Japan's Whaling Defiance: whalers prepare to head to Antarctic waters again

While Japan's last season of whaling was cut short, in part due to the at-sea harassment efforts of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, it appears that the island nation is planning a return this winter. Here is a report from CNN:

"(CNN) -- Japan says it will hunt whales in the Southern Ocean this winter and will send a Fisheries Agency ship to guard its whalers against promised intervention by a conservation group.

"The Fisheries Agency will send a patrol boat and take increased measures to strengthen the protection given to the research whaling ships," Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano said at a news conference Tuesday.

At its annual meeting in July, the International Whaling Commission passed a resolution calling on its member countries "to cooperate to prevent and suppress actions that risk human life and property at sea."

Last winter, Japan cut short its planned December-to-April hunt by two months after anti-whaling activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society repeatedly interfered with the whaling vessels.

Sea Shepherd claims it saved 800 whales by its actions during last season's hunt. Japanese whalers killed 171 minke whales and two fin whales during the Antarctic hunt, according to IWC figures.

In a statement issued last Friday, Sea Shepherd vowed to take on the whaling vessels again.

"They will have to kill us to prevent us from intervening once again. ... We will undertake whatever risks to our lives will be required to stop this invasion of arrogant greed into what is an established sanctuary for the whales," Sea Shepherd's leader, Paul Watson, said in a statement on the organization's website. Sea Shepherd will have more than 100 people in the Southern Ocean to block the Japanese whaling fleet, according to the statement.

Kano said Japan wants to continue research whaling with the aim of establishing that whale stocks are sufficient to resume a full commercial hunt in the future, according to Japanese media reports.

Sea Shepherd contends that the research hunts are a sham, with meat from the hunts being sold to consumers and served in restaurants.

Australia's government condemned Japan's decision to resume its research hunt and its plans for future commercial hunts.

"The Australian government remains opposed to all commercial whaling, including so-called 'scientific whaling.' We will keep working to achieve a permanent end to all commercial whaling," Environment Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

"Australia believes Japan's whaling is contrary to international law and should stop," Australian Attorney General Robert McClelland said.

"That is why Australia is taking our case in the International Court of Justice to bring to an end Southern Ocean whaling permanently."

Japan also hunts whales in the Northern Pacific, taking 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde's, 119 minke and three sperm whales last season, according to the IWC.

Iceland and Norway also conduct whale hunts. Aboriginal whale hunts are permitted in the Danish territory of Greenland, the United States, Russia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines."

PETA on Sharks: hotly contested billboard reinforces stereotypes

During the course of writing this blog over the past couple of years, many of my readers have come to appreciate a certain civility and thoughtfulness that I try to bring to my work. It's obvious by the subjects that I discuss that I am pro-conservation, pro-ocean, and pro-shark to name a few, but I rarely engage in rude put-downs or coarse language.

But PETA's latest billboard campaign truly tests my resolve. By showing a human leg dangling from the jaws of a white shark with the headline, "Payback is hell," this pro-animal rights group sets public awareness and support back a few notches by reinforcing stereotypes of the shark as mindless killers. Or actually, not mindless at all but cunning and vengeful - right out of a bad Jaws sequel.

Though PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) spouts some obligatory quotes about humans being the ultimate predator, not sharks; their real message is an anti-meat, pro-vegan position - which is fine to express but not at the expense of one of the very animals you claim to be protecting.

They may have thought, "Oh, people will get it. It's just a shark, just a picture." Well, in a world where American presidents have their nationality and their patriotism questioned, where climate change is expected to be cured by prayer, and where fallen soldiers are called "faggots" and said to have deserved to die; it's not all that hard to imagine many people viewing the PETA billboard and confirming to themselves that sharks are selecting humans for attack and therefore do not need our protection or concern - proof that the only good shark is a dead shark.

There have been many who have been assaulting PETA for this billboard and their stated rationale (as a follow up advertisement to a recent shark bite incident near the Gulf of Mexico.)

"With the recent shark attack in the news, we thought that it was a good time to bring this discussion up that will hopefully save lives, both human and animals," PETA Campaign Manager Ashley Byrne told The Huffington Post. "Sharks are not the most dangerous predators on Earth, we are. Americans alone kill billions of animals for food every year, including fish. And while sharks are natural carnivores, people can choose what they eat."

