Who wants to get in the water with SHARKS!?
- Thread starter Zoodiver
- Start date
Oh really? How so?
You don't agree with my opinion that ok. But to say its ignorant. I think your ignorant
I understand what he's saying. So interacting handling Nurse sharks rubbing there tummies like your pet dog. All in the name of science so people will not label sharks as dangerous and persecute them. Not to be afraid of sharks. Really... How do they compare Nurse sharks what most people know the dangerous sharks are Great Whites and Bull sharks. Were to believe cause Nurse sharks can be trained to roll over and rub the tummies that sharks are not dangerous.
I do not think that is the idea of the "program" and as ballinouttacntrol said it was a bold statement.
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I don't think this program was created to make people think that sharks are not dangerous, especially great whites and bulls. I believe it was designed to allow people to interact with them one on one because when a person is actually able to interact with an animal, not just look at them, it will get some people to want to help them because even though there is no way to convince people that sharks aren't dangerous, it is a way to show people that they are able to bond and learn and possibly have emotions. I don't believe there has been research on whether they do or don't, but through this, people will want to help because they will learn that sharks are not blood thirsty killing machines that just want to kill and eat people. They are a beautiful animal that deserves to live just as much as we do and these attacks are just out of instinct to survive.
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I'm all for the studying of wild animals. Viewing them in nature observing them in there wild state. Not capturing them and training them to roll over so they can be petted like a domesticated dog. To me that's not studying animals. Is it free to the public go and pet the Nurse sharks?
That's what the girl says in the video why they are doing it. To educate people not to be afraid of sharks. I think its the wrong message. They can educate people about sharks without training them to roll over and be petted. When I see a bunch of Nurse sharks sitting up on a pedestal in the water lined up like a bunch of Seals waiting there turn to roll over and get a treat. Makes me think its all for entertainment.
You are exactly the target audience, and I'm excited you've seen the video. I can see why you might see it that way, but it's not what is really going on. Sure, some sharks are dangerous - which can be said of almost every predatory animal in the right setting. Of the 380+ species, most sharks never grow larger than about 4 ft and eat small fish and inverts. What you are talking about is the wrong image the media has fed the general public. That being said, NO sharks are targeting humans as a food source. Most shark bites are either people being stupid or mistaken ID by the sharks looking for food. Sharks aren't these mysterious killers cruising the oceans, and people need to see that. Shoot, of the 380 species, most people can't get much beyond naming bull, tiger, hammerhead, white, black tip and nurse because that is what they see on TV. Those are not a majority of sharks. It's like saying all Mustangs are fast. 90% of Mustangs are entry level small motor cars. But people are familiar with the loud, flashy fast ones - so they label all of them that way.
Don't fear them - understand them. These sharks are not being treated like a family's pet dog (although remember what pet dogs started off as). Inverting a shark is known as tonic immobility. It's a widely used method to safely handle a shark, and is now shown / proven to be something they also do in the wild on their own. I've done it from everything from bulls to hammerheads. I still have all ten fingers.
Sitting on a target/platform is not a negative thing in anyway. They line up on their own. They are not forced to stay there, and in fact can and will swim away if they want to. It shows the intelligence of these animals. They understand the benefits of interacting with the humans, and are there to do so on their own accord. In fact the ability to understand them enough to be able to use the natural behavior of lining up shows our advances in behavioral understanding as keepers.
Nurse sharks under human care are probably the #1 source of information we have for the biology of benthic sharks. That understanding is leading us to better understanding of the eco system and their roles in it. It also has lead to improved methods of habitat protection and restoration - which means healthier reefs, which translates directly to a healthier Earth.
Is it there for entertainment - in all honesty, entertainment is a side effect. It's set up for education and conservation. If you happen to walk away with a huge smile on your face after having the time of your life, so be it. I have dedicated my life to working with aquatic predators and educating people about them. I smile every time, and I love sharing that with anyone who wants to experience.
Don't fear them - understand them. These sharks are not being treated like a family's pet dog (although remember what pet dogs started off as). Inverting a shark is known as tonic immobility. It's a widely used method to safely handle a shark, and is now shown / proven to be something they also do in the wild on their own. I've done it from everything from bulls to hammerheads. I still have all ten fingers.
Sitting on a target/platform is not a negative thing in anyway. They line up on their own. They are not forced to stay there, and in fact can and will swim away if they want to. It shows the intelligence of these animals. They understand the benefits of interacting with the humans, and are there to do so on their own accord. In fact the ability to understand them enough to be able to use the natural behavior of lining up shows our advances in behavioral understanding as keepers.
Nurse sharks under human care are probably the #1 source of information we have for the biology of benthic sharks. That understanding is leading us to better understanding of the eco system and their roles in it. It also has lead to improved methods of habitat protection and restoration - which means healthier reefs, which translates directly to a healthier Earth.
Is it there for entertainment - in all honesty, entertainment is a side effect. It's set up for education and conservation. If you happen to walk away with a huge smile on your face after having the time of your life, so be it. I have dedicated my life to working with aquatic predators and educating people about them. I smile every time, and I love sharing that with anyone who wants to experience.
I think this program is very educational. I like it! Not that I will be in Florida anytime soon... but where is this located?
EDIT: nevermind.. re read OP lol
EDIT: nevermind.. re read OP lol
As a matter of fact I'll be flying down to Fort Lauderdale next month and it'd be a high point of my trip if this place is close enough for me to get to while I'm down there.
I'd love to but it looks like its a 5+ hour drive from where we stay in Florida... and we won't be there till next year at the soonest.
