First Episode of Shark Talk: Live!

Return to Shark Alley!

Thrilled to have an old "shark friend" of mine, Lalo Saidy, participate in our first shark talk show.  Why should you be excited?  Lalo has been working with white sharks on a near daily basis for fourteen years, some of those years spent in both South Africa and Guadalupe.  In 2004, 2007, and 2014 Skyler and Lalo were able to spend time together observing the sharks in Gansbaai.. and SO MUCH has changed there over the years.  Like what?  Lalo sheds light on the shark situation there and much more in this interview.

Full Story
Skyler met Lalo in Gansbaii, South Africa, in 2004, when they were both working on different shark boats. Skyler and Lalo hung out again in Gansbaii in the summer of 2007 and again briefly in the same location in 2014. There have been drastic changes to the sharks, diving community, and ecology of the area during that time. Since Lalo has worked on shark boats that entire time we decided to ask him about these changes. Since Lalo was with Skyler the day he went snorkeling in Shark Alley back in 2004, we thought we’d ask Lalo to help us address some of the comments and criticism posted on Youtube regarding the video of that event. 

Complete topic guide:

• How does photographing white sharks in Gansbaai compare to doing the same in Guadalupe?
• How is white shark behavior different in the two locations?
• Can you tell what the scars on the sharks are caused from?
• How do you defend cage dive tourism against critics?
• What has happened to the white shark capital of the world?! Where are the white sharks and what has caused their disappearance?
• The deeper story regarding orcas killing white sharks in South Africa.
• How stupid was it to snorkel in Shark Alley in 2004? Is it dangerous or not? Why or why not?
  
• ​What’s next for you (Lalo) and where can we buy your photos?
  

Humorous relief as Dan Abbott reads the top “mean comments” posted on Skyler’s short film “Swimming in Shark Alley”

​All photographs and video footage by Lalo Saidy except the breach footage, captured by Skyler Thomas.
2014 interview of Skyler and Lalo filmed by Maarten Jozef Billen
Follow Lalo’s work at http://thisismysharklife.com/ 
Follow Skyler’s current film at http://www.whitesharkvideo.com/monsters
​Dan’s next project includes filming endangered orcas in British Colombia. Support that project at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/48340301/searching-for-chinook

Skyler Thomas and Dan Abbott interview great white shark photographer, Lalo Saidy about the changes in Shark Alley, the white shark capital of the world located next to Gansbaai, South Africa.