That's right, Ms. Byrne, sharks are natural predators, feeding on a wide range of animals which, in turn, helps to maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem. And with their continuing loss through commercial fishing, that balance is quickly being thrown out of whack. But the 50 injuries and 5 fatalities that people experience from sharks on average each year are not the result of a concerted campaign of retaliation, as your billboard moronically implies.

Shame on you. If you feel you need to promote such a ludicrous statement to support your cause, then I suggest you rethink your cause. People can be fooled with misleading images and headlines and so, because of that, it is incumbent on anyone who believes a cause to be righteous to deal in truth always.

"Payback is hell." It's stupid, lame, misleading and basically just a flat out lie. And it's serious, not intended as humor or satire - so we will take it as the serious statement that it is and I along with many of my conservation and shark advocate colleagues will choose not to ignore but to soundly repudiate it.

If you wish to express your views to PETA regarding the billboard, you may fill-out an online message form at the Peta website. Click here.

Protecting Corals and Island Nations: conservation group and the President of Palau both speak out

The Center for Biological Diversity is blowing its environmental horn not only to draw attention to its own actions but those of other nations concerned with the fate of marine ecosystems and the forces that impact them worldwide:

Settlement Requires Protecting 82 Corals
"On Tuesday the Center for Biological Diversity and the [U.S.] National Marine Fisheries Service reached an important agreement that will move 82 species of coral closer to protection. The agreement, following a 2009 petition and two notices of intent to sue by the Center, requires the Service to make decisions on protecting 82 U.S. corals -- including the mountainous star coral, blue rice coral and several Acropora corals -- under the Endangered Species Act by April 15, 2012. The Center has already earned protection for elkhorn (another Acorpora species) and staghorn corals."

As reported in the Houston Chronicle, "Unless we protect them right now, coral reefs will be lost within decades, and our grandchildren will never see these colorful underwater forests teeming with life," Miyoko Sakashita, the director of the organization's oceans program, said in a statement.

Currently, only reef-building staghorn and elkhorn corals are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Of the species under review, 75 are found in the Pacific. Nine exist in Hawaii waters, including ringed rice coral, which sometimes has a purple hue but is other times rust orange or brown. It's a candidate for listing because it's only found in the Hawaiian islands. This makes the species vulnerable to being wiped out if there's a heat wave or an invasive species infiltrates its habitat. Protection under the Endangered Species Act could put fishing, dumping, dredging, offshore oil development and other activities under stricter regulatory scrutiny.

Palau Speaks Out Against Climate Change
"The Pacific island nation of Palau has announced it will urgently seek an "advisory opinion" from the United Nations on whether some polluting countries have a legal responsibility to ensure that their greenhouse gases don't harm other countries. Under international law, Palau points out, states are required to take all necessary measures to stop their activities from harming other states. Despite mounting evidence that the climate crisis is only deepening, the U.S. has failed to make significant strides in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and, in fact, some in Congress are pushing to weaken the Clean Air Act rather than harness it to do what's needed to reduce greenhouse pollution and avert the worst effects of the global climate crisis."

Palau President Johnson Toribiong told the General Assembly’s annual general debate that, along with the Marshall Islands, Palau will call on the 193-member Assembly to urgently seek an advisory opinion – which would be non-binding – from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court. Palau is one of several Pacific island countries that have repeatedly spoken out at the General Assembly about the impact of climate change, with rising sea levels resulting from the emissions of greenhouse gases threatening to swamp their islands.

"Article 194(2) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides that States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that activities under their jurisdiction or control do not spread and do not cause damage by pollution to other States. It is time we determine what the international rule of law means in the context of climate change,” the president was quoted as saying in the UN News Centre.

In today's difficult economic climate, we see the impact of globalization; that our economic health can not be isolated or immune from the financial conditions being experienced by other nations. The same is certainly true for the environment - we're all in this together.

Watch a video of President Toribiong speaking to the General Assembly.

Earth Overshoot Day: group quantifies annual demand on natural resources

Today is not a particularly good day if your planet Earth. Today, September 27th, is Earth Overshoot Day, according to the Global Footprint Network (GFN). What this day signifies is that for the remainder of the year we are living on, essentially, borrowed natural resources. We're in debt ecologically-speaking.

