Every shark scientist knows "Doc Gruber" - but what do we, the general public, really know about him
Not much probably, other than some basic facts of his achievements as one of the most, if not the most prominent and illustrious shark science pioneer he has been during the last half century. The "Doc" is now retired, a professor emeritus of the University of Miami, but he is still going strong, academically and otherwise, continuing his research with graduate students in his Shark Lab in Bimini. He does his job energetically and with all the enthusiasm of a curious and adventurous youngster. F...
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Some of you may have seen the Helson Shark Diver Watch before - in Surgical Steel.
Now Helson came out with some incredibly attractive models in bronze (left on the above image). To me, they don’t look like regular watches anymore - they look like submarine instruments, and their appearance is reminiscent of hard hat diving helmets which means a lot to me: It’s helmet divers back in the mid-forties that ignited my lifelong passion for the underwater world. Thus, apart from being extremely tough, masculinely heavy and dependable pieces of horology engineering at its best, just ...
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Three Little White Sharks...
Manhattan Beach seems to be getting sharky - various White Sharks have been spotted - some great pictures and video - see below Check out the surfers towards end...CLUELESS Video Credit: Jay Dohner Photo credit: June Emerson Update - photo above may actually be a Dolphin as per Luke Tipple....
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Neither Felix nor I will ever scuba-dive with sharks.
Here is why: Scuba-divers intrude. You don’t think so? Ask the tiger shark... :-) Free-divers like Felix blend in harmoniously. What else can I say?... Photos: Wolfgang Leander (Tiger Beach, November 2013)Click to enlarge...
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Blackfish - Must See Movie
If there is one movie you watch this summer (what is left of it) go see Blackfish. I just saw it today and it definitely struck a chord. Many people know about the inhumanity of keeping orcas captive - this documentary focuses on the psychological effects it has on these highly intelligent and sensitive animals. What hit me the most was the story of one of the boat drivers that captured orca calves in the 70s (sanctioned by Sea World)...he basically broke it down to kidnapping children from a fa...
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Ila France Porcher on this year’s "Shark Week" by the Discovery Channel.
It’s going to be the same old sh...t - pardon me: I mean the same old story. Ila France Porcher - an accomplished shark ethologist, author), relentless conservationist - has posted on her blogspot a disturbing "Shark Week" preview that shows how the Discovery Channel (DC) people keep riding the "Jaws" wave in a most shameless manner. The trailer features "Emma", probably the most popular tiger shark world-wide, as a "monster shark" being abused by some moronic DC people. Just to watch, and liste...
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Ila France Porcher at the Forefront of Shark Conservation
Sharks need to be protected from Canadian politicians!Photo: Wolfgang Leander (2008)Click to enlarge Here is a blog posted by Ila - it’s an open letter addressed to the Canadian government to reconsider their recent decision not to ban the sale of shark fins in their country. With her letter Ila has proven, once again, her deep passion and love for sharks, her talent as a writer, and her unassuming tenacity in pursuing her sincere conviction that she must do everything within her reach to protec...
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Wanna go Tiger Shark diving in 2013?
"Emma" parading herself in front of some of her fans.Photograph: Wolfgang Leander (2009)Click to enlarge If you haven’t secured a tiger shark diving trip for yourself yet, you’d have to wait until 2014. All the operators, at least the most experienced among them, in my and others’ opinion actually just two: Scott Wayne Smith ("Dolphin Dream") and Jim Abernethy ("Shearwater"), are fully booked throughout this year. Here is the one and only chance to join a group of shark enthusiasts in October to...
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Caribbean reef sharks -
- they used to be my favorite sharks before I met, and fell in love with, tiger sharks. Not difficult to understand: The tigers’ distinctiveness, their size, their character, and, yes, their incredible gentleness being their hall mark, starkly contrasting with their bad "press" they still get, makes them probably the most impressive and captivating of all sharks. During the last trips to Tiger Beach we dived a fantastic near-by spot baptized "Fish Tales" by Capt. Scott Smith. Scott discovered th...
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New Generation of Underwater Photographers.
