There's a Hammer in the Soup?

Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in China, but the soup is not exclusively served in that country. Honk Kong remains the largest importer of shark fins in the world, but the soup can easily be found in the United States. Shark finning itself is illegal in United States territorial waters, but fins are still easily bought into the country. What a lot of people don't realize is just where the fins are coming from and what species of shark are being killed the most. First though, it is important to know just what shark fin soup is before learning what goes into making it. Shark fin soup is incredibly easy to make, but has major drawbacks... What you need to make the soup is....

Chicken or Beef flavored soup
Shark fins
Whatever seasonings and spices you wish to add for extra flavor

Notice that the soup itself and the seasonings add flavor to the soup, but there is nothing next to shark fins. Here is what shark fins do for shark fin soup.

Adds a gelatinous texture
Adds a heavy dose of Mercury
Adds no flavor
Adds no nutritional value

As you can easily see, the sharks fins realistically do nothing for the soup outside of adding an unneeded texture to the soup. Of course the need for fins is realistically unnecessary. Some of the world's most famous and endangered species of shark fall victim to the brutal practice of shark finning on a daily basis. Included in this list of sharks are the...

Great Hammerhead
Scalloped Hammerhead
Great White Shark
Tiger Shark
Sand Tiger Shark
Bull Shark
Lemon Shark
Blue Shark
Shortfin Mako Shark
Whale Shark
Sandbar Shark
Blacktip Shark
Oceanic Whitetip Shark

The list goes on and on. Each and every one of the named species are currently threatened with extinction. The Great and Scalloped Hammerheads are currently listed as full blown Endangered Species on the IUCN's Red List, while the Great White Shark, Whale Shark, Sandbar Shark, and Sand Tiger Shark are all listed as Vulnerable to extinction. Meaning these sharks are also at an elevated risk of extinction.

Shark fin soup is sold in the USA as well as many other countries around the world. One of the big problems that restaurants face is just what species of shark are being used in the soup. When the fins arrive, they have been dried out and look very similar. In a recent survey conducted by people who were attacked by sharks, but are now fighting to save sharks, in conjunction with Discovery Channel, PEW Environmental Group, and Stony Brook University found that many of the samples contained endangered species! Meaning Great and Scalloped Hammerheads.

Hammerhead Sharks are some of the most endangered species in the world. Their populations have been totally decimated and are in severe jeopardy of never recovering. Hammerhead populations worldwide are continuing to decrease at an alarming rate. Even around the famous Cocos Islands, Hammerhead populations are at an all time low. The primary reason these sharks are killed is strictly for their fins. However they also fall victim to long lines. Often times when these animals get hooked they will fight to unhook themselves and wind up getting entangled in the line and drown. This particular problem is not exclusive to Hammerheads and includes various species of shark, fish, sea turtles, marine mammals, and birds. For a species that is in such a crisis as Hammerheads though, long lines pose a massive threat.

Hammerhead sharks are by far one of nature's most interesting animals due to their heads that are oddly enough, shaped like a hammer. They have captivated the imagination of both children and adults around the world and have become one of the most popular species of shark on Earth. Now though it seems that their time on this planet may be coming to an end forever. After all, how can an animal that looks like this...



not bring up any kind of question in a person's head? Hammerheads are beautiful creatures and have a very complex social life as well. Want proof? Check out this photo...



Scalloped Hammerhead sharks schooling together is one of the most interesting phenoms that exist on this planet. These sharks that can get to be quite large in size go from being solitary creatures, to being incredible social creatures seemingly overnight.

Hammerhead shark populations have decreased by a massive 99%! They need our help now more than ever. If you live along the East Coast of the United States, up to New York, odds are these sharks have swam by your very own beaches. In over 400 years, there have been a grand total of 2 shark attacks attributed to Scalloped and Great Hammerheads combined. Just 2 attacks. Neither were fatal and both were provoked. The moral is that Hammerhead Sharks have never killed a single human being. Yet man kills millions and millions of these sharks every year. How is it fair or even possible for and to ruthlessly hunt down these amazing creatures? Protection is needed NOW for these sharks. Every day that passes by, more of these sharks are being killed. If we do not act NOW. This will be the fate of every last Hammerhead Shark on Earth.















