IT’S A WRAP SHARK WEEK – UNTIL NEXT YEAR…SHARK WEEK 2014 – NATIONAL HOLIDAY??

BY HEATHER MARLETTE

                        With the beginning of my happy time comes the knowledge that in a few days time, shark week will be over for the year. I always enjoy the programming, but every year I have a worse feeling that the true essence of what shark week once was is disappearing. 26-years ago, this was a week of what it set out to be – using the popularity of television and channels like the Discovery Channel to bring attention to the most misunderstood, scapegoated animals roaming – technically swimming – the planet today. Over time, there have been many changes to the weeklong programming, which incidentally is considered the longest running cable programming with 26 consecutive years having it.

            For 16 years Shark Week was aired with no host from 1987-2003, and for some reason the Discovery Channel decided that in 2004 they needed to remedy this. In 2004, the cast of American Chopper hosted, and then in 2005 the hosts continued up to this year. From 2005-2009 the hosts were the popular faces of the Discovery Channel, then in 2010 it all kind of went to hell. That was the year when there was no need to be a scientist at all to host shark week, with late night talk show host/actor Craig Ferguson taking the helm. Discovery Channel stayed with funny men, and in 2011 it was Andy Samberg, 2012 brought Philip DeFranco – online journalist, social media icon and this year we had comedian/actor Josh Wolf as our Shark Week Captain. Okay. I do not truly know why they ever introduced a “host.” I did not mind so much when it was the MythBusters, Les Stroud (Survivorman) or even Mike Rowe who had some kind of connection to Discovery Channel and added to the programming. I can almost give them this year, as Josh Wolf showed an enthusiasm that led to high ratings and interesting conversation on the new addition Shark After Dark a late night talk show that blew away the competition this week.

                New additions are nothing new to shark week. Every year they save the primetime rating hours (generally 8 PM – 11 PM) for their new shark programming. Every year they have about 5 – 7 new shows that they premiere to the devoted and often outspoken shark week fans, and yes, in that description me is included. More and more though, I have noticed that they are getting away from the shows that drew me in to begin with. I am not quite sure when shark week turned into Great White and a few other more well known Sharks Week but it does appear to have. There are few exceptions lately, and especially this year. I will give you that the above mentioned Shark After Dark was quite enjoyable. I will also say that I enjoyed Air Jaws: Beyond the Breach, but it was not as good as Alien Monster Sharks, Spawn of Jaws and Return of Jaws. For new programming, that was about it.

I am a huge Air Jaws but this behind the scenes look seemed to be just an attempt to fill a time slot with the progression of the scientist team over the years – but we have seen them, we know who Chris Fallows and Jeff Kurr are. I am excited to know they have a show coming next year, searching for Colossus who was introduced in last year’s Air Jaws. We have seen them get shot after shot people told them they never would – their shows depict the Great White as an apex predator, and not as a Great White Serial Killer – do NOT get me started. The rest – please. Great Whites are starting to target and hunt humans? Voodoo Sharks had potential had they gone with the Bull Shark science, but instead they chose to follow the people hunting down the non-existent giant mutation of Bull Sharks and I couldn’t even make it through it. The updated Shark Countdown was ridiculous and seemed an attempt to throw some new names out there and have some kitchiness going on. AND OH THE GREAT WHITES.  

Is Discovery Channel aware that there are other sharks? Not just the Bull, Tiger, Sand Tiger and Hammer Head, but Blues, Whale Sharks, All Reef Sharks?? How about more on the deep water sharks, or some specials on those who hunt the sharks and why? Instead of some REALLY STUPID AND NOT WELL DONE mockumentary – I mean, did you see those special effects? – how about an expose on Finning or sports hunters. That is really all I can say on that. That mockumentary was a disgrace, and defending it by saying well, you know, maybe Megalodon is out there, it’s a big ocean is UNFORGIVEABLE. With the seriously just flashed disclaimers that showed for seconds at most, people believed that show. They thought that this was a documentary presenting real evidence and there is no excuse allowable for Discovery not making the truth clear before the show, going to and coming back from each commercial break and at the end. Despicable.

I get that the attack shows and the Great Whites draw people that are not geeks, shark enthusiasts and science aficionados in for ratings but for some of what happened this year…wow. I will vote for more Shark After Dark, and even I enjoyed good old Bob the Shark and who could not get into the Snuffy promos. Shark enthusiast, including myself, can only hope that Discovery Channel takes a look at their programming and realize that when you are presenting this information to the public as a whole, they take it as their shark knowledge and run with it. Most people aren’t like me and my fellow sheeks (yup, that is how I refer to us shark geeks, you know you love it). They won’t go out and learn about sharks on their own. They aren’t going to research the details, or study the history. They don’t want to; they trust the Discovery Channel to present them with the actual facts, not theories, skewed views and outright lying mockups. So yes, I still love me some Shark Week, and can NOT wait for Shark Week 2014, I just hope that there is a return to basics somewhere in the future.

