This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 9:51 am and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy J. Postberg,/Map Courtesy Fishbase.org
In ancient Hawaii sharks were hunted and eaten, although many families thought of the shark as `aumâkua (family god). In those times, family gods were chosen and could take the form of any animal, plant, or mineral. It is said that the family god could be instantly recognized by a family member no matter what form was chosen.
Whale sharks are usually found near the surface when they feed. They prefer zooplankton (larval forms of many types of animal life), and are also seen feeding vertically on schools of sardines, anchovies, mackerel, juvenile tuna and albacore, and they have been seen taking in small crustaceans and squid. When they are actively feeding on zooplankton, they will raise partway out of the water and move their heads from side to side, opening and closing their mouths 7 to 28 times per minute, using suction to pull in their food. The suction movements are synchronized with the opening and closing of their gill slits. That must be a sight to behold! Although these sharks have been known to exceed 40 feet in length, seeing one longer than 35 is a rarity. According to Fishbase researchers, these sharks can deliver to up 300 pups each litter, but how many survive is unknown, and to date the mating between whale sharks has not been documented.
Several snorkeling companies have been fortunate enough to catch sight of a whale shark outside of Molokini while cruising with many excited visitors. Click here to see a video on such an encounter and turn up the volume!
The above map shows in red the areas where whale sharks live, and the yellow areas are where they could potentially be found. In Hawaii, whale sharks are frequently seen, a treat that excites young and old.
Today, sharks are being hunted almost to extinction. According to researchers, the global populations have declined by 90%! Latest research shows the basking shark in the Pacific Ocean may be critically endangered, or even extinct. Whale sharks are sought out for their fins, which can command $10,000 from a large shark and is used by Asian communities for soup. We must all do our part to ensure these majestic animals stay on the planet for future generations. (http://www.savingsharks.com)
If you are coming to Hawaii, please make sure you can spend time on the water, as well as in it. There may be a HUGE, fun surprise waiting for you!
