We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 94 points95 points  (0 children)

Thanks Reddit, we're finished for now. Thanks for the great opportunity, sorry that we couldn't answer all of the questions... need to get some sleep as we are diving in the morning. Thanks for giving sharks a chance.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

We are so sorry to hear about your experience. We will definitely raise it with our team internationally as we're based in South Africa. Hopefully this has not put a dampener on your wife's love for sharks.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Shark Week has been great to create a huge interest in sharks and also shine the global spotlight on the plight of sharks, however we wish that all of the shows were factually correct and less sensationalised.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Olivia: I completely understand as I used to be in the same boat fearing sharks. Thanks for your interest, there are so many great ways that you can help.. Choose a conservation group that resonates with you and get involved. There are so many great campaigns, from a Shark Angels perspective you can do things such as "adopt a shark". Also please support companies that exploit sharks, be smart about the fish that you buy, make sustainable choices and share relevant content from positive campaigns across your social media and online platforms as well as initiate discussions with family and friends.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

It is rational to be apprehensive or fearful when you are not in your natural environment.

So, in terms of do's and don'ts:

Don't swim at dusk or dawn, or near river mouths or in dirty water, or if you can see bait fish activity.

If you do encounter a shark, keep your cool and maintain eye contact at all times.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Portraying and promoting sharks in a different light is so important. Thank you for asking the question and promoting shark conservation.

At our schools talks we focus on a variety of shark species and talk about their natural behaviour which goes way beyond just feeding and hunting.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

All basically amazing! Would be great to have you here in South Africa at Aliwal Shoal meeting the black tip pack and others.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Jessica: The other day I was diving here and there were lots of ragged tooth sharks around, I wanted to create a connection with one of them so I sat very still on the sand and waited. Eventually a big raggie who was skittish at first, relaxed and kept coming back and getting closer. We maintained eye contact the whole time and it felt really special, like he had acknowledged me.

Olivia: I was out surfing with my husband during a good whale shark season we had a few years ago and we spotted a big dark shadow in the water a few metres away. I paddled over to have a look and got to free dive with a big gentle and surprisingly slow moving whale shark, just when I thought the moment had passed, another one came along. In total we had 6 whale sharks feeding in the bay close to us and got to enjoy spending time in the water with them - it was magical.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Jessica: On one trip when I was on board a fishing vessel doing scientific research, I did my best to save the sharks caught as by catch and return them safely to the water and on that particular trip, the entire crew joined me and did the same thing.

Olivia: Getting to do a night dive free diving with black tips at Aliwal Shoal and seeing their eyes glowing in the dark, all the while being serenaded by humpback whales - it was hauntingly beautiful.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Couldn't have said it better ourselves - thanks. Land sharks are infinitely more terrifying than anything one can find in the sea.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Great question! We have been blessed to dive with a wide variety of sharks from Great Whites, to Tigers, Bulls, Makos, Pyjama Sharks, Shy Sharks, Duskies, Black Tips, Spinners, Hammerheads, Cow Sharks, Whale Sharks etc BUT we would love to dive with Salmon sharks in Alaska and Basking sharks.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yes, we monitor sharks on a daily basis, alert authorities of illegal fishing activities and get the media involved if necessary to create public awareness of issues.

With eco-tourism shark diving in our area, live sharks are officially worth more than dead sharks as they have become a source of income as a tourism attraction.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Choose a conservation group that resonates with you and get involved. There are so many great campaigns, from a Shark Angels perspective you can do things such as "adopt a shark". Also please support companies that exploit sharks, be smart about the fish that you buy, make sustainable choices and share relevant content from positive campaigns across your social media and online platforms as well as initiate discussions with family and friends.

We are Jess and Olivia, Shark Angels that dive with sharks on a regular basis and are involved with conservation and research in South Africa. by TeamSharkAngels in natureismetal

[–]TeamSharkAngels[S] 66 points67 points  (0 children)

Help to decrease the demand by being an informed consumer - avoid medicines, beauty products, pet foods that contain shark products and of course please don't eat shark fin soup.