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The summer Shark Route has seen the Jeep® Sponsored Blue Wilderness dive teams operating from the Cape to Kosi Bay and beyond!
The team have been hosts to a number of phototgraphers and videographers who have been filming and photographing the shark fauna of South Africa’s East Coast. Two exploratory expeditions were undertaken in this period as well as the regular Shark Route destination offerings of Southern Mozambique, Sodwana Bay and Shark Park.- Rocky Bay. The exploratory expeditions were undertaken in order to further the footprint of shark tourism on South Africa’s East Coast. Cape Vidal was the first stop and a very successful week delivered the following species of shark:
• Whale Sharks (10: 6 female and 4 male);
• Tiger Sharks (9: 3 male and 6 female);
• Zambezi Sharks (16: 5 female and 11 male);
• Silver Tip Shark (1 female);
• Blacktip Sharks (10: all female);
• Ragged Tooth Sharks (36: all female).
The information from this expedition will be incorporated into the WWF and iSimangiliso Wetland Park Authority data for prospective activities within the Park. This was the first such expedition of its kind and delivered results beyond the teams expectations and will hopefully be a venue for shark enthusiasts in the future.
Second on the list of new destinations was Struisbaai – the host venue for our Ultimate Shark Dive product:
This was the first ever shark diving expedition to this location. The team set a number of firsts:
• Southernmost Scuba dive off the African continent with a dive on the Alphard Banks 80km south east of Struisbaai;
• First time that 12 species of shark were documented on a dive;
• New distribution record for Dusky Shark;
• No cages!
A total of 15 Shark Species were documented by the dive team over a 40 day period:
• Great White Shark (41);
• Mako Shark (2);
• Dusky Shark ( 50);
• Copper Shark ( 50);
• Scalloped Hammerhead ( 75);
• Ragged Tooth (23);
• Smooth Hound (8);
• Puffadder Shy Shark ( 50);
• Pyjama Cat Shark ( 100);
• Leopard Cat Shark ( 100);
• Dark Shy Shark (10);
• Spotted Gully Shark (2);
• Smooth Hound Shark (10);
• Lesser Sand Shark (15)
• Soupfin Shark ( 100)
There are still many species that we will add to this list from this area over time. We worked with three televison crews over this period (two international and one local). The first show will be broadcast in South Africa on SABC 2 at 18h00 on the 9th June 2008 entitled “Junior Jaws” as part of Wild Limited.
The Blue Wilderness team is currently hosting Julie Andersen of Shark Savers. Julie, is one of three “Shark Angels” appointed internationally to educate people about the plight of sharks in the world’s oceans. Julie will be assisting us in the rollout of shark education programmes in South Africa.
Going forward: (April – July)
The team will be hectically busy at Shark Park for the next four months. The booking sheet is growing from strength to strength as the product awareness spreads worldwide. In terms of the scientific study of the Sharks of Shark Park, Blue Wilderness has already completed a study with National Geographic’s Crittercam department on the Tiger and Blacktip Sharks of Shark Park. We have captured and repatriated a Tiger shark (named Isabella) with the uShaka Marine World curatorial team. Between captures, Isabella spent 300 days at liberty. We are about to deliver another animal to the aquarium for display and education in April/May. The analysis and download of the data from the 2007 field study of the Tiger Shark Movements within the Aliwal Shoal MPA is nearing publication. The tagging of the Tiger Tribe will continue in April and May.
The team will be operating two boats from Plettenberg Bay for the month of April to capture, on film, the Brydes Whales and sharks feeding on sardines for the BBC mega production - “Planets Greatest Events”. The team will then have two weeks break before the final shoot for this production, which begins in East London and sees the team’s race with the sardines for the KZN coast.
In May, we host the first ever Freediving Course in KZN. The idea behind this course is to allow people to interact on breathhold with the sharks of Shark Park. AIDA instructor and SA Freediving record holder Hanlie Prinsloo will be hosting the courses.
In July, the team heads to the Okavango to continue the “Diving the Delta” Project and filming of giant Nile crocodiles underwater! The team will be traveling across the Delta from Mohembo to Maun by boat. The ultimate goal is to film lions and crocs co-feeding on a carcass from underwater. The hippo cam is ready and tested. This unit will gather footage of the Delta Hippo’s from underwater. |
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