GFN has been monitoring this kind of ecological yardstick, the "ecological overshoot," which evaluates the natural resources required by humankind compared with the amount of resources available and their ability to renew themselves. According to GFN, since the mid-70s we have been demanding more every year than the earth can replenish: dwindling forests that can not grow back fast enough before being cut down, shrinking numbers of fish, more CO2 produced than the planet can sequester, and so on.

According to GFN, "Our research shows that in approximately nine months, we have demanded a level of services from nature equivalent to what the planet can provide for all of 2012. We maintain this deficit by depleting stocks of things like fish and trees, and by accumulating waste such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the ocean."

Earth Overshoot Day is based on a concept originally designed by the UK-based New Economics Foundation. The foundation wanted to devise a method of use versus resources that would be understandable to policy and decision makers - people who are less inclined to understand scientific theories and observations and more receptive to concepts of net gain and loss. The ecological overshoot illustrates when humankind is withdrawing more than it is depositing and, therefore, dipping into its savings of natural resources - an account that is not at all endless.

The culprit that drives this model, and is a primary force even behind our current budget and employment crisis, is the ever-present 800-pound gorilla in the room: population growth. Despite all of our technology and production capability that provides us with everything from flat screen TVs to higher rice and corn yields for developing nations, we are asking more of mother earth than she can give and still renew herself. And it has been estimated that we will reach 7 billion in the next couple of months.

Earth Overshoot Day is an interesting concept, albeit not a cheery one, because it goes beyond theorizing about an environmental apocalypse and, instead, applies a system of measurement that enables us to gauge where we are going, good or bad, and what degree of improvement the future may hold if we all realize that the planet is a bank account with very limited reserves and a low rate of return.

"Global Footprint Network’s preliminary 2011 calculations show we are now using resources at a rate that would take between 1.3 and 1.5 planets to sustainably support. Our research shows us on track to require the resources of two planets well before mid-century. Of course, we only have one Earth. The fact that we are using (or “spending” natural capital) faster than it can replenish is similar to having expenditures that continually exceed income. In planetary terms, the results of our ecological overspending are becoming more clear by the day."

White Shark Rescue: SoCal surfers come to the aid of a juvenile shark

As California shark conservationists, supporters, and advocates wait for Gov. Jerry Brown to sign into law AB 376, the shark fin prohibition; we get reminders that perhaps the tide of public opinion is slowly turning in favor of the sharks. Pete Thomas' Outdoors, action, and adventure reported an unusual rescue at Venice Beach in Southern California:

"Sharks have many allies these days, as people, states and even nations are rallying behind efforts aimed at conservation.

But for a group of surfers and other witnesses at Venice Beach, Calif., over the weekend, one shark in particular needed rescuing, and it was a precarious job well done, as you can see in the accompanying video.

The juvenile white shark apparently was hooked on the city pier and became stranded on the shore with the fishing gear still in its mouth. It appeared listless and in bad shape, but at least its rescuers got the hook out and gave it a chance to survive.

The incident occurred one month after an angler reeled to the surface and gaffed a white shark from the Huntington Beach Pier. He became the subject of an investigation because white sharks are protected in California and it's illegal to kill them.

Southern California waters are a nursery area for juvenile white sharks, which prey on fishes, rays and smaller sharks until they grow large enough to begin preying on seals and sea lions."

I'll be back among the white sharks at Isla Guadalupe in two weeks. I'll be sure to let the big mommas and poppas down there know that their youngster is all right.

Hong Kong Shark Foundation: taking shark advocacy to the streets of Hong Kong

Shark conservation has grown over the years with some quantifiable progress in the form of legislation, regulations, and defined sanctuaries. There has been some improvement in advocacy and general public awareness. But there has also has been time, energy, and needed funds wasted over perhaps well-intended feel good campaigns whose results did nothing to move the needle in the direction of improved conservation.

Actually, that can probably be said of all conservation movements and so it is incumbent upon all of us who are interested in conservation issues to study the players and make sure that our efforts and support are directed to those groups who can bring about real change.

Regarding the issue of market demand in Asian countries for shark fin products, I was encouraged to see this small news item by the Associated Foreign Press and picked up far to the west in the Oman Daily Observer: a "plankmob" in the streets of of downtown Hong Kong to protest shark fins and shark fin soup. The event was planned for today, Sunday, by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation - an organization dedicated to conserving sharks and situated in the midst of one of the major trade centers for shark products.

