Marine Life & Conservation
Diving on Malapascua
As an avid diver, I had heard about the legendary thresher sharks of Malapascua and wanted to see them for myself. Malapascua is the only place in the world that the beautiful and rarely seen thresher shark can be seen on a daily basis, so I took the plunge and came for two days, hoping that would be enough time to get lucky.
I still vividly remember my very first dive on Malapascua as one of the best dives of my life. I rose at 5am, blearily admiring the fantastic sunrise and sipping the cup of coffee pushed into my hands by the boat crew. This is one of the earliest dives anywhere, but just after sunrise, the sharks are attracted from their usual home in deep water to the “cleaning stations” of Monad Shoal. Cleaning stations are like a carwash for fish: small fish called cleaner wrasse will pick the dead skin and parasites off the bodies of bigger fish. It is a necessary service, and one to which the sharks subscribe, luckily for us.
As I set out on the 20 minute boat trip to Monad Shoal, I crossed my fingers, toes and everything else I could think of, hoping desperately to see these sharks about which I had heard so much. As we got closer and closer to the dive site, the adrenalin built up, pumped even harder by the tantalizing possibility of seeing manta rays at the same time. Threshers and mantas on one dive! I did not dare hope.
As the sun was rising we started our descent to a flat bottom at 22 meters. We swam around for a few minutes, and then, out of the darkness, “Yes!!!” the unique silhouette of the thresher appeared, its huge scythe-like tail swishing gracefully behind. It swam closer and closer, and soon it was within a few meters. Its silver body glistened in the early morning light, and its distinctive tail, almost half its body length, followed lazily behind. The shark circled several times and then swam off into the blue. Wow!
We moved along the drop-off a little further and encountered another of these magnificent creatures. We stopped and watched for 5 minutes as it circled in front of us. Then, I heard someone hollering underwater. People only holler when there is something really special. My head snapped to the side and what did I see but a six meter manta ray headed straight in my direction! My breath caught as my heart melted at the sight of this gentle giant. My first manta ray. What a perfect end to a perfect dive.
That dive was ten years ago and I still haven’t left Malapascua. The diving got me hook, line and sinker! And the sharks… well the shark sightings have just kept getting better. We usually see between 6 and 10 sharks, often 2-3 at once. Numbers have even been known to get up in the 20’s, but by then, we have long lost count! In this day and age with decreasing shark numbers everywhere, it is heartening to hear stories on increasing numbers.
Malapascua is truly a unique spot, and if you like sharks you will love Malapascua!
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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