Ano Nuevo White Shark Observatory.
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation began the Ano Nuevo Island White Shark
Observatory Project in the fall of 1992. The behavioral observation project was
modeled after the very successful Farallon Islands white shark project that began in
1990. The Ano Nuevo Island project spent the first research season charting out
the waters around the island in order to gain a better understanding of local
conditions and patterns of shark activity.
In Sept of 1993, a research team was put onto Ano Nuevo Island to observe shark
activity from a watch-tower erected at the Islands highest point, at the base of the
old collapsed light-house. While conducting observations around the Island with
sophisticated optics and a theodolite, all shark attacks were recorded and a daily
survey of the islands beaches for strandings or wash-ups of shark bitten marine
mammals was conducted.
In Sept of 1994 the project began experimenting with surface decoys and
coordinating ship to shore operations between the projects research boat, and the
research team on the island.
Twice during 1994 'sportsmen' entered the study area at Ano Nuevo Island and
began to pour large amounts of blood and butchers waste into the water in order to
arouse the sharks to swim up to, and bite at the caged 'sportsman.'
The coast guard responded on one occasion and the sportsman departed. This
'chumming' activity was very disruptive to shark research and it infuriated local
surfers and abalone divers.
These same 'sportsmen' returned in march 1995, again disrupting research and
prompting a large protest that culminated with a law-suit being slapped on the
'sport-chummers' by The Surfers Environmental Alliance and Division 10, of the
local abalone divers assoc.
In Sept of 1995 the project began its fourth season with the intent of actually
approaching, tagging, and photo ID'ing individual white sharks.
On Oct 31, 1995 PSRF tagged the first of twelve white sharks to be tagged during
the 95-96 season.
The 1995-6 white shark season got off to a phenomenal start with four large white
sharks being tagged on Halloween day. The sharks were tagged as they fed upon a
sub adult male Northern elephant seal. Several sharks were tagged using this
method during the course of the season.
PSRF was also very successful in using surface shapes to attract the curious
predators to the surface where they could be photoed and tagged. The decoy
method of researching white sharks was developed at the Farallon islands by Scott
Anderson a few years ago.
Several tissue samples were taken from white sharks this past season that may
soon yield insights into the potential pollutant loads carried by the sharks as well as
genetic content.
Future research will involve the identification of sharks previously ID'd at
Farallons.
Researchers with the Ano Nuevo project are coordinating studies with the
Farallons research team, and receives technical and operations support from
renown research luminaries Dr. Burney La boeuf and Dr. A. Peter Klimley.
The White Shark Predation Project will continue to develop non- invasive methods
and protocols for the observations and studies of white sharks, and will continue to
tag, sample, and photo ID individual sharks. Future studies involving sonic
telemetry and 'critter-cams' are on the drawing board for the 97-98 season.
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