style:italic;">you</span> <a href="http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=12021">wear</a>, I don't think you have any ego at all :)Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-73633527518110722212011-11-04T10:43:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:43:22.583-07:00Giant Mantas in Peru<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1m1wHtGln7Bgcys1HWF2fF8ZrVS9CZuPMN8QGIMhqCoCX2ZU0zBQJZnY1MuAp6fmVqYgtCjkm8RMrwBrKF2MLf_zW-6DeX0bkkx0sDY_KqY3KyIqBub3PCPGoo0KjK4mi5SSgGqxNrlF/s1600/local+resident+buys+mobula+wing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1m1wHtGln7Bgcys1HWF2fF8ZrVS9CZuPMN8QGIMhqCoCX2ZU0zBQJZnY1MuAp6fmVqYgtCjkm8RMrwBrKF2MLf_zW-6DeX0bkkx0sDY_KqY3KyIqBub3PCPGoo0KjK4mi5SSgGqxNrlF/s200/local+resident+buys+mobula+wing.jpg" /></a></div>
Migration is an eco-sexy word. You might be studying something altogether beautiful and inspiring in shape and form, but if you can say that is migrates as well, wow! That is really something. Think of those poor people studying elephants, they can only say that in the good old days before human population explosion and the great white hunter, that their subjects 'used to migrate'. Now elephant gurus have to deal with the fact that their subjects will most probably be retained behind the same piece of park boundary for all eternity, or at least until either a.) the elephant gets angry and breaks <i>out</i>, or b.) an angry poacher breaks <i>in</i> and the elephant gets shot. All joking aside, the best migrations are happening in the ocean, with many megafauna species migrating vast tracts of open ocean, in some cases such as certain whale species, the great white, the basking shark, these big guys can migrate half way around the planet. <b>That</b> <i>is</i> <b>amazing!</b>
Whilst it might be considered that such a trait can render a species indelible in the public minds eye, migration also presents those charged with studying them a few problems. If it can be ascertained that saving a species in one country is beneficial, there are examples out there of real and very valuable conservation initiatives making changes on the legislative slate. However, if the species, so protected in once country, migrates, then it is only protected whilst it is within the boundaries of that country. Once it is outside, on the way to wherever it goes, it is as at risk as if never protected. The only real way to protect such migratory species are via international treaties such as CITES listing, or listing on a CMS appendicies as I beleive is going to happen with Manta birostris this month at the CMS COP in Bergen, Norway.
With the mantas I am involved with in the Pacific, sits a perfect example. Protected in Ecuador since 2010 after an explosion in mobula take inspired a local reaction and pressure upon the government into prompt action, mantas are without protection in the neighbouring country of Peru. On a recent visit there, I saw first hand incidence of multiple mobula catches, and met face to face a fisherman that claims to be taking over 100 giant manta rays per season. The guy in the top image was out taxi driver on one day, who decided to buy a mobula wing for his lunch. Mobula and mantas all go for local trade within Peru, sold for a regional dish known as chinquirito. It is a type of dried ceviche dish of which ray wings are a sought after, primary ingredient.
My aim for the next few years will be to see how I might help the local parties within Peru to bring about a change in attitude towards mantas and mobulas, so that these migratory species can continue their inspiring existence for many years to come.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-r4DAmMFYk535-lasgk4mOUdqTjgyP7_wBIoJ4q0erh3EiADGzlwW0ML4gToM0XnMYEu3qHC5Ioe4HmnLtWBD1jhj6Caka6aUtOjsMEHq0H7dMsptBzkW5FBqcwljrqqq03VJg-Jl0sg/s1600/fisheries+workers+handling+mobula+wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-r4DAmMFYk535-lasgk4mOUdqTjgyP7_wBIoJ4q0erh3EiADGzlwW0ML4gToM0XnMYEu3qHC5Ioe4HmnLtWBD1jhj6Caka6aUtOjsMEHq0H7dMsptBzkW5FBqcwljrqqq03VJg-Jl0sg/s200/fisheries+workers+handling+mobula+wings.jpg" /></a></div>Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-27602646589023564652011-10-19T07:32:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:34:14.656-07:00Hummingbirds in flight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLo1DXu3KJH0dLHe2HAUFs0r2FioIiCFLgIt-ftM-Ly9qGK1uEfnKusqoWpS-l4O_8Wxqj0BPs0tZfoXWZx4h3y-Ley2SaOmAyrnb5WChvWOKSWBNrmXshqyks6a5aDgewPHSPEv6ihyJ/s1600/humming_bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="124" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLo1DXu3KJH0dLHe2HAUFs0r2FioIiCFLgIt-ftM-Ly9qGK1uEfnKusqoWpS-l4O_8Wxqj0BPs0tZfoXWZx4h3y-Ley2SaOmAyrnb5WChvWOKSWBNrmXshqyks6a5aDgewPHSPEv6ihyJ/s200/humming_bird.jpg" /></a></div>
One of my favourite images from this year. It is a hummingbird about to arrive on a flower. They are very quick birds, zipping around so fast they are virtually impossible to capture in a photograph. The <a href="http://http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/">hummingbird society</a> says of them "On the one hand, hummingbirds appear tiny and delicate: the average hummer weights only about 1/10 ounce (3-4 grams). Yet they are hardy and resilient: some species annually migrate as much as 3,000 miles each way."
