Amazing Chance to win an Oceanic Expedition

Epic Diving has donated an Oceanic Whitetip Shark Diving Expedition to the Sea Save Foundations  Auction at CharityBuzz.  Log on today to have a look at some of these great items.  The bidding is open until December 18th, so act soon!

Package includes:

• 7 days 6 nights single room accommodations
• 5 full days of shark encounters
• Airport pickup/drop-off
• Dive Boat Shuttle
• Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages on the boat
• Tanks, air fills, weights, and weight belts
• Local taxes and fees
• Shark conservation and safety diving orientation
• Digital Copies of images of you and the sharks

Sea Save Foundation is partnering with Charitybuzz for their second annual auction. High-adrenaline experience providers are joined by world reknowned marine artists and others who understand the direct relationship of the oceans' health has upon human populations around the world. Sea Save Foundation is a global organization dedicated to raising awareness about the beauty and challenges facing our oceans.

Check out the auction here

Oceanic Revelations - New Video

Amanda Cotton, of A Cotton Photo Creative Works, just released a short film that takes a glimpse beneath the surface into the world of the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, and what it's like to dive among these incredible apex preditors. Enjoy and Share!

Protect Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

This information was sent out by PEW to help get people involved in this part of shark legislation.  You can find the info on PEW's site here.

On the site, you can enter your information and send the email out to your Senators, Representative, and Secretary Kenneth 'Ken' Lee Salazar.  The whole process takes less than a minute, and could help raise awareness among the decision makers about the depth of the problem.

Here's the email that will be forwarded on your behalf:

Dear [Decision Maker],
The global demand for shark fins, meat, liver oil, and other products has driven numerous shark populations to the brink of extinction. Their life history characteristics, such as slow growth, late maturation, and production of few offspring, make sharks particularly vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from decline. 

In particular, global populations of oceanic whitetip sharks have fallen significantly. They are listed as Critically Endangered in the Northwest and Central Atlantic Ocean, and Vulnerable globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In the Gulf of Mexico, scientists estimate that oceanic whitetip populations have dropped by 99 percent in just over four decades. 

Although a few countries and regional fisheries management organizations have started to take steps to address the worldwide oceanic whitetip decline, these measures do not have the global reach that a listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) would have in helping this vulnerable species. The next opportunity to protect additional species under CITES will be in March 2013 in Bangkok. 

The United States proposed listing the oceanic whitetip at the last CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP), but it narrowly missed being adopted. A U.S. oceanic whitetip proposal for the March 2013 CoP could help protect an extremely vulnerable shark species and would be noncontroversial in the United States, considering that only $1,057 worth of oceanic whitetip landings have been reported to the National Marine Fisheries Service in the past decade. Although the clock is ticking, the U.S. government has not formally announced its intentions for the upcoming CITES CoP. 

I am writing to urge you to ensure that the United States submits a proposal to list oceanic whitetip sharks on Appendix II of CITES and to do so far enough in advance of the Oct. 4 deadline to allow other governments to co-sponsor it. 

Sincerely, 

[Your Name] 

[Your Address] 

[City, State ZIP]

It really only takes under one minute to get it done, and you'll receive a confirmation from each of the officials letting you know your voice was heard.

PEW fights for Sharks at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

PEW remains one of the leading conservation groups with an active voice towards shark protection.  The group is attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress, sometimes described as the world’s biggest “trade show” for conservation and development. This year it will be held Sept. 6-15 in Jeju, South Korea.

This large global conservation event, bringing together some 4,000 delegates from governments and conservation organizations, aims to improve how we manage our interactions with the natural environment.

Pew is attending the conference to highlight a number of conservation issues and ensure that some of the biggest marine and terrestrial conservation challenges facing the world today are adequately addressed.

This is their statement on Global Shark Conservation:

The overfishing of sharks and resulting depletion of shark populations and species around the world risks the health of entire ocean ecosystems. Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year primarily to support the global shark fin industry, which supplies the market for an Asian luxury dish, shark fin soup. 

