Sitting on the edge of a small dive boat, clad in a thick wetsuit and bulky scuba gear, every movement feels awkward and cumbersome. But with a deep breath, I roll backwards into the Atlantic Ocean. The instant rush of cool water is a relief, and the heaviness of the equipment eases as gravity releases […]
Tag: Whale Shark
They can have 30,000 teeth and some really do die if they stop swimming: 35 incredible, hard-to-believe, fascinating shark facts
Before the Spielberg’s film Jaws was released in 1975, sharks were beautiful and fascinating fish. But the novel and film gave sharks an undeserved reputation as mindless man-eaters – but the truth is far more engaging. Author Michael Bright celebrates the wonder and variety of these ancient, much-misunderstood fish. 35 amazing shark facts 1. How long have […]
Countries back strong new trade limits for sharks and rays at CITES summit
Delegates at a global summit to update international wildlife trade rules have agreed on sweeping new protections for more than 70 shark and ray species. The move marks a significant step toward effectively tightening the legal trade in some of the world’s most threatened marine life. The meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, running through this week, […]
Ocean’s most powerful, ruthless killers: The world’s top 9 marine predators that rule the waves
In the ocean, everything relies on tiny plankton.These provide nutrients for animals at the bottom of the food web which are eaten by larger species, and so on. At the top of the food chain, large predators (often with huge teeth) have perfected their hunting strategies for millennia, giving them the best possible chance to […]
Orca gang develops brutal hunting strategy to take on the world’s largest shark — ‘This is a fascinating behaviour’
A gang of orcas off the coast of Mexico have learned how to hunt whale sharks — the world’s largest shark species — and their tactics are brutal. One male individual was present at the majority of these hunting events, researchers say, suggesting he may be driving this predatory behavior. “The animals have shown us […]
‘Momentous’ sustainable fishing rules adopted for Atlantic Ocean swordfish
In the late 1990s, swordfish had been so overfished in the North Atlantic Ocean that its population faced the possibility of collapse. The dire situation sparked boycotts and conservation campaigns in honor of the highly migratory species, a predator that can move at nearly the speed of a cheetah and slash at prey with the […]
Are white patches on whale shark skin cause for concern?
Marine scientists have been taking samples from whale shark skin to try and determine the effect of pollutants on whale health. Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Flinders University examined the condition and health of whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Lead researcher Dr. Mark Meekan, from UWA’s Ocean Institute, said […]
‘I’m happy we’re not killing them any more’: Ireland’s last basking shark hunter on the return of the giants
The ambush was simple. A spotter on a hill would scan the sea and when he saw the big black fins approach, he would shout down to the boatmen. They would ready their nets and quickly row out to the kill zone. When a shark got tangled in the mesh, Brian McNeill would wait a […]