Dear Eric,

check this Website please:

http://www.sharkproject.com/engl/index.html

Jens

uh… “Dr.” Ritter is listed as Chief Scientist. No good.

Anyway… I don’t know details, but we want to protect the sharks…
PADI has started “Protect the Sharks” too.

Hi Eric,

just out of curiosity. What leads to your dislike of Erich Ritter? He has a good reputation over here in Germany.

Simon

http://www.nationalgeographic......ult.asp?...

Hi Eric. I’ve been using wallet seafood guides for several years. The coolest thing is when I’m out to eat with my grandparents and they ask to see the guide while looking at the menu. I know they may only think about it when they’re around me, but it’s nice to know that they try to be conservation-minded. I’ve been using a guide from the South Carolina Aquarium/Audobon Society, but it seems like the Monterey Bay one is more complete.

Simon – I don’t want to get into it here, but … at least in American and the U.K., most shark experts consider Ritter to be a fraud.

And, he sold out to Discovery Channel for that ludicrous documentary called, “Anatomy of a Shark Bite,” which basically documented his stupidity for not following the clearly defined rules at the bull shark beach at Walker’s Cay.

“I am a yoga master and can slow my heart rate down to communicate with the sharks.” Whatever.

Eric – sorry for my greenness.

jens — no need to apologize! there are many people who like ritter, especially in germany. and any media attention directed toward shark conservation is great.

“Hmmm. I’m sort of hesitant to post this sort of thing because people obviously can go further and start boycotting just about everything we humans do. So those of you who are extremists can go ahead and label me a hypocrite — but you have to pick your fights, and this is one that I’ve chosen.”

Hmm… can’t help but feel that this comment might be partially directed at me… :P Am I an extremist? Maybe. Definitely compared to most people out there. But honestly, there’s no way to avoid contradictions in the world we live in, so hypocrisy is par for the course. It’s more about what you do when you know that a situation is messed up, and it’s within your power to do something – anything – about it. Anyway, thanks for pointing this out and making it easier for all of us to be less destructive as consumers in this crazy crazy world.

seafood watch wallet card link is not working, would you please fix it for all of us, thanks

Hi Eric

My name is George and i live on Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao is a scuba diver’s paradise island where 1000’s of divers come to make their fun dives and/or diving certification each year. During the past years the diving industry has become the main income on the island and the economy, as is, strongly relies on it. According to the statistics of the Tourist Authorities Thailand (TAT) we had 300′000 visitors in 2006 where from approx. 60% are divers.

Now one of the best, if not to say the best dive site on Koh Tao is called “Chumphon Pinnacle”. Since about 6 years there is a family of “Grey Reef Sharks” that inhabits this pinnacle. (About 15 -18 at the moment) Grey reef sharks is what we all thought they where…until recently some shark experts have spoken out and their opinion is completely different; stating that the sharks on Chumphon pinnacle are in fact bull sharks and in no way to be mistaken for grey reef sharks.

The very exciting part of the story is that there is no other known place in the world where one can watch so many bull sharks from such a close distance in deep water (30 meter dive site). They come very close! My question here is: What are those sharks now? Bull Sharks or Grey’s? Lately some diving instructors have begun to “call in” the sharks by twisting an empty water bottle. That works just about too well, and knowing that those sharks could be bull sharks, i find the idea disturbing to say the least.

If have released a small article with pictures and links to more information – and more pictures – on our website. Bull Sharks in Koh Tao Thailand Could you please have a look at those pictures and articles and let us know what your opinion is? Or could you provide me with addresses where we could verify this information? Especially I’m looking for an Address of Dr.Eric Ritter, Mark Marks and Dr. Frank Schwartz.

Thank you very much in advance on behalf of the Koh Tao Scuba Diving Society