Pew is extremely concerned that 30 percent of assessed shark and ray species around the world are classified by the IUCN Red List as threatened or near-threatened with extinction, and alarmed that approximately two-thirds of the shark species commonly caught in high seas fisheries are classified as vulnerable. 

At the Congress, Pew is working with many partners on a motion to urge all shark range and fishing States to prohibit fishing vessels from retaining any sharks listed as critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened on the IUCN Red List, unless a science-based management plan is in place for the species. 

Pew would like to see the IUCN Congress adopt a motion urging governments to take strong, meaningful action for shark conservation—whether within their waters or on the high seas—including strong management and enforcement efforts, and international cooperation.

source: the PEW Environment Group

IUCN Shark Specialist Group on the Oceanic Whitetip Shark

The IUCN, or International Union for Conservation of Nature, recently published the report from their Species Survival  Commission Shark Specialist Group.  The report can be downloaded in it’s entirety here.

Here’s an excerpt from their section on Oceanic Whitetip Sharks.  It’s scary to see the dramatic reduction of animals throughout the oceans, particularly what’s happening in the Nothwest and Western Central Atlantic.  The regional data their suggests a 99.3% reduction of the Oceanic Whitetip population over just the past 40 years.  While data varies in quality and there is not doubt insufficient data for precise measurements, fishing pressures need to be dramatically reduced while these calculations are fine-tuned.  The current pace is moving at a terrifyingly unsustainable pace.

Global: Vulnerable

The Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is a formerly widespread and abundant large oceanic shark subjected to fishing pressure virtually throughout its range. It is caught in large numbers as a bycatch in pelagic fisheries, with pelagic longlines, probably pelagic gillnets and handlines, and occasionally pelagic and even bottom trawls. Catches, particularly in international waters, are inadequately monitored. Its large fins are highly prized in international trade although the carcass is often discarded. Fishery pressure is likely to persist if not increase in the future. Outside of the areas detailed below, this species is under similar fishing pressure from multiple pelagic fisheries and there are no data to suggest that declines have not also occurred in these areas, given there are similar fisheries throughout the range. As such, a precautionary global assessment of Vulnerable is considered appropriate for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark. Efforts are underway to improve the collection of data from some regions and effective conservation and management of this species will require international agreements.

Northwest & Western Central Atlantic: Critically Endangered

The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is assessed as Critically Endangered in the Northwest and Western Central Atlantic because of the enormous declines that have been reported. Two estimates of trends in abundance from standardized catch rate indices were made from independent datasets. An analysis of the U.S. pelagic longline logbook data between 1992 and 2000, which covers the Northwest and Western Central Atlantic regions, estimated declines of 70%. An analysis of the Gulf of Mexico, which used data from U.S. pelagic longline surveys in the mid-1950s and U.S. pelagic longline observer data in the late-1990s, estimated a decline of 99.3% over this 40 year time period or 98% over three generations (30 years). However, changes in fishing gear and practices over this time period were not fully taken into account in the latter analysis, and there is currently debate as to whether or not these changes may have resulted in an under- or overestimation of the magnitude of these declines.

Published by:  IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, Vancouver, Canada.

Copyright: © 2012 IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group.

...visit epicdiving.com for more pictures of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

Help Shark Research Institute Save Sharks!

A few minutes of your time could help the Shark Research Institute receive a big financial boost in the 2012 Chase Community Giving program.   

A grant from the Chase Community Giving would greatly help our conservation, outreach and advocacy programs.

How To Vote for Shark Research Institute

The National Program Voting Period starts September 6 at 1 a.m. ET and ends at 11:59: ET on September 19, 2012.

Chase customers with an online Chase account and Facebook users are eligible to  vote for SRI.

   

There are two (2) ways to vote: 

1. Chase Customers: 

During the Voting Period, every Chase customer with an online account can receive two (2) votes to cast (one vote for SRI and a second for another charity)  by visiting  www.ChaseGiving.com  and following the directions. These voters can also vote for SRI on Facebook.

