Saving Sharks the Other 51 Weeks a Year

Sharks Deserve More Than a Week's Worth of Attention Each Year

Happy 2015.... well April 2015. My personal blog has been severely neglected, as I have been spending a lot of time swimming with sharks and working on education projects for Sharks4Kids. If you have not checked out our shark education non-profit PLEASE DO! You can also find us on social media facebook/sharks4kids  twitter: @sharks4kids and instagram: @sharkeducation.

I just got back from the Florida Keys and after spotting a few shark trinkets in a souvenirs shop, I started looking over some articles I had written about things people can do to help sharks. This article was featured in the August issue of Coastal Angler, but I wanted to share it here as well. We can all do something; think globally, act locally!

Each year millions of viewers around the world tune into Discovery Channel for an entire week of programming dedicated to sharks. Companies come up with shark themed advertisements like comparing a razor to a great hammerhead or daring customers to be “bold,” by diving with sharks or eating a new flavor of chip. It is great to see so much attention focused on these amazing animals, but in reality these conversations should be happening year round. Whether you love them or hate them, sharks play a critical role in the health of our oceans. Case in point, we need sharks.

Things to Think About Year Round:

Most sharks are top predators in the food chain and keep the ocean ecosystems balanced. They feed on injured and sick animals, helping to maintain a sustainable level in populations of animals below them in the food chain. I personally have been diving in parts of Indonesia where the sharks have been fished out and there are very few fish left and the coral reefs are dying.

Sharks are not man-eating monsters. On average five people die from shark attacks

each year, while humans kill approximately 100 million sharks each year. They are targeted primarily for their fins, used to make shark fin soup, but also for their meat and as bycatch (non-targeted species). Products are also made from their cartilage and the oil from their livers called squalene. 

Shark finning is when the fins of a shark are cut off while the animal is still alive and the mutilated body is thrown back in the water to die. In 2014, New Zealand became the last non-Asian developed country to ban shark finning and it was banned in the United States in the year 2000. 

Most of us are familiar with mercury when it comes to eating seafood. Mercury is a metal that bioaccumulates in ocean ecosystems. Animals cannot get rid of it, so the further up the food chain you go the higher the concentration of mercury. A STUDY done by University of Miami’s RSMAS also found high concentrations of neurotoxins ( BMMA) in shark fins. These neurotoxins are linked to neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig Disease( ALS). Even smaller sharks like spiny dogfish, often used in fish and chips, have high mercury levels and can cause serious health risks if consumed.

Sharks can get cancer, so taking pills derived from shark parts will not prevent cancer. Even if sharks were immune to cancer, the pills would still not have an impact. I like shark biologist David Shiffman’s analogy, "Even if they didn't get cancer, eating shark products won't cure cancer any more than me eating Michael Jordan would make me better at basketball."

Sharks do not belong in jars or as souvenirs on our walls. If you have even been to a souvenir shop in South Florida than you have probably seen shark jaws or shark fetuses in jars for sale. The shark fetuses are creepy and completely unnecessary.

Shark diving is a multi-billion dollar industry globally and has shown a positive impact on shark protection. The best way to fight misconceptions about sharks is to see them in the wild and on their terms. In the Bahamas alone, there are multiple shark diving destinations including Bimini, Nassau, Freeport and Cat Island.

Ways to Make Every Week Shark Week

1.    Don’t be afraid to ask what it is you are eating and choose sustainable seafood. Oceans around the world are heavily overfished, so chose species of fish that are fast growing and breed often. The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a Safe Seafood guide that can fit in your wallet. Also, don’t be afraid to ask what exactly the “catch of day” is? A STUDY released by Oceana in 2012 found, “31% of seafood mislabeled in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale-area during a survey conducted in 2011-2012. Fraud was detected in half of the 14 different types of fish collected, with snappers and white tuna being the most frequently mislabeled.”

2.    Do not buy shark products. This includes shark cartilage pills, shark souvenirs and products containing shark liver oil (squalene). This oil is found not only in pills, but also lotions and make-ups. 
 

3.    Go see sharks. If you are a scuba diver chances are you have encountered a shark, but if not you should definitely book a trip.If you are not a diver there are lots of great snorkeling options around the world and seeing sharks might be a reason to get your scuba certification!

4.   Learn the facts. ( Factual AND fun)

-There are over 500 species of sharks and they are found in every ocean around the world.

