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Sharks' damage continues after we've forgotten about them
Picture



This is Junior, a healthy, male white shark of the Pacific. Image taken in 2009.


Images of Junior's dorsal fin from both the left and right view points
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Now introduce Ocearch...
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Protected species is hooked, buoys are attached to hook line, animal dragged to mortal exhaustion, hauled out of water to rest under its own weight on deck for 20 minutes
Picture
 
Junior seen after Ocearch encounter
The hook could not be removed and most of the 13 inch hook was left inside him.  The animal suffered on deck, out of water for extensive time as the crew violently pried the buoy from his jaws and tried in vain to remove the hook before cutting it off.  Keep in mind he was already dragged by the jaw for several hours to exhaust him.
Dorsal Mutilation
While the hook damage received most of the attention, that wasn't the extent of Junior's mutilation.  A large transmitter was BOLTED to his dorsal fin. Remember Junior's dorsal fin images above?  Now look again.
Picture
Right and left view of Junior's dorsal fin shortly after being tagged.
Picture
Picture
Did you know sharks use their dorsal fins to steer?
Picture
Picture
Picture
Permanent Damage
This is Frodo.  He was also tagged in 2009. Adding injury to insult, he was ID'd at feedings in 2010 and 2011 with a nonworking tag attached and collecting growth. Frodo's dorsal fin was positively ID'd in 2012 with a section torn away  where the bolt was previously attached. This once beautiful dorsal fin is a mangled, sad reminder of what should not be done to animals in the name of science.
Also, look closely for remaining bolt hole scars indicated by red arrows.
Jaw controversy
Some say Junior's injuries were due to other sharks, rather than mishandling.  In addition to the obvious wound around the jaw, other bite marks were also seen on Junior.  Indeed, Junior appears to have been bitten (repeatedly) but just because the shark had other injuries doesn't mean the jaw injury wasn't caused by the hook.  Does a cut on the same foot which you received a bee sting mean the bee sting is actually a cut? No.
Furthermore, if the jaw injury could be proven beyond a doubt to have been from another shark, you then have to wonder why an otherwise healthy looking shark showed up in terrible condition a year after it's mishandling by man.  Being that the shark was a year older he should be bigger and stronger, not a bullied, thinner shell of his former self.
Sharks clean the ocean, removing sick, weak, and injured animals; it's their role.  If Junior was displaying signs of distress, weakness, or mutilation, other sharks are likely to have attacked him.  So, even if the jaw wound was caused by another shark and not the hook, the original mishandling is still to blame.
Picture
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Common Sense
There's so much debate over difference of opinion over small details that sometimes the big picture is lost.  Remember that the well-being of the shark is the supposed goal.  Now remember that most of the crew consists of big game fishermen who are getting rich from their sponsorships and past TV contracts.  Most importantly, try to provide an example of how the species has benefitted from this controversial work.
  • Was the shark(s) mishandled? Yes or No?
  • Was the shark(s) damaged? Yes or No?
  • Did the crew get benefit financially?  Yes or No?
  • Did Junior or Frodo immediately or eventually benefit from this experience? Yes or No?
  • Did the species as a whole benefit from the experience these sharks suffered? Meaning, if you were to argue that Junior was a martyr and his ordeal eventually helped the species in general, what was this supposed benefit? * See below
  • Can you name one conservation campaign that has been established as a result of Ocearch's "research" and profiteering?
  • Can you name any sharks that have been killed by Ocearch since Junior's ordeal?  I can.
Notes: While the name Ocearch wasn't being used at the time Junior was injured, most of the same crew members now make up Ocearch.
The full length video that claims Junior's bite marks relieve Ocearch of fault for the jaw injury is here.  Instead of asking if Junior appears to have been bittern (he has, often) ask whether he looks to be in worse shape and ask how shark bites prove that the jaw injury wasn't caused by the hook injury.