Want to join us to photograph hummingbirds in the wild? Look <a href="http://www.acuatours.com/land_based.html">here.</a>Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-86618460809960887222011-10-19T07:21:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:24:02.379-07:00Dive with Basking Sharks in the UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYuGdK_SIQm3i2a2vhXA3rmWeGHgL4LAd6iK_8fQdkTdMnVDZjhxUKa0fn6iIaPeATykZBmJFasGv0YY5kI7llk_uRRvP4gk1goZb-FPGUhAgwWrRryWzlOpvMXqw2OGrgNpOgAXHomyc/s1600/basking+shark+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYuGdK_SIQm3i2a2vhXA3rmWeGHgL4LAd6iK_8fQdkTdMnVDZjhxUKa0fn6iIaPeATykZBmJFasGv0YY5kI7llk_uRRvP4gk1goZb-FPGUhAgwWrRryWzlOpvMXqw2OGrgNpOgAXHomyc/s200/basking+shark+3.jpg" /></a></div>
We are having a good amount of interest in our basking shark trips for 2012. If you are interested, we have now extended the window of available trips between June and the end of August. This has come about from us lessening our work load on long haul projects and a preference for concentrating on European or UK destinations. Our basking shark trips are snorkel or freediving based although over the last year we have confirmed some excellent interaction with the local seal population and now offer scuba diving or freediving with these seals in crystal clear water as part of our itinerary. The location also has excellent macro opportunities with good populations of nudibranchs and other macro life.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0B8073, Argyll and Bute PA75 6, UK56.607885465009254 -6.0864257812556.046017465009257 -7.34985328125 57.169753465009251 -4.82299828125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-76602880514719688262011-10-18T02:56:00.000-07:002011-10-18T02:56:46.874-07:00Great Article about Great White Sharks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6o6MozOjYpTWz4uTbZ3MHQb5XPsiqJlRC0T67layih1j1Lv6Rev1V2iHn3_p4iBZ8qZpowXvZQuhSv6NHgkr0o8qjpiZq_XoKbJBvnO8Jo2j_BglYpV-4m0vSoqheXskCJA-s0f03cO-/s1600/shark_aap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6o6MozOjYpTWz4uTbZ3MHQb5XPsiqJlRC0T67layih1j1Lv6Rev1V2iHn3_p4iBZ8qZpowXvZQuhSv6NHgkr0o8qjpiZq_XoKbJBvnO8Jo2j_BglYpV-4m0vSoqheXskCJA-s0f03cO-/s200/shark_aap.jpg" /></a></div>
One of the greatest threats posing declining great white sharks is the threat from shark nets, used for bather protection. Every time there is a death from a great white attack, the issue comes to the fore within the affected communities, and around the world. <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/the-untold-story-of-shark-nets-in-australia-3748">This article</a> by Chistopher Neff highlights the issues.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-37143081419013488362011-10-15T13:17:00.001-07:002011-10-15T13:29:29.468-07:00Blue Shark Diving in the Azores<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w6mOMuF7DXTjjb3unrpMNs1s-IZ55q4BZNb-G6a_2WT_SpBogtz2eFR9lJ6GrJR6Jw72y4OuMVBsO3sXF4Rv4-xQeNtnRrbslpdLeD3grUsTV0SEZk16KnUwUdYLkPBZbgFqgRhxQP_L/s1600/_DSC4028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w6mOMuF7DXTjjb3unrpMNs1s-IZ55q4BZNb-G6a_2WT_SpBogtz2eFR9lJ6GrJR6Jw72y4OuMVBsO3sXF4Rv4-xQeNtnRrbslpdLeD3grUsTV0SEZk16KnUwUdYLkPBZbgFqgRhxQP_L/s320/_DSC4028.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBS0hKkNSSuv4p5i5yW9nzMygIAf5rJaqq4iJb0KvixX7TMGoS3Abji0UrRgCIjQVx1rA86JON9t4bwomtW_KSYqF3yqg9WzLvCredBe9wdUDMq3OJwAlhrptIbsn_n5iWU6Zut3TxPH4/s1600/_DSC4060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBS0hKkNSSuv4p5i5yW9nzMygIAf5rJaqq4iJb0KvixX7TMGoS3Abji0UrRgCIjQVx1rA86JON9t4bwomtW_KSYqF3yqg9WzLvCredBe9wdUDMq3OJwAlhrptIbsn_n5iWU6Zut3TxPH4/s320/_DSC4060.jpg" width="320" /></a>Here are a handful of images from our trip to the Azores back in August. As expected, the Azores is a place of enormous potential for European divers as well as those from further afield. Although it has to be said that diving is still in its infancy in the region and operators should be chosen with care.<br />
