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Marine Life & Conservation

The Amazing Grace of Sharks

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I feel as if I have been waiting atop the ocean in our boat for shark predation season to begin for such a long time and finally I can say it has arrived! For many a week now we have talked about the arrival of peak season (okay, make that many a month), and every time we have had a storm system pushing through the bay the crew have commented to one another that “this will be the storm, this is the one that will switch the sharks on to predatory mode.” And every time it hasn’t happened we have looked forward to the next storm and how that will be the one. It is fair to say I have been scanning the horizon every sunrise for signs that the sharks have begun hunting and, call me overenthusiastic, but I have been much like a child waiting for Christmas to begin.

KH seal in air shark fin

Simply put I find this part of the year absolutely fascinating, both in terms of witnessing the sharks and seals’ natural behaviours and also in terms of sharing this special time with our guests. It is a privilege to see the look upon a person’s face when they observe a great white shark fly out of the water at high speed without so much as any warning that it was going to do so, especially when it is upon our decoy seal and everyone was watching. Peoples’ mouths drop open, they laugh, they smile, they are left speechless or they simply shout for sheer joy. There are so many different reactions but each one certainly contains pure wonder at what just happened and a childlike excitement when they realise they have captured the moment on camera. A memory that will last a lifetime. Great white sharks are enormous, incredibly powerful and yet so graceful and elegant when they are air borne. People tend to think of whale species when they consider the words breach, dance, grace and beauty. But for me these sharks are equally as beautiful when they arch above the water with their white bellies on display as an orange sun rises overhead and bathes the shark in warm light. And every breach is different, unique somehow. The sharks have an incredible ability to bend and twist into different positions and fly out of the water horizontally, vertically, curving sideways and even somersaulting over themselves at times before they re-enter the dark water below. Whilst this variety is most often seen when the sharks are hunting seals it can also be seen during decoy seal tows and, that most magical of moments, natural breaches. A moment when the shark leaves the water not in pursuit of a seal, fake or real, but for reasons we don’t fully understand. This year we have seen a high number of natural breaches and they are always especially acrobatic.

KH shark breach misses seal

The difficult part of this time of year for me is when watching the sharks hunt the seals. Nature is stunning in her beauty and magnificence but yet where she gives, she also takes away and as the saying goes ‘nature can be cruel’. The seals upon the island are incredible predators in their own right and having spent months watching their social behaviours and seeing the youngsters grow and play within the shallows I find myself somewhat attached to and in awe of them. Not only do they live upon an exposed rock all year round but they have to travel through the waters of False Bay repeatedly in order to feed, which obviously involves learning how to survive in the event that they are pursued by a shark at any given time. I have watched on many occasions as a shark breached upon an unsuspecting seal and missed. When this happens the seal has the presence of mind to stop, look below the surface of the water, locate the shark and then swim to its tail or behind its jaws. The seal then twists and turns as the shark continues to pursue it from below and either the seal is eventually caught or the shark spends too much energy and loses interest. The seal can then continue onwards. Interestingly, the chances of a shark successfully hunting a seal drop dramatically if it misses the seal on the first breach and this dance between predator and prey begins. The younger seals have that presence of mind to behave in such a way when perhaps until that moment they have never even seen a shark and that makes them nothing short of exceptional in my opinion. Their clarity of mind, agility and ability to adapt to a situation that quickly is incredible and they deserve our utmost respect, which of course they have and we do everything possible to avoid interfering with their natural behaviour at such times.

KH shark breach gannetts

Equally I find myself in awe of the sharks when they are hunting and I bear witness to their predatory abilities and also how humane they are when hunting. They do not play with their prey or take their time when making a kill. Often we find an event is over seconds after it has begun and the suffering of the seal involved is thankfully minimal. Of course a predation event does occasionally go on for a longer period of time and I find myself rooting for the seal to escape yet also recognising that the sharks are hungry and trying to survive themselves. It is an impossible situation as a human and I have talked about this with guests on occasion when they also find themselves not quite knowing how to respond. There is no single answer and so inevitably we all watch quietly, respectfully, and take the moment in knowing that both of these species are truly wonders of our natural world. And then before we know it another shark has breached, the crew have shouted ‘hold on’ and we have moved onwards at high speed to witness another of nature’s moments.

KH seal baying

Whilst peak hunting season seems to have begun later this year, it has definitely been worth the wait. We still have the best to come as we move through July and into August with our sharks, which is also whale season in the bay. I am truly looking forward to welcoming back the southern right and humpback whales and enjoying their elegance and grace alongside that of our sharks.

To find out more about the sharks of False Bay, visit www.apexpredators.com.

Photos: Nicholas Curzon

Main Photo: Chris Fallows

Kathryn has a Masters in Environmental Biology and is a PADI scuba diving instructor. Her passion lies with raising awareness of and conserving the sharks within our oceans and also writing about her experiences under and on the water. She is currently a wildlife guide and crew member for Apex Shark Expeditions in South Africa.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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