-Sharks are slow growing, mature late and give birth to very few offspring, making them extremely vulnerable to overfishing.

-Greenland sharks are believed to live up to 100 years.

-Lemon sharks can bite their own tails.

-Tiger Sharks can invert their stomachs.

-A frilled shark can be pregnant for up to 3.5 years.

-Goblin sharks have pink skin.

-Megalodon was a real shark, but is now EXTINCT.

-The term “Elasmobranch” is a collective name for sharks, skates and rays. Elasmobranchs have a skeleton made of cartilage, no swim bladders, five to seven pairs of gills and skin made up of small dermal denticles.

-  A STUDY done by IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) reported 25 % of the world’s sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. 

5. Support Organizations working to Save Sharks

 There are lots of great organizations working to better understand these animals through science and research, as well as organizations working to put better legislation in place for protection of sharks. Some of my favorites include

Sharks4Kids-Shark Education for students and teachers
Shark Defenders-Working towards the implementation of shark sanctuaries around the world
Bimini Biological Field Station- Shark Science and Research 
Save Our Seas: Supporting Shark Science & Research, Shark Conservation & Education
Guy Harvey Research Institute-Shark Science and Education
Shark Advocates- Shark protection legislation and advocacy
The Shark Trust -Shark Advocacy and Education, supporting Shark Science.

 RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation- Marine Science & Research, Shark Science & Conservation

I am thrilled that sharks at least get one week of intense attention, but in reality they deserve a lot more.

Shark Sunday: Caribbean Reef Shark Encounter

There is a popular dive site here in Bimini frequented by not only the Bimini Biological Field Station ( Sharklab) for research and education, but also by local dive and eco tour operators. My first visit to the site was in 2004 while working on a research vessel that was visiting Bimini and I have been there dozens of times since; I am happy to report that it never gets old and you never know what you will see.

The usual stars are Caribbean reef sharks with anywhere from 2 to 20 making an appearance. Like any site frequented regularly, you start to recognize specific animals and I am always happy when old regulars show up.

Although the Bahamas is a shark sanctuary, we have seen people and fishing gear on this site with sharks as their targeted species.

The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary Approximately 243,244 square miles

Shark Fishing Gear Left Near Dive Site

Caribbean Reef Shark with a Hook Scar on the Mouth

It had been about a month since Duncan and I visited the site, so with a beautiful day before us we headed out. As soon as we anchored up a single shark finned at the surface. We threw a few pieces of bait in and very quickly we had 4 sharks. We geared up, got the cameras ready and slipped in.

Happiness! Who Needs Diamonds?! Sharks are a Girl's Best Friend

The water was crystal clear and the sunlight danced in ripples on the gray skin of the sharks; I absolutely love days like this. We spent over an hour in the water diving down and holding our breath, being as much part of their world as we could for a brief amount of time. The ocean is quiet place and I love lying on the bottom and just watching. I love sharks, if you hadn’t already guessed, but watching them never ceases to amaze me. Lost in the moment, my body reminded me that I am a land animal and must return to the surface.

Duncan Filming Caribbean Reef Sharks 

Freediving Shark Selfie

Throughout the Bahamas Caribbean sharks dives and snorkels draw divers, film crews and shark aficionados from around the world. These sharks are also responsible for educating thousands of people and changing fear into fascination and respect. Five minutes is all it takes to create a new perception and shark eco-tourism throughout the Bahamas has not only been good for the economy, but good for the sharks that swim around these islands.

We ended our dive and got back on the boat. I threw in some of the last scraps of bait and chatted with the sharks, as I always do. Duncan giggled, like he always does, amused by running commentary. I absolutely love being around these remarkable creatures.

Shark Geeks! Loving The Gorgeous Day!

I am a huge proponent of getting in the water and having your own shark experience, so if you find yourself in the Bahamas or somewhere offering a shark encounter, I encourage you to dive in! If you are in Bimini check out the Sharklab's Research Experience , Bimini Sands for shark snorkels or the Bimini Scuba Center for scuba diving trips.

