TRACKING THE MAKO SHARK

Posted on 07/20/2016

The Mako shark is an obligate ram breather. That means it can only take in oxygen through forward swimming motion. It never stops moving; and apparently neither does Dr Guy Harvey, a scientist, conservationist and artist and perhaps the Mako shark’s most notable advocate who has partnered with SeaWorld Orlando to bring exposure to the ocean predator.

Harvey has a degree in Marine Biology and a PhD degree in Fisheries Management. For 30 years he has been a professional artist doing licensed artwork, focusing on saltwater game fish.
The biologist developed the Guy Harvey Research Institute 18 years ago, partnering with Nova Southeastern University to provide scientific data to manage the world’s marine fishes and their ecosystems.
“That’s how SeaWorld has come to us,” advised Harvey. When SeaWorld was in the planning stages for a new roller coaster, they wanted to replicate the sleekness and speed of the Mako shark. More than that, they wanted to bring awareness to the plight of ocean predators of which millions are killed every year in the global shark fishery.
Harvey has painted a mural at the site of the Mako roller coaster at SeaWorld and he narrates and appears in videos that are shown to riders lining in the queue. His artwork is on sale in a gift shop and proceeds from the sales go to more research.
The alliance with SeaWorld is based on a common interest in a formidable ocean predator and the ability to reach more people than they would individually. It allows the Guy Harvey Research Institute to get sponsorship to do more research, through tagging the sharks.
Harvey remarked, “Without research on these animals, you don’t know what you are talking about in terms of management. You are only guessing.”
Due to their breathing patterns, these animals cannot be studied in captivity. Harvey said that the Makos cannot stop moving. “If they run into a wall, they stop and drown.”
Another difficulty in researching the Mako is in part due to the fact that they are highly migratory, and Harvey posed the question, “Who is responsible for the management of fishing ethos for these animals if they are moving all over the place? They don’t belong to Canada, they don’t belong to the US, the don’t belong to the Bahamas.”
“The first step to take is to learn about the animal; the biology, the life history, the reproductive patterns,” said Harvey. “This is where the data is important. SeaWorld is helping to provide sponsorship money for their tags, so we can tell their story.”
Herein lies another difficulty - the actual tagging of the sharks.
The process includes baiting a Mako with fish. The shark is roped and carefully lifted onto a boat, with its face covered with a towel. The fish is irrigated; a deck hose is put into its’ mouth so it can remain breathing. It is measured, tagged and released.
The Mako shark lives all around the world, in warm waters and in colder temperatures. It is a pelagic shark, meaning it lