Pelagic Shark Research Foundation

This guy (Sean Van Sommeran) has been working for literally decades, researching a number of shark species, most sexy of course the GWS.  He's the guy who figured out how to attract and tag GWS up at Ano Nuevo Island.  An independent researcer, PSRF is a 501C-3 organization.  Funding is always difficult, and they are campaigning right now for funds to replenish  physical assets prior to this year's research season.

Please help if you can.

thank you,

Bushy

https://www.facebook.com/donate/319073128838283/10205064807297577/

www.pelagic.org

....and I thought you friended me cuz of my boyish charm and outgoing frikken personality ...

I`m going to laminate the donation receipt and tow it off my kayak ..so the GWS that swim by can see I`m down for their cause and leave me the frik alone   

Actually it was your butt.

haha.  thanks for helping out PSRF, Vic! 

C'mon you other guys, step up!  Just 20-30-40$ Sean will be stoked . We may be the most interested/impacted community in regards to GWS interactions. Don't you want to know as much as possible about them?  One, cause they're fascinatin and Two because the more we know, the more we can avoid those interactions. 

Where, when, doing what how and why.  These are the things PSRF studies.  A lot of what is currently known about habits and habitat of GWS was developed by PSRF well before it becase a popular academic Marine biology pursuit.  Believe it or not it's the truth.  And, he's done it on a shoestring budget with no Institutional partnership whatsoever  I call Sean Van Sommeran "The Bucanneer of Marine Science.  He's a hands-on, driven genius madman.  Often featured on Shark Week.  Overlooked and underpaid forever, maybe NCKA can give him a BIG boost!

Sean was the first to tag GWS with acoustic sensors to establish local tracks over time near Ano. (Like the cougar collars) Also the first to tag with a satellite tag.  That study is the one that DISCOVERED how far the sharks go, how deep they dive, and found their gathering spot off of Hawaii that no one knew about. He tagged more great whites than anyone else in the Northern hemisphere.  (South Africa and Australia combined, all studies from all institutions, beat him by a bit.)

That particular study and results was literally stolen from PSRF by a grad student from UCSC and his professor.  They published the results in NATURE magazine. Did not even mention Sean much less give him co-author credit....Fucking elitist academic dandys.  Guess they forgot that Sean BOUGHT the tags, found the GWS's, and installed the tags himself.  As Sean said at the time "That professor never even SAW a Great White until I showed him one. His study was sea lions."  Sean's study was eating the Professor's study.  haha

Anyway Sean sued the prof the University and the grad student.  Guess what?  He WON!  Made him a bit of a pariah in the upper atmospheric ivory tower Marine Biology world unfortunatley. 

He is still plugging though.  Grew up on his dad's commercial fishing boat in Santa Cruz and fell in love with sharks early.  He is like us kayak fishermen.  Do-it-yourself. Improvise. take a few chances. run on Hope fueled by lifelong dreams. Always bring duct tape with you, and baling wire as well.

I could go on and on, but I kinda already did that back in 2011.  Check out this article from Kayak Angler Magazine Paul Lebowitz (editor) and I created.  Sorry all the pictures aren't there, but it's still a good read if I do say so myself.



Oh, and click on the link to send PSRF a few bucks.  We're all in this together!

https://www.rapidmedia.com/kayakangler/categories/departments/5656-when-the-hunter-becomes-hunted


(EDIT) Found the onlne version with whole magazine.  Also see a little article about the Santa Cruz Kayaks Raptor on a previous page.....go here:
https://dashboard.mazsystems.com/webreader/50423?page=0


https://www.facebook.com/donate/319073128838283/10205064807297577/

Thanks in advance

Bushy