Busy working up the data for our Cayman Islands Sharks Project from a great season on Little Cayman. Along with our partners, the Cayman Islands Dept. of Environment, we had support from the Save our Seas Foundation, Southern Cross Club and from CayBrew for our shark conservation beer White Tip Lager (award winning, by the way!). York University MSc students Beth Taylor and Rich Easton came on a placement with us and were just great. The fieldwork is weather and boat dependent, so it can be quite intense when we have a run of good luck, followed by everyone hunched over hot laptops inputting data and running initial analyses. Beth and Rich were always cheerful and keen and with their assistance, and we managed to achieve our target of scientific long lines, baited underwater video stations, distance sampling and photo-ID dives. I was able to spread the message that sharks are a positive element of the coral reef habitat, thanks to the support of Neil at Southern Cross. Keith Neale and Chris Gough kept us on target in the boats and Ann Neale’s needlework was much admired by the sharks and groupers. Some spectacular lightning storms lit the skies, I thought we might lose Rich to one as he was so engrossed in them.
It was heartening to see a number of young of the year sharks this time, although there were some species that we expected to see but didn’t. Working with the groupers makes you realise what personalities they have – how can you eat one?
It was heartening to see a number of young of the year sharks this time, although there were some species that we expected to see but didn’t. Working with the groupers makes you realise what personalities they have – how can you eat one?