Project Update: September 2010

A total of nine trips have been made to Bird Island to chum for sharks between November 2009 and September 2010. Interestingly sharks have only been observed in the winter months (May to September). As many as six different sharks have been observed in any one day, ranging in size from 1.5 to 4.5 m. Photographs of unique dorsal fin and pigmentation patterns have been used to identify individual sharks. To date, 10 different sharks have been positively identified and seen on multiple trips. We anticipate that a greater number of sharks will be photographed in the future to build a photographic library of sharks within the Bird Island MPA. The capture of sharks by fishermen close inshore during the summer months and sighting of sharks around Bird Island during the winter suggests a seasonal offshore movement pattern. A similar pattern has been recorded for white sharks in the Western Cape.