[clockworkdog]

Just returned from two weeks in Feurteventura with wife and family. Most fantastic holiday had and thoroughly relaxed. Having got back in a 11pm, it was a harsh return to reality going back into work the very next day!

Whilst I was out there I thought I would sample some local diving. I looked up the Corralejo Dive Centre as this was nearest to where I was staying. Very professional centre, but whilst not unfriendly, I would not rate their customer service that highly.

The actual diving was okay with about 20m viz, which they said was bad for the location/time of year. Marine life was okay and it was good to get wet. It certainly didn't compare to the Red Sea the month before but was okay. The owner of the dive centre told me how they had the best diving in Europe. I asked if he has dived the UK - answer: no. I didn't bother to tell him that imho that the diving in the UK was far superior. They don't have any wrecks at all there and the marine life is not as prolific. Admittedly our viz is lower but so what?

Oh yes - Hammerhead sharks...... I mentioned them in the title of this post. I admit that this might have been misleading because as it happens my sighting was not in the water. I popped into the `locals' supermarket near to the dive centre and on the fish counter, much to my surprise and horror I saw a Hammerhead shark's head, tail and fins (torso missing). The month before I saw two in the Red Sea swimming beneath me around 60m (Jackson Reef).

I asked the dive cetnre about it on my next dive and they told me that the locals ate Hammerheads but that it was not common to see them in the supermarket. I dind't ask many more questions and didn't actually manage to ascertain whether Hammerheads were caught/fished in the Atlantic around the Canary Islands (sorry for ignorance).

I did pause for thought about the issue and question my moral outrage. The only reason for questioning it was that it seemed sad to see such a fish dead on a counter, but, was I just being narrow-minded? I ask the question because I don't know the answers - the real truth/facts;

Are Hammerheads in decline or rare?

Is the life of a hammerhead worth more than a cod or a cow/pig?? Surely not but are there ecological issues - as per previous question....

So - should I have been appalled at seeing a Hammerhead on the fish counter? Dunno.

Rgds

Andy B