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Hey #SharkWeek viewers! Who is tuning in to see Will Smith (who I don't think has a Twitter?) swim with #sharks & face his fears? My name is Melissa, I'm a #shark scientist who looks at shark habitat use/human-wildlife conflict. I'll be fact-checking, adding commentary, etc.
Interesting #SharkWeek talk about fear. Apparently, Will Smith blames #Jaws movie for being afraid of even taking a bath as a kid!
Did YOU fear "Jaws" as well?
Did YOU fear "Jaws" as well?
Will Smith is diving off Lizard Island, #Australia! Lizard Island is located on the #GreatBarrierReef with world-famous dive sites situated on the inner and outer reaching reefs. Did you know there is a Lizard Island Research Station? #SharkWeek
In #Australia, we have give or take 170 different species of #sharks. The Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia, is particular hotspot of #shark diversity with more than 50 species.
Will Smith is now traveling to the #Bahamas to dive with the #sharks there! The Bahamas was turned into a national #shark sanctuary after adding an amendment to the Fisheries Resources Act in 2011. No shark fishing or trade of shark products, protecting 40+ species.
#SharkWeek
#SharkWeek
If anyone wants to know what the Bahamas #shark sanctuary looks like, here ya go. Follow @beneaththewaves for all their work in this area! #SharkWeek @sharkweek
Props to @PauldeGelder for being a #shark victim and being an advocate for these predators. He has every right to hate them... but doesn't. #SharkWeek
#SharkWeek We spotted a remora! They are sometimes called suckerfish, and are a family (Echeneidae) of ray-finned fish in the order Carangiformes.
#SharkWeek There are 8 species in the family Echeneidae (order Perciformes) and attach themselves to many animals (like #sharks) by their flat, oval-shaped dorsal fin that acts like a sucking disk on top of their head. Remoras are able to eat scraps of prey dropped by the #shark.
#SharkWeek "Do sharks eat the remoras, Meli?"
Not usually. But some sandbar and lemon #sharks have been seen acting aggressively towards remoras, even eating one or two! Oops.
Not usually. But some sandbar and lemon #sharks have been seen acting aggressively towards remoras, even eating one or two! Oops.
And now #SharkWeek has taken us to #Italy! Did you know there are #sharks in the Mediterranean? Yup! Shark species found here include the famous great white #shark.
Okay but shout out to @OfficialWillow being a certified bad-ass saying she was going to enjoy scuba diving with #sharks. YASSSSS girl. #SharkWeek
I kinda love that the whole family did this dive and everyone is super loving it! #SharkWeek
"Fear kills your ability to see beauty."- Will Smith
"Fear kills your ability to see beauty."- Will Smith
And we are back to the #Bahamas! And we're talking about lemon #sharks. As Will said, lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) are called that because of the yellowish hue to their skin. #SharkWeek
#SharkWeek Lemon #sharks are found off both coasts of Latin America and down the eastern side of South America. With large populations in the Caribbean, it's no surprise that important nurseries have been found in the #Bahamas, particularly on the island of south Bimini.
#SharkWeek Lemon #sharks are known to be social, and live in groups when young pups. This increases communication, mating possibilities and protection, amongst other things.
#SharkWeek However, lemon #sharks living in groups does come with cost: disease risk increases (such as illness or parasite) and competition for resources (food and 'shelter'). More with @FinsUnited: https://www.finsunited.co.nz/bite-blog/lemon-shark
#TigerBeach in the #Bahamas is famous for #shark action! I have gone diving here! Tiger Beach is a shallow sand flat area that is located ~26 nautical miles from West End, Grand Bahama. And yeah, there are tiger #sharks here too. #SharkWeek
@JoeRomeiro is in this #SharkWeek episode as well! They're talking about pushing away sharks when they come too close.
Personally, I don't like touching #sharks more than I have to (outside of pushing them away).
Personally, I don't like touching #sharks more than I have to (outside of pushing them away).
The #Bahamas are such a gorgeous place to swim with sharks. Who has gone diving here before?
Here are some good #shark diving tips to follow:
1. don’t touch, ride or hug them
2. don’t turn your back to an approaching shark
3. if a shark is coming up behind a diver, let them know (do the hand signal)
4. stay still and try not to stir up the sand
#SharkWeek
1. don’t touch, ride or hug them
2. don’t turn your back to an approaching shark
3. if a shark is coming up behind a diver, let them know (do the hand signal)
4. stay still and try not to stir up the sand
#SharkWeek
What other #sharks will they see here in the #Bahamas besides lemon sharks? The Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), and more! Ever gone diving with these? #SharkWeek
#SharkWeek And they're underwater with the #sharks! How was your first dive experience with a #shark? Were you scared? In awe? Shocked?
"Danger is real- but fear is a choice." Wise words from Will Smith.
"Danger is real- but fear is a choice." Wise words from Will Smith.
And Will liked scuba diving with the #sharks! Wonder if any regulars to Tiger Beach could recognize any of the individual sharks seen here? Sharks are being called "calm," "majestic beauties," "gorgeous." LOVE THAT! #SharkWeek
Hey Will- I hope you become an advocate for sharks!
Hey Will- I hope you become an advocate for sharks!
