Palau News:

It has been a quiet period for Palau since my last newsletter. For those lucky enough to be under water recently we've witnessed the aftermath of mating sharks. Female sharks are bitten and slashed by the males during courtship with their chosen partner.

Those even luckier to be on a dive down in Peleliu with Bert this month, on the notorious dive site called "The Cut" were given the ultimate in sightseeing adventures, with a viewing of more than a hundred sharks just cruising on the look out for a mate….I was not on this dive unfortunately, and once again, I have to ask where are all the cameras? I'm afraid that again we do not have any photographic evidence, however everyone on the dive boat told the same story at the Drop Off Bar after!

The Moorish Idols, usually only seen in small groups on the reef, have been aggregating on Blue Corner on the half moon leading up to Christmas. Huge schools of 500 + have been seen on the reef. No one really knows why they pick certain spots, such as Blue Corner, Peleliu Corner and Siaes Corner, to congregate, but what's fascinating about this aggregation is that they move as one fish, and are prone to sudden directional changes due to the sharks, who seem to find them a tasty morsel at this time of year (even though there is very little nutritional value), chasing them. This behavior will be repeated over the Half Moons of January, February and March.

The Manta rays have come back earlier this season also, and we have had some smashing dives, not only sitting near the cleaning station and watching these graceful animals been groomed, but also feeding; barrel rolls galore (now this I did see, more than once! though I failed to take a picture).

The Manta rays should be with us up until March, although little is known about these mysterious beauties, they are probably attracted by the increase in nutrients and consequential plankton blooms caused by cold water up-wellings that become more common up to March.

New Species found, maybe?

An underwater cave system in Airai, in the Rock Islands, was recently re-discovered and explored to its depths by Marcel Hagendijk and his dive buddy Raul De Leon. Along their travels inside the cave, Marcel found a shrimp; this was no ordinary shrimp, but possibly a species of rare genus, either Naushonia or Espeleonaushonia, usually found in Bahamas and in the Philippines. Pictures were taken of this exciting new discovery, which where shown to one of the Scientists, Dr. Patrick L. Colin, at Coral Reef Research Foundation, an expert in Marine Biology, among other things.

A very excited Dr. Colin went back in to the cave with Marcel who bagged the elusive little critter for further scrutiny. The shrimp, which is only an inch in length, was sent off for further investigations and, hopefully, final ID to Dr. Thomas Iliffe, a crustacean expert based at the Texas A & M University at Galverston. (www.cavebiology.com). We will keep you posted.

For more information on the Coral Reef research Foundation and Dr. Patrick L. Colin, please click on: http://www.coralreefresearchfoundation.org/default.html

New Staff Member

Travis Etpison: 20 year old Travis is newest official member of the Neco Dive Team, we say official because Travis grew up around the dive shop and was driving boats since he was 8 years old. Travis is a "Jack of all trades" so If you don't see him as one of your Boat Captains, he may be dropping you off at your hotel or giving a helping hand next door at Neco Yamaha.

Critter Corner: Sharks; Misunderstood beauties?

We have all seen the 1975 thriller, "Jaws", the bloody thirsty, open mouthed, man eating Great White Shark that prowls the costal waters of Amity Island in search for its next innocent victim. Or the most recent movie, "Open Water" where 2 divers are accidently left behind by their Dive boat, to fend for themselves, its no wonder when you mention the word "Shark" you see people recoil away from you.

However all is not what it seems. Would you believe me if I said that in most cases the sharks are more afraid of us, then we are of them? They are not the man eaters they have been portrayed as; in fact they help the true balance of nature in the underwater realm.

No, well it was worth a try... but read on and you may change your mind.

There is an estimated number of 475 species of sharks; this number is obviously approximate as there are species which have yet to be cataloged and certainly species which have not yet been discovered. Among all these different kinds of sharks there is an amazing diversity. For example, the Whaleshark is the biggest fish in the ocean, while the pigmy shark grows no more than 27 cm/1 inch.

Some live around the surface while others live deeper than we scientifically track them. Others swim constantly; others simply lie on the bottom. Some sharks feed on Plankton; others bite off huge chucks of fish, turtles or other marine animals.

In spite of the huge variety of diets, there is no species which have "Humans" on their regular dietary plan (according to the experts, we are considered too boney for a good meal) The vast majority of sharks are harmless to humans and only a handful are to be considered dangerous, even among these, the attacks are not "feeding frenzies" but bites or slashes which do not remove the flesh. Such attacks are called a "Hit and run" attack and mostly occur on the surface and in poor visibility.

Other hit and run attacks can be the cause of the shark been threatened or the need to show dominance in his territory.

Shiny jewelry, multi colored swim wear can also confuse a shark into thinking the person is an animal.

In the more serious cases, it is believed these are more the case of mistaken identity rather than vicious attacks directed at humans. An accepted example is the resemblance, when seen from below, of a surfer on a short board or a swimmer, to a sea lion or turtle who are a tasty morsel for a hungry shark. Splashing around also attract the sharks attention or at least curiosity.

Bump and bite attacks are much rarer and often occur in much deeper waters. This type of attack is not believed to be a case of mistaken identity, but an angry or hungry shark. Attacks like this are more common after a sea disaster, such as an airline crash or ship wreck.

Considering that hundreds and thousands of people flock to coast lines all over the world, and come into close contact with sharks each year, the amount of attacks are negligible. In 2006, there were 62 confirmed "un-provoked" attacks in the world, resulting in 4 deaths* which is nothing when you compare the 47 deaths resulting from lightening strikes* in the US alone.

Today more and more divers have become fascinated with Sharks. Blue Corner, one of the most famous and consistent sites in Palau for shark action, and therefore is a popular request. The most common shark we see is the Grey reef shark, closely followed with White Tips and the occasional Black Tip Reef Shark. Recently we have had sightings of Whalesharks, Hammerheads and Silver Tips.

*Statistics are from the International Shark Attack File, maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and the American Elasmobranch Society. Figures are as of June 28, 2007.

*Statistics are from the NOAA National Weather Service findings, throughout the United States of America in 2006.

Did you know...

An estimated 80% of all life on earth is found under the ocean surface and the oceans contain 99% of the living space on the planet. Less than 10% of that space has been explored by humans. 85% of the area and 90% of the volume constitute the dark, cold environment we call the deep sea. The average depth of the ocean is 3,795 m. The average height of the land is 840 m.

Source: http://marinebio.org/MarineBio/Facts/