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New Directions For Youth
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Creating A New Generation Of Shark Enthusiasts
During a recent presentation at the New Directions For Youth Center in Los Angeles I was able to share my enthusiasm and excitement about sharks, as well as the underwater world with a wonderful group of kids. Their curiosity proved to be quite infectious and I was thrilled to see hand after hand quickly raise in the audience throughout the talk. I am happy to report we now have several new young shark lovers added to the fold, which makes me happy beyond words. Thank you also to Patti Jo Wolfson for welcoming me into the center so that I could share the underwater world with them.
To learn more about what you can do to help the center please visit...
New Directions For Youth
To learn more about what you can do to help the center please visit...
New Directions For Youth
Monday, December 28, 2009
Conservation Attenuation
Attenuation is a wonderful word, it applies to a number of different fields, and has a litany of uses.
Attenuation in electronics is the reduction of signal strength due to destructive interference. Think of it as the overhead on a wire; the longer the wire, the more the signal is lost on the way to its destination.
Similar to the loss of signal strength in electronics, I found attenuation to be a great term to reflect what I watch occurring in the shark conservation world. There is so much bickering and infighting, so much concern on what the others are doing, that the message is getting lost. Too much time and energy is being spent micromanaging each other, looking through a microscope to try and find what someone else is doing wrong, that we lose the signal on what good is being done.
Attenuation in biology is to make thinner, weaker, less virulent. While the reasons behind it are complicated and can be attributed to so many different aspects, the fact of the matter is that attenuation is occurring to the shark populations throughout the world. The harvesting of our world’s shark is not being done at a sustainable pace, and the clock isn’t stopping for us to bicker among each other.
No one is going to be completely 100% on the same page as another, and this is not a bad thing. Innovation doesn’t occur when everyone is doing the same thing, with the same motives. It takes the collective innovation of many minds for solutions and answers to form out of the spray.
You can waste your time fighting about the differences between each of us, and focus on discrediting others’ methods, but what exactly does that do for the greater good? If you look past the differences, sweep the parts you don’t necessarily agree with out of your mind and instead focus on the strengths that each bring to the table, we can feed off each other for the betterment of the world.
Attenuation in oceanography is the dwindling of light through the water column to its gradual extinction at depth. I’m not even going to bother running the parallels I see with that definition. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy. However this prophecy is something we have control over, we can turn around, or stop. But it takes our collective minds to find the answers, since there won’t just be one simple epiphany; change will be needed from so many different places. We will need to tap into each one of our unique backgrounds and personal motivations, rather than focusing on discrediting each other; this is the only way we will be able to band together and form a united front for the benefit of all.
-Jeff
Monday, November 2, 2009
Iconic Shark Image 2009
It's always a challenge when you try to communicate what it's like to be enveloped in the underwater world. Photos definitely bring the world to those who have not had the privilege of any underwater experiences, but to really tell a story and bring an experience to life, you need a truly exceptional photograph.
The Underwater Thrills Blog has highlighted one of Amanda's photos as "The Iconic Shark Image of 2009". It's often said that a picture is worth 1000 words, but it would be tough to even scratch the surface of "Belonging" with just a thousand.
You can read their impression of the image in the Underwater Thrills Swimming With Sharks blog, along with a litany of great content for anyone with an interest in sharks.
-Jeff
The Underwater Thrills Blog has highlighted one of Amanda's photos as "The Iconic Shark Image of 2009". It's often said that a picture is worth 1000 words, but it would be tough to even scratch the surface of "Belonging" with just a thousand.
You can read their impression of the image in the Underwater Thrills Swimming With Sharks blog, along with a litany of great content for anyone with an interest in sharks.
-Jeff
Monday, March 16, 2009
Media Myths and the Proliferation of Fear
It is unfortunate that in this day and age, the majority of the population gain their opinions from what is packaged up and presented to them with absolutely no objectivity. Opinions are formed from what is fed to them via major media outlets. Sadly these outlets are businesses; their motivation is sensationalism to raise ratings and earn more in advertising dollars. How many times have you seen, or read, a report on something that you are truly experienced in; something where you've seen first hand, or experienced, or are on the 'inside'? In those situations, how many times have you been left horrified by the mistakes, errors and downright misinformation that is presented to supplant an opinion on the subject in the audience?
Recently a national media outlet aired a segment on shark diving, featuring a charter boat that I had been on last November. From the very start of the segment I knew where it was going, and I had to fight my way through the whole thing; absolutely disgusted by the spin that they chose to try and portray. I have no desire to name the outlet, nor post a link to the story; as it, like so many other stories, only serves to vilify sharks; to cast them in a vicious light and to paint everyone that interacts with them to be thrill seeking adrenaline junkies.
Instead, let me express a little of my experience. Yes; I am doing just what these media outlets are doing... telling a story in a way that intends to cause the audience to form an opinion. However my motivations have nothing to do with money, or fame, or advertising. My motivations are only to provide a contrary opinion to the common misconceptions that are constantly being reinforced. A small scream of disgust likely to fall on deaf ears in a overwhelming ocean of misinformation.