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The Azores is a place that is bound to start growing in the diving community's imagination, with ample macro life and a whole host of pelagic species, not to mention one of the best places in the world for cetacean watching, and with the right paperwork - filming and photography of those cetaceans beyond compare.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzQKJVxg5Rjq6fq-tc3Zgtg-x803EceXoY67HfU4UH5NdaReIN5QJH5h7KgiP5dIZ9iNUDnIyM282ZkjZJGy5df9Ugg9RzHM0sXbGEjli13arVJP4-MCQksqwfGrQ39ajt8JmuDe3QzPS/s1600/_DSC4063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzQKJVxg5Rjq6fq-tc3Zgtg-x803EceXoY67HfU4UH5NdaReIN5QJH5h7KgiP5dIZ9iNUDnIyM282ZkjZJGy5df9Ugg9RzHM0sXbGEjli13arVJP4-MCQksqwfGrQ39ajt8JmuDe3QzPS/s320/_DSC4063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sharks diving on our trip was very nice indeed, with enough shark action to keep us busy for the entirety of the dive time. Blue sharks are bold, and come very close, checking out dome ports with regularity. Mako sharks are also to be seen, although this is still a part of the trip that remains a good chance rather than a guarantee.<br />
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If you are interested in joining us for a trip in 2012, please visit our travel site <a href="http://www.acuatours.com/blue_sharks.html">here.</a><br />
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<br />Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-23676996029945143172011-10-03T02:13:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:13:02.716-07:00Who? Pew? Barney, McGrew!!Not Trumpton, but conservation. Who are the Pew Environment Group?<br />
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Whoever they are, the Pew Environment Group has once again (They were key to the success of the Palau Shark Sanctuary Too) been the prime mover in shark conservation having been the driving force behind the new declaration that the Marhsall Islands have created the world's biggest shark sanctuary covering over 750,000 Sq Miles. You can read the news as reported by the BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15142472">here</a>.<br />
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In contrast to WWF who have nearly three quarters of a million likes on facebook, Pew has only 98. They need more recognition for their work. </div>Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-33624322387874289212011-09-29T05:18:00.000-07:002011-09-29T05:18:18.702-07:00Speaks for itself...my volunteers at work...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_HbEEQsWufs" width="560"></iframe>Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-28755489661168443332011-09-17T13:53:00.000-07:002011-09-17T13:53:30.010-07:00Paradise Lost?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H3BTscsQ_qVexyzY5EEuuRmrRVuRCkZdgAWJmyvBTZBkCES7qFFC-bhFYkF2AOQBJi_wK2sCgcyMqwZd2ZAdZvPwRXec3XRlmo-LrEwd-RXDG-VtEDmwiYLWiyIONGL93DNWpwrBVsDE/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H3BTscsQ_qVexyzY5EEuuRmrRVuRCkZdgAWJmyvBTZBkCES7qFFC-bhFYkF2AOQBJi_wK2sCgcyMqwZd2ZAdZvPwRXec3XRlmo-LrEwd-RXDG-VtEDmwiYLWiyIONGL93DNWpwrBVsDE/s200/2.jpg" /></a></div>
We have drawn another manta season in Ecuador to a close. This year proved to be another incredible migration event, albeit after a late start, and whatever we lacked in action in July, the mantas certainly made up for it in huge numbers later on in the season. My team collected over 100 ID's in just two days in early august and the action did not slacken off at as the month wore on.