MY OH MY THE SHARKS, THE FINAL- I SWEAR

BY HEATHER MARLETTE

The main event now – the number one coolest shark according to yours truly. The Tiger Shark. This species is literally in a class itself, being the only species in the Galeocerdo genus. Overall picture, yes another requiem shark, though this shark is not viviparous, it is again the ONLY one in its class that is in fact ovoviviparous – though, I do have to admit the only real difference between viviparous and ovoviviparous is that in viviparous animals there is a placental connection and there is not in ovoviviparous, the unborn getting their nourishment instead from the yolk in their eggs. Female Tigers only mate every 3 years, generally in the months of March-May. The pups will gestate inside for up to 16 months. Again the females are often larger than the males; average length of the males is around 14 feet and 15 for the females.

They have a smaller body type than most of its rivals, with a very slim and straight-line design. They have bluish/greenish skin with a yellow or white belly. This is a great hunting advantage, as prey below the sharks will not see them when looking up. They of course have the dark stripes/spots running down their body that gives them their name; however these do fade with age. Tigers also have a smaller, wedge like head/snout, which makes turning easier for them, and have many sensory organs in their snouts and down their flanks to pick up the minutest of vibrations in the water, making them dangerous hunters since they can stay completely hidden in the dark. The Tiger Shark hunts alone, mainly at night. They are found in temperate or tropical waters, often in the central Pacific. This is a five gill shark, with 2 dorsal fins, and nictitating membranes to protect the eyes. They seem to have no real depth presence and have been recorded in water from 10 feet deep to depths of 3,000 feet.

Tigers are known for their ability and preference to eat ANYTHING from tiny fish to sea turtles – which seem to be a preference for adults. They also go after dolphins, to the point that science has evidence of dolphins avoiding areas with high Tiger Shark Populations. They are known to scavenge corpses of whales, and will actually join together to attack a whale in distress. These sharks are the epitome of the apex predator with their enhanced eyesight, sense of smell and sensory abilities. Since they have such highly developed hunting skills it is amazing that they have such a scavenger reputation that they are known in many circles as “wastebaskets of the sea.” Whether the water is clear or not, they will know exactly where their potential prey is located, and go forward with powerful bursts from their tail. They circle their potential victim, bumping it with their highly sensitive snout to investigate it – and when they are satisfied, they often take their prey whole. For larger victims it may take a few large bites. The Tiger is like a garbage disposal, and when cut open anything can be found in the stomach, from fish and turtles to horses, cats, and even rats to inanimate things like license plates, baseballs, and any other item the shark thought might be tasty. Though they like to swim lazily, barely moving their tail, they are actually quite good sprint swimmers and known as some of the strongest swimmers in the oceans.

This magnificent species has much lore around it, most notably in the Hawaiian culture. The Tiger Shark is known in Hawaii as one of their nā ʻaumākua – which is their version of a family God or deified ancestor. This type of God exists in many cultures, and is believed to be a deity or spirit that protects at least certain members of the family if not the family in a whole. It can also be tied back to the popular Hawaiian myth of Ka-moho-aliʻi who was located in the region of the waters between Maui and Kahoolawe. Mainly, when a ship was lost at sea, Ka-moho-aliʻi shook his tail in front of the lost and they would not only be feed, but also guided home. This God is often credited with being the one to bring the first citizens of Hawaii there.

There you have it. The number one, apex, best shark of the lot. I am sorry if your shark did not make my cut, but there you have it. Of course, this list is simply knowledge gathered after hearing something on a Shark Week show that piqued my interest and caused me to investigate something further. No science, nothing but my opinion and my reasoning’s. I welcome point counter point in the comments, because agree with the top ten or not you have to admit that as long as you have an opinion, the sharks may yet be saved. The Tiger, my favorite apex predator is also on the Nearly Threatened List. So many of these magnificent creatures are Nearly Threatened or at the beginning of actual Endangerment because of foolish reasons. Sport hunting the sharks, or commercial fisheries going after them for teeth, jaws, leather for shoes and belts, use in cosmetics.  They are also used in cancer research projects, but since the parts we need to use wouldn’t let them survive, they are killed for this too. Let’s not forget about Shark-Fin-Soup. This may be considered a delicacy in some lands, but most can agree it is a tasteless soup that is made to impress people not for gourmet reasons. For the sharks that are killed for Finning – the fin is less than 4% of their body weight. After they are removed the sharks are generally thrown back to die. Over 100 different species of the 450 known shark species are seen as being endangered since their long term survival can no longer be foreseen, and more on the Nearly Threatened List. For creatures directly designed from the “sea monsters” of the prehistoric era, the only true danger that they have faced is human kind – and we cry about them being killing machines, make movies depicting them as vicious, mindless killers. Irony at the highest level.

