A new study in Conservation Physiology, published by Oxford University Press, reveals that white shark activity increases dramatically when the animals are interacting with cage-diving operators.
In recent decades, wildlife tourism has rapidly expanded and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry. Ecotourism opportunities to cage-dive with white sharks, large marine predators, are available in Australia, South Africa, the United States of America, Mexico, and New Zealand, with up to seven companies operating simultaneously in one site.
Previous studies have shown that wildlife tourism can change behavior of animal species by altering their habitats or eating patterns. How these changes affect the health of individual animals or animal populations is unclear.
The study shows that white sharks are more active and likely use more energy when interacting with tourism operators compared to other situations (e.g. when operators are absent), raising questions about the behavioral changes such tourism may be causing.
The researchers tracked ten white sharks at South Australia's Neptune Islands with devices for nine days, finding that the increased movement when sharks are interacting with cage-diving operators results in overall dynamic body acceleration, a proxy for activity, 61% higher compared to other times when sharks are present in the area.
[...] "Spending time interacting with cage-diving operators might distract sharks from normal behaviors such as foraging on natural, energy-rich prey like pinnipeds," Huveneers added.
[...] This study indicates that wildlife tourism may change the activity levels of white sharks and calls for an understanding of the frequency of shark-tourism interactions to appreciate the impact of ecotourism on this species fitness.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 10 2018, @05:45AM (4 children)
Fuck you.
These are some of the oldest-versioned, most streamlined killers on the planet.
Is there literally nothing that you Authoritarians won't try to protect from its own stupidity?
Just... just... fuck off, already! You ruin being alive. YOU RUIN IT.
Eat a dick, SoylentNews.
There are 2 kinds of contributors to your dank website:
Those who contribute nothing of value.
Those whom the Authoritarians downmod.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 10 2018, @06:25AM (2 children)
IS that cage divers actually prime great white sharks to be *MORE ACTIVE* around humans. IE exactly the opposite behavior we want to influence them to have. Surprised nobody brought up that based on the research conducted. Humans are literally training sharks to be more likely to be active and attack when humans are around.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by deimtee on Sunday June 10 2018, @09:54AM (1 child)
That's not as bad as the tour operators up in the Northern Territory. Using dead chickens on poles they have trained the crocodiles to jump out of the water and grab anything hanging over the side of a boat.
Sure, it's exciting to watch some six metre monster leap a couple of metres out of the water and grab a chook off a pole, just don't lean over the side of the boat.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 1) by Derf the on Monday June 11 2018, @12:22AM
Just as bad if you ask any Paua (Abalone, but better) fisherman from Stewart Island. Free diving and collecting with a hand held knife is the only legal fishing method for Paua in NZ, so when the commercial White Pointer Feeding-in-the-presents-of-humans-in-the-water operations set up in their fishing grounds they tried to stop it.
With the on-going data collected around the subsequent increasing shark numbers, activity, and adverse behaviors they are continuing their attempts to close them down; which, in my opinion, will finally be successful...
...just after one of them gets eaten.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Runaway1956 on Sunday June 10 2018, @07:45AM
Aristarchus? Is that you? Again?
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 10 2018, @06:34AM
Fuck you.
These are some of the oldest-versioned, most streamlined killers on the planet.
Is there literally nothing that you Authoritarians won't try to protect from its own stupidity?
Just... just... fuck off, already! You ruin being alive. YOU RUIN IT.
Eat a dick, SoylentNews.
There are 2 kinds of contributors to your dank website:
Those who contribute nothing of value.
Those whom the Authoritarians downmod.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 10 2018, @06:46AM (1 child)
Fuck you.
These are some of the oldest-versioned, most streamlined killers on the planet.
Is there literally nothing that you Authoritarians won't try to protect from its own stupidity?
Just... just... fuck off, already! You ruin being alive. YOU RUIN IT.
Eat a dick, SoylentNews.
There are 2 kinds of contributors to your dank website:
Those who contribute nothing of value.
Those whom the Authoritarians downmod.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 10 2018, @07:13PM
Oddly you fall into BOTH categories!
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday June 10 2018, @12:22PM
That would hardly be a surprise, the wildlife tourist operators probably prime the "animals" to put on a little show or at least be a little active. If some rich westerner is coming they want to see something happen, not Lions on a rock or a sea void of Sharks. They want to get their monies worth. So time for the animals to act like the trained little beasts that they are. Sort of like animals at the Zoo, it's just that they removed the walls and the bars (or moved/put them around you instead of around the beast). Nobody wants to watch lazy animals, there won't be any repeat customers then.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday June 10 2018, @10:00PM
Courage is the quality most needed in this world, yet it is often the hardest to find. Courage sets apart those who believe in higher calling and those who act on it. It takes courage not only to see wrong, but strive to right it. Courage is what sets apart the heroes from the rest; it is equal part bravery and nobility. Our incredible shark fishermen are heroes. They do what needs to be done, what the rest of us are afraid to do. They keep our beautiful shores safe. So we can enjoy swimming, surfing or just wading in our precious precious ocean. Their examples define courage. My son Don Jr. has done many things I'm proud of him for. But the greatest is shark fishing. And you never know who you'll meet when you're doing it. Let me tell you, he met some guys from the Mets. Doing a team-building exercise. They caught some sharks, very important service to the community. And they had a fabulous time!!!!