Dive boat operators face charges of illegally feeding sharks in state waters

[PBMako]

Maybe you should just stay in the kiddie pool w/them, it'll be much safer. Either that or join one of the shark dives and see for yourself that these are beautiful creatures and not the monsters from Jaws.

I think you misunderstood my post. I live in Palm Beach County and fish, dive, snorkel and swim the waters. I don't view them with some primal fear learned from years of Hollywood movies, just respect and awareness. On our open water dive off Jupiter, my 13 year old son and I were lucky enough to drop down on the Goliath Grouper, more than a few large Loggerheads and at least 15 sharks leisurely cruising around. We loved it. I wish my other two kids didn't have equalization problems and could have joined us.

Last week, I was drifting just off the Singer Island condos in clear water watching a hundred migrate north in the clear 20' water. I wanted to jump in and hang near the boat to watch them swim by. Only thing stoppped me was I was by myself and did have a little fear. That fear was a gust of wind making me look like idiot in front of the beachgoers while I called Seatow to get my boat off the beach. The sharks? Big deal, they wouldn't come near the boat anyway

kiddie pool? Riggggghhhht

Palm Beach County has a relatively narrow strip for OW divers. With drift diving, many will end up in "Randy's" homemade educational feeding zoo. On the Bahama bank, there is a huge area where a dive boat can set up a zoo. I don't have a problem with that as long as they publicize it. I was fishing near one of those areas yesterday. The reefs looked great, I wanted to dive in (no scuba), but forget it with that group of sharks around.

---------- Post added March 24th, 2014 at 10:23 AM ----------

As for PBMako, I can't stand those "Won't someone please think of the children??" types.

Spare me dude.

Try reading my post again. Try not to peg my post to fit your own opinion.

I agree with you on the village raising/save the children types. If I was some type that thought I was dropping myself and my "little cherubs" onto a Disney spray painted reef with little Sargent Majors, Grunts and Angelfish, and shocked at the big scary creatures, your criticism would be well deserved. I knew I was dropping them into what is not only a dive that carries more risk with current and the technical issues alone, but into an area with large predators. Just like kayaking or small boating in the gator areas, I don't have some irrational fear, just great respect for the 10' gator sunning on the bank. Just like diving, I have zero interest in paddling by an area used by "Billy Bob's homemade gator feeding educational experience" to toss chickens for the tourists.

 

[danvolker]

Real science SHOULD always triumph....I am 100% in agreement with this Pete.....
The problem we have today...that was not so widespread back in the 1950's, is that large corporate lobbying groups have created a funding system for Scientists, for grants, that support a corporate agenda.....It used to be that a scientist would start by trying with a Hypothesis, and come up with methods for testing it....and if it showed the results expected, this was pursued....Today, all to often, huge dollars go to a science group which gets paid to either FIND a way to support some corporate project, or, worse case scenario, to provide disinformation to the competition. This is typical in the pharmaceutical industry, the health supplement industry, and in many others.

For us in diving, the worst I can think of is the "science" of Beach Re-nourishment.....The Army corp of Engineers uses very bogus science to support a multi-billion dollar dredging industry, and every year the beachfront communities close to losing their beaches and condos on the beach....that are the houses built with straw, are SOLD a bill of goods each year, that a new "House of straw", will be their best solution....They use bad science to make this sale.... There is an alternative science that could very well be the House of Brick solution.... Visit BEACH RECOVERY | Our People and Services I can't prove this is THE Science that is the right answer, but what I do know is that they have not been given a chance in Florida, because of the horrible mis-use of bad science. This is a travesty for us as divers, because we all know that beach renourisment causes massive turbidity on our reefs, covers the reefs in sediments, and is extremely destructive to the marine ecosystem--but this is "out of sight, and out of mind" to the public...and the public just sees the bad science, never the good or better science that could actually fix the problem....

My interest is in getting the public interested in some issues to the point of their getting "into" the argument, to the point of really taking a position on it...and then not settling for bad science...like the Beach Re-nourishment.

I don't know if our getting a few thousand divers really agitated about the shark feeding issue is going to push for Good Science--or even push for a reaction of any kind at all... What I expect, is that if any government entity is going to get involved in the resolution of this feeding issue, they "ought" to be polling divers for their thoughts on this, as this is the key USER GROUP. If we had never gone through this nasty thread, with all the posturing and blustering and fearmongering and all it's other bad parts.....without this I doubt there would be many divers that really heard both sides, and thought about each side....
Maybe the result is the diving public does come together with a large voice, that some real science IS undertaken....and this diving public insists that it is real science....Maybe this is naive, but I think undertaking this, is better than the alternative of doing nothing.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to clean some "windmill" off of my windshield

 

[Capt Scotty]

Wow now the Army corp of Engineers have entered into his discussion, we all know the history of them doing the right thing.....beaches, everglades, bridges...and so on....lol

 

[The Chairman]

That Capt Scotty is one of the real faces for Shark Diving here in South Florida. If you want to see Sharks, you need to sign on with Capt Scotty.

 

[John from the burg]

Wow... Where has this interest been?

One of the most evolved predators on the planet and you guys are suggesting they don't "learn"?

Can anyone name a SINGLE animal that doesn't change its behavior when humans introduce easy food? I can prob name 10 off the top of my head that have/do change when ass hole people disregard common sense and feed them, can you name one that doesn't? Anyone?

