Shark feeding revisited...

[The Chairman]

This is too funny... I just KNEW that some enterprising individuals would come up with a way to circumvent the ban on feeding marine animals here in FLorida. They did not disappoint me!

I just talked to a gentleman who was on a "shark dive" recently... instead of feeding them thar sharks, they put the "bait" in a large perforated tube... No they can't eat it, but it still attracts them just the same. Now we have an apex predator who has been attracted by the promise of a meal, and all he sees are divers. If *I* were a shark and arrived feeling a might peckish, only to find no dinner, I would be a might peeved! I sure am glad that the Florida Legislature is keeping us safe by eliminating them thar shark feeding dives!

 

[ScubaStan]

The sharks may not get the food that attracted them, but those divers around are in major danger. I wouldn't wanna be one of them!

 

[Manogr]

It is amazing what companies can think in order to bypass legislation without caring for the well being of their clients !!

My god this is sooooo crazy !!!!!!

It is 1000000000000000 better to feed them than torture them that way !

Manogr

 

[Walter]

Pete,

Who's doing this?

 

[The Chairman]

The guy would not give me the name of the charter, but it is out of Lauderdale by the Sea. He says that owners contend that this is always how they did it.

 

[JustAddWater]

Darwin is alive and well in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

[Aqua Buoy]

Well...I thought the whole shark feeding ban issue was crazy in the first place!

The shark issue revisited...

1. People who dive (most of them anyways) have come to understand that they are not ferocious beasts that tear at everything in their path (The Jaws Syndrome!). From that point of view diving has improved the image of sharks in many respects. My opinion, correct me if I'm wrong!

2. How does a shark associate between a diver giving him food (indirectly that is) and a person swimming? There seems to be no correlation, except perhaps that the feeding habits, and feeding ground might be altered through change in behaviour brought about by shark feeding. Not improbable. (see point 3).

3. As a marine biologist to be soon, I am opposed to the idea of changing an animal's behaviour for any reason whatsoever. Shark feeding does exactly this. And don't tell me that if you got free food you wouldn't change your habits!!! Having said this, I'd still love to see sharks in action!

4. As for the attracting sharks in the manner described above - well that is how an association may form, taste like food, looks alive, is it food? Let's hope for the diver's sake that sharks don't like neoprene and alu tanks!

So feeding is illegal! (I'm writting from outside the US, so correct me if i'm wrong) So this guy manages to attract them, but not feed them??? STUPID! When being fed, although their behaviour is altered, their are getting what they thought they came for, not in this case! As I said, let's hope they don't like neoprene!

CRAZY WORLD

Peace to all

JustAddWater - I couldn't agree more!

 

[devilfish]

Shark feeding is definately changing behavior. You can't train a shark, you can't program a shark but you can condition a shark and change their behavior. I have watched it for over 12 years on a regular basis, from the inception of a feeding station to today. You can run over the spot and keep going watching the bottom below about 45ft, not a single shark. The minute the boat stops and before divers enter the water from nowhere there are several to couple dozen cruising and waiting. They know easy food is coming.
They are not iterested in the divers, they are interested in the food. I would hate to tease them and there is no fish food to eat. They would figure something out. Might not be a pretty picture.

 

[Stone]

Originally posted by NetDoc
The guy would not give me the name of the charter, but it is out of Lauderdale by the Sea. He says that owners contend that this is always how they did it.

Below is a picture from a Ft Lauderdale shark feed. The white PVC tube holds the food; however, (before the feeding ban) at the end of the "feed" the divemaster let the sharks have the bait.

 

[The Chairman]

That is exactly as he described it. He went this past March. He was really concerned when I brought up the fact that shark feeding was banned. He went from being lucid to reticent after I brought that up.

Actually, while I have STRONG negative feelings about this, I don't believe it's illegal. Just stoopid.