2. Facebook: 

Facebook users go to www.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving. You will receive (2) standard votes. Please cast one vote for SRI, and you may cast second vote for another charity. A Facebook user may also earn one (1) bonus vote by allowing “Access” and sharing content from the Chase Community Giving application to his/her Facebook newsfeed or timeline. If one of your Facebook Friends links back to the Chase Community Giving Application and casts a vote, you will receive a ‘bonus’ vote that can be used to cast another vote for SRI. We need as many votes as possible!!

Shark Research Institute (SRI), a multi-disciplinary nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization, was created to sponsor and conduct research on sharks and promote their conservation. SRI works to correct misperceptions about sharks and stop the slaughter of countless sharks annually. A primary goal is creating value for sharks as sustainable natural resources for the dive tourism industry, particularly in developing countries. By so doing, a steady revenue stream is also generated for local fishers that might otherwise slaughter the sharks for immediate gain. Current projects include visual and satellite tracking, behavioral and DNA studies of sharks, environmental advocacy, publications and public education.

You're More Likely to be Killed By...

We've heard these stats many times, but nice to see it in a graphic.  Thanks Ocean Conservancy!

Ocean Conservancy

Shark Diving Pioneer Ron Taylor

The shark world will sorely miss one of the true pioneers, Ron Taylor, who passed away at the age of 78.  Ron, along with wife Valerie, were trailblazers in the world of underwater photography, videography, and shark science.  Their lifetime work includes countless documentaries and images that changed the diving world and set the stage for shark tourism boom.

Discovery Channel 25th Anniversary Shark Week

Epic Diving was thrilled to be involved with the production of How Jaws Changed the World, featured on the Discovery Channel during their 25th anniversary of Shark Week.  The show aired on August 14th, and was an analysis of the movie Jaws and its influence of the pop culture mythology that surrounds sharks.

During the film, Quint talks about the hours that followed the WW II sinking of the USS Indianapolis.  As a fictional survivor of the sinking, Quint spends his next hours in the shark infested waters.  It has become one of the films most classic and powerful scenes. 

While history supports the fact that many of the sailors were consumed by sharks, it is believed that these victims had first succumb to exposure and dehydration before the sharks fed. Oceanic Whitetip Sharks have been notoriously blamed for the manslaughter.

Because of this, the show included a glimpse into the Oceanic Whitetip Shark.  We filmed for several days in rough ocean conditions.  The team, which included shark researcher Mark Marks and award winning film maker Joe Romeiro, were able to capture great footage that shows these sharks are strategic social animals and not mindless maneaters. 

Most of the people who spend time in the water with Oceanic Whitetip sharks would attest to the fact that they have a lot of personality.  The are calculated, curious, patient, and bold.  While each shark has a different temperament, they are all generally willing to approach divers very closely.  Males behave differently that females, and attitudes change when other sharks are around.  They seem to develop courage in numbers.  They have spent hours upon hours with us in a single encounter without incident.  

Check out www.epicidiving.com for more photos and information.  Your next shark diving adventure is just a few clicks away!  The 2013 Oceanic Season is filling up fast, so contact Epic Diving today!

Sharks! It's a Numbers Game. Conservation video from PEW

Spend 1 minute and take a look at this video below.  It's well organized PSA on the problems facing sharks, and the oceans in general.  Spread the word and help shark conservation!

Sculptor Victor Douieb Trip Report

Victor Douieb Sculptures

Trip Report
April 15-21, 2012

This year we were treated to special guest Victor Douieb. Victor is an acomplished sculptor whose pieces are currnetly exhibited in the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art. He also just released a book featuring his artwork. With a passion for wildlife, and sharks in particular, Victor set out to come face to face with Oceanic Whitetip Sharks to inspire his next design, a smaller (more portable) Oceanic!

Check out Victor's Website for his Trip Report with the Oceanics.


Victor's Original Oceanic Design, 2011


Each of the guests received a copy of Victor's newly released book featuring his work. Victor signed each copy after a week of great new memories.


