Shark Bait

Early morning on September the 7th 2010 two intrepid zoologists set out to immerse themselves into the freezing Atlantic ocean in the hope of seeing what some people regard as the most feared creature in the sea but what we regard as one of the most incredible and intelligent ……. sharks.

Regardless of what we may think, sharks are in need of protection and raising awareness is one of the only ways in which we can begin to conserve them.
There are over 30 species of shark found in British Waters and over 50% of them are considered to be under threat. Of the sharks found around the coast of Britain the most iconic and loved must surely be the magnificent Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus). The second largest living shark after the Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) they move glide silently through the world’s temperate oceans peacefully filter feeding on plankton.

Photo by: Annabelle Lowe Atlantic Diving

After Basking sharks the next species we were hoping to encounter on our dive were Blue sharks (Prionace glauca). They are pelagic sharks, found worldwide in deep temperate and tropical waters from the surface to a depth of about 350 meters. Males range in size up to 4 meters in length as a sight to behold as they flash past the cage.
Sadly thousands of sharks are fished commercially each year for their meat, fins and liver oil which is used in lamps, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, vitamin supplements and Chinese medicine. Some of course ends up served in some restaurants as a delicacy. These threats are decimating shark populations worldwide.
The British Shark Trust work proactively with the public and fisheries promoting worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action to develop sustainable fishing practices, influence legislation and put an end to cruel shark finning practices.
Sharks are apex predators and therefore play important roles in marine ecosystems. A decline in shark numbers has had serious effects on the marine environment.

Photo from: BBC Wildlife Sept 2010

The main aim of our sponsored cage shark dive was to raise funds for the Tag-a-Turtle project and the Marine Conservation Society, helping to raise awareness and support turtle conservation. But submerged 2 meters underwater in the freezing Atlantic Ocean with nothing but a layer of neoprene for protection we quickly realised that it takes more than guts and determination to survive out in the ocean.
We need to educate, conserve and change fishing practices from short term quick fixes to long term sustainable methods if we are to conserve marine biodiversity for future generations.

For more information on sharks please visit the sharktrust.org or for a trip of a lifetime visit atlanticdiver.co.uk. We even made it to to the BBC Cornwall News Page http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8988000/8988488.stm

A huge thankyou to everyone for supporting the turtle project and reading my blog :)

Regards
Nic

Bats, Birds and Sunbathing Seals

Hi Everyone

So sorry for not blogging for a while! So much been happening, lots of exciting news and some sad news!

Not that I like starting on a sad note but last week we found a little Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) trying to get out of a sink in the laboratory at Duchy College Rosewarne, thank goodness Matt found him and we tried to release him but unfortunately he didn’t make it, the poor little guy. We contacted Bat Conservation UK who came to collect him and said that he was an adult male and perhaps had just died of old age, so nature took its rightful course in the end. Still it was a sad event.

On a happier note the Tag-a-Turtle project (see last blog) is doing really well! Nic & I had our first fundraising event at Sainsbury’s supermarket in Newquay today, raising loads of money and awareness for the project, our sponsored cage shark dive and of course the Marine Conservation Society. It was a really brilliant and successful day, thanks to everyone who stopped by and for all the support from everyone!

Also on the news front, I have been volunteering for the RSPB –Royal Society for the Protection of Birds since the beginning of May, assisting one of the Conservation Officers at the Marazion office near Penzance in Cornwall. I have also been asked to survey a colony of kittiwakes in Newquay, noting their courtship and nesting activities. I’m happy to report that they now have chicks and appear to be doing well, although there have been some issues with disturbance which may be affecting their breeding success, which is why monitoring them is important. On my last visit to photograph them a seal named Dr Who (kindly identified by the Cornwall Seal Group ) had hauled himself onto a rock in the sunshine and was happily advertsing his handsomeness for all to view.

Im sure you’ll agree he is a very handsome creature indeed!

Till next time....
Regards
Nic

Going green

Going Green….

Everyone is talking about going green! Saving the planet, saving endangered species and living greener healthier more sustainable lives. I recently completed my open water dive qualification in Thailand (http://www.godiveblog.com/2010/05/congratulations-for-new-diver-nicole.html) and was incredibly lucky to see a wild Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtle on my very first open water dive! I was so inspired by the beautiful creature I decided to start a fundraising project called Tag a Turtle. Together with Blue Reef Aquarium (http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/), The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) (http://www.mcsuk.org/ ), Dr Brendan Godley from Exeter University (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/ )and Atlantic Diver (http://www.atlanticdiver.co.uk/ ) in Newquay myself and fellow BSc graduate and friend Nicola Morris are aiming to raise £3000 to purchase a satellite tag to tag the next injured turtle that is rehabilitated by Blue Reef in order to track its progress once it has been released. This post-release monitoring has not been done by Blue Reef Aquarium before and they are receiving more and more washed up and injured turtles each year. The rehabilitated turtle will be flown out to Gran Canaria for acclimatitazion before being tagged and released off the Canary Islands. Check out www.seaturtle.org/tracking to see other projects that have tracked juvenile loggerhead turtles released from the Canary Islands. One of the most exciting fundraising adventures in store is a sponsored cage shark dive off the Cornish coast in September this year, more details on how to sponsor and get involved will be here soon! Check out these amazing photos taken by our Thai friend It-ngam Nareekarn of a Hawksbill Turtle in the Andaman Sea. Enjoy!
Regards Nic