Swimming with a sea kayak

Went out for a paddle today-yesterday, beautiful flat calm, today force 5-6 easterly.

Anyway the wind was making life tough-together with wind over tide swells on the incoming tide. So to cut a long stort short, I fell out of my boat. Fortunately, I wasn't a long way off shore, but the wind/tide was quite hard to swim against, particuarly holding my kayak and paddle

Lesson learnt-anyone going to teach me to roll?

Diving at Capernwray last Thursday

Dave Morgan and I went for pleasure dive late last Thursday, cameras in hand. I was using my 10-17 with a 1.4 teleconvertor to try and get those up close and personal pictuers of the Sturgeon, but it was not to be! No sturgeon to be found! Still, the trout were on form, and the sun put in a brief appearance! Thank Dave for a nice dive!

More shark video

Shark Angels - on Shark Finning from Shark Angels on Vimeo.

We are at war on the last frontier.

The conflict between exploitation and conservation of the world’s natural resources is at a tipping point – and the oceans are the most volatile battleground. Surprisingly, sharks, the creatures we fear most, are battling for survival, putting our oceans – and ourselves – in dire peril. The sharks are in desperate need of guardian angels, and we just might be their last hope.

Shark Angels

Keep sharks in the seas, not on plates!

Food for thought!

Shoot Tiger Sharks from Oceanicallstars: Duncan Brake on Vimeo.

Diving and trout feeding at Capernwray Today

Another glorious day! Caron and I went for a few dives. Visibility was excellent, and the trout were on form!

Alex Mustards Manatee pictures

I stumbled across this album, from Alex's profile on Facebook. the crystal clear water and the poses these amazing animals have made (and his ability to capture them) are fantastic.

Apparently, if you scratch their tummies, they roll over and clasp you with their flippers! How cute! Another destination to add to the growing list. How much are flights to Miami?!

Sea kayaking on Morecambe Bay

A beautiful sunny day, flat seas and high tides-what more could you ask for!

Oceanminds

I've just discovered a new and exciting idea. Oceanminds is a social networking site devoted to marine interests. Sort of like facebook for the oceans. you can join at http://www.oceanminds.com/

Spearfishermen kill tiger shark

This is all a bit after the fact, but for those of you who haven't heard the story....http://www.nypost.com/seven/03122009/news/...ooth_159201.htm

The long and the short of it is that a group of spear fishermen while out fishing for tuna shot and killed a tiger shark. Their apparent motivation for this was that they felt that thye were being threatened by the shark. However examination of the video(!) that they shot shows no sign of aggresive behaviour at all. I used to spearfish back in South Africa, and we regularly had to deal with sharks, normally a bang on the nose was enough to turn them, or if they were really determined, they got away with my catch-but I never envisaged actually shooting one.

In my eyes, they further darkened their act by selling the video they had shot of the event. It is here http://video.aol.com/video-detail/diver-fights-off-12-foot-shark/3475778870

I guess the truth is that when we venture into the water with a gun (or on land for that matter) it gives us the option of using it in self defense as we see it. We are all probbaly quick to pull the trigger when we have a trigger to be pulled! These guys did one of these two things
1. the shark was cruising them and they panicked (this is not cool to admit to!) and shot it and then realised that they had to finish the job. The after the fact marketing of the event was a positive spin on what was a gut panic reaction.
2. the shark was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time-it swam into Craig Clasen's sights whan he was keyed up and he pulled the trigger. This happens! Again all the events after are simply to justify this.
For more info see wetpixel at: http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29214 or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=74037951270 The latter has 3379 members from all over the world.