Say this out loud: Shark Attack! Now say this out loud: Shark Attack! They sound the same don’t they? Well I assure you they are quite distinct and could not be more different.
If you are reading this it is safe to say that on some level you are interested in the ocean and it’s inhabitants. And, it is quite likely that you have seen or heard the buzz about the “Shark Attack at Guadalupe Island” which occurred in November of 2007 involving two “victims”, a “shark cage”, and a “shark attack”. Video of this event has been posted on You Tube, currently has received over 900,000 views, and now is being featured in the media throughout Europe and the United States. What was listed as a shark accident on You Tube has now been billed as a shark attack around the world! (By the way this incident had nothing to do with Horizon Charters.)
Many people watch this video and probably think Wow – those poor guys…they must have been so frightened. Or, they are lucky to be alive. Or, they really have a tale to tell now! Or, how could that boat operator put them in such a compromising position? And maybe…why would anyone want to put themselves in that vulnerable position? Some, few, may even wonder about the safety of the shark. When watching the video and the interviews of the divers it is easy to assume that you are listening to the victims talk and watching the attacker thrash about. But, I ask you … is every thing as it seems to be?
The definition of the word “attack” according to Dictionary.com aptly applies to most people’s characterization of an attack and includes phrases such as: to set upon in a forceful, violent, hostile, or aggressive way; to begin hostilities against; start an offensive against - to attack the enemy; to blame or abuse violently or bitterly; to make an attack.
Now, let’s define two other terms key to this discussion so we are all on the same page before moving on... Sensationalism: subject matter, language, or style producing or designed to produce startling or thrilling impressions or to excite and please vulgar taste. And finally… News: a report of a recent event; intelligence; information; the presentation of a report on recent or new events in a newspaper or other periodical or on radio or television.
Essentially, sensationalism is when media spins a story to evoke an emotion compromising the integrity of the actual story. News is a presentation of an event or information without the spin (at least it should be).
So, …let’s break this piece on Great White Sharks down and see if we have sensationalism or a basic news report. Who are the players here and how would they most likely be defined by the general public?
This should be clear cut right? Hardly!
The Divers: The two divers in the cage sought out the opportunity to view Great White Sharks in their endemic environment. They paid a lofty sum (thousands of dollars) to travel to Guadalupe Island (a 24 hour boat ride from San Diego) a remote volcanic island where Great White Sharks have been found to congregate during certain times of the year. The victims?
No…Observers. So, why take such measures to observe the Great White Shark in it’s own environment? Because the Great White Shark is magnificent and the only place to truly appreciate it’s beauty and supplement research of the Great White Shark is in the water.
The Shark Diving Operation (not Horizon Charters): A business that has expanded into shark diving with the goal of bringing the general public to a remote location to view Great White Sharks….for an adventure, a thrill, education, research, … The dive boat operation and tour operator provide the transportation, the cages and the means by which people can observe these creatures in a safe manner. The facilitator?
Facilitator of shark diving in relative safety. Precautions can and are taken, however, you are accepting an inherent risk when choosing to get in the water with Great White Sharks. Not that they are “out to get you” but they are large, powerful, unpredictable, wild creatures. In this particular case the dive operator was using hang bait (tuna attached to a rope) to gain the attention of the sharks. The process is intended not to feed the sharks but to draw them in closer to the cages so the divers can get a better view, though, occasionally the sharks get the bait. This practice is under debate for various reasons and research is being conducted to determine if this has a negative effect on the sharks and whether this may increase shark attacks on humans. Preliminary research in South Africa is beginning to show that the sharks eventually begin to not pay attention to the boats even with the bait and that there is no impact or correlation with shark attacks.[i] It must, however, be done in a manner that takes into consideration current law (if allowed at all), the safety of the sharks and people with the caveat that sharks are unpredictable and even under the best circumstances can take a wrong turn and crash into the cage. There is inherent risk in shark diving and the frequency of accidents is very low. However, it is important that operators strive to learn, adjust and reduce the risk so as to eliminate all accidents that are within their power.
The Cages: Welded aluminum cages designed to specifications within world wide industry practice for the purpose of caging the divers and putting a barrier between them and the shark – an added layer of safety. A safe place to view sharks?
The cages are provided as an added layer of security, but, are by no means impenetrable. If a shark gets spooked or makes an error in judgment there must be a protocol of how the divers should react. Each shark diving operation should have a set of safety guidelines and protocols to not only keep the divers safe, but, the sharks safe as well. These cages should more appropriately be called people cages instead of shark cages and the strength of the design should evolve and improve as new situations present themselves over the course of time. When people enter the shark’s domain they need to accept that they are at risk. Sometimes a small risk and sometimes a large risk depending on the circumstances and the standards of safety practiced by the Shark Diving Operation.
