Hello Hivers
A recent trip to S Africa in November was quite an adventure. Working on a shark research boat. Identifying, photographing and recording great white sharks to get an estimate of their numbers and understand their behaviour.
Chum is used to attract the sharks to the boat. Not like the movies where they use blood, it is actually fish oil and fat continually added to the ocean that the sharks follow the trail to the boat. A tuna head is used attached to a rope to keep them near the boat as we take pictures of the dorsal fin. The fin is like a fingerprint, every one being unique.
A go pro is used to determine their sex, and all information is recorded, entered into a database and used to determine their migration, and population to aid in conservation efforts.
The days were long, tiring but extremely rewarding, with stunning scenery, regular wildlife sightings, including, whales, seals, dolphins and even a penguin.
Other species of sharks were caught, hand fishing or with a rod and reel, such as catsharks, and smooth hounds. these were measured, tagged and muscle samples taken, to study the heavy metal accumulation in their bodies, then released, and all information again entered into a database.
Seeing so many great whites, then going diving was a bit concerning, but the biologists assured me it was fine, and the diving was terrific, I wish I had an underwater camera.
It was an amazing experience working on the research boat, and the month was over much too soon. Mossel Bay offers many other things to do, and on weekends we did a safari and exploring which are subjects for a future post.
Thanks for visiting Mossel Bay, S Africa with me.
