Ila France Porcher

Cognition in Sharks

May 02, 2014 - 16:17
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on page 68

A difficulty in obtaining information about wild animal behaviour is that detailed observations of different individuals is necessary over long periods of time, and this is especially hard to achieve with sharks. But in the shallow lagoons of French Polynesia, such observation was possible without the encumbrance of scuba gear, and without the problem of the shark disappearing into the depths.

As I learned where and how to look for the local sharks, I focused on blackfin reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), because they were so easy to find patrolling the shores.

Deep Trust In Sharks

October 28, 2013 - 20:59
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on page 72

Jim Abernethy, owner and operator of Scuba Adventures, was the dive operator who showed all of the others that sharks are peaceful animals who want nothing to do with humans as a food source.

He spends most of his time with wild sharks during dives from his liveaboard ship, The Shear Water, at remote sites in the vicinity of the Bahamas, and is on land for only about 40 days a year.

In order to show people the true nature of sharks on his dives, Jim specifically targeted those with the worst reputations. He was the first eco-tourism guide operator to do so.

Where and Why Sharks Attack

April 25, 2013 - 17:50
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on page 68

The reasons for shark attacks and the question of when and where they might occur has always been the subject of intense scientific interest in the effort to make seaside recreation as safe as possible.

They have localized several such areas along the coastlines of Florida and California, where more than two thirds of all shark attacks take place in the United States, examining the regions where attacks rarely happen as well as those already known to be dangerous.

When Sharks Really Attack

January 19, 2013 - 17:12
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on page 73

Anyone who has faced an agitated shark has felt the power of communication through body language. The response is so immediate and so physical, that emotion, expressing through body language, is revealed as an important medium of pre-vocal communication among animals.

I had some curious experiences with blackfin reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) while observing them in Tahiti’s lagoons, where they were easy to watch in two meters of water, and sneaked for years through the lagoons and depths off the island to learn what they do when no one is looking.

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