Ocean News

Every year in the Maldives I see dozens of manta rays with injuries caused by fishing line entanglements.  While the hooks, which often get stuck in the mantas mouth’s, rarely cause any long-term injuries, the trailing line itself is a real killer.  Manta rays regularly feed by somersaulting in tight…

We headed out of Djibouti city at around two in the afternoon on new years day. New years eve was also spent aboard the boat, we had a very civilized evening anchored in the middle of the port, and spent the next morning prepping cameras and moving onboard MV Deli.…

Oftentimes when traveling to unfamiliar locations, we employ the services of a local ‘fixer’, who knows the area, language, culture, and most importantly the rules and regulations concerning importing expensive camera equipment. This shoot is no different; neither Tom nor myself have been to Djibouti, so to ensure we would…

This month, after years of campaigning, it was announced in a speech by the Queen that the British government shall soon implement a Marine and Coastal Access Bill. Extensive over-exploitation of marine stocks has resulted in dramatic declines of UK fish populations, in particular bluefin tuna, cod, haddock and mackerel, which…

The  in California has received global attention over recent years for its series of captive great white sharks. There is strong controversy surrounding the captivity of such a large pelagic species, especially one listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the . Nonetheless, the sharks have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, and each…

Djibouti is situated in the north east of Africa between Ethiopia and Somalia. The Gulf of Tadjoura at the southern entrance to the Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean caused by the fault line of the northerly end of the East African Rift Valley that transects Djibouti,…

SHARK ANGELS by Captain Paul Watson There is a continuum in the Ocean, Energy in continuous motion, There is a consistency in the sea, Holding in trust the sacred key. Older than mountains are the sharks Upon this planet they have left their marks, Patiently they have shaped evolution, Surviving…

Early in December I sent out a round-robin e-mail to many of the SOSF project leaders asking for images of them we could use in the 2008 Annual Review (a publication we produce every year that compiles the achievements and progress SOSF projects). I’ve spent a lot of time in…

SOSF Advisory Committee member Tom Campbell has taken the Grand Prize at the Ocean in Focus Photography Competition. The competition which is run by Seaweb’s Marine Photobank and the Project Aware Foundation challenged those who care most about the ocean to enter their most striking images which related to marine conservation. Campbell…

On Wednesday 26 November a large whale carcass washed to shore at Muizenberg. The carcass was evidence that some out-of-the-ordinary feeding activities had been taking place at sea. Shark bites were evident all over the dead whale and five shark sightings were recorded by Shark Spotters that day. On inspection of…

One of the most unique things about the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) is its direct connection to education through its sister organization, The Island School.  The Island School is a semester based study abroad program for US and Bahamian high school students.  One of the core aspects of The Island School curriculum is the…

Welcome to the new SOS HD productions blog. I want to use this first post to introduce myself and explain what I’ll be using this blog for. What do I do? I’ve been working for SOSF as a camera operator for around four years now, I’m originally from Didcot in…

SOSF Researcher Alison Kock appeared on ABC’s Nightline last night discussing her work into great white sharks. ABC’s Nick Watt spent a day out with Alison and fellow Shark Angel Julie Andersen cage-diving with these amazing creatures, hopefully learning enough along the way to dispel some of negative connotations that accompanying these greatly…

Just a little update to say one of the research scientists we support working on whale sharks in the Seychelles, David Rowat, is featured in the BBC’s Natural World special, Whale Shark! which aired yesterday on BBC2 in the UK. The programme appears to have caught the media’s attention, with articles discussing…

Scientific longline surveys inherently carry a low level of mortality for the target species.  Some species generally do better than others during capture, usually split between those that can pump water over their gills (e.g. tiger and Caribbean reef sharks) and those that have to be swimming in order to ventilate…