What do you think of shark encounter trips?
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boat sju
Contributor
So is it ok to feed the bears in Yellowstone ?
Hey, whats the fuss? Divers who are properly briefed on the dangers and proceed with such trips are making informed choices.... [/QUOTE]
To me this is not a question of safety and informed consent. This is an issue of ethics and environmental conservation. These operations intentially modify the behavoirs of one of the great predators on this planet to your/our benefit. What in effect these operations do is create a non-sustainable micro-environment in which the animals no longer have to hunt for themselves and their evolutionary established instincts are suspressed. Since this environment is completely non-sustainable in nature, if the operation were to go out of business or simply change feeding sites the huge excess of animals that have become dependant on that man-made food source goes hungry and diseases become rampant with too many animals in a single area. Not to mention it creates a Pavlovian response mechanism in the animals, such that when they hear/sense the motor of a boat comes by, their training sends them to feed and they become very likely to feed on the first thing that hits the water, wether that be chum or your leg.
We as a human species need to be aware that the Ocean environment is too fragile to be playing with the ultimate predator in this haphazard manner, just to see a shark. We need to use our incredible intellect to ensure the sustainment of the ocean and find ways to reverse coral bleaching and return masses of bait fish to the feeding/nursing areas. This in turn will allow a sustained food chain, and the larger animals that we all want to see will become much more common and the practice of chumming will become obselete.
NO, THIS IS NOT THE CASE, ACCORDING TO THE US CONSTITUTION, THE SECOND AMENDMENT GARUNTEES INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. That is not true in many countries. And depending on the Supreme Court ruling that we are expecting soon may change as well. If they determine that the second amendment was meant as a states right not an individual right we could all be turning our firearms over to the state and one of Hitler's dreams will come true in the US. but I digress...
As for chumming, there are areas that chumming/feeding sharks is already illegal and you have to get outside of territorial waters to do it.
To me this is not a question of safety and informed consent. This is an issue of ethics and environmental conservation. These operations intentially modify the behavoirs of one of the great predators on this planet to your/our benefit. What in effect these operations do is create a non-sustainable micro-environment in which the animals no longer have to hunt for themselves and their evolutionary established instincts are suspressed. Since this environment is completely non-sustainable in nature, if the operation were to go out of business or simply change feeding sites the huge excess of animals that have become dependant on that man-made food source goes hungry and diseases become rampant with too many animals in a single area. Not to mention it creates a Pavlovian response mechanism in the animals, such that when they hear/sense the motor of a boat comes by, their training sends them to feed and they become very likely to feed on the first thing that hits the water, wether that be chum or your leg.
We as a human species need to be aware that the Ocean environment is too fragile to be playing with the ultimate predator in this haphazard manner, just to see a shark. We need to use our incredible intellect to ensure the sustainment of the ocean and find ways to reverse coral bleaching and return masses of bait fish to the feeding/nursing areas. This in turn will allow a sustained food chain, and the larger animals that we all want to see will become much more common and the practice of chumming will become obselete.
NO, THIS IS NOT THE CASE, ACCORDING TO THE US CONSTITUTION, THE SECOND AMENDMENT GARUNTEES INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. That is not true in many countries. And depending on the Supreme Court ruling that we are expecting soon may change as well. If they determine that the second amendment was meant as a states right not an individual right we could all be turning our firearms over to the state and one of Hitler's dreams will come true in the US. but I digress...
As for chumming, there are areas that chumming/feeding sharks is already illegal and you have to get outside of territorial waters to do it.
By far people surfing are at more risk than divers. I don't see anyone trying to regulate surfers. Look at the data yourself!
http://www.sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/GSAF5.xls
All individuals survived unless noted otherwise.
Entries on the spreadsheet are color-coded.
Unprovoked Incidents = Tan
Provoked Incidents = Orange
Attacks on Boats = Green
Air / Sea Disasters = Yellow
Questionable Incidents = Blue
Wayne...
http://www.sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/GSAF5.xls
All individuals survived unless noted otherwise.
Entries on the spreadsheet are color-coded.
Unprovoked Incidents = Tan
Provoked Incidents = Orange
Attacks on Boats = Green
Air / Sea Disasters = Yellow
Questionable Incidents = Blue
Wayne...
caymaniac
Contributor
That is an excellent point, they should think about trying to stop all surfing in areas where sharks are.......like that will happen!
It's more like the gov't takes it by bits and pieces. No gov't should be telling you you can't dive with sharks, next it'll be dolphins and then no one should dive where there is coral....then no one should dive, they might have an accident.
Like it or not, some places already completely ban shark feeding. It is possible that if some kind safety regulation is not presented, that more people will get hurt or die and more areas/places will ban feeds.
deco_martini
Contributor
gehadoski
Contributor
I like diving with sharks a lot. When a shark or school of sharks is passing by me. I feel as if there I am in present of a king or a queen. The very same feeling, A creature that is valiable, respectable, beautiful, and elegance. It hurts me so bad ,when I remember that some of this royal family are indanger and the need to be rescue from instinct.
Rules and regulations are not the main idea to dive with sharks. From my point of view, to dive with sharks. You must first know what are the sharks, there behavior, there action, there reactions,...etc. Underwater is a wild world where rules and regulations don't apply. Because when I am in the water and diving with sharks. I believe that the safty between them relays on mutual respect. Thats all
Rules and regulations are not the main idea to dive with sharks. From my point of view, to dive with sharks. You must first know what are the sharks, there behavior, there action, there reactions,...etc. Underwater is a wild world where rules and regulations don't apply. Because when I am in the water and diving with sharks. I believe that the safty between them relays on mutual respect. Thats all
Allison Finch
Contributor
I love sharks, but hate the practise of whipping them up into unnaturally extreme behavior. It is just done to fan the egos of the "brave" divers who attend. I like nothing better than to see a shark on its own terms acting naturally.
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So when did a "feeding shark" become unnatural?
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