MY OH MY THE SHARKS (FINALLY 5-2), BA DUM, BA DUMP, BA DA BA DA DUH DA DAH OR YOU KNOW, HOWEVER THE JAWS THEME LOOKS WRITTEN OUT IN YOUR HEAD…

BY HEATHER MARLETTE

                        Wow do I suck with the being timely on the blog…my bad, sorry sorry. So, here we have it. I know you have been waiting with baited (ha, cheesey pun totally intended) breath. It is the top FIVE hcmarlette favorite apex predators of the deep. I can say that yes, the main 3 are in here, but I am thinking you may not be able to correctly guess # 1 shark in my majorly scientific and professional countdown. On the coolness of sharks. Okay, maybe not scientific, but you have to give me entertaining…

                        Coming in at number 5 is the singular most distinctive looking shark, the hammerhead. I mean, come on – even without any further information I am right here, it is a top 5 shark. Right now, you can picture it. You see the EXACT shape of its head. These sharks can be seen to be in large schools during the day – and these are massively large schools. They will often break off to be solitary hunters during the night hours. They are located largely in the Southern and Eastern African waters, but also have been confirmed to have large populations near Costa Rica, Columbia and Hawaii. They range from 3 feet to 20 feet long, and weight goes up correspondingly from 6.6 to 1,300 pounds. The feature of this shark that gives it its name is of course the "hammer" shape head that is more commonly known as the cephalofoil. This elongated head is believed to have many evolutionary techniques behind its shaping (thought you may be missing the cheesey illusions…) but the major and latest popular theory is this came to be to give the shark the 360 degree field of vision it has with its eyes located on the sides of the hammer head – though I think it is more anvil shaped. The trade off – disproportionally small mouths, causing the sharks to mainly be bottom feeders. The mating process can seem violent as it mainly consists of the male following and biting the female harder and harder until the female always copulation. Recently there has been some evidence of asexual reproduction possibilities.

                        Number 4 on the bad ass list of sharks is the Blacktip Shark – not the Blacktip Reef Shark guys, the Blacktip Shark. This is a truly stunning shark to look at. It has a combination of many of the typical shark characteristics, like a long nose/snout, a short, stout body the long gills the gray body and white stomach. They also of course have black tips on some if not all the fins, from the pectoral to the dorsal to the pelvic and on. It may give this shark the appearance of being outlined, and draws attention to the muscular body. This is a requiem, viviparous shark that can differ so much within the species there is no true average size of groups that they travel in, however it is believed they are generally in groups. They generally will be in the range of around 5 feet. The females give birth every other year, to anywhere from 1 to up to 10 pups, who live in a nursery in their youth, in shallow, calm waters. Often these grown females will return to give birth in the nursery they grew up in…which is, in my humble opinion, incredibly endearing. If caught in a situation lacking males, the females can reproduce asexually. These sharks are quite quick, but are known to be milder for requiem sharks, only becoming aggressive if they feel their food is threatened which has caused them to be classified as slightly more dangerous to humans in their presence, and have a number of reported attacks. They are on the Nearly Threatened List as well as most on my countdown, as they are popular query amongst commercial and recreational fisheries. The coolest feature of these fish is their trademark spin jump for fish skimming the surface that shows off the beauty of those black tips as well as the strength of this sea creature.