Please help save these amazing creatures! All it takes is one person alerting another to what is going on to create something amazing! It is not too late to save the Hammerheads, but time is running out, the time to act for all sharks is NOW!!!!!! For more information on other ways you can help save sharks visit...

www.sharksavers.com
www.sharks.org
www.seashepherd.org
www.sharkangels.org

He's Got Lifeless Eyes... Black Eyes

Whale Shark

White Shark

'

Grey Reef Shark

Lemon Shark

Hammerhead Shark

So I started off this blog with some pictures of shark eyes. Something that has been bugging me as of late is the fact that so many people believe what the title of this blog says. That sharks have lifeless black eyes. This blog isn't going to be so much about conservation as much as it is about realizing something about these creatures. If you have a dog, cat, lizard, rabbit, turtle, rat, fish, whatever take a good look at it's eyes. Eyes that look full of life. Look again at the eyes of these sharks. Do they look lifeless? Do they look like the eyes of a monster? Shark eyes are so far from lifeless that calling them lifeless is like saying your dog or cat's eyes have no life in them. Take a good look at the eye of the white shark (AKA: the Great White Shark). Notice that the eye is not just black. There is a dark blue pupil within. Take a look at the eyes of the grey reef, lemon, whale, and hammerhead sharks. Notice that around their pupils are some brilliant colors. Not only are the colors of the eyes of these animals beautiful... They can see in color! Cones and rods are both present in the eyes of many sharks, just like in our very own eyes.

Many sharks have a special adaptation when it comes to protecting their eyes. They have a nictating membrane that allows covers the eye of the shark, preventing anything from getting caught in them. Other species of shark, like the white shark are able to roll their eyes into the back of their head to prevent damage while feeding. Much like our very own eyes, the pupils of sharks are actually able to dilate and shrink! Just like our eyes, when light goes into the eye, the pupil shrinks. When it gets dark the pupil gets bigger. 

The moral of this blog is that sharks are far more than meets the eye. These animals are incredibly complex and there is still so much that we do not know about them. The days of sharks being being called lifeless monsters really needs to come to an end. Most people will never see a shark in their entire lives. The vast majority know what a shark is from television and literature. They hear that these animals are basically mindless robots with one goal, eating. Until you see a shark in real life, it is easy to believe what you hear and see in the media. These photos are the closest thing to seeing a real shark eye up close as you can get. Still though, it does not compare to the amount of life that you will see if you ever get the privileged opportunity to see a shark close up.

 Sharks are so vital to the health of the Oceans that the loss of them will be the loss of us all. Major problems that these animals face include finning and long line fishing. Both lead to overfishing. Overfishing leads to extinction. Extinction leads to the end of the Ocean. The end of the Ocean leads to the end of life on land. Humans know so little about these creatures, yet they have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. It is not their time to go extinct, but unless more is done to protect them, the Earth is in grave danger of losing some of it's oldest and most important residents.   

Vacation August 5th-August 12th, 2012

I will be on vacation from August 5th-August 12th, so there will be no blog postings unless something major happens during the week. I hope you all have a great week and thank you again for reading!

Confirmed: Sharks Live in the Atlantic Ocean

Over the past few days I've seen several news stories here in New Jersey claiming that sharks have been seen swimming in the Ocean. Now, it only makes sense that sharks would be seen swimming in the Ocean as that is in fact where they live. The conditions are literally perfect in New Jersey right now for sharks to be about. There is a TON of little fish (silversides) that are around. Chasing them around are the bigger fish, the bluefish. Following the bluefish are the biggest fish, sharks. With that being said. The food chain is occurring literally just off the coast. It is no freak chance that fisherman have started catching sandbar sharks from the beach. They are their every year doing the same thing, chasing bluefish and silversides.

Just three miles off of Sea Girt, a great white shark was tagged just about 2 weeks ago. Much like the sandbar sharks, the great whites in the area hunt the larger bony fish we get here in New Jersey such as bluefish. Every year we also get stingrays here in New Jersey. Rays have been seen swimming in the waters off the coast of New Jersey over the past few days. These rays are much more interested in finding clams and crabs hiding in the sand than trying to sting every human they see. The only way a ray will ever sting a person is if the ray feels it's the last resort.

