Download shark-seeing - Bali Sharks

ACTION&ATTRACTION
SHARK-SEEING
IN SERANGAN
In collaboration with the Kelompok Nelayan Serangan fishermen’s
association, the Serangan Shark Project’s Shark Island creates
Indonesia’s first environmentally friendly awareness towards sharks.
S
harks have been swimming the world’s oceans
toxicus which lives in tropical and subtropical waters. These
for more than 400 million years — 100 million
dinoflagellates adhere to coral, algae and seaweed, where they
years before the first dinosaurs appeared on
are eaten by herbivorous fish who in turn are eaten by larger
land. But today, shark populations are being
carnivorous fish - yours truly. In this way the toxins move up the
decimated by commercial fishing, putting
foodchain and bioaccumulate. So, all in all, the consumption of
some species in danger of extinction. Sharks
shark meat is the last thing you would even think of. They’re better
have unfortunately fallen victim to the man-hungry stereotype
society has created for them. However, what the world should
left in the oceans and left to do their jobs.
As top or apex predators, sharks help to manage healthy ocean
really fear is a world without sharks. Each year, humans kill more
ecosystems. And as the number of large sharks declines, the
than 100 million sharks worldwide. This includes the tens of
oceans will suffer unpredictable and devastating consequences.
millions of sharks that are caught annually for their fins, which are
Sharks help maintain the health of ocean ecosystems, including
one of the world’s most expensive seafood products.
seagrass beds and coral reefs. Healthy oceans undoubtedly
Shark meat alone is not quite a tasty treat! And consumption
of shark meat can be dangerous. It contains high levels of
depend on sharks.
Sharks as apex predators can regulate species abundance,
mercury, and moreover it is one fo the prime causes of food-borne
distribution and diversity, which in turn can impact the health of
illnesses. Ciguatera is one of them. A foodborne illness caused by
marine habitats. Additionally, they provide essential food sources
eating certain reef fishes whose flesh is contaminated with toxins
for scavengers and remove the sick and weak from populations
originally produced by dinoflagellates such as Gambierdiscus
of prey species. The decimation of these important shark species
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can have cascading effects throughout the ecosystems they
inhabit, resulting in economically and ecologically devastating
consequences.
Protecting sharks and allowing their populations to recover is
essential to restoring the health of our oceans.
Zooming in on the island of Serangan, on the southeast of the
concerns of teh species protection in mind. With the approval of
Kelompok Nelayan Serangan, Shark Island creates Indonesia’s first
environmentally friendly awareness towards sharks. The sharks are
housed in a controlled and safe 10x10-meter area. The purpose
of the project is to educate people of such issues that face the
endagered species such as over and illegal fishing, as well as how
sharks relate to and are needed to control the marine ecosystem.
Shark Island is for people of all ages and offers a state
PHOTOS COURTESY BALI SHARKS
Bali mainland, the Shark Island has been created with the above
of the art stainless steel cage for in water viewing. Sharks
are misunderstood as they carry a stigma of creating fear to
most people because of the way they have been portrayed by
Hollywood in movies.
Shark Island consists of a 1 are floating raft or pontoon which
is currently being used as a shark nursery. The nursery currently
houses 10 Black Reef Tip pups and 2 larger White
Reef Tip sharks. Shark Island is an eco-friendly
Shark Island is for
people of all ages and
offers a state of the art
stainless steel cage for
in water viewing.
Sharks help maintain
the health of ocean
ecosystems, including
seagrass beds and coral
reefs. Healthy oceans
undoubtedly depend on
sharks.
adventure and educational activity available for
guests, managed by the Kelompok Nelayan Serangan
fishermen’s association and marketed via the website
www.balisharks.com
The whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) is a
small shark usually not exceeding 1.6 m (5.2 ft) in
length, and this species is easily recognizable by its
slender body and short but broad head, as well as
tubular skin flaps beside the nostrils, oval eyes with
vertical pupils, and white-tipped dorsal and caudal fins.
One of the most common sharks found on Indo-Pacific
coral reefs, the whitetip reef shark occurs as far west
as South Africa and as far east as Central America. It is typically
(26–130 ft).
During the day, whitetip reef sharks spend much of their time
resting inside caves. Unlike other requiem sharks, which rely on
ram ventilation and must constantly swim to breathe, this shark
COURTESY NOAA
found on or near the bottom in clear water, at a depth of 8–40 m
can pump water over its gills and lie still on the bottom. At night,
whitetip reef sharks emerge to hunt bony fishes, crustaceans, and
octopus in groups, their elongate bodies allowing them to force
their way into crevices and holes to extract hidden prey. Individual
whitetip reef sharks may stay within a particular area of the reef for
months to years, time and again returning to the same shelter.
Females give birth to 1–6 pups every other year, after a
BALI&BEYOND JULY 2011
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PHOTOS COURTESY BALI SHARKS
Shark Island consists of a 1 are floating raft or pontoon which is
currently being used as a shark nursery. The nursery currently
houses 10 Black Reef Tip pups and 2 larger White Reef Tip sharks.
gestation period of 10–13 months. Whitetip reef sharks are
coral reef, dolphins, etc. For more Kelompok Nelayan Serangan
rarely aggressive towards humans, though they may investigate
information please contact Sopi on 081-337-099-498.
swimmers closely.
With its slender, lithe body, the whitetip reef shark specializes in
Shark Island currently is open 7 days a week from 7 am to 9
pm, and a 3-hour tour on offer includes: Shark Cage Dive (with
wriggling into narrow crevices and holes in the reef and extracting
mask and snorkel), a Turtle Hatchery Tour, a Marine Garden
prey inaccessible to other reef sharks. Whitetip reef sharks hunt
Aquarium Tour, as well as meals and refreshments. When you
primarily at night, when many fishes are asleep and easily taken.
wish to join a fun, educational and inspiring day out with the
The new Shark Island on Serangan Island is located at Agus Bar
sharks, be sure to bring a towel, camera, swimsuit, sunscreen...
& Restaurant which has agreed to offer its location and amenities
and a big smile to share with the pups. The tour great education
as the point of pressence on land. It has also offered office
for all ages, and all can help cultivate and preserve shark pups
space and usage of the fronting pier. For reference regarding the
from illegal and over fishing.
location, contact Budana on 081-239-876-55. The new project
Tour of the Turtle Rescue Center where baby turtles are
provides economic benefits such as hiring within the community
hacthed and cultivated to be released back into their natural
for buildout, maintaining and operating the project, attracting
environment also serves this similar purpose. Enjoy the Serangan
tourism that will spend within the community, purchasing of goods
Marina Garden where rare fish exhibits feature over more than 100
from local vendors (food, gas, boat service, feed, etc.) and locally
species together with bright corals.
managed and operated. The environmental benefits include a safe
Free transportation is on offer for south of Ubud areas, while an
environment to monitor and research the growth of sharks, the
optional surcharge is applied for coral restoration and mangrove
education on the endangered sharks, enhancement of Serangan’s
tours. For further information, call 085-857-320-471, or email:
current environmentally concious lead and it compliments other
[email protected]
eco-programs such as the turtle nurseries, Marine Garden,
www.balisharks.com
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BALI&BEYOND JULY 2011