In June 2003, Marine and Coastal Management (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - DEAT) in association with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) conducted their most delicate and controversial Satellite Tagging operation to date.

The project was taking place in Mossel Bay on board the FRS Algoa and RS Ecklonia under the direction of Hermand Oosthuizen and Mike Meyer (MCM - Marine and Coastal Management) and Ramon Bonfil (WCS).

Following the poor results from the 2002 SPOT Satellite tags, MCM and WCS decided to attach these satellite tags directly onto the first dorsal fins of White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias).

We present below some photographs of the tagging process taken by Michael Unwin, one of the White Shark Trust Field Research Assistant who was invited to join the expedition on board the FRS Algoa to help with the fieldwork.

The White Shark Trust is not involved in this special part of the satellite tagging. The Trust is against the hooking and direct handling of White Sharks as this operation introduces non-negligible and potentially life-endangering situations for the Sharks.
The Shark craddle (above and left), designed by Mike Patterson (MCM), will lift the hooked and exhausted White Shark out of the water allowing the team to drill three holes in the dorsal fin and bolt the SPOT tag onto the fin for optimal reception and long-lasting attachment.

The RS Ecklonia's (below) duty was to hook White Sharks and drag them to the FRS Algoa.
Stephan Swanson (right) was in charge of fishing / hooking the White Sharks on board the RS Ecklonia. He is preparing bait, Tuna in the picture to the right, to attract the White Sharks.

The whole tagging process resembled a F1 pit when the White Sharks were on the craddle...
Below is a series of photographs portraying the sequence of events in attaching the SPOT satellite tag to a White Shark:

1. Hooking

2. Guiding the Shark onto the craddle

3. Introducing the water hose into the Shark's mouth

4. Measurements

5. Drilling the first dorsal fin

6. Tag attachment

7. Release of the White Shark

© White Shark Trust Copyright 2003

Photographs by Michael Unwin for the White Shark Trust
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Warning

Some of the photographs shown in these pages depict hooking and handling Great White Sharks. These pictures do not reflect the White Shark Trust's foundation statement. The SPOT satellite tagging is a joint collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Marine and Coastal Management (MCM). The White Shark Trust does not agree or support the hooking operation of White Sharks to attach SPOT tags to the dorsal fins. The White Shark Trust would like to see alternative attachment methods used without hooking and hauling the Sharks out of the water. The White Shark Trust does however support the PAT tagging program which involves normal spear tagging without direct handling.