Shark Week: Bimini Shark Tales

It’s Shark Week, which means people around the world are thinking about, talking about and watching shows featuring, you guessed it; sharks. Although Shark Week is notorious for sensationalism and “mockumentaries,” there arises a great opportunity to have a real conversation about sharks, shark conservation and the problems they are facing around the world. Here in Bimini pretty much every week is Shark Week. This tiny island chain in the northern Bahamas is home to the first Shark Free Marina in the world and is part of the Bahamas Shark Sanctuary. Some of the best shark research in the world has also happened right here at the Bimini Biological Field Station(Sharklab). Despite being small in size, Bimini is truly a world force in shark science and shark conservation.

My husband and I are both Sharklab alumni and have absolutely fallen in love with the island. We spend as much time here as possible and there is rarely a day we do not see sharks. Different species are here seasonally, along with a few regulars we see year round. We spend a lot of our time filming and photographing these amazing animals and occasionally get to assist the lab with research projects.  People travel from around the world to see these sharks, study them and dive with them and for us; we travel to our “backyard.”

Shark Selfie with a Bull Shark Off South Bimini!

My blog has been heavily neglected because all of my time has been devoted to our newest endeavor, Sharks4Kids. We created this non-profit as a means of spreading shark education to kids around the world through curriculum, activities, videos and classroom visits. Please check out the page and feel free to message me for more information. Okay, now back to the sharks.  Over the next few months I will be sharing information, images and videos highlight the sharks we see here in Bimini. I will include our adventures, facts about these animals and notes on shark research and conservation happening on the island. Sharks that will be featured include great hammerheads, nurse, lemons, bulls, Caribbean reef, smalltooth sawfish and the elusive pitbull shark!

The Rare and Elusive PITBULLSHARK!

I hope you enjoy these shark tales each week of the year, because sharks deserve more than a week of global attention! Please feel free to email me any questions you have!  You can also find me on twitter and Instagram @BiminiSharkGirl

FINS UP

Living the Shark Life

I am BACK!!!!!

Wow! My last blog was written on December 20th, 2013! I disappeared for a very good reason, I promise. On November 7, 2013 we officially launched Sharks4Kids. This has been a passion project nearly five years in the making and I am so thrilled it has become a reality. Thanks to my amazing husband Duncan and my best friend Derek, Sharks4Kids is a live and spreading shark education around the world. If you have not checked out the site please do and please share with friends, parents, teachers, students and educators.

Our goal is to bring shark education into the classroom as well as offering outreach and adventure experiences for educators, families and students. We have created curriculum for grades K-6 as well as graphics, image galleries, videos, activities and crafts for kids of all ages. We also offer classroom visits both in person and via Skype Classroom. Skype has changed the way the world connects and has allowed us to reach over 5000 students in 17 countries since last October!

Skype Chat with Orphans in Uganda With CHAT to the Future ( http://chattothefuture.org/)

We have collaborated with some amazing photographers, videographers and scientists to create a unique product we are very proud to share with the world. Thanks for all your support and for taking the time to check out Sharks4Kids! You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @Sharks4Kids.

Together we can make a difference and we can save sharks.

Meet Norman the Nurse Shark 

Sharklab Naturalist Course: Diving with Caribbean Reef Sharks

Exploring Shark Filled Oceans: Week 3

As I sit here and write this I am completely overwhelmed with the amazing week that has just passed. I did fifteen Skype Classroom visits from Northern France to California with students ranging in age from f1st grade to 7th. One teacher actually asked me to do a video message about why I do Skype visits. There are a lot of reasons why I love doing these visits, but I wanted to give her a concise answer. I have been visiting classrooms for about ten years, but physical visits are limited by time and location. Skype Classroom allows me to speak with students in France at 8:00 EST and then a school in Georgia at 9:00 EST and a school in California at 11:00 EST.

The current plight of sharks is devastating, but I honestly believe children offer hope not only for sharks, but also for our oceans and the planet. No matter where children live they need to understand that we are connected and their actions can make a difference around the world. I want them to feel empowered and able to speak up on behalf of the voiceless and I can only hope these talks inspire them to do so. Via Skype I was able to share my love of sharks and why they are so important with over 300 students this week alone. I was able to give them facts and tools to help spread the word for sharks!

I began the week with Mrs. Garland’s students in Boston, Massachusetts. This is by far one of the most incredible visits I have ever done. They had great questions and knew a lot about sharks already. Below is the note she sent me after the visit, which made me tear up. This is why I love my job. Connecting with people all around the world and sharing my passion with them.

