All posts tagged: shark week

10 things you didn’t know about Cayman’s sharks

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Today’s feature is a guest post by Johanna Kohler. 1. Little Cayman and Brac escape. Some individuals of our Caribbean reef shark population travel between Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.  A female Caribbean reef shark which was tagged in 2013 in Grand Cayman traveled regularly to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac over the next 3 years before its tag died in 2015. 2. What’s your name? • Bash Brothers and Little Basher – Bro action The Bash Brothers are two male sharks in East End of Grand Cayman. They like to swim together, one behind the other on the edge of the wall. Recently a smaller male shark has joined the team – hence “Little Basher”. One of the Bash Brothers has a distinctive scar on its gills. Some days they may be inquisitive on other days they may ignore you. When you go diving within their home range they may show up. • Scarlet/Smudge – the friendly Caribbean reef shark Scarlet, also known as Smudge, is an old local at East End …

Spotted: Shark Conservation in Action

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In 2009, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE), in partnership with Marine Conservation International (MCI), began studying Cayman’s sharks.  This initiative was originally sponsored by a UK Darwin Plus grant and by CayBrew’s, Whitetip Fund.  The Darwin Plus project has recently concluded and subsequently, since the beginning of the year, the project is now fully supported locally by CayBrew’s Whitetip Fund and continues to focus on improving shark research and conservation efforts in Cayman. In recent developments and in part due to the hard work and efforts of both DOE and MCI, sharks and rays were included as totally protected species in the December 2013, National Conservation Law the provisions of that law effectively make the waters of the Cayman Islands a shark and ray sanctuary, since April 2015.  Shark research continues in order to monitor Cayman’s shark populations.  The research helps to better understand our sharks and the threats they face which results in better informed management decisions and ultimately more effective protection and conservation.  Providing a safe haven is key to effective …

I (Heart) Sharks

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(Photo Credit: Michael Maes) I (Heart) Sharks! As an ocean lover, I love sharks! Sharks deserve a lot of love. Why? They are amazing and majestic animals. Sharks have inhabited the ocean for more than 400 million years, and they play a key role in maintaining the health of the ocean. Sharks are the apex predators of the ocean, as a result, they are responsible for keeping other marine life in healthy balance and regulate the oceans. The decline in shark populations cause the balance of the eco-system and the balance of the ocean to be seriously upset. Thus, it is imperative that we come together and raise awareness about the importance of sharks and the pivotal role they play in maintaining the eco-system and the health of the ocean. It is vital that we ensure that there are healthy populations of sharks worldwide. Top 5 Reasons To Love Sharks 1. There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the ocean. Which one is your favorite? 2. Hammerheads do not lay eggs. A …