Despite rays and sharks both being present in New Jersey waters, there have been no shark attacks or ray stings. None of these animals are out to get us. Despite the claims that Hollywood has made, these animals are not our enemies. Every time we enter the Ocean we are stepping into their backyard. Treat their home with respect and treat them with respect and you will be given that same respect. Swim with a bunch of injured bluefish and disrespect the sharks, don't be surprised if you get bit. Step on a ray and disrespect in. Don't be surprised if you get stung. Swim sensibly, don't swim alone, don't swim at dusk or dawn and I can guarantee you, you will not have a negative encounter with a shark.

The Truth About Great Whites

The words great and white in the same sentence is enough to strike unimaginable fear into the hearts of many people. With Jaws being released on Blu-Ray this August, the time has never been better to realize the truth about great white sharks. This species of shark has been a source of great fear for several years now. As a direct result of that fear, people have avoided going into the Ocean, people have killed sharks, people have rallied against them, and people have even gone out and tried to slaughter as many as they humanly can. The truth of the matter tough, is much different.

Great white sharks are a large species of shark that have gotten a really bad rep for being vicious man eaters. The primary diet of a great white shark consists largely of marine mammals such as seals and sea lions as well as some large fish and rays. One thing is certainly not a piece of that diet. Humans. Despite great whites having killed more people than any other people in the world, they are far from the monsters people make them out to be. Lets dive into the heart of shark attacks involving great white sharks. When great whites come in contact with people, attacks occur as a case of mistaken identity. Sharks have incredible senses, but the one sense of a great white that gets negated is the sense of vision when it comes to biting. In an effort to protect their eyes, great whites roll their eyes into the back of their head to prevent any damage from occurring to their eye. It is a great adaptation that these sharks have and it works really well. Sadly for humans though, this adaptation is the one thing that has a lot of responsibility in a shark attack.

From underwater, things do not look at all what they look like on land. Lets look at some pictures.


Here's a picture of some seals. To a great white this is an amazing meal. Ok so next picture.

 
Here's a picture of a sea turtle. To a great white, this is a potential meal. Next picture...


Here's a picture of a guy on a surfboard.... Well... This is not a meal for a great white. The point of this though is this...

Take a look at the three pictures. On a surfboard, a person looks very similar to a seal. On a boogie board, a person looks very similar to a sea turtle. You have two hands just like a seal has two flippers. you have two feet just like seals have two rear flippers. We have an elongated body just like a seal. The bottom line is this. From underwater, seals and sea turtles look just like a person on a board. To a shark who rolls their eyes into the back on their head, they cannot tell the difference between a seal and a person. This is why great whites are known to only bite a person once. They have a very good sense of taste and will reject humans the moment they get that taste in their mouth. The problem comes in the fact that these animals are so large and hit so hard, there is really nothing that can be done to prevent serious injury.

The truth remains though. Great whites are not the vicious man eaters that Hollywood and the media has made them out to be. They are extremely intelligent and come in contact with divers almost on a daily basis and no attacks happen. The best way to avoid a bad encounter with a great white, do a few simple things that are probably good practices anyway. 1.) Never swim alone. Rip currents kill infinitely more than sharks do, so it is a good practice to swim with at least one other person. 2.) Do not swim as the sun is coming up. Sharks usually feed in the morning. Another good practice since it is not the easiest thing seeing in the Ocean when the sun is directly in your eyes. 3.) Do not swim when the sun is going down. Same thing as in the morning, sharks feed as the sun sets. It's a good practice not to swim when it gets dark anyway.

So hopefully this will help you have a better understanding about Great White Sharks. So the next time you watch Jaws, remember that Jaws is Hollywood. Reality is a totally different thing.

The Tale of Shark Finning

They say seeing is believing. With that being said, this is a fair warning to the graphic nature of this blog in regards to shark finning. The results of shark finning will see the end of the world as we know it and that time could come sooner than you may think with more and more sharks being killed every day. Their stories sadly will never be told. The story of being dragged onto a boat (equivalent to a person's head being held underwater). The story of having their fins hacked off by a machete one by one. (equivalent to a person's arms and legs being cut off one by one.) The story of being thrown back into the sea to either bleed to death, be eaten by scavengers, or starve to death. (equivalent to a person with no arms or legs being tossed onto a beach and left for dead).  The only story that is there is in the pictures. Sharks have no voice, but the images that have spread on the internet tell the tales that these animals could only hope to have told.