The Great White Shark: Very simply a large fish doing it’s daily job of survival - swimming in the ocean looking for food. The attacker?
Attacker? No! The shark is a powerful apex predator … but, it is no match for the sensationalistic media that exists. The shark is an innocent bystander, without a voice, that has become the victim of the sensationalistic media.
The Media: A platform to bring news to those unaware. An innocent bystander?
There are two types of media – the first brings you all the information and helps you make an informed opinion on matters without bias and the second, the media that draws you in with a hook – something that startles and appeals to people’s vulgar side. The media that portrays and personifies the shark as the attacker which in turn actually makes the shark a victim perpetuating people’s fear of the misunderstood and unknown; therefore, fueling shark exploitation and decimation. There is only one attacker in this story and it is the side of the media that acts irresponsibly. And in this case, these two divers fall under the umbrella of irresponsible media. Why, you ask? Because, they have chosen to supply footage and interviews to the public to gain notoriety for themselves at the expense of the shark species. Such footage and interviews (though the divers make their brief caveats regarding the behavior of the shark not being intentional to harm them) still breed fear of sharks. It does nothing to educate the public about the wonders, beauty and absolute necessity of sharks, but, contributes to the world wide travesty and atrocity against the shark species. So, sensationalist media is the real attacker in this story.
The Public: All humans on planet Earth.
The most important player here. The player that has the ability to accept the sensationalism that promotes and provokes the self destruction of the health of Planet Earth inhabitants, such as Great White Sharks, in turn damaging the health of Planet Earth itself. Or, the player that sees through this sensationalistic media approach and sees it for what it is and what it is lacking - the player who chooses to demand that a greater good and focus be embraced.
Now, let’s return to the issue at hand… Shark Attack! This phrase in and of itself implies, based on the definition of the word attack, that the Great White Shark strategically turned and careened into the shark cage with the intent on committing harm to the occupants of the cage. It personifies the shark and accuses it of wrong doing.
The shark in the video is a highly evolved fish looking for food. When it went to eat the hang bait it’s eyes rolled back as a form of protection momentarily blinding the shark. Typically, they use their size and speed to stun and consume their prey. If something, say perhaps a cage, happens to get in the way during this particular moment, it crashes and then thrashes to get free. This was not just a case of survival for the divers, but, a case of survival for the shark as well. Yes, the divers probably were terrified – that was their survival instinct. The shark was merely exhibiting it’s own survival instinct in order to escape the cage that bound it.
This widely spread video is not a film of an attack, but, of an unfortunate accident that threatened both the divers and the shark. So, does this mean that shark diving should be discontinued for the protection of people and sharks? No, based on the uninformed, irresponsible media response of this event it means more than ever that shark diving should be continued with a strong emphasis on education. Humans must learn to appreciate Great White Sharks (and all other sharks) for what they are…an apex predator which maintains the health of the ocean ecosystem that also happen to be an absolute vision of magnificence and grace in the water. When sharks are threatened the entire ocean ecosystem is threatened. When the entire ocean ecosystem is threatened, human industry and well being is threatened as well.
Sensationalistic media about sharks is insidiously eating away at the health of everything and everyone involved – sharks, the ocean, people and the planet. So, what is the vaccine? The trickle down affect applies here: creating an appreciation and understanding of the shark helps increase education, which helps increase funding, which helps increase research, therefore, increasing preservation and health of sharks, the ocean, humans and ultimately the planet.
Shark Attack!...and Shark Attack! sound the same when you say them out loud. However, one implies a personified shark attacking humans for the thrill of it. The other …Shark Attack! … is the attack that has been waged against the shark – the one where humans are the attackers and sharks are the victims. Sadly, this is the true Shark Attack! that exists…and only you, the public, can change it.
Don’t waste your time viewing sensationalistic You Tube videos and irresponsible, incomplete interviews reported in and on ordinarily respected media such as The Today Show posted on 12/11/2008 and Good Morning America posted on 12/10/2008…use your valued time to really learn what is happening with Great White Sharks. For an example of media used for news that is not sensationalistic and takes a responsible, informed, scientific approach to Great White Shark Diving, and the survival of the shark species in general, check out the recent report by Anderson Cooper “Planet In Peril: Battle Lines” on CNN.
Don’t sensationalize and merely entertain…educate and make a difference.
Written By Jennifer Halvorsen Grivetto, December 13th 2008
HORIZON Charters – Immerse Yourself In Nature www.HORIZONCharters.com
[i] Recent report by Anderson Cooper “Planet In Peril: Battle Lines” aired on CNN December 11th, 2008
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