“Thank you so much for Skyping with our class today. Not all students were visible to you (several chose to sit outside the viewing box). They have been waiting for this opportunity for weeks. These students have emotional and social needs that often get in the way of their abilities to function with a traditional class, but you touched them - I have NEVER seen them sit for such an extended period of time. Many thanks!”

I also visited with two great groups of 3^rd and 1^st graders. The 1^st graders in Illinois had a lot of questions and were really excited to know that things they were already doing (recycling) could help sharks.

The following day I started off in Georgia with some super excited 1^st and 2^nd graders followed by a group of 2^nd graders in California that were actually a little nervous about sharks. We talked a lot about how sharks are not monsters or man-eaters, but are actually in a lot of trouble and need our help. I could see the change as students looked at pictures and thought the sharks were cute.  It is amazing how just a short amount of time can change perceptions. It also shows how critical it is to educate children at a young age, so they do not carry those incorrect stereotypes into adulthood.

I finished off the day with Mrs. Thiessen’s students in Surrey, British Columbia and wow, they JAWSOME. They had a microphone and ipads going! It was such a fun visit! Absolutely blown away by the technology being used in the classroom. It has really changed education and opened up the world. Check out their Video Blog Here! 

FINS UP For Sharks: Group Photo 

The following day was another busy one with four visits to schools in Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico and Nebraska. I love visiting such a dynamic range of ages and locations in a single day because it really highlights the importance of ocean education for everyone. Just because students cannot be near the ocean does not mean they should not care. The fifth graders in Texas were really keen to help sharks and seem pleasantly surprised that some of the things they were already doing were in fact helping sharks and our oceans. 

Some feedback from that day :

From Mr. Horst in Nebraska on twitter:  This group of 80 students knew a lot about sharks even though they do not live near the ocean! 

“Want keep kids riveted for 45 minutes?  Have @SharkyJillian skype your school!  "

From Mrs. Pender:

“Thank you so much! My kiddos have done nothing but talked about this morning. They are so excited. In fact, they are even taking about how you said your husband dives, so now they want to Skype with him! Lol thank you so much! “   I think Duncan might have to make an appearance on the other side of the camera!

My final day start all the way in Northern France with Mrs. Silvert’s 7^th grade students. The students asked about La Reunion, a location recently made infamous by several shark attacks. I was impressed that they were concerned and wanted more information about the situation. We spoke a long time about efforts being made to protect beach goers and the sharks in the area. I was also thoroughly impressed with their English. My French is not even worth mentioning, save the content of this sentence.  Friday also took me to a group of very enthralled first graders in Canada followed up with some extremely well informed 4^th graders. They had each picked a shark to learn about and had some of the best questions a class has asked me.

This entire month of Exploring Oceans with Skype Classroom has been nothing short of remarkable. The smiles, laughs and excitement that each visit brings are priceless. I know these kids will make a difference. They will speak up and fight to save sharks. I know this in the way they listen, the questions they ask and follow up feedback I get from teachers and parents. I love the synchronized “WHOA,” I get when I show them an image of me filming a great hammerhead and the, “awww, it’s so cute,” reaction from an image of a baby nurse shark. They also seem to really understand the fact that sharks are in trouble and life for a shark can be pretty tough. I feel blessed and truly treasure these moments.

I even got a note from the principle this week! Luckily it was a good one! Thank you Mr. Schuyler for taking the time to send such a kind note.

“I want to thank Jillian for the great experience she provided our grade 1 students and teachers at Briardale School this morning.  They were very impressed and excited about the lesson.  The kids and teachers learned a lot!”

Thank you to Mrs. Brokaw, Mrs. Lachel, Mrs. Garland, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Thiessen, Mr. Hernandez, Mrs. Mendoza, Mrs. Pender, Mr. Horst, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Rios, Mme. Silvert, Mr. Hyman and Mme. Moccio for inviting me into your class and for sharing sharks with your students! 

Ending October with a Very Sharky Week

Another amazing week of Skype Classroom Visits has come and gone and I am still reveling in the unique, yet always inspirational experience of each visit. The Internet gods have been smiling on our little island and the connection has held for each visit. Writing that statement, though, will surely doom me for a Murphy’s Law moment of Internet failure in the near future. Fingers crossed for continued smooth sailing.

