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.