Shark-human Interaction And Body Language Of Sharks

What is more despicable than allowing animals to die because one poses a rather lame scientific question? In a world where shark conservation is more important than ever, some shark scientists still do not care. 

Sharks can show up during an ascent. One always has then to stop ascending, remain at the same level as the sharks, go vertical, and face to face with his or her dive buddy and start pivoting together. Do not improvise;  just follow the rules.

Combine the most appropriate statistical modeling with the best approach on how to weigh shark bites, and one gets a straightforward answer: the world's shark bites are decreasing. Good news for the sharks' reputations but it also means that their populations are dwindling to the extent that it even reflects in their bite rates.

Although the relationship between a shark, the client, and a sharksucker, the cleaner, looks straight forward, its origin is less so. Furthermore, for a shark to detect food stuck between its teeth, it must possess a delicate system that can perceive the slight shift between teeth next to each other. This availability is remarkable considering the often rather powerful use of shark teeth when clamping down.

One of the most ignored shark species is the blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus. Unfortunately so, since these buggers are a blast. They are rather small but full of life and a cockiness that has no comparison. This species is very refreshing to hang out with but be aware, wherever you find one, don't assume it acts or reacts the same way as it did before with you elsewhere.

"Think globally, act locally" is a compelling message when it comes to the conservation and protection of animals and their surroundings. The more people take responsibility; the more significant the impact will be. As insignificant as an act may seem when supporting the cause, even the smallest bit will have a broader reach than just the immediate area where it initially happened.

Despite the commonly accepted forms of communications among sharks, there are still too many unanswerable questions. One form has not yet been considered: telepathy. Although this seems far-fetched, a quick summary is given why this form of information exchange should not be rejected at this moment.

Each year, plenty of people feel the urge to write a book on sharks, independently if they are experts or not. The less qualified an author, the more likely old mistakes will find their ways back (once more) into their book. Even so, the internet is more present than ever, books are still an essential educational tool, and as such should be as accurate and updated as possible without re-emphasizing old mistakes. To that extent, a publishing house's task is not just to print and spread but also to test for accuracy. A bonafide, external shark expert on the issue could save the company a lot of money and face, too, should the author not have been really up to par with the subject, and that includes erroneous assumptions previously made on sharks, as well as knowing the latest research in this particular field.

Many people asked about Erich Ritter's motivation to go back in the water after his near kill by a bull shark on April 9, 2002. Some of the thoughts he had to return to the same spot where it happened and start over again, are described.

It is the most famous shark bite ever aired on TV; a bull shark bites the calf of Erich Ritter. Many stories circulated how it could have happened. Here, I talk about this dark day, and what truly happened.

For too long scientists got away with catching sharks using longlining. A method that kills sharks for the sake of science is wrong. What are the alternatives? Well, not that many but they sure would put everything in perspective.

Search for "shark jaws" on ebay's website, and a large number of jaws pop up. Why does ebay, a large multinational e-commerce corporation with headquarters in the US, allow the sale of such animal parts? Because the sale of shark jaws is still legal? On there one finds even white shark jaws, a species that is on the CITES Appendix II list. It cannot be that jaws of a shark species that is likely already biologically extinct, are still be traded. It would be prudent for ebay to rethink its policy of selling shark jaws.

In the mid-90s when the term "shark whisperer" was coined by Discovery Channel they created something rather special. The title was associated with shark science, especially shark-human interaction. Since then, the "title" moved from one shark person to the next, all depending who the new TV darling was. The label completely lost its charm and is nowadays an insult than an honor. So what comes next?

The behavioral repertoire of sharks is pretty short compared to other animal groups. That does not mean that there are only a few behaviors known, not at all, but in order to get a shark behavior established, one must follow specific rules and hope for the acceptance of anonymous reviewers. However, there are other problems as well. The simplest and easiest way to get a shark behavior known is through video websites and follow the old saying, the most straightforward answer is the most likely one.

Interacting with a shark is always a two-part process. First, the triage needs to establish an understanding of the situation and what factors influence the scenario the most, and then a connection should be built to the animal close to us. This second part is not always attainable, but with enough practice and an open mind, it can be achieved. Once this stage is established, any interaction will open up a completely new world with the shark in front of or around you.

Whenever a shark approaches you, it does not matter what species it is, but solely that it is a shark. Starting to think about the species takes away from your analytical mind of what influences the situation, of what the shark does, etc. and all that remains is, OMG it is an e.g., white shark. No matter what, nature did not teach us how to react when a particular shark species approaches us, so do not follow your gut feeling that is–for sure–influenced of what you know about the species from TV, the internet… but stay with the rules. 

The less one has to wing an interaction with a shark, the safer the encounter will be. Following Face-Guide-Push-Move will always have the desired effect, independently of the person's water activity.

Whenever facing a shark, our well-established tick list at SharkSchool should be used to get the maximum out of an upcoming interaction. Not will following rules guarantee that all essential aspects are covered, it will also keep emotions under control. The more one can focus on the interaction at hand; the more one stays in control of the encounter.

The story of the "Brother Islands" incidents in the Red Sea is not over yet. Some NGOs, together with Egyptian governmental agencies decided to do a workshop on how to safely interact with sharks. Although a good idea, they failed to invite experts on the issue and handed the "shark stuff" to a very dubious shark organization that is completely made up of lay people. One can only hope that no oceanic whitetip shark shows up next season at the "Brothers" otherwise some people have to answer some ugly questions.

Bull sharks have one of the worst reputations when it comes to sharks. That their image does not reflect the truth, goes without saying. So it should not come as a surprise, once they are relaxed, that they allow us to be very close when doing their thing. The better we know them, the easier we can try to change their false image. It may still be time for species like the bull shark but even for that one, time is running out.