News
Pregnant tiger shark dies… but her 30 pups are saved and released
A pregnant tiger shark washed up in Bgy Ipil in Barbaza, Antique in the Philippines on Tuesday morning, and locals say they were able to rescue 30 pups and release them back to Cuyo East Passage (locally known as Antique Waters), the body of water that divides Antique and Palawan.
The mother died – it’s thought due to hunger – and has been buried.
But chances of the pups surviving may be as slim as 10% to 20% because of “baby shark cannibalism,” said Flord Nicson J. Calawag, a licensed fisheries technologist based in the province.
According to Calawag, he received photos of the fish at 7am on the 1st March and he immediately tried to identify the species.
“Since there is no recorded tiger shark population in Antique, the beached fish could be from Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park which is 365 kilometers away and which has five tiger shark residents,” he said.
“There is a big possibility that this pregnant tiger shark was searching for food and was washed ashore due to strong currents,” he added.
Tiger sharks are believed to be one of the most dangerous shark species and are considered near-threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The last time a tiger shark was caught in the Philippines was in Nov 2014. Fishermen found a half-digested human head and leg inside its belly.
Source: manila.coconuts.co
Photos: Facebook/Ofelia Y. Bernardo via Flord Nicson Calawag
News
Euro-Divers to close dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda
Euro-Divers have announced that as of 15 April 2024, they will no longer be operating the dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda (formerly known as Amari Havodda).
The popular dive centre chain released this statement regarding the closure:
Dear valid customers, business partners and friends,
We are leaving NH Collection Maldives Havodda – former Amari Havodda as of 15th of April 2024.
Unfortunately, the information reached us on short notice that we are no longer operating the dive centre at the resort.
It was a great pleasure to work with the Amari Hotel group and continue to work with the NH Hotel group.
We wish our partners great success with all their new changes.
Thanks a lot for cooperating during our time at the resort. We wish everyone with whom we have worked a good and hopefully successful future.
Euro-Divers continue to operate in several other dive resorts throughout the Maldives in addition to other locations.
To finds out more about Euro-Divers, visit www.euro-divers.com.
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
Creature Feature: Undulate Ray
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re looking at the Undulate Ray. Easily identified by its beautiful, ornate pattern, the Undulate Ray gets its name from the undulating patterns of lines and spots on its dorsal side.
This skate is usually found on sandy or muddy sea floors, down to about 200 m deep, although it is more commonly found shallower. They can grow up to 90 cm total length. Depending on the size of the individual, their diet can range from shrimps to crabs.
Although sometimes called the Undulate Ray, this is actually a species of skate, meaning that, as all true skates do, they lay eggs. The eggs are contained in keratin eggcases – the same material that our hair and nails are made up of! These eggcases are also commonly called mermaid’s purses and can be found washed up on beaches all around the UK. If you find one, be sure to take a picture and upload your find to the Great Eggcase Hunt – the Shark Trust’s flagship citizen science project.
It is worth noting that on the south coasts, these eggcases can be confused with those of the Spotted Ray, especially as they look very similar and the ranges overlap, so we sometimes informally refer to them as ‘Spundulates’.
Scientific Name: Raja undulata
Family: Rajidae
Maximum Size: 90cm (total length)
Diet: shrimps and crabs
Distribution: found around the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Habitat: shelf waters down to 200m deep.
Conservation Status : As a commercially exploited species, the Undulate Ray is a recovering species in some areas. The good thing is that they have some of the most comprehensive management measures of almost any elasmobranch species, with both minimum and maximum landing sizes as well as a closed season. Additionally, targeting is entirely prohibited in some areas. They are also often caught as bycatch in various fisheries – in some areas they can be landed whilst in others they must be discarded.
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Image Credits: Banner – Sheila Openshaw; Illustration – Marc Dando
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