Marine Life & Conservation
Every Little Helps
A nice glassy morning dive before the promised wind due to arrive in the evening. I was once again out with Mark from Atlantic Scuba and we were going to look at a small reef area that was by all accounts pretty well un-dived. It’s always exciting going into new areas. You never know what will turn up, could be something amazing and then again, maybe not.
The visibility was poor but we were only diving in 19 metres of water. The bottom was a mixture of rock and broken shell and the kelp was starting to loose its fine summer gloss.
Our first encounter was with a couple of Cuckoo Wrasse. A male and female. The female was a little timid at first while the male had no reservations about coming close to see what we were and what we were doing.
It was the Cornish fishermen who gave the name Cuckoo to the Wrasse as the blue markings reminded them of bluebell flowers. In the Cornish language a bluebell is “bleujenn an gog” literally the cuckoo flower.
The Cuckoo Wrasse are all born as females and it is only in adulthood that some change into males for breeding. They then build a nest and attract a female with a courtship display.
Moving across the reef a lobster caught my eye while trying to slowly hide behind a frond of kelp and back up slowly into the nearest hole. It was in perfect condition and looked as if it had moulted recently. The younger lobsters, up to about 5 years old, can moult approximately 25 times a year. They do this because they have an exoskeleton and it is impossible for them to grow inside it. Hence they regularly shed the old shell or skeleton and grow a new one to fit the new body size. The old shell is then eaten for the calcium which will help strengthen the new one.
The lobster is a very opportunistic feeder and will consume a great variety of foods. Crabs, mussels, starfish, even slow moving fish are all part of its diet. In hard times they will even eat sea weeds and sponges as well as carrion found on the sea floor. Hence it is easy to lure them into a lobster pot with a piece of dead fish.
As I moved away from the lobster and turned to where I knew Mark was waiting, a small dogfish broke from its cover and glided further along the reef and out of sight. They usually like to sleep in the day and hunt at night.
Mark had his back to me and as I came around to see what he was doing a young Spider crab scuttled away between his legs. He had just freed it from a bundle of discarded nylon fishing net. The crab had obviously been trying to feed on the remains of an earlier victim of the net and in doing so had been caught itself. The cycle would have gone on for years into the future, silently killing all that became entangled. The Wrasse, the Lobster and the Dogfish could well have been next.
Mark brought the net up to the boat and once back at dock disposed of it. Not a world changing action on its own but if we all do the same then every little helps.
If you would like more information on ‘Ghost Fishing’ visit www.ghostfishing.org
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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