I kicked off the week speaking to 4th graders in Michigan followed by Kindergarteners in Wisconsin. I think Kindergarten and first grade might be my favorite age group to speak with. They have so much energy and excitement about the world around them and it is contagious. The way a child’s mind works at age 5, 6 or 7 is fascinating and I am always amazed at the statements and questions I get. Often times they are random, but I can usually find the logic that might have lead them to a certain conclusion and the journey is always a lot of fun.

Mrs. Harmann’s Kindergarten class wrote in their Skype journals after my visit and here are some of the JAWSOME things they had to say.

Sharks do not have bones-Jacob
Sharks lay eggs called a Mermaid’s purse –Cate
We should not be afraid of sharks –Adam
Sharks can smell their food before they see it –Bennett

This is continuously a learning process for me as well. The world is always changing and the interests often vary from class to class. I am constantly adding new elements and adjusting information to suit the needs of each classroom. They way kids interpret the information is also fascinating. What do they fixate on? What do they remember? What do they think is awesome? My lesson is about being a shark diver and underwater videographer, but is heavy on shark conservation as well. This is a lot of information and the direction each conversation goes depends entirely on questions the students have. I also ask the students a lot of questions because I want to know their ideas and thoughts about sharks. This is critical in providing information to them about sharks and shark conservation, while also making it fun. It is not about driving home the cruel reality of shark finning, it is about providing them with cool facts about sharks, debunking the man-eater myth and instilling the idea that they can make a difference. I want to encourage them to speak up and not be afraid to ask questions. They have a voice and it is important for them to gain confidence in using it.

I still get the, “have you ever been bitten by a shark question,” but not as frequently and I also get different versions including, “do I know someone who has been bitten,” and “has a shark ever tried to attack me when I am diving?” I (touch wood) have never been bitten, but I do know people who have and in each case it was the person’s fault. I am not going to say shark attacks do not happen, but I will always reiterate that we are NOT on the menu for sharks.

This week I was also asked by a few students whether I touch the animals I am filming, like sharks or dolphins. My answer is no. I ask them if they would want some stranger coming up to them and grabbing their shirt? No way, so why would an animal want someone to grab onto it? I talk about respect for wild animals and how important it is. I can see them processing the thought of a person grabbing their shirtsleeve and it not being okay and I know they understand this analogy in relation to wild animals. I do not grab sharks. I do not ride sharks or other wildlife. I don’t see the point and it is not something I support. Yes, sometimes we do swim sharks if they are not doing well and we need to get oxygen into their system, but it is not a joyride. “Sharks are NOT underwater scooters,” as a dear and respected friend in the industry, says.

After an awesome time in Wisconsin I spent 4 visits in North Carolina with Ms. Smith’s third and fifth graders. I finished up the week in New England speaking to fifth graders in Rhode Island. Always good to go home!
A lot of the students this week were very interested in goblin and cookie cutter sharks. I love when students ask about a more diverse range of species. Tigers, great whites and whale sharks are consistent, but goblin shark is rarely mentioned, but definitely deserves the attention for being such a cool animal. I think my favorite reactions came from discussions about tiger sharks being able to invert their stomachs and the fact that bull sharks pee more frequently in fresh and brackish water than they do in the ocean. The “ughhhh,” that is so gross, but so awesome reaction is one of the most fun parts of my classroom visits.

It has been another rewarding week and something I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do. Skype Classroom is celebrating Ocean Exploration during the month of November and I am honored to be a part of it. I have nine visits next week and I cannot wait to recruit more shark advocates around the world!

Thank you to Ms. Smith, Mrs. Naasko, Mrs. Harmann and Mrs. VanRossum for encouraging your students to care about sharks and our oceans.

School is Back in Session: Skype Classroom Visits

I love spending time in the classroom speaking with kids about sharks, but work over the past few months has really limited my ability to do so. My audience is slightly limited because I live on a tiny island, but Skype Classroom has really changed the way the world learns and has opened a lot more doors for me. (Classroom doors that is) I remember having guest speakers as a child growing up in Maine, but it didn’t happen very often and they were always local. I am blown away at the ability to broaden horizons and expand a child’s sense of the world, through a small window on the computer.

I have done classroom sessions before via Skype, as well as interviews for various shark projects, but last week I did my first visit organized through the Skype Classroom program. I was nervous and excited as I waited to connect with Mr. Grabowski’s 6th grade class, located in Guelph, Ontario.