Ocearch, Fischer, Dormier, etc. like to claim their SPOT tags are revealing important, new information.  But you need to pay attention to the fine print.  For example, "We're providing data on shark movements never before discovered with this method."  The important line is "with this method".  Scientists already know where sharks go thanks to PAT tags.  SPOT tags, when they work, simply provide similar data in a different way.  Considering we have yet to act upon existing data, one must wonder if slightly more detailed data warrants damaging the animals in the process of obtaining it.  Like many cases this is a case of where man should wonder "just because I can doesn't mean I should."
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  • Shark Blog
    • Orca / White Shark Papers
    • Watching Humans Blog
  • About
    • Monsters - Project Overview
  • Education / Events
    • Presentations
    • Bookings
    • Feedback
    • Past Events >
      • Shark Night
      • Sharktoberfest 2018
      • Surfrider Sharktober 2018
      • Surfrider Foundation (San Mateo Chapter)
      • Night Life 2013 "Killer Personalities"
      • 7 Teepees
      • Great White Lies San Francisco Premiere
      • SF March Against the Cull
      • Great White Night 2012
      • Night Life 2011
      • Gentlemen's Club
      • Scuba Squad Divers
      • Sharks and Beer
      • Launch Party / Fundraiser
      • Of Whale and Man
    • FALSE CONSERVATION >
      • OCEARCH >
        • OCEARCH OVERVIEW
        • Internal Damage
        • Fin Damage >
          • Frodo's Fin Damage Timeline
        • OCEARCH's Pregnant Shark Not Pregnant
        • Science...without the Science
        • OCEARCH Videos >
          • Sinking Away
          • Not Stressed
          • Charlie Rose 1
          • Dorsal Fin Damage
          • PAT tags VS. SPOT tags
          • Tagging Options
          • Message to Australia
  • Videos
    • Stupid Things People Say About Sharks
    • Racism and Sharks
    • Connection
    • 360s Drones and Sharks
    • Footage Licensing
    • Tiger Shark Vs. Turtle
    • Guadalupe Cage Dive Guide
    • minioncam
    • Guadalupe White Sharks 2018
    • Product Reviews
    • Interviews >
      • Guadalupe 2018 Interview
      • Andre Rerekuru
      • RodneyFox
      • Chris Neff >
        • Cape Cod Cull
      • WalterBernardis
    • SharkMinutes
    • Kid Friendly >
      • Blueprint
    • Feature Films >
      • Monsters >
        • Enterprise Documentary Fund
      • Great White Lies >
        • Film Festivals >
          • Dropbox Links Great White Lies
    • Short Films >
      • Victory Over Sharks
      • Mothers and Children
      • Sentience
      • Elasmo
      • Shark Rescue
      • Balance
      • Shark Affection
      • Purpose
      • To Touch a Killer
      • Swimming In Shark Alley
      • White Shark Behavior: Part 1
      • Connection
      • Farallon Islands
      • Sustainable
      • Fear
    • Quick Bites >
      • Nurse Shark Barbels in Slow Motion
      • Do Sharks Get Cancer?
      • Sydney Harbor Video of White Shark is Fake
      • White Shark Swallows Tuna in One Bite
      • Gentle Biting and Ram Ventilation
      • Hammerhead Love
      • Seal Swims Leisurely Around White Sharks
      • Great White High Five
      • Petting a Nurse Shark
      • White Shark Tail Narrowly Misses Woman
      • Shark Shart ( Great White takes a shit )
      • WSV Preview
    • Elasmo >
      • Elasmo 0
      • Elasmo 1 and 2
      • Elasmo 3
      • Elasmo 3 Short Version
      • Elasmo 4 (Blue Sharks)
      • Elasmo 5 - Great hammerheads
      • White Dream (short)
    • Surf >
      • Surfing With Sharks - Wayne Lynch
      • California >
        • Jetty, Half Moon Bay, 2/16/14
    • The Price of Existence >
      • Criminalizing Natural Behavior
      • Price of Existence Excerpts with Chris Fallows
      • Dr. Neil Hammerschlag Explains Responsible Drum Lining
      • Price of Existence Trailer
      • Global Opposition to the Cull
      • Daniel Wolfe Interview Exerpt
    • Outtakes >
      • Surfer Interview Outtake
      • Avoiding Gansbaai
      • The Bag Boy
    • Samples
    • Videos from Others >
      • Good Vids >
        • White Shark Research in New Zealand
        • The Shark Man (60 Minutes)
        • Baby White Shark Caught
      • Bad Vids >
        • All that is wrong with Discovery wrapped up in one vid
  • Orca / White Shark Research
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