Elegance in Black and White – Google Oceans
Speaking of RTSea Productions, when Google announced “Google Oceans” joining it’s wildly successful Google Earth, Richard Theiss was on the original content team providing video and images to ocean searchers worldwide.
This week his short shark PSA “Sharks:Elegance in Black and White” was uploaded to Freeport, Bahamas exposing millions of content searchers worldwide to the stark beauty of sharks.
In case you missed the video here it is again:
The Theiss Factor – Genius is Genetic!
Last week the shark world lit up with the recent results from a study that said sharks are color blind.
Take that Yum Yum Yellow believers, we know it has been a hard week for you, but heck science ain’t here so you can come up with crazy shark myths.
For us the exciting moment in this study was not the study itself but the team behind it and one name that stood out like a beacon – Dr. Susan Theiss of the University of Queensland.
Could it be that this Theiss was related in anyway to another well known Theiss at RTSea Blog and RTSea Productions?
A quick phone call to Richard Theiss at his home in California confirmed all our suspicions, “Yup, that’s my niece”, said a very proud uncle on the other end of the line.
What is it with Theiss clan and sharks?
You’ll note that RTSea Productions was behind Island of the Great White Shark an award winning look at both shark tourism and research working in tandem at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico…and now this.
For those of you who read Richards blog you’ll also note the uncanny scientific manner in which he distills complex issues down to a readable and digestible format, a trademark blog style that has rocketed Richards readership to one of the top Blue Blogs out there right now.
They say “Genius is Genetic”. In the case of the Theiss clan the world is better for smarts like this and the shark world is benefiting as well, one groundbreaking study, and one groundbreaking documentary at a time.
Kudos!
Raw Media Footage – BP Gulf Disaster Mote Shark Research
PROJECT INFO: Highlight footage approved by Mote Marine Laboratory for news/media use. Research Expedition headed by Dr. Bob Hueter, Director – Mote Center for Shark Research to study effects of BP Gulf Oil Disaster.
FORMAT: Multi-Camera, HD, 16:9. Field produced & shot by the Paxton Brothers in dual role as Science Party Crew and Presenters.
STATUS: Project available for co-production & development, programming content & distribution, news/media stock footage and certain educational applications.
The team at Think Out Loud Productions is focused on innovative outdoor adventure & wildlife footage, still and textual content to support non-fiction or documentary television programming and / or other multi-media educational opportunities.
Contact: Info@ThinkOutLoudProductions.com for details.
For More Information Visit: ThinkOutLoudProductions
Shark-Safe Beaches: testing aerial spotters and dismissing electro-magnetics
Starting 2011 out right with this report from RTSea Productions.
If you want concise industry thought and analysis this is your go to daily blog.
From RTSea:
When people enter the ocean – to swim, surf, dive, or just frolic about at the water’s edge – they are entering a different wilderness. In doing so, they expose themselves to a measure of risk from interaction with other animals, from a sea jelly sting or an urchin spine all the way up to an interaction with a larger animal like a shark.
To protect people from unwanted shark interactions, several methods of prevention have been tried over the decades. In Australia, there is an extensive network of netted beaches. The steel mesh nets are designed with openings small enough to ward off large sharks but large enough to allow smaller fish to pass through. The nets have been used for many years and, in combination with lifeguards acting as shark spotters, the process has been fairly successful. But not infallible.
Sharks can get through the nets on occasion due to the nets being moved about from currents or storm action, so to maintain a big picture overview, spotter planes are being deployed in New South Wales (south eastern Australia) as part of a test program during peak months of swimming activity. And the NSW government in Australia has deployed a novel method to keep their spotter pilots’ skill sharp. Decoy or replica sharks will be placed in the water to check the effectiveness of the surveillance program. Lifeguards will be made aware of the days and times for the placement of the replica sharks, but not the pilots. Results of the tests will be included in the final evaluation as to the aerial surveillance program future.
Far to the west, following a recent series of shark attacks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, a variety of safety measures are being considered. Nothing has been confirmed as yet because the government is weighing an appropriate response that also recognizes the probable causes for the attacks – reportedly everything from unregulated chumming to overfishing of the shark’s usual preying to the dumping of dead sheep from a passing freighter.
One approach that apparently will not be used is something akin to electrified fencing. An organization, the Shark Academy, has proposed installing an electro-magnetic shield along the Egyptian coastline of Sharm El-Sheikh in the Red Sea, but the idea has been totally dismissed by the Governor of South Sinai, General Abdel Fadeel Sousha.
“He (the company’s owner) showed us a video in a meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh on devices used to protect beaches from sharks and made verbal and purely theoretical proposals that didn’t persuade me on a personal level,” said General Sousha. “I asked him for a practical demonstration in front of a committee of experts so we could be sure the devices work effectively. This still hasn’t happened.”
A pretty far-fetched notion when you think about it. I have worked with divers who have used a protective device called a Shark Shield which emits a strong electro-magnetic pulse when needed and seems to be quite effective with medium-size sharks like lemon or blacktip sharks. But I’ve been told it also “rattles the teeth” of the diver when its discharged. So the idea of having something that strong running constantly across a beach seems rather unlikely.
Apparently, previous attempts at using electro-magnetic fields along beaches in Natal, South Africa and in Australia have been a dismal failure, not preventing the sharks from entering enclosed swimming areas but giving bathers a nice little shock instead.
Rather than rely on Rube Goldberg devices, common sense should prevail. Non-life threatening measures – such as nets and shark spotters – along with a better understanding and acceptance of the wild world we are venturing into is what’s called for. While many of us hear the call to return to the sea, we must remember that we enter it as interlopers and strangers on someone else’s turf.
Dorsal Fin Blog and CBS News?
The Dorsal Fin Blog has arrived.
One of the true marks of any blue blogs ascendancy is recognition by the main stream media.
In this case CBS news.
This week CBS covered a non event with a local white shark in Australia, and used an image to set up their news piece with an image shot by George Probst at Isla Guadalupe several years ago.
George is the man behind The Dorsal Fin Blog.
Does this mean someone at CBS is following The Dorsal Fin Blog?
As long time shark bloggers ourselves, we can say with almost 100% certainty, yes, yes they are.
Now if they would only give him the blog credit for the image.