I spent forty minutes speaking about sharks, shark diving and underwater video. The kids had really great questions about why sharks are important and what they can do to help. The time flew by and I closed the connection feeling a renewed sense of inspiration. The world of shark conservation is full of ups and downs and these classroom visits are the peaks that renew my resolve and challenge me to do more.

I did two more visits this week, one with second graders from Connecticut and one with an 8-year-old home school student in Michigan. I wanted to do a few to start and see how the logistics would be before I dove in completely. I think the experience is amazing and I have seven visits booked next week. It really opens the doors for students who do not have access to the ocean or maybe have never even seen the ocean. We all need the ocean and every child needs to know how important our oceans are and how important sharks are. It is also essential that every child realize he or she has a voice and that they can make a difference. Think global, but act local. We need to create the next generation of global citizens by initiating a conversation about things every person can do each day or each week to make a change.

I highly recommend this program to teachers and parents alike. You can bring the world to your classroom or to your children and make connections that cannot be found in any textbook.


MY SKYPE CLASSROOM PROFILE

Bimini Shark Week with Deano Cook

In my life every week is Shark Week, but there are definitely weeks more intense than others. A recent visit from photographer, painter, tattoo artist and good friend Deano Cook was one of those weeks. I met Deano in 2007 when I saw him tattooing marine artist Wyland at a convention. As a lover of sharks and tattoos, I knew right then and there I had to have a piece of his art on my body. It took six years of busy dive schedules and missed attempts, but we finally made it happen when he came to visit us in Bimini.

Bimini is one of my favorite places on the planet and I absolutely love sharing my home with people, especially those that have a real passion for the ocean. We wasted no time getting in the water and headed out for a Caribbean reef shark dive. The site here is pretty shallow, which is nice change from most of the deeper shark dive sites throughout the Bahamas. We had about eight reef sharks cruise through and two little blacknose sharks. They are considerably smaller than the reefs, but have no problem getting right in the mix. We spent an hour with these beauties before heading due south in search of stingrays.

IMAGE: DEANO COOK

Honeymoon Harbour is Bimini’s smaller and less commercialized version of Grand Cayman’s Stingray City. We anchored just off shore and it was only a matter of minutes before the troops came flying in. For years, visitors have interacted with a large population of Southern stingrays and the occasional lemon, blacktip or nurse shark at this location and it is a favorite spot for most visitors. On our last few visits a very precocious nurse shark has made an appearance and seems to have no problem begging for a snack amongst the rays. Animals are really clever and I love seeing large species interact with each other. I know nurse sharks do not garner a lot of excitement from diehard shark enthusiasts, but I love them.

Another regular, a ray we affectionately call, “ The Blanket,” showed up to welcome Deano to the island. This female Southern stingray is probably five feet across and has no etiquette when it comes to interacting with people. She is large and in charge, sitting on your lap, knocking you over and completely smothering your camera. She is definitely the matriarch of the group and quite assertively lets everyone know this. We spend a lot of time with these animals and it is incredible to see their personalities become more defined the more time you share with them. Yes, they are all the same species, but they are definitely not cut from the same mold. I always get the giggles at this site because it is impossible to not laugh when a stingray is tickling your toes.

We returned to the reef sharks the following day and got some great shots with our new Oceanic and Lavacore gear. Our dive was cut short by some nasty squalls moving in. They come is fast and hard during the summer months in Bimini and can quickly knock the visibility to zero. They are so pronounced and confined however, you can usually avoid the brunt of them. We headed out and actually lost power in our port engine, which kicked us around hard on a large swell and sent Deano flying across the boat. We turned to head south towards the medical clinic on Cat Cay. What should have been a fifteen-minute ride, took over an hour with the wind and swells. We arrived and Deano was able to move around, but had definitely sustained an injury to the ribs. We made the slow cruise back to South Bimini and headed to the clinic because the doctor was not available on Cat Cay. The doctor told him he should get x-rayed in Nassau, but Deano was not going to miss out on diving, sharks and tattooing.

We took it easy the next day, but Deano did not want to miss out on opportunities, so we made it work and headed to the Sharklab. We spent time in the pens with some juvenile lemon and nurse sharks and Deano was able to get some images as well as hold a few of the little guys. It really is a special experience and I never get tired of hanging out with those cute little babies. Sharing miniature versions of the ocean’s might predators is a powerful tool for education. Deano is a shark lover, but for many people seeing how “cute” a shark can be really changes their perception about these animals.