The fact of the matter is, as I embarked on my trip a number of months ago, I too had preconceived notions about what I was going to experience. I was nervous about being in the water with sharks because I was brainwashed by the misinformation that prevails. Even with the experiences I've already had from diving the shipwrecks in the waters off North Carolina, wrecks that are frequently populated by dozens of Sand Tiger sharks, I had managed to compartmentalize those. I convinced myself that Sand Tigers were an exception, they are just lazy lumbering creatures of no danger or concern. Not like other types of sharks, oh no... they are different, they are animals that should be feared.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Sharks aren't to be feared; it's the fear that causes the hatred and vilification which grows to action in the way of downright genocide. They are truly magnificent creatures that deserve our respect, our care, and an understanding that they are a key element in a delicate ecosystem that is being systematically destroyed by the true apex predator on earth... US.
Over a period of 5 days, I spent more than 24 hours underwater with no less than a dozen sharks at any given moment, every single one of them significantly larger than I. It only took a few minutes before I was able to gaze at them with an open mind. To watch them move, feed, and interact with one another was eye opening. I watched remoras hanging on for a ride, only to break off long enough to grab their own scrap of food. I watched schools of fish use the sharks for shelter. These fish weren't frightened of the shark, they were frightened of me. They used the sharks for protection from the humans, in hopes that the intimidating size of their graceful friend would keep them safe.
My experiences opened my eyes and mind dramatically. I was blessed with the opportunity to form my own opinion, one based on experiences rather than force fed to me as I 'witness' the world from the confines of my couch.
The fact of the matter is that survival instincts are common among animals. Without survival instincts, a species would long be extinct. You are much safer fearing the unknown and be incorrect, then feeling safe and being incorrect. Will sharks defend themselves when threatened? Sure. So will we. Will sharks systematically eradicate every human they see? Absolutely not, but look at a human's reaction to seeing a mosquito. Will sharks exit their natural environment in order to seek vengeance for the death of one of their own? Obviously not, but I'll give you one guess as to what species on this earth does this time and time and time again, regardless of what caused the initial event.
Painting sharks out to be man-eating, or those interacting with them to be thrill seeking; does absolutely nothing but perpetrate the fear that is already present.
Special thanks should go to David Ulloa, who filmed and edited the following video, and to Amanda Cotton for the images included at the end of the video, and their attempts to raise awareness through the experiences that we've had first hand. If you want to see sharks being sharks; as opposed to sharks being used as theatrical props, this video, and those like it, are what you should be keeping in mind when you form your opinions.
Recently a national media outlet aired a segment on shark diving, featuring a charter boat that I had been on last November. From the very start of the segment I knew where it was going, and I had to fight my way through the whole thing; absolutely disgusted by the spin that they chose to try and portray. I have no desire to name the outlet, nor post a link to the story; as it, like so many other stories, only serves to vilify sharks; to cast them in a vicious light and to paint everyone that interacts with them to be thrill seeking adrenaline junkies.
Instead, let me express a little of my experience. Yes; I am doing just what these media outlets are doing... telling a story in a way that intends to cause the audience to form an opinion. However my motivations have nothing to do with money, or fame, or advertising. My motivations are only to provide a contrary opinion to the common misconceptions that are constantly being reinforced. A small scream of disgust likely to fall on deaf ears in a overwhelming ocean of misinformation.
The fact of the matter is, as I embarked on my trip a number of months ago, I too had preconceived notions about what I was going to experience. I was nervous about being in the water with sharks because I was brainwashed by the misinformation that prevails. Even with the experiences I've already had from diving the shipwrecks in the waters off North Carolina, wrecks that are frequently populated by dozens of Sand Tiger sharks, I had managed to compartmentalize those. I convinced myself that Sand Tigers were an exception, they are just lazy lumbering creatures of no danger or concern. Not like other types of sharks, oh no... they are different, they are animals that should be feared.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Sharks aren't to be feared; it's the fear that causes the hatred and vilification which grows to action in the way of downright genocide. They are truly magnificent creatures that deserve our respect, our care, and an understanding that they are a key element in a delicate ecosystem that is being systematically destroyed by the true apex predator on earth... US.
Over a period of 5 days, I spent more than 24 hours underwater with no less than a dozen sharks at any given moment, every single one of them significantly larger than I. It only took a few minutes before I was able to gaze at them with an open mind. To watch them move, feed, and interact with one another was eye opening. I watched remoras hanging on for a ride, only to break off long enough to grab their own scrap of food. I watched schools of fish use the sharks for shelter. These fish weren't frightened of the shark, they were frightened of me. They used the sharks for protection from the humans, in hopes that the intimidating size of their graceful friend would keep them safe.
My experiences opened my eyes and mind dramatically. I was blessed with the opportunity to form my own opinion, one based on experiences rather than force fed to me as I 'witness' the world from the confines of my couch.
The fact of the matter is that survival instincts are common among animals. Without survival instincts, a species would long be extinct. You are much safer fearing the unknown and be incorrect, then feeling safe and being incorrect. Will sharks defend themselves when threatened? Sure. So will we. Will sharks systematically eradicate every human they see? Absolutely not, but look at a human's reaction to seeing a mosquito. Will sharks exit their natural environment in order to seek vengeance for the death of one of their own? Obviously not, but I'll give you one guess as to what species on this earth does this time and time and time again, regardless of what caused the initial event.
Painting sharks out to be man-eating, or those interacting with them to be thrill seeking; does absolutely nothing but perpetrate the fear that is already present.
Special thanks should go to David Ulloa, who filmed and edited the following video, and to Amanda Cotton for the images included at the end of the video, and their attempts to raise awareness through the experiences that we've had first hand. If you want to see sharks being sharks; as opposed to sharks being used as theatrical props, this video, and those like it, are what you should be keeping in mind when you form your opinions.
-Jeff
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