A group of divers have a lucky encounter with a giant sun fish, also known as a mola mola. These fish sun themselves and sometimes allow birds to fly down and remove parasites from them.  In this amazing video, a group of shark divers swim over to the mola mola and give it a nice back scratch, removing some of the pesky parasites known as copepods. Thanks to Skyler Thomas of White Shark Video for capturing the story and Pelagic Expeditions for the experience.

​​When researching Great White Lies, I never received a good answer for why the Western Australian Government decided upon 3 meters being the size that determined whether sharks would be killed or not. Now they are targeting 2 meter sharks. One, when governments don't follow their own policies it sets a bad example for all of us in terms of whether the law should be respected. But more importantly it shows us that they are just making this shark cull shit up as they go. Maybe you don't like sharks and could care less what size they are killed at or whether the government follows policy or not. But you should care about the fact that a policy that is supposedly for the sake of human safety was based on arbitrary numbers. In other words, no research went into your safety policy.#nowasharkcull #nosharkcull #wsv #sharkminutes #whitesharkvideo

The recent white shark population study from South Africa and the rebuttal from other South African researchers brings to the surface a question that constantly swims in the back of my head.

When does data collection begin and conservation begin?  

Accurate data, is of course desired, and the efforts of many researchers should be commended, but historically speaking there will always be debates regarding population studies (this isn’t the first study to come out of South Africa indicating low numbers for white sharks by the way, in fact one of the same names involved in that study are debating the new study).  Science doesn’t always agree with science.  Furthermore, as long as lobbyists exist scientists will continuously be sent back to the field to get “better and more convincing data" until they are finally tasked with proving to politicians that a population of two isn’t enough to sustain a species.  

Are we on a hamster wheel of studying animals as they disappear from the earth?

As studies rage on a seemingly insurmountable number of survival obstacles continue to stack up against sharks; Climate change, decimated food resources, habitat destruction, long lining, seine nets, super trawlers, the tuna industry, the finning industry, culling, poaching, legal fishing, and the one we all seem to forget…natural mortality (just because a shark is born and not killed by a human doesn’t mean it survives).

​Not so long ago a different study was released based on California’s white shark population indicating that the North Pacific’s numbers were low.  This study also gained international attention…and scrutiny.  

What that study accomplished was to temporarily increase protection for white sharks (moving their classification from vulnerable to endangered).  Guess who was the most upset about this protection?  Researchers.  And who is making the biggest fuss in South Africa?  Researchers.

In California it is was Marine CSI making the most noise.  In South Africa the members of the “White Shark Research Group” are the ones complaining.  If the goal of research is to find a way to protect the species one might naturally wonder why researchers would be so upset about the animals receiving increased protection.

My opinion on the matter has admittedly been influenced by interviews with researchers who previously were involved in white shark tagging programs and chose to walk away from tagging completely.  Why?  The realization that continuing to tag (and potentially harm) the animals was not yielding conservation results.  As Chris Fallows puts it, “Who’s benefitting, the researchers or the sharks?”

Now let’s take another look at Marine CSI and the South Africa Research Group.  Marine CSI made their mark when they got on TV with Chris Fischer and OCEARCH, allowing the fishing team to use their research permit to hook and haul great white sharks onto the deck of boats to drill SPOT tags into the dorsal fins.  Now look at the names on the list of the “White Shark Research Group”, several of which off the top of my head also worked with OCEARCH when they took their TV show to South Africa to continue more of the same invasive research.  Theory being that these researchers don’t like the idea that they might not get to continue their invasive research.

So is it about the sharks or about research-based careers?

In 1991 the white shark was protected in South Africa as a result of a social movement.  They’ve been studied ever since and received no further protection despite what has or hasn’t been learned.  And all you OCEARCH fans out there - none of you have been able to produce evidence of conservation being achieved through any organization that has collaborated with them other than the generic statement of saying “it creates awareness”. Great.  That’s as meaningless a statement as Trump saying “Let’s make America great again."

There may be more white sharks than any of us ever guessed and there may be fewer.  But do we have to wait until everyone agrees they are critically endangered to make a move?  Would it be so terrible to have a species other than our own flourish?  As is stands there are more humans in the skyscraper I’m typing this blog in than there are white sharks on the planet, and that is sad.

Both versions of Great White Lies and bonus clips are now available on Vimeo on Demand for a tiny fee. We're currently working on a follow-up film, so any subscriptions will be put toward the production fees of the new film.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/greatwhitelies

On a recent trip to South Fakarava Island, I was fortunate enough to spend time with black tip reef sharks, an absolutely stunning species.  I happened to be wearing my Stop Finning shirt from Ocean4.org, which couldn't have been more appropriate for such beautiful fins.  Fins belong on the sharks!!
#shark #blacktipreefshark #wsv #stopfinning #skylerthomas #whitesharkvideo #fin #keepfinalive

Check out this video of Grey Reef Sharks facing into the current in South Fakarava. Specifically watch as the shark slide in from the top right (appears at 5 seconds), hit the brakes, then begin swimming into the current again. You’ll notice the speed difference of the sharks swimming with the current. 

#WSV #Whitesharkvideo #currents #shark #skylerthomas

Fun shots of how a nurse shark sucks in its food. Particularly cool details to watch for: 1. The water and air pulled down from the surface and into the mouth. 2. Air blasting back out through the gills and bubbling onto the surface.
Please note that these sharks are not in captivity. The fence you see was built on the side of the pier I was snorkeling on and I used the fence to mount my cameras (and hang some fish).

​In your opinion, what does this video demonstrate MORE? A human's bad behavior or a shark's good behavior? 
I personally think it speaks volumes for sharks when a human can be in the middle of a feeding environment and not be bitten. There's no "mindless killer" here, but instead an animal that specifically is seeking out what it wants rather than biting anything and everything. Sharks ARE dangerous, but give credit where credit is due.
Experience this for yourself! Click here to get started. 
#WSV #whitesharkvideo #pelagicexpeditions #joeromeiro #bluesharks #rhodeisland #rhodeislandsharkdiving

In this footage, environmental filmmaker Skyler Thomas shares open water with an oceanic white tip shark, once called one of the deadliest sharks.

​You might think 20 seconds of watching is enough for one lifetime, but we challenge you to take a second look at this magnificent creature and to fight fear with facts. Revere, not fear the great white shark. This Earth Day, spend more time learning about other creatures we share the planet with and less time fearing them.

#WSV #WhiteSharkVideo #EarthDay2016 #WhiteSharkCafe