Photo by Steve Hincynski



We had an increadible week of shark encounters after a dreary start brought bad weather on the first day. We spent hours in the water with the Oceanics with amazing free diving and SCUBA encounters.

 
Victor spent the evenings working on the sculpture. It was amazing to watch the piece come together.




During one of the dives, a Blue Marlin buzzed by, chasing after a fish.




And at the end of the day, we were treated to a huge Blue Shark. This male was about 12 feet long and stuck around for a long time. It was one of those days that are just hard to beat!!

Conservation Video

End Overfishing.

This is a great video describing the biggest problem faced by our oceans.  Enjoy & Share!

Here's a graphic showing the danger to sharks.

Howard & Michele Hall with Norbert Wu

Trip Report
April 2012

We were excited to welcome Howard and Michele Hall, and Norbert Wu to Cat Island!


The Group: Joseph Burkhart, Howard Hall, Michele Hall, Norbert Wu, Debra Canabal, Joe Romeiro, Briana Darcy, Vincent Canabal, Emma Smith.

We had a perfect week of sharks and the encounters were amazing! One day we were surrounded by 7 large Oceanic Whitetips (only one was male), countless silky sharks, and a few dorado flashing by.







Norbert Wu capturing a few unique images.


The next day, we spent all day in the water. This time, it was all female Oceanics, as well as countless silky sharks. The action kept building!









 
In the middle of all the action, a Blue Marlin came flying out of the deep. First a loud sound, like tree limbs snapping. The Oceanics reacted immediately and dramatically, but we still had no idea what was happening. Suddenly from below, an enormous blue marlin blazed in. Our hearts were pouding to get the phots, but this guy was different. He stuck around us for several minutes, which is an eternity in marlin time! After giving the divers a show, he cruised to the surface and circled our boat quickly, several times. The people on the boat were just as amazed as the divers in the water.





Notice the oceanic in the background. This marlin was about 14' overall length! Impressive





We couldn't be happier after encountners like these! Everyone on the trip had an amazing time. Check out Norbert Wu's Review for more photos and information.


On the back of the Thresher!  -with Joe Romeiro, Howard Hall, Michele Hall, and Debra Canabal

Bahamas Shark Sanctuary

Celebrating one year since the government of the Bahamas announced that all commercial shark fishing in the approximately 630,000 square kilometers (243,244 square miles) of the country’s waters is now prohibited.

This Shark Sanctuary permanently protects more than 40 shark species in Bahamian waters.

Thanks again to all those involved in this legislation!

Epic Diving reaching out to the local communities on Cat Island to gather support, and signatures, for the establishment of the new Shark Sanctuary. 

Show Support for NJ Bill S1764/A2719 to protect sharks

Please help show support for the NJ Bills S1764/A2719, which have been written to prohibit the sale and possession of Shark Fin in New Jersey. 

Take a brief moment to prepare an email to legislators to show your support of the bill.  Here's an example you can use.  Thanks to Shark Angels for providing the email.  This is just a template and should be modified with your own words, to be more effective.

You can find your local legislators on this website

SUBJECT: Please support S1764/A2719 to protect sharks and our oceans

Dear Legislator,

Every year, tens of millions of sharks are killed primarily for their fins. In just a few decades, some regional shark populations have declined by over 95%, and their populations continue to plummet. Due to the economics at stake, shark finning, the primary reason sharks are caught, is unsustainable, and often unregulated, illegal and inhumane. Fins bought in New Jersey support this industry and are driving the staggering decline in shark populations.

Reducing demand for shark fin through legislation is the quickest and most effective way to save sharks from extinction. The entire West Coast -- California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii -- and the U.S. territories Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have already enacted bans on the shark fin trade. It is my hope New Jersey will exhibit similar leadership and join them.

S1764/A2719 will allow New Jersey to make a critical impact on decimated shark populations that play an important role in keeping our oceans healthy.

Please support the bipartisanS1764/A2719. In doing so, you will be giving sharks a much needed chance to recover, while protecting our oceans, and all who depend upon them.