"Supporters of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation march along a street to raise awareness for sharks killed each year for their fins, in Hong Kong yesterday. According to studies of the shark fin market up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, primarily for their fins used in shark fin soup. A bowl of shark fin soup can cost 100 USD, with a single fin being worth more than 1,300 USD."

Read about the Hong Kong Shark Foundation.

Diana Nyad: long distance swimmer battles nature in latest swim

On Friday, as the sun began to set outside of Hemingway Marina, near Havana, Cuba, Diana Nyad once began her attempt to swim the 103 miles from Cuba to Key West, Florida - an accomplishment that was thwarted in early August due to a shoulder injury and an asthma attack, apparently brought on by the use of a foreign-made medication to combat the shoulder pain. With water temperatures and calm seas offering ideal conditions, Diana, at age 62, went after a goal that has alluded her for several years.

I was fortunate and privileged to have been on the Xtreme Dream team involved in the August swim as a shark watch diver, having filmed her earlier for a CNN documentary which aired recently. The expense of this kind of undertaking is enormous and so to try again so soon after the August attempt, Diana needed to scale back her operation. To save costs in airfare and accommodations, August lead shark crew member Luke Tipple and myself had to bow out (we had other obligations anyway), and Diana recruited three Florida locals, including Rob MacDonald and Johnny Rose who were with us in August.

With every meeting or conversation I have had with Diana, I was always impressed by her energy and determination. And so in the weeks following the August swim, in the back of my mind I was always thinking that if she got a sufficiently clean bill of health from her doctors regarding her right shoulder which had been such a big issue in the August attempt, she would be thinking seriously about making another go of it if the weather was right. So, Xtreme Dream redux - with Diana once again heading into the unknown of the first night crossing the Florida Straits on her way to Key West.

Challenges Once Again
As has been reported on her website and in several news outlets, it didn't take long for challenges to present themselves - this time in the form of severe sea jelly, or jellyfish, stings. Diana received several stings from a Portuguese Man-of-War which required some quick action from Johnny Rose.

An entry from the Xtreme Dream blog: "A testament to Diana’s strength was the two hours tonight following her sting by numerous Portuguese man of war. Chief handler Bonnie Stoll said, 'Diana was stung along both arms the side of her body and her face.' Jonathan Rose, a safety diver and EMT, immediately got in the water with Diana to try and free her of the tentacles and stingers. Rose was also stung numerous times. The crew got Diana’s swimsuit changed and put a new suit on with a shirt covering her. After an hour and a half of treading water Diana began to rehydrate and swim her freestyle stroke."

The encounter took its toll on Diana and her ability to maintain her stride in the water. After getting some medical attention, under the watchful eyes of independent observers from the International Swimming Foundation to ensure that all rules for an unaided swim were met. Diana continued on and started to show improvement. Things were looking up.

Next up was some Saturday afternoon unwanted company: an oceanic whitetip shark. Even though Diana was using the electronic shark shields that we had also used in August, an oceanic whitetip can become intensely curious - this was the one species I had the most concern over in August. Fortunately, Rob MacDonald approached the shark and it proved to be less than curious and bid a hasty retreat. As it turned out, it wasn't the big creatures that would prove to be the greatest threat as the hours wore on.

A Difficult Decision
Entering her second night of the swim, Diana once again encountered Portuguese Man-of-War and was badly stung about the face, affecting her eyes even though they are protected by goggles. This time, more extensive medical treatment was required and Diana had to make a tough decision; she chose to come aboard the support vessel, resting on the transom while receiving treatment from two doctors. This would normally signal an end to the entire swim attempt, but there was one more avenue available to her.

From the Xtreme Dream blog: "According to the independent observer from the International Swim Federation, Diana may continue the swim if she has only been removed from the water for medical treatment. In other words, not simply to rest. The swim then becomes something called a “staged swim,” meaning that it may occur in stages. Diana’s swim will still be record breaking if she decides to continue."

This is why it is so critical to having independent observers watching over a world record attempt such as this swim from Cuba to Florida. The observers can authenticate what was or was not accomplished and can verify changes in strategy that may be dictated by circumstances. With the support vessel not moving forward during her break, Diana eventually resumed her swim from the exact spot where she stopped to receive medical treatment; a record could still be accomplished as a staged swim.

