Some people question the sanity of those who eagerly face rough seas to observe, photograph, handle, track, and monitor an animal that has the potential to kill a human but there is a hardy stock of marine researchers that believe there is more to these animals than the archaic image from the movie Jaws and have dedicated much of their lives to elucidate the mysteries of this elusive shark to better understand its role in the ocean ecosystems. 

These characters of somewhat dubious career choice descended upon the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, gathering at the New Otani Hotel on Waikiki Beach for four days of networking and presentations from February 7-10, 2010.    It has been several years since a dedicated white shark symposium has been held and it seemed about time to revamp the old reference volume with the technological advances and renewed interest in this species of shark.

Known for its " Big Game," sportsmen from all over the world travel to Bimini to land their prize catch. In recent years, as is the case across the globe, the number of big game fish is declining. Many species of sharks are considered trophy game fish; sought after for their strong fight, jaws and fins. My first visit to Bimini was in 2005 and our boat hit the dock just in time to see a dead 10 ft hammerhead being strung up. This amazing animal was surrounded by a group of guys drinking beer and snapping photographs. They later cut out the jaws and tossed the body into the marina. How could an island so proud of its world-renowned shark work, allow this horrific display to happen?

I spend most of my time these days filming and photographing sharks across the globe, but was first exposed to these animals as a research assistant on various shark projects. I combined my science background and passion for the ocean to pursue ecotourism and have been very fortunate to share sharks with hundreds of people around the world. It is however, always immensely rewarding to return to the science world because it is truly the core of conservation.

There have been only a handful of sightings reported- the last one dated April 13 and consisted of mostly males, as it is usually the case.

At time of print there are now 78 Honduran whale sharks in the Ecocean Photo-Identification Library and you can now adopt one!

Here is the rundown as we speak:

• • 12 days of encounters recorded, of which
  • 5 males
  • 3 females
  • 5 unknown

Please note that more photos are still to be processed and those numbers could vary accordingly.

The concept was for the host to dive with sharks for the first time while describing it through an underwater communications system. It would show people that diving with sharks is not only safe, but truly and amazing experience. Our group was asked to join because of our experience in the water and love for sharks.

I have been approached to be a talking head for other programs and I am always very cautious about getting involved. I debated with myself about this particular one and decided that the American public needs to see how incredible these animals are.