The incredible experiences we had however were not without concern. We noted at high number of mantas with fishing gear trailing all over them and much of the gear had been stuck on the mantas for a long time. Some of the lengths of mono filament or braided lines were embedded deep into the flesh of the mantas and barnacles grew heavily on some of the trailing lengths. It is difficult to judge how much this affects the mantas, but it is bound to affect some of their ability to feed, to migrate, to reproduce. At the very worst, some of these injuries could be killing mantas as they get tangled up and eventually drown.
Isla de la Plata is just one place along the Ecuadorean coast where this mass migration of mantas can be found. However it is the best place to see them as there is a distinct lack of diving services along the entire coast of this small country.
As we get to know more of the people in the area, it becomes apparent that even with this spectacular event, Isla de la Plata is only a shadow of its former self. One elderly resident of the area recalls twenty years ago when shoals of hammerheads and other sharks could be seen along the reef systems that hug the edge of this deep water island. With our studies into this population revealing that they might well migrate into waters where there is a directed fishery for them, coupled with the damage caused by indiscriminate fishing methods, the question has to be: How long will it be before this population dwindles? Will the biggest aggregation of Manta birostris known, become a victim of fishing practices before it has a chance to be properly saved, like the hammerheads that have disappeared from the area years before? Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062787429964485616.post-81878515185720937372011-08-31T14:53:00.000-07:002011-08-31T14:57:42.350-07:00A View To A Thrill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcGrEMvR3fqpHjmyiEypaMVWJ3V-AZAJM38lXMdcQDI11nd2L5hEfegVugxx9i2wwXNTdYofgYh4xQy-BtGKHGwvyiBi6WwUA4rx1ceLe1YiwOsmVfgMZBEJ21iyVQWfUuVvOAXxoGhYl/s1600/rwolf.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcGrEMvR3fqpHjmyiEypaMVWJ3V-AZAJM38lXMdcQDI11nd2L5hEfegVugxx9i2wwXNTdYofgYh4xQy-BtGKHGwvyiBi6WwUA4rx1ceLe1YiwOsmVfgMZBEJ21iyVQWfUuVvOAXxoGhYl/s200/rwolf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647142493948615586" /></a>
<br />Posted originally today on my <a href="http://saveourseas.com/projects/mantarays_ec/a_view_to_a_thrill">Save Our Seas Blog</a>
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<br />Until August arrived the manta season had started fairly bleak. Mantas can be found in these waters normally from early June. For the first time since I had started my work here, I had managed to secure enough funding to be in the field from mid July, and my volunteers and I were keen to make the most of this initiative and we were set to collect data from much earlier in the season.
<br />The mantas however had other plans. Puerto Lopez sits amongst a range of low slung mountains that rise up somewhere along the road between the large industrial port of Manta near the middle of the country’s coastline and Ecuador’s second city Guayaquil some three hours to the south. This atypical topography attracts a thick blanket of cloud to the area during the winter months of June though October, a result of warm humid air mixing with the cold air generated by the Humboldt current running up from the south. One precursor for the arrival of the manta population is a band of cool water that hangs in this coastal zone for those months, sitting a comfortable but hardly tropical 21 to 24 degrees Celsius. This year though, by some quirk of Oceanographic trend, the skies were blue, and the water temps were up a massive 4 to 5 degrees. This was a disaster for our early start and the mantas stayed well away. We saw one solitary manta in the middle of July on one of our remote cameras placed on a cleaning station, and nothing more.
<br />It was not until the 4th of August when mantas started to show regularly, and even then they frustrated our ID efforts by staying well away from divers. Fleeting glimpses seemed to be the order of the day before we eventually got our first ID shot on the 16th of August, more than a month after we began our field work. I felt particularly sad for my first dedicated volunteers Juliet Lennon and Natasha Snowden who put in hours of hard graft and only Juliet got some fleeting glimpses of our distant giants before she left. It is at times like these when you realise how fortunate we are when the mantas do eventually come. It is not by pure luck that this migration event happens, but an apparent melding of oceanographic elements that combine to set up perfect conditions for their presence, and it is the study of these elements that this project aims to identify.
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<br />I am overjoyed to report that now the mantas have arrived sporting full colours. Over the last week we have had some incredible encounters and our surface observations have seen numbers of mantas on the surface way off into the distance, as well as excellent activity on the cleaning stations.
<br />We have recorded some 67 identifications over the last couple of weeks, many of those in the last few days, and we are currently processing those through our database to see how many of them are brand new individuals. With only one repeat sighting recorded since we started our database, we expect this number to be high. The next couple of weeks seem very promising for new ID’s
<br />In my next blog I will be able to publish up to date ID figures, and perhaps allude to further fascinating information on this exciting population.Mark Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09805626517989655944noreply@blogger.com0