Nature Can Have Its Way
In the waters where Diana is swimming, there are several jellyfish species. Some of the most common are the Portuguese Man-of-War, the Moon Jelly, and the Sea Walnut. The Moon Jelly and Sea Walnut are relatively harmless, but the Portuguese Man-of-War can deliver quite a wallop. During the day, it is relatively easy to recognize with its large, bluish-purple dome that floats on the surface. Trailing underneath are stinging tentacles that can sometimes reach 30 feet in length. And these tentacles can still sting even when broken off from the main body itself.

While warm water temperatures and calm seas are the ideal conditions for a long distance swimmer, they are also ideal conditions for jellyfish reproduction. So it is during these summer months that the numbers can increase exponentially, thereby increasing the chances for an encounter. Worldwide, there have been increasing jellyfish "blooms" with thousands of jellyfish appearing at sea or along coastlines, sometimes washing up on beaches. Scientists have yet to draw definitive conclusions as to why these increases in numbers may be occurring but climate change and loss of natural predators are theories being researched.

Moving into Sunday, Diana persevered, having swam for over 40 hours. But she faced two additional nights before she would reach Florida and there was concern as to the threat of additional jellyfish encounters. Reluctantly, but giving wise consideration to her personal health and the counsel of her physicians, Diana concluded the swim at 11:00am, completing 82 nautical miles (over 92 statute miles) and once again proving herself to be a champion athlete and an inspiration to so many, young and old.

Diana, it's my birthday today and I'm only a couple of years behind you. You're a terrific reminder of what all of us can accomplish in our daily lives when we set our minds to it. You also demonstrate to us the wisdom of knowing when to change strategies so that drive is not mistaken for obsession.

". . . for each of us, isn’t life about determining your own finish line? This journey has always been about reaching your own other shore no matter what it is, and that dream continues.” - Diana Nyad, Sunday, 9/25/11

Now, as you so often say, "Onward!"

Read about Diana's swim at her website.
Quotes sourced from her blog.
Swim photos courtesy of www.diananyad.com.

Cambodia's Tigers and the Banteng: protecting a predator can also mean protecting its prey

In Cambodia, international conservation groups and the Cambodian government are working to restore the eastern plains as a primary habitat for the country's dwindling population of tigers. The number of tigers worldwide is perilously low, with totals estimated at around 3,200 to perhaps 5,000. Poaching has been the primary threat to the tiger, but to develop a comprehensive conservation and management program, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recognizes that more must be done than just eliminate poaching. One must also protect its food source.

The Cambodian tigers feed on wild pigs, muntjac deer, and banteng - an endangered species of cattle. All have suffered declines in number in the past few decades. In particular, the banteng, estimated at 2,700 to 5,700 in number residing in the eastern plains, has seen a decrease of 50% in the last 30 years. Due to its scarcity worldwide, the banteng is listed as globally endangered by the IUCN.

While the banteng suffered at the hands of poachers seeking its meat and horns, the WWF has recently issued a report based on surveys taken in 2009 and 2011 that identify social and agricultural land concessions and infrastructure as the primary threat. Human development is encroaching upon the banteng, and their loss threatens the future of one of its primary predators: the tiger.

“For the tiger population to recover, one of the most important things needed is a sustainable source of prey, such as banteng,” read a statement from the WWF regarding the need for a comprehensive and effective conservation management plan in Cambodia. “Anything less threatens to unravel a decade of conservation progress and with each passing day diminishes the Eastern Plains’ value as a national and global ecological asset for current and future generations.”

Because of the complex web of inter-dependencies that make up a healthy ecosystem, simple "silver bullet" solutions are far and few between. Should we stop the commercial killing of, say, whales or sharks, we must then also consider the health and status of the animals upon which they feed - from the smallest krill to large commercial fish. And for the remaining Cambodian tigers, should we protect their numbers we must also provide an environment within which they can feed and flourish.

“For tigers and prey species- including a globally endangered banteng population to recover within the landscape, stronger protected area management and a commitment to conservation from high levels of Cambodian government are essential,” WWF species conservation manager Nick Cox said.

Read about the banteng in the Phnom Penh Post.

U.S. Senate Ocean Caucus: group formed to weigh pressing ocean management issues

How does one get 100 senators and 435 representatives to agree on anything? Well, judging by today's standards, it would appear to be an impossibility. But one method is the senate caucus - a group of senators that discuss the most pressing issues regarding a particular topic, trying to move forward on proposed legislation with a unified, bipartisan voice.

