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AIMS Funded Shark Research and Education Program
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PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 ReefQuest
Expeditions:
Great White Shark Research Program - 2004
Expedition date: June 16-29, 2004
In
June 2004, AIMS will be funding an incredible trip for selected South
Broward High School Marine Magnet students to join Neil Hammerschlag and
the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research in South Africa to study Great
White Sharks.
ReefQuest’s shark expeditions present an incredible opportunity to get
involved with exceptional shark research and education. ReefQuest’s study
site, Seal Island in False Bay, is home to the largest Great White Shark
population in the world and on any given day you can see up 20 natural
predations and the same number of White sharks around the boat.
On
this unique expedition, students will join ReefQuest’s international
research team to study Great White Sharks while they hunt in their natural
environment, flying out of the water in pursuit of their prey, Cape Fur
Seals.
Predation is one of the most fundamental interactions in Nature and one of
the most inherently fascinating. However, White Sharks are relatively rare
and predation of any kind is seldom observed in the wild. Seal Island, in
False Bay, South Africa, provides a truly unique opportunity to observe
natural predation by White Sharks on Cape Fur Seals. Seal Island has
become very famous for a spectacular White Shark behavior known as the
‘breach’, in which a 2000+ -pound White Shark explodes from the ocean,
with a seal in its mouth, in an awesome display of power and acrobatic
prowess. This is the only place on the planet where you can find White
Sharks breaching with such high frequency and ferocity.
ReefQuest are dedicated to research and education. As a team, everyone is
responsible for collecting data and helping out with the White Shark
research. During ReefQuest’s trips, students will have the opportunity to
study and contribute to this amazing research and in doing so, gain
incredible experience that they could not get anywhere else. On ReefQuest
expeditions, students will not only learn about shark biology, but they
will also assist in the field, conducting and documenting experiments
designed to reveal aspects of the mental processes, predatory strategies,
and social hierarchy of one of our planet's most feared and least
understood creatures.
For
more information about ReefQuest and our projects
please visit:
www.elasmo-research.org
#
www.reefquest.com
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and
contact:
Neil
Hammerschlag at
neil@reefquest.com and (954) 815-0920
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