They have come a long way, and when one looks at their work, we "oldies", meaning those stubborn seniors who still cling to film and all the rest of it, are full of envy at the new photographers’ seemingly unlimited possibilities of bringing home spectacular images. Mind you, there aren’t many dinosaurs left - I would think that you won’t find more than perhaps ten underwater photographers who still use the venerable Nikonos V. Of those very few, probably no more than five free-dive while photog...
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Shark Warrior Lesley Rochat was here!
’Here’ means Tiger Beach. Lesley Rochat was here for the second time, and she absolutely loved it! I wouldn’t be surprised to meet her at the Beach again next year. Unfortunately, Lesley had a cold, so her diving was limited (as was mine due an ear infection coupled with a sinusitis). However, she worked hard for an upcoming conservation project the details of which I cannot divulge at this time. She even convinced me to be interviewed by her - although I felt rotten and scatterbrained because o...
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Total Diving Freedom.....
..... is what I always said was the salient feature of diving with Captain Scott W. Smith ("Scottie") aboard his Dolphin Dream (DD) . Now, being back from my last two one-week trips to the Tiger Beach area, I could add: On the DD, guests have also total cooking freedom. Some of you probably know that I have had a serious health issue (gastric cancer) almost four years ago. After the removal of my stomach I had to adapt to new eating habits: eating small portions frequently, avoiding stuff that i...
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White Shark in Miami Beach
Never thought I would be using that title for any of my posts...about a month ago, Raul Boesel Jr., was freediving right of Miami Beach in about 80-90ft of water when Neptune decided to be good and grace him with a 10-12ft White Shark. The encounter was quick - shark was shy, but he was able to capture the moment. A lot more to come about Raul - he is part of the next generation of elite U/W photographers and a solid freediver. He and I recently got back from a phenomenal trip....
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How Jaws Changed the World - Shark Week 2012
I vividly remember watching Jaws for the first time – actually, I spent most of the time hiding behind the couch or my hands – peeking out once in a while trying to catch a glimpse of the monster. Going to the swimming pool became an ordeal, my imagination would always run wild as Jaws was stalking me to the tunes of John Williams. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have had a balance in our home due to the constant interest in diving, the ocean, and sharks. Jaws had a profound effect on everyon...
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Impossible Shot + Sharkzilla - Shark Week 2012
So far so good…after watching three episodes I have yet to see blood in the water – and that is a great thing. The Impossible Shot is just about that – pushing the limits of getting that new angle using creative and ingenious ideas + technology. There was a nice integration of some of the pioneering shark U/W videographers such as Stan Waterman and how they have progressed over time. Both the GoPro and Phantom cameras were featured again as in the previous episode. But this one added one more va...
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Air Jaws Apocalypse - Shark Week 2012
What can I say – I am highly impressed with the first episode of Shark Week 2012 and very much looking forward to the rest. While Air Jaws as a concept is not new and breaching White Sharks are not novel anymore – the technology used to film this episode made for some stunning footage and made me feel like I was seeing these majestic animals up close again for the first time. A Phantom camera was used to film most of the episode, which allows for extremely high quality video and the possibility ...
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Shark Week 2012
Shark Week has now been airing on the Discovery Channel for 25 years. Anyone that has been watching the last five years can attest to the degradation of the show year after year. Focused on sensationalism, it has lost its soul and passion that it once had way back when. Of course television has changed as well - in a time of "reality shows" such as The Real House Wives of (insert city of choice) viewers are more interested in plastic drama than quality, while the executives in ratings / eyeballs...
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Almost lost a finger thanks to a lionfish
About a month ago I was out with my friend Manuel Menendez diving / spearing - all in all it was a great day...but...in Manuel’s own words: "On July 4th I went diving with Felix Leander, Manny Dobal, and Nick Bernal. We had a decent day and got a few fish for dinner. When I got home the kids wanted to see the fish we caught. Lifting a grouper out of the cooler I got poked by 3 spines from one of the Lionfish in the cooler. The pain was instant and intense. The Lionfish that stung me had been dea...
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