The Crazy Shark Lady: Shark Finning

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Scared for Sharks

I hope you all enjoyed Shark Week as much as I did! First of all I want to take a moment and thank my friends, the Millers. These guys let me come over to their house every night and steal their TV in addition to stacking up shows on their DVR when I had to work. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This Shark Week wouldn't have been possible without you! It amazes me that no matter how much I already know about sharks, I always end up learning something new every year! So now it's time for what I like to call...

SHARK WEEK WRAP-UP

I hope you all read that in a game show announcer voice. I did. :) Here are just a few things I have to say after watching Shark Week 2013.

1. What the what!? Megalodon may still be out there!? I love sharks, but I really don't want to go in the ocean, like ever, if I know there is a 60 foot "great white" out there! Seriously though, Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives was a really interesting show. There is a lot of sketchy evidence to suggest that maybe the Megalodon didn't go extinct, but it's not really conclusive. I guess we'll all just have to wait and wonder until the Shark Week when someone rediscovers a living Megaladon...DUM DUM DUM!!!

2. Chris Fallows and Jeff Kurr are one big helping of awesomesauce. I'm so thankful for them. Otherwise I never would have seen this:

3. One day I am totally going to have a Shark Week party and we are all going to play the Shark Week drinking game! We will be drunk in seconds.

4. Cajuns have some pretty big fish tales. I don't believe in the Rookin one bit.

5. I love hearing stories of shark attack survivors who don't hold anything against the shark. These people are the best! AND many of them become huge advocates FOR sharks after their attacks. You guys rock my world!

6. Paul Walker is an advocate for sharks! And a really hot advocate at that. Hey, you can take me shark diving any day. ;)

7. FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY!!! In this years Top Ten Sharkdown episode, Discovery Channel FINALLY named the Bull Shark the deadliest shark over the Great White! You have no idea how happy this makes me! Bull Sharks are so much more deadly than Great Whites because A) they can swim in freshwater if they choose and B) Their testosterone levels are off the charts! These sharks are much more aggressive than Great Whites and they are also more frequent visitors to places humans like to hang out. Not many people think they are going to encounter a shark if they go for a dip in the Mississippi River.

8. Great Whites and serial killers have similar patterns? Well I guess that makes sense considering Great Whites are one of the most perfect predators in the world. I guess serial killers are trying to copy some of their moves.

9. Sharkpocalypse was one of THE coolest shark specials I've seen in years. I learned that the increase in shark attacks directly relates to the tremendous decrease of sharks due to shark finning. Did you know that when a shark dies it gives off these pheromones that basically tell other sharks to get the hell out while you still can! With all the shark finning going on in the world there are a lot of these pheromones running loose in the water and sharks are being forced to move and find new hunting/breeding grounds. Sometimes those grounds happen to be where we like to swim and surf. Basically every problem we have with sharks is our own fault.

10. Goblin sharks are seriously creepy. I mean look at that thing!

11. They put the lamest of all the Shark Week specials last. That was dumb. They should have put Sharkpocalypse last. It was the best show of all this year.

12. Did you know Ted Danson is a huge ocean activist? Hey, me neither. Now we know!

13. I ran across this picture while I was googling. It comes in a CAN!? Lord have mercy on our souls.

Shark finning is a HUGE problem, but the good news is there are tons of groups out there fighting against it. With enough support we could put a complete ban on shark finning - everywhere. One organization that is fighting for sharks is Oceana. This is an amazing organization that is doing incredible work. Year after year I talk talk talk about the shark finning problem. Well this year I am putting my money where my mouth is and donating $100 to Oceana. I invite you to join me in my endeavor by visiting this link.

Scared for Sharks

My goal is to raise an additional $500. Let's save the world one shark at a time!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Here's the Skinny on Shark Fin Soup

Shark Photo of the Day

The beautiful and rarely seen Blue Shark.

Shark Story of the Day

When I lived in Cedar City there was this fancy (at least for Cedar City) restaurant called the Garden House. I found out that they served shark fin soup during Shark Week and I boycotted the restaurant. I never ate there again. Now I realize I should have spoken to a manager and encourage them to take it off the menu, but I didn't. However, if I go into a Chinese restaurant I always look to see if it is served. If I run into one I will not hestiate to speak to a manager before leaving the establishment. I encourage you all to do the same. NEVER eat shark fin soup! DO NOT support restaurants that serve it! Speak to a manager before you leave.

If you are asking yourself what the big deal is, I will telll you. Shark fin soup is basically a broth with vegetables in it. The shark fin adds no flavor to the soup, only texture. Plus, sharks are known to have a high amount of mercury in their systems which could be deadly to humans. That's just the surface of the injustice. The big problem is that shark fin hunters are cutting the fins off the sharks and then throwing the LIVING creature back into the water to die. They don't even utilize the whole shark! If a small island or something didn't have access to a lot of protein and they killed a shark and ate the whole thing for meat, that one thing. But I don't think freaking CHINA is hurting for food! This is a barbaric practice that must be stopped! Type save the sharks into your search browser of choice and see what you can do. There are TONS of petitions you can sign, which could make a huge difference! Do what you can and God will surely bless you for it!