Posted by Andy on March 13, 2005 at 21:29:16:
In Reply to: feeding sharks posted by on March 11, 2005 at 18:14:32:
I've been to the scuba zoo on the Mike Ball trip (washing dishes scored me a free trip... hehe). It is a pretty cool experience. One is able to get an up close look at grey reef sharks and a few silvertip sharks as well. Well here are my thoughts on shark feeding. As long as its not too excessive or close to popular dive/surfing/swimming sites, its not really dangerous to divers or people. The scuba zoo is located 130 miles offshore Australia; it is located in the remote and isolated Flinders reef complex. Pretty much the only people out there are divers with Mike Ball and maybe the occasional scuba diving or fishing charter boats. The sharks are not aggressive towards divers; they know where the fish is. I think the benefits of exposing people to sharks and being able to appreciate these animals firsthand outweigh the potential ecological consequences (within reason of course). An educated public will care about conservation, and there are few better ways to educate the public than to see real sharks up close and personal. Unless you feed reef sharks, you are unlikely to be able to really get a good look at them acting at least semi-naturally because they are often shy and elusive. Many divers on that trip overcame their fears and prejudices against sharks and came to appreciate them for the important predators they are; one day they may play a key role in the conservation of declining shark populations.