                        BA DUM, BA DUMP, BA DA BA DA DUH DA DAH. Yes. At number 3, not one so HA, at number 3 is Brucie boy himself – Mr. Jaws. Although, the story that Peter Benchley based that on actually occurred more in Jersey and is believed to have been a Bull Shark – who is still to come on the list – but ya know, it’s a cool transition. That is right. Number 3 is the Great White Shark. That is not white. It is grey. It has a white underbelly. Again, The Great White Underbelly, not the same appeal, nor effect. So, the Great White is of course mainly known world over due to its size, made legendary in Benchley’s novel and the movie adaptation, which is much larger than reality – though achieving lengths upwards of 20 feet this is actually quite rare, yet with an average length of 15 feet there are no shrimps in this species... This shark’s first known fossils are approximately 16 million years old and is believed to be the direct descendant of prehistoric sharks. The shark lives all over, with large concentrations in California, Hawaii, and Australia (Southern) and of course South Africa, namely Seal Island where we were introduced to Air Jaws. This shark is deadly if it attacks, with the force of an average 20 foot long specimen displaying a bite force of 4,000 pounds of pressure. However, little is known about these sharks, as they tend to be illusive to scientists. They more than any shark, for obvious reasons (re: Jaws – novel, movie and sadly sequels) this shark above all others have a reputation of being a “man eater.” The number of shark attacks and deaths resulting from said attacks is way too low to lend any type of credence to this theory. Great Whites do not seem to target humans, and often the attacks are a result of mistaken identity, the shark thinking the diver or person on the surface is some other fish or hopefully (to the shark) a seal. Often, as long as not caught alone, after the first exploratory bite that the Great White gives, a diver (or swimmer) can be saved as the shark turns to come back, or swims off completely. They do not survive long in captivity, usually dying or being released due to poor health within a year, and never achieving its great size potential. When you hear me say that sharks are simply insanely misunderstood creatures, these Great Whites are generally the species that I have in mind. I mean, they have the nick name of white death. They have a bad rap. Trust me; the evidence proves they are a scape goat for –

                         The Bull Shark. Number 2 on Heather’s Sharktastic list. These sharks are nasty (WARNING SWEAR WORD COMING) bastards. There is literally no other way to describe them. They are called the Bull shark (most popular name, they have others) due to their short stockiness, flat snout and their crazy unpredictable behavior. As I said, Bull Shark is the most typical name but due to their wide spread locations they have many names. They are most likely going to be the ones responsible for shallow water attacks, and it is believed that the number of attacks is much higher than reported, as other species get the finger pointed at them. They are vicious creatures who have the ability to survive in fresh as well as salt water. I would love to explain how, but I am not in fact that scientifically minded. I know it has to do with the way their gills filter the water and the chemicals in their blood adjust. They do not require much depth, the deepest it generally dives is barely to 500 feet, and prefers to swim at a 30-50 foot range. That’s what I have. They can be anywhere from 2.5 feet to over 7 feet in length, and up to 700 pounds. They have a bite of up to 1,300 pounds of pressure. The females tend to be larger than the males. These sharks do not play nice with others, being very solitary hunters, sometimes going up to hunt in pairs, never more. They are nasty, and will attack not only if they feel threatened, but if they feel another is encroaching on their territory. They are also viviparous giving birth to a few live pups after a 12 month gestation period, and are one of the species believed to become aggressive in the womb with the dominant pups attacking and eating the others before birth. These ferocious apex predators have no true predatory threat as they do not back down from fights and are larger than many of their fellows. Though some diehards still cling to the rouge Great White Theory, most in the scientific community blame this species for the 1916 attacks that inspired Peter Benchley, due to the attacks that occurred in salt and fresh water, and mainly in shallow areas. This species is also on the Near Threatened list due to the long gestation and low birth rate mixed with human predatory hunting.             

                 Since I have gotten this to be lengthy somehow I have to withhold the number one Heather Shark. I know, there are tears, perhaps a few broken hearts. It is coming I promise – and it is already half written so it shouldn’t even take as long!! Really no promises though.

MY OH MY THE SHARKS (AT LEAST 10-6), TO QUOTE THE GREAT MR. JOSS WHEDON – GRR, ARGH

BY HEATHER MARLETTE

                Okay, so no, sharks do not grr nor do they argh – but if I can bring it back to Joss Whedon, and by extension Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I will. Every time – so, I guess warning blog readers, warning. Any way in today’s Shark Week tribute blog, I intend to kind of go over the different types of more well-known sharks to show you that they really are just animals that do what they do, no need to be scared. They are truly just doing what is in their nature to do, and they are not hunting human kind, no “man-eating” killer sharks here. I do have to give another disclosure – these are my personal favorite species of sharks. I have researched and know these sharks as they are the ones that interest me the most. Disclosure – I am not a shark expert and these are the facts I know to be true and am always welcome to scientific correction. The ranking of sharks is my opinion ONLY.

                Number 10 on my list is the gigantic yet graceful Whale Shark. The Whale Shark is a filter feeding (feeds from straining water for food particles/matter) fish that grows to enormous length, the average being 31.82 feet and 9 tons– the largest recorded at 41.50 feet and 21.5 tons, though many have claimed to have seen larger. This shark enjoys warmer or tropical waters, and as far as science knows lives for about 70 years. Though they have been known mainly as filter feeders, there is some documentation of them feeding on small schools of fish, or in the area where fish have spawned. It is a five gill shark, with 300-350 sharp rows of small teeth. The shark has a grey body, white stomach and trademark yellow spots and stripes.  The Whale Shark is an active feeder. This gentle giant does not appear to pose any harm to divers at all, and many divers report having been able to “catch a ride” on them – though, responsibility screams at me to mention that the shark scientific community majorly warns against this. Breeding and birthing are pretty un-known, though it is believed that they give birth to a pup, not lay eggs.