The mangroves were next on our list because they are the heart and soul of Bimini and a place everyone should take the time to visit. It may not seem exciting, but the amount of life above and below the surface is remarkable. We showed him the mega resort on the north island and explained the damage that has been done and the impending threats that are looming. Bimini is not a bustling metropolis, nor should it ever be, but the quiet of the mangroves really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I am not sure how excited Deano was about the mangroves to start, but within minutes he was raving about how incredible they were.

As if on cue, a juvenile lemon shark swam out in front of our boat and cruised through the gin clear water just ahead of us. We know the sharks use the mangroves as a nursery for the first 3-4 years of their life, but it is always exciting to spot one. It was really awesome to see how excited Deano got as well. A tree-lined channel is not where you expect to find baby sharks and these encounters are always surreal. We continued onward spotting schools of snapper, small conch and birds. We paused for pictures and to talk about this incredibly diverse forest and why it is vital for Bimini and the oceans of our planet. These nurseries are critical for healthy populations of not only sharks, but snapper, conch and lobster; all major components of the Bahamian economy.

We hopped in for a snorkel in Bonefish Hole and found schools of silversides dancing in the sunlight, giant stingrays buried in the sand along the edge of the mangroves, hundreds of snapper, tiny butterfly fish and sergeant majors peeking out from behind the roots and dozens of small lobster taking refuge under mangrove root ledges. This forest is literally overflowing with life. I watched a crab eating a snail, while delicately balanced on a single branch. The weather was rough at the edge of the channel, so we didn’t spot any turtles for Deano, who was desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of the juvenile greens that hang around, but regardless the day was amazing.

The week was going by way too fast, like it always does when you are doing what you love and it was time to get down to business. We had spent evenings deciding on the size and Deano enjoyed an ocean view office to do some stenciling. I will admit I was hesitant to have a large back piece, but I knew a lot of the detail would be lost if we went too small. Deano was patient as I taped on the images and then looked at pictures of them on my back. We finally compromised on a size and he laid the stencil on my back. Although he started with a stencil, the true artwork is in his eye as he free hands the shading and brings the animal to life. I did not want a shark tattoo, I wanted a portrait of the most amazing animal on the planet; Deano Cook made this a reality. He is not just a tattoo artist, but someone who has spent time with these animals getting to know how they move, how they act and the tiny intricacies that make them unique and beautiful. As we discussed the details to emphasize on the great hammerhead we were continuously on the same page. The eye, the curve of the tail and even a biopsy notch in the dorsal fin; he brought this magnificent creature to life.

This marks my 7th tattoo, but it the first large piece of artwork I have ever had. As I sat on the stool in the make shift tattoo studio we created in our living room, I was excited and nervous. There is such a rush when you get inked. It hurts, yes it hurts a lot and people are full of crap if they say it doesn’t. Deano spent six hours the first day and then we enjoyed grilled conch prepared by my amazing husband. We talked about sharks, adventures and chasing our dreams. Deano and I had never dived together, so the days building up to the tattoo were really special and were definitely brought into the piece. Deano is a friend painting his love of sharks using my back as a canvas. I say, “using,” because we are not done.

We started earlier the next day because we had “Lobster Fest 2013,” to attend that evening and we didn’t want to miss out. Lobster season had opened the day before and our good friend and neighbor Leesa was preparing several dishes including HANDMADE lobster ravioli. Another 5 hours of pain, stories, art and ocean passion went into my back. We rocked out to a great band called Slightly Stupid and some Maroon 5. Lobster fest was beyond words and we all really enjoyed another random and epic night on the island. Bimini is small, but always full of impromptu moments of awesomeness with great people. I love this island!

A final hour long session on his last day left the total at 12 hours of work creating an incredible portrait of, in my opinion, the most magnificent animal on Earth. 12 hours is pretty is a long time, but he did it with FRACTURED RIBS! Yeah, he is a rock star. Diving, playing with sharks and tattooing while he was busted up; now that is dedication. I have to say I was nervous about the size of the artwork, but looking at it now and the way it flows with my back, I couldn’t imagine it any different.

Thank you Deano for an absolutely epic BIMINI SHARKWEEK. Cannot wait for our next adventure.