So the tale of shark finning begins. History shows that hundreds of years ago, shark fin soup was given to the Emperor of China as a symbol of status and prosperity. Originally the soup was solely for the Emperor. As time passed though, the soup became a status symbol for anyone who could afford a $100 bowl of soup. Since then shark fin soup has been used in all different kinds of Chinese functions. Now, some people claim that the fight to save sharks is rooted in racism against the Chinese. These claims are totally unfounded. Pockets of Chinese people claim that shark fin soup in deep rooted in Chinese tradition. Which it is not seeing as the Emperor has long since been off the throne and the only tradition was the soup being given to one man, the Emperor. There is no racism involved in the fight to save sharks. In fact, there are many Chinese people that are in the front of the fight to save sharks. The most well known is NBA star Yao Ming. Yao has been the cornerstone of the fight to save sharks for several years now and has helped really bring the plight of sharks to the Chinese people. The following pictures are the harrowing truth of the "tradition" of shark finning. Again, it is not a tradition at all. If it was tradition, I highly doubt that the Chinese government would have banned shark fin soup from all state banquets.

Final Warning: The following images are graphic in nature. Some reminders... Sharks reproduce very slowly, so any shark that is killed does impact the population. Adult sharks are not the only targets, babies are finned just as the adults are. Sharks are often still alive through the finning process. Sharks cannot swim without their fins and simply put, cannot survive without their fins.

Manta and Mobula Rays Vanishing From the Seas

One of the massive issues with manta and mobula rays that people just don't seem to understand is that no one knows just how many of them exist. Originally, manta rays were all grouped together as one species. Scientists have since changed that so there are a few different species of manta rays that exist in the seas today. The status of these rays though is unknown. manta rays are very vulnerable to overfishing. Manta rays mature late in life and some will only give birth to 1 pup in their entire lives. As a result of this, scientists are starting to fear that populations of manta and mobula Rays are in a steady decline. Fisherman in Peru and Indonesia have confirmed that over the past few years, the rays that are caught have been smaller in size than ones caught in years prior.

This doesn't spell just bad news for the rays themselves, but it also spells bad news for the tourism industry as well. On average a manta ray is worth a mere $500 in the marketplace. The vast majority of that $500 comes from their gill rakers which can sell for as high as $500 themselves. The rest of the ray is virtually worthless. It is an incredibly different scenario with live rays. The value of a live manta ray to dive tourism is... $1,000,000. That's right. One million dollars. Lets break it down a bit. In Kona, Hawaii, the annual revenue from diving with manta rays comes to roughly 3.4 million dollars. In Ningaloo, Australia, the revenue from diving with mantas is roughly 1.8 million dollars. In Nusa Penida, Indonesia, diving with mantas produces an annual revenue of 3.5 million dollars. Do you see a trend here? The Republic of Maldives annual revenue from diving with manta is a whopping 8.1 million.

Again, a dead manta ray is worth just $500. That same ray, if allowed to live could help to raise over a million dollars in its life. The gill raker trade that fuels the slaughter of these animals undeniably makes money for those who sell them. This however is nothing more than a short term way of making money. The incredibly slow reproductive rate of these animals means that there usually isn't all that many living in one area. For example, in Yap there are just 100 rays living there. Diving revenues from those 100 rays comes to 4 million dollars. This is a great long term way for countries both large and small to make some serious money. Plus it is much more sustainable than killing a ray off for basically nothing more than its gill rakers. The moral is... Rays make more money for people alive than they do dead.

The sad thing is that people generally do not see it that way. What they see is a possible cure to disease, chickenpox, other diseases, and a better sex life. None of these positive things have any kind of scientific backing and are simply not true. For a diver or snorkeler though, mantas really do offer that dream of seeing something amazing. Every year, surveys show that mantas rank consistently in the top 3 of animals people want to swim with. Manta rays are in big trouble and their plight is not one that is very well known. As a result mantas are in more danger than people really think. The fate of manta and mobula rays remains cloudy, but efforts like the Manta Ray of Hope are helping to really save these creatures from the one thing that is forever... Extinction...