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!

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.

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!

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.

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.