I put the final video up on my website from our trip to Ambergris Caye. We dove the Esmeralda dive site north of San Pedro on July 23. The dive had everything you would want, nurse sharks, moray eel, sea turtle, and sting ray. I made a mini-documentary out of the video with narration and music. I hope you enjoy it.
Great video control and composition, Marshall. Particularly, liked the shot of the coral with yellow-tails. I could feel the surge, sigh.
Although, the DM's have been handling the nurse sharks for years, it still distresses me . . .and in particular, that your dive buddy did this on her own. Somehow, I doubt that the sharks enjoy it and people have been hurt on occasion. Would you like to be turned upside down until you faint and have some other life species feel you up? Sure, the molestation comes along with a snack but hey . . I'm just saying.
A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?
Great video control and composition, Marshall. Particularly, liked the shot of the coral with yellow-tails. I could feel the surge, sigh.
Although, the DM's have been handling the nurse sharks for years, it still distresses me . . .and in particular, that your dive buddy did this on her own. Somehow, I doubt that the sharks enjoy it and people have been hurt on occasion. Would you like to be turned upside down until you faint and have some other life species feel you up? Sure, the molestation comes along with a snack but hey . . I'm just saying.
Yes great video, Marshall even let me put it on my dive website. On the issue of handling, while I am on the fence on this one I will say that the way the DM handled the shark was gentle and a lot better than some of the videos I have seen where the animals look abused in this case both of the handlers were gentle and allowed the shark to swim away when it wanted.
Also it is a natural occurance in the shark world as the exact same thing happens to female sharks (which they are) during mating where the male shark bite the fin to hold onto the female shark and mates with her which after she is on her back in a state of tonic immobility.
So while its not natural for a human to turn the Shark over and mate with it its not something the shark is not used to and from scientists point of view it does not hurt the shark in any way.
Handling and feeding wildlife is very controversial with 50% for and 50% against.
Overall I thought it was a great video that showed how good some of the diving is off Ambergris Caye.
OK, Gaz, in that case, let me ask you this . . .how would you feel if someone wined, dined, got you all excited and then didn't follow through with the mating?
On another nurse shark related note, one morning last year, I was first diver off the boat and dropping on site at Esmeralda. Descending face first, I felt some bumping of my legs. My first assumption was another diver was getting tangled with me, my second that some of my gear was dangling/tangling . . .but no, it was nurse sharks, erm, apparently trying to mate with me since I was upside down.
A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?
OK, Gaz, in that case, let me ask you this . . .how would you feel if someone wined, dined, got you all excited and then didn't follow through with the mating?
On another nurse shark related note, one morning last year, I was first diver off the boat and dropping on site at Esmeralda. Descending face first, I felt some bumping of my legs. My first assumption was another diver was getting tangled with me, my second that some of my gear was dangling/tangling . . .but no, it was nurse sharks, erm, apparently trying to mate with me since I was upside down.
Unfortunately Seashell its happened many times with me that's why i gave up wining and dining a long time ago
Nice video! It seems if I use photos and videos on my site that show feeding or touching I get many negative comments and that's way not why I put up photos and videos on my Blogs. My divemasters and instructors take people to Esmeralda and do this as most of the dive shops in San Pedro. It seems like a necessary evil to entertain the tourist and if we didn't or refused they would probably go with another shop. not a perfect world.
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