My Canary Islands Diving & Hammerhead sighting!!!

[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

[Scubee]

Glad you had a good holiday.
I haven't dived there, but if it is anything like Tenerife, the marine life is not particularly abundant, but the topography can be fairly spectacular.

Personally, i would have been appalled to see hammerheads at the supermarket. Although the locals eat them, they are in decline. All sharks (well, all the big ones!) breed late and slow. If they continue to be taken fromt he sea at the current rate, they will disappear from our oceans. The hammerhead is one which is seen in far fewer numbers than it used to be. Yes, it is in decline.

Should we do anythign about it? I think it depends on how they are caught and whether education of those who fish for it and eat it will persuade them to preservation or conservation. Limiting catch numbers can help in areas where there is a tradition of eating certain seafood.

I don't know if the fact that locals eating them means that they are in the local seas, but development of an ecotourism might raise awareness both of tourists, fishermen and locals. How many visitors come back from holiday having eaten a 'local delicacy'.

Food for thought

[clockworkdog]

Originally Posted by Scubee

/snipped\

Personally, i would have been appalled to see hammerheads at the supermarket./snipped\

That was my reaction and it did seem very sad to see such a beautiful animal on the slab. It was a subsequent thought for the other fish on the counter that made me wonder about the facts and figures and whether my feelings purely re the hammerhead and not about most of the rest of the fish were therefore illogical. I did also question whether the whole thing was eaten as I didn't see the torso.

Cheers

Andy