Ranger Henry with the biggest Michael’s walking shark found in surveys at the Conflict Islands
we measure those as part of our work.” Jess acknowledges that such things must seem quite peculiar to those who don’t live and breathe all things walking shark! “I’m surrounded by marine scientists at work and uni so I’m in a very fish/marine animal world, and you don’t realise how weird some of the conversations are, like measuring shark claspers! – I have friends who are like, why are you measuring that? “Or one of the other samples we take is a cloacal (bottom) swab to look at what they’ve digested recently – so you basically put the equivalent of a covid swab up the shark’s butt, and we think that’s so normal. But someone said it’s like an alien has gone and picked up this shark and probed it and put it back!” Such scientific work however is helping to fill crucial knowledge gaps about these rare little sharks, learning if they produce eggs all year round for example, and what they like to eat. “The information we gather is vital for developing conservation strategies to protect these
unique creatures,” Jess says. “It’s about understanding where they live, how they breed, and how communities can help look after them.” And the fact that the sharks are so cute and adorable doesn’t hurt when it comes to spreading community awareness. “They (walking sharks) are a good way to take the fear out of sharks a little bit. A lot of sharks and rays worldwide are threatened and impacted by fishing pressures and climate change, so it’s a good way to get people a bit more excited about protecting these unique ones, but also to branch out to get excited about the other shark and ray species that need a little bit of love and help too.”
the supervisors, field assistants, dive masters, and a few of the crew. We have a whiteboard and write down everyone’s names and tally who’s caught how many, who caught the biggest, the smallest. It gets everyone very excited to contribute. No prizes, just bragging rights.” A funny moment on the last trip was when one of the Milne Bay divemasters, Junior, set the record for finding the shark with the biggest claspers – which is what the external sex organs of the male sharks are called. “In real life it’s all a size competition, so he was very happy to get the one with the biggest!” Jess said with a laugh. “When the sharks are little (the organs) look like little Tic Tacs but when they’re mature they look like, I don’t know, appendages, or fingers – and
PNG Air flies from Port Moresby to Alotau twice per week For bookings: Call + 675 7411 2644
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