The Senate Ocean Caucus has been forming, its latest permutation consisting of 19 senators, co-chaired by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

As reported in the Cape Cod Times, "Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Scott Brown, R-Mass., and 17 other senators founded the Senate ocean caucus last week to collaborate on federal ocean management and protection policies. The caucus also plans to educate congressional members and staff on ocean and coastal policies and scientific research.

'The ocean caucus will help focus attention on ... laws that govern the seas, affect jobs and vital industries, concern our marine ecosystems and protect our waters off Massachusetts,' Kerry said."

David Helvarg's Blue Frontier Campaign has been watching this group closely (At the Blue Frontier Campaign's Blue Vision Summit in May, I had an opportunity to hear Sen. Whitehouse speak cautiously but optimistically about the caucus) and David had this to say,

"Senator Whitehouse said the caucus will focus on 'the role of the ocean economy, ecosystems functions and the need for more research.' Hopefully it can also help save ocean agencies and programs from having their budgets slashed by the House and that other body, oh yeah, the Senate. From what was said, it sounds like the caucus will begin working around issues involving the melting Arctic, the Law of the Seas treaty that the Senate has yet to ratify (30 years and counting), and ocean conservation. It’s a truly hopeful sign in a generally less than hopeful town."

With a Senate Ocean Caucus - there is also a House version, too - ocean conservation organizations and citizens as a whole will have a focal point toward which they can direct their concerns and watch what is being considered, debated, and acted upon in Washington. As dysfunctional as our government currently is, we still need those lightning rods where we can direct our energy towards getting government to seriously consider the long-term consequences of ineffective conservation and natural resource management.

Read the Blue Frontier Campaign's latest newsletter.
Read about the Senate Ocean caucus in the Cape Cod Times.

Whale Sharks: Nat Geo documents unusual feeding behavior

Whale sharks - the largest fish on the planet. For many of us who dip below the surface of the sea, either with snorkels or scuba, catching a glimpse of any large marine animal is always a powerful and memorable experience. It almost seems surreal; something so large gliding past you like a zeppelin in a liquid sky.

That feeling is heightened when the leviathan in question is a whale shark. Not that you are concerned about becoming prey to the whale shark - these animals are filter feeders like baleen whales - but it's a shark all the same. Throughout the world there are several "hot spots" for finding small congregations of whale sharks, but it's not always guaranteed. Many divers can tell you of their experiences being skunked, and then learning about the sharks that appeared the day after they departed.

For underwater photographer Michael Aw, luck was on his side while taking pictures for National Geographic. Not only did he find whale sharks off the northern shores of Papua, Indonesia, but he was able to document an unusual behavior. The whale sharks had come across a reliable food source, that of the baitfish caught by local fishermen. With hundreds of small fish corralled into fishing nets, the sharks would grab at the nets, trying to make off with an easy meal. It would appear that it runs in the family - whale sharks are opportunistic feeders, like their smaller shark cousins.

Accompanying Aw's photos in Sharing with Sharks for the October issue, on sale September 27th, and online edition of National Geographic, Jennifer Holland wrote, "The giant fish is hard to study because it is hard to find and track. By tagging individual specimens, scientists have learned that whale sharks can log thousands of miles in years-long trips. But they sometimes disappear for weeks, diving more than a mile down and resting in the chilly deep for a spell. No one has ever found mating or birthing grounds.

Whale sharks are ordinarily loners. But not in one corner of Indonesia. [Michael Aw's] photographs, shot some eight miles off the province of Papua, reveal a group of sharks that call on fishermen each day, zipping by one another, looking for handouts near the surface, and nosing the nets - a rare instance when the generally docile fish act, well, like the rest of the sharks."

One might question whether these sharks are becoming habituated or "trained" to look to the fishermen for their food. This has been a concern leveled at others in the eco-tourism trade who are accused of attracting animals, in particular sharks, to the extant that it potentially interferes with the animals normal hunting instincts. But research has shown that what is offered as an attractant is usually insignificant compared to the animal's normal nutritional requirements and with whatever behavior modification that might take place, its effects are transitory.

But it can provide for some amazing moments, as Michael Aw's photos can attest. You can read the entire photo-article in the October issue of National Geographic or visit the National Geographic website.