Divers Greet Great White Shark to Encourage Protecting Them
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It seems that one of the largest great white sharks has been found roaming the waters of Hawaii. Two shark researchers approached it as part of an initiative to push for legislation that protects the animal from hunting and fishing in the region.
One of the researchers, named Ocean Ramsey, revealed to the media that the shark was discovered on Tuesday near a dead sperm whale off Oahu. She added that the shark was among the fish in the area that were feeding on the carcass alongside tiger sharks. Ramsey herself is a conservationist while being a shark researcher.
Ramsey shared that her team was observing the tiger sharks feeding on the carcass when the great white made her appearance. She brushed up against the boat, and Ramsey suspects that this is because she might be pregnant and wanted to scratch her belly. The shark began approaching Ramsey, and she reached out for it. She noted that sometimes sharks seek touch. Ramsey and her team also noticed that the shark was being escorted by two rough-toothed dolphins in the area.
Her business partner and fiancé, Juan Oliphant, is an ocean photographer who was on the scene to capture breathtaking pictures of the moment, which have since gone viral. Ramsey and Oliphant run the One Ocean Diving and Research facility together from Oahu. Oliphant was greatly fascinated by the shark but was unsure whether this was the famous Deep Blue or not. However, he added that even if she wasn’t Deep Blue, it’s still fairly exciting because it means there are more of these sharks roaming the waters. This is meaningful due to the fact that great white sharks are greatly endangered.
Ramsey has added that she’s been advocating for legislature that would protect sharks and rays from being senselessly killed in Hawaii. She remains hopeful that such laws will be passed within the year. She added that these pictures showing her alongside the great white shark are an attempt to spread awareness that sharks aren’t necessarily dangerous and require protection despite their threatening appearance.
At the same time, Ramsey does emphasize that no one should impulsively try to approach a shark. She stressed that she is a researcher who has studied the behaviors of sharks for years and after a lot of training, she has a deep understanding of how to handle interaction with them. While this shark is mellow in nature, one still needs to be careful. Additionally, she thinks that it’s even more unadvisable to approach sharks without training when you’re in a situation like hers, that is, near a rotting whale carcass.