Basking shark - Cetorhinus maximus
Named because it is usually seen swimming slowly at the surface while feeding, as if sunning itself, basking sharks are second only to the whale shark in size with an average adult length of 22-29ft. It is one of three species of filter feeding shark and the only one to use just the continual passage of water to trap its planktonic food against its gill rakers as it swims - it is believed to be able to filter 2,000 tons of water in an hour. It has a wide distribution throughout the world’s boreal and temperate waters, although it is not known to be abundant. Due to its slow growth rate and long gestation, the IUCN Red List currently classes the species as vulnerable worldwide and endangered in the north east Atlantic and north Pacific, where it was heavily fished: The basking shark’s liver can account for 25% of its total weight, and its fins are among the most valuable in the international shark fin trade.
In 2009 I had the immense pleasure of seeing a basking shark in the wild while I was running a wildlife boat tour in my home waters of Torbay. It was a juvenile, about 8ft long, and I got so excited I tripped over a metal step on the boat to get a better view and got a huge bruise on my shin. Worth it.
Zebra shark - Stegostoma fasciatum
A nocturnal carpet shark native to the Indo-Pacific, zebra sharks spend most of the day resting on the sand and hunt for molluscs, crustaceans and fish on the reef at night. The caudal (tail) fin of the zebra shark can be almost half the length of the body, achieving a maximum total size of just over 8ft long. The name is derived from the striped pattern of the young sharks. Though the species is doing well in Australian waters, it is classed worldwide on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable due to the destruction of its coral reef habitat and heavy fishing for its fins, liver oil and meat.
Today’s elasmobranch is one of my favourites. I know I say that a lot (there’s a lot to love!), but zebra sharks really are precious.
Photograph by Thomas P. Peschak
Fishermen’s lights attract plankton, and plankton attract young whale sharks in Djibouti’s coastal waters. In 2008 the United Arab Emirates banned whale shark fishing—a sign of growing awareness of the importance and vulnerability of Arabia’s seas.
Stunning.
♥
(Source: sharks-ahoy)
A little whale shark I doodled onto some canvas paper as an experiment with watered down acrylics, some new ink pens, and producing some simpler illustrations.
The Madagascan name for whale shark is “marokintana”, which means “coat of stars”.
(Source: fyeah-seacreatures)
LivingSocial update!
LivingSocial has cancelled the Mark the Shark deal after a huge response. Thank you all for getting involved, and be sure to thank them for listening to our concerns!
Shame on LivingSocial for promoting the mindless killing of sharks
UPDATE: The deal has been cancelled. Unfortunately 11 were sold, but LivingSocial did a great thing by responding to everyone’s concerns.
Need I even tell who the Mark the Shark is? Here’s a snapshot:
(page 1 of 24)
Spend $149 “…hunting down the scariest undersea uglies you’ll ever encounter” with a shark killer, encourages LivingSocial.
Do you know where that $149 would be better spent? Ensuring that these vital, fascinating ocean predators are protected for the future - ours and theirs.
Please reblog and let LivingSocial know how you feel about this incredibly destructive idea.
Plug plug plug! There’s now a tumblr just for my marine life art. I’ll be posting works in progress as well as sketches, doodles and lots more things that don’t make it into the portfolio. There’s not a lot there at the moment, but there will be regular updates. Reblogs are hugely appreciated! Thank you!
If you’re looking for a gift for the ocean lover in your life, I have several prints available in my etsy store! There’s still time for me to ship before the holiday; I will be absent from the 17th to the 29th, so be sure to get your order in!
Thank you for looking!
Please vote for David Shiffman to win a $10k scholarship for shark conservation!
Shark conservation biologist David Shiffman (blogger for Southern Fried Science) needs your vote! He’s in the running for a blogging scholarship that he intends to use to further shark research. You can vote for him once a day right here, and read about what he plans to do with the prize money if he wins here.
Please support one of the most important animals that have ever existed on our planet by throwing a vote his way and spreading the word. Sharks keep the oceans in balance; we need the oceans to live.
Please reblog, share, and vote!
A vote for David Shiffman is a vote for the ocean’s future!
Shark conservation biologist David Shiffman (blogger for Southern Fried Science) needs your vote! He’s in the running for a blogging scholarship that he intends to use to further shark research. You can vote for him once a day right here.
Please support one of the most important animals that have ever existed on our planet by throwing a vote his way and spreading the word. Sharks keep the oceans in balance; we need the oceans to live.
This is me swimming alongside a stunning sand tiger shark. I had to be on the other side of the acrylic today and all I could think about was going back in.