                Number 9 is the Pacific Angelshark – which is shock of all shocks, a subspecies of the angel shark that is found in the Pacific Ocean. How do you like my investigative skills now, what, WHAT?? It is mainly the Eastern Pacific, This is a small shark, averaging about 5 feet, and they have the same characteristic Angel Shark features, the flat body and large pectoral and pelvic fins. They are ambush predators who target their victims by sight, concealing themselves on the ocean floor and attacking squid and spiny fish that venture close enough. Most stay in a hunting spot up to several days. They are largely nocturnal creatures, staying buried under the sea floor in the day. They are mainly solo creatures and they are what are known as viviparous breeders, having up to 6 pups at a time. They are not necessarily dangerous to mankind, unless provoked which can result in a major and painful bite. Sadly they are classified as a Near Threatened species, since their meat is much sought after and are hunted by professionals and sportsman.

                Next up at number 8 is the Silvertip Shark. This is a larger shark that can be easily identified by the white marks around the edge of its fin. It is found in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and can attain an average length of 10 feet. It is often spotted near coral reefs and near offshore islands, and can dive to depths as deep as 2,600 feet. They are also viviparous breeders, having up to 11 pups at a time, always in the summer season. They are a fierce predator that reigns over smaller fish and other requiem (live bearing, warm/fresh/brackish water, migratory) sharks similar in size, and often have scarred bodies to reflect their confrontational nature. They are not scared of humans, and since they are confrontational in nature, they are categorized as a threat to humans since they have no fear and often come close to divers. They are a huge target for hunters, as every part of them is coveted from their jaws/teeth to their fins to their meat. They join our friend the Pacific Angelshark on the Near Threatened Species list due to this.

                Give it up for the requiem sharks – cruising in at Number 7 on this very scientific list is the Grey Reef Shark. It has the typical reef shark features with a short and round snout and big eyes. They are fast swimmers, and the most common reef shark in Indo-Pacific region. They will always be found in the shallow water before the coral reef drop-offs (I know, again with my investigative skills…) and are actually quite small for sharks, average length attained is usually a little over 6 feet. What they lack in length these lovely sharks make up with in aggression. Being ironic, they are not territorial creatures, but quite social, often hanging out in groups of as up to as many as 20 in daylight, and breaking off to individual hunting routines at night. They too are viviparous (realizing at this point I have not explained that well, it is simply a creature that sustains an embryo or embryos through a placental connection) giving birth from 1 to 6 pups every other year. They were one of the first and most definitive species to go through what is known as the threat display – hunching their posture, dropping their pectoral fins and swimming side to side. They are seen as dangerous to divers, and you should watch for their tell-tale threat display if around them. Since they are suspect to commercial fisheries combined with their slow and low reproduction rates, they too are on the Near Threatened Species lists…are you seeing a trend?

                Sprint swimming into Number 6 is the beautiful Blue Shark There is nary a better shark to leave today’s blog with - and I do need to leave you wanting to come back for 5-1, right? They are of course a requiem shark, viviparous delivering large broods of 25-100 pups at a time and live for about 20 years to the best of our knowledge. They segregate into sexually specified schools also grouped by size, and have been called the “wolves” of the sea. They prefer cooler water and migrate large distances. Males range from 6 feet to 9 feet, and the female is larger at 7 feet to 11 feet, males reaching maturity at 4-5 years old, and females at 5-6 years old. Adult Blues do not have major predators outside of killer whales, while younger ones can fall victim to other sharks as well. They are typically slow moving and slightly lethargic, but can have great bursts of speed. They are not seen as hugely dangerous to mankind, with only a recorded 13 attacks on record, and 4 fatalities. They cannot be found on any lists and though upwards of 10 to maybe 20 million of them a year are recorded as hunted by humans, but their flesh though edible is not widely sought after, though they are sometimes sought after for sportsman due to their beauty and speed. They do not do well in captivity usually dying within 30 days – so let’s leave them in their natural habitat, please

                There you go…numbers 10-6 on Heather’s list of rocking sharks…trust me, you want to tune in tomorrow when I will let you know the awesomeness of the top 5 sharks according to Heather…trust me there is no science here at all, so if you want to see something interesting, I would keep tuned…