CONSERVATIONISTS TAKE DIVE WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST GREAT WHITE SHARK RECORDED IN HAWAII
Renowned marine biologist and conservationist Ocean Ramsey, and her team from One Ocean Diving, experience something magical and unbelievable while diving in a secret location off the coast of Oahu.
Ramsey and her team focus their efforts on educating the public about sharks and studying shark behaviour, and recently came in very close contact with their love of sharks. The team came upon a great white shark and was able to spend a significant amount of time with the majestic predator.
Although Ramsey herself works with magnificent great white sharks around the world this encounter was definitely one for the books. In Hawaii great white sharks are quite rare and seeing that this particular great white measured around 20 feet long making it one of the largest great whites spotted in Hawaii, the experience was even more exciting.
The large female made her presence known to the group by swimming up and brushing against their boat repeatedly. Contrary to popular belief, the shark wasn't lurking around to cause harm, but for a much more important reason.
“There is a theory that large females come here when they are possibly pregnant trailing whales. There was a dead sperm whale in the area and we did observe her from a distance swimming over to it and eating it on a regular basis throughout the day. Sharks [play a] role in the ecosystem, to pick off the dead, dying, weak, wounded, sick, injured, etc. thereby keeping lower trophic levels healthy and in balance.”
The jaw dropping photos taken of Ramsey while she was interacting with the shark, are just a small demonstration of how One Ocean Diving would like the public to see these animals.
Due to a lack of strict laws about their slaughter, these magnificent creatures of the marine world are at great risk as shark populations in Hawaii are declining. And not only is the shark population seeing a decline in Hawaii but also around the world due to various of factors. That’s why One Ocean Diving’s mission is not only to educate the public about shark behaviour but also teach the public how to have positive interactions with them. The group also focus on gathering data on behaviour in order to assist in conservation efforts.
“I have so much respect for sharks for their ecological role, scientifically, culturally in Hawaii as aumakua, and from a conservation standpoint I've dedicated my life to speaking up for them and educating others about them and their plight while studying to continue to understand more about them. We hope these images and videos will spark a movement for more laws to protect sharks here in Hawaii and around the world.”