I cant speak for anyone else's personal experience but i can comment on the sharks i dive with on a regular basis, they found a way to get easy meals by just hanging out with the fishing boats around artificial (most fished) reefs. Tarpon fishing under the skyway is also a well known shark show, sometimes a shark will stay with you boat and you might as well move because your just gonna be feeding his ass every single fish you get up to the gunnel.

Veterans reef used to be a great place to stop and shoot a gag grouper or two until a couple resident bulls moved in and decided they own all the fish. One shark in particular is unbelievably persistent, a 400 lbs bull easily identified by the very large scar patter i gave her during one of the scariest moments of my life. This shark made no less than 20 passes on me inside of 10 feet (i had about 15 feet of vis) and 10 of the passes close enough to poke her with my 48 inch speargun.... Now get this, I had not even shoot a fish... Just a missed shot on a far out gag... Science bitch!

In hindsight I should have killed that shark, call me a murderer if you want but the wrong kid on the wrong day catching that bitch in the wrong mood and someone will be bit.

Feeding sharks in the Bahamian desert, fine, i don't like it but i will compromise. Feeding sharks on the "line" and at popular dives sites? That is stupid.

 

[vincent54]

"Can anyone name a SINGLE animal that doesn't change its behavior when humans introduce easy food? I can prob name 10 off the top of my head that have/do change when ass hole people disregard common sense and feed them, can you name one that doesn't? Anyone? "

All sponges and coelenterates, most molluscs and all the echinoderms... to name a few

 

[The Chairman]

In hindsight I should have killed that shark,

Don't worry. Last year's totals:

Humans killed by sharks worldwide: 10

Sharks killed by humans worldwide: Over 100,000,000. Yeah, that's ten million to one. Not very fair odds.

Last year, Florida led the rest of the world with 23 attacks. Hawaii was a distant second with only 13 and Australia turned in a paltry 10. In Florida, board sports (including surfers) accounted for %46 of all unprovoked attacks while scuba divers accounted for %0.00. Uh yah, that was no attacks on scuba divers all last year while Randy was stirring the shark pot trying to get us all killed. He completely failed in his heinous mission to clear the ocean of humans.

So, John from the burg, I would suggest that at 100,000,000 plus to ten, the shark is not the most evolved predator on the planet: we are. Additionally, all of your bluster doesn't change the fact that these shark attacks in the shark bite capital of the world just aren't happening to Scuba Divers. Fear and paranoia: who would have thought a spearo would succumb to something as silly as that?

So far, the people slamming the Calypso and Emerald Charters are using Elmer FUDD methodology. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt and Deception. There's no doubt in my mind that breaking Florida Law is not a good move on anyone's part. I might disagree with a speed limit, but I stay reasonably close so I don't incur the financial consequences. However, it's also clear that it is their legal right to feed sharks in Federal waters. I certainly don't think we need more laws about diving on the books. Maybe one that requires people to join ScubaBoard, but that's it!

In reality, I find shark feedings contrived and boring. I went on one that was part of a Live-a-board experience in the Bahamas and found myself swimming away from the "action" and checking out the critters in a more natural setting. Hey, that's how I prefer it. I did find myself guilty of feeding the fishies this past weekend though. I got sick at depth and hurled repeatedly. I was mobbed by yellowtail bastards (you call them snappers) in the middle of my misery and even had a cobia come join in on the feeding frenzy. Did I affect fish behaviors? Yes, those yellowtail bastards followed me for the rest of my dive. Unfortunately, I rewarded them repeatedly for their efforts to keep up. The only way for us to completely stop affecting creature behavioral patterns would be to stop interacting with them altogether. They do that with manatee right now and I don't agree with a lot of their restrictions even in the name of science.

Here is where this kind of phobia will ultimately lead you: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...many-fatal-shark-attacks-stop-you-diving.html

 

[HIGHwing]

Time for a more abstract theory.

IF I could prove through actual field trials that shark behavior has been modified by the presence of open circuit divers say since the 1950s - would you hang up your fins? Divers place bubbles, noises, and electrical impulses which are not native to the reef. If I believe all predators can learn (which I do), then I have to accept a shark can/will modify its behavior based on all the new stimulus, not just the particular stimulus you disagree with.

In truth, we're in the water to observe species in their environment and perhaps the environment itself. The assumption that we're maknig a zero-impact visit is ridiculous. Now if you want to debate degrees and what's acceptable, please play forward this is a fascinating study in rationalization thus far.

 

[SavageRon]

Australia turned in a paltry 10.

On behalf of Australians everywhere I'd like to remind you that the US population is around 315 million, where Australia’s is only 23 million or so, thus making per capita figures far more scary.
That's roughly one person attacked in every 13,695,652 in the US versus one in every 2,300,000. More than six times more likely; with or without shark feeding.
Now, having done all that math, I need to run out and buy a lottery ticket.

 

[The Chairman]

On behalf of Australians everywhere I'd like to remind you that the US population is around 315 million, where Australia’s is only 23 million or so, thus making per capita figures far more scary.
That's roughly one person attacked in every 13,695,652 in the US versus one in every 2,300,000. More than six times more likely; with or without shark feeding.
Now, having done all that math, I need to run out and buy a lottery ticket.

Dude... Florida only has 19.2 million residents. Your feeble attempt to be sharkier than thou has failed miserably and you were beaten by a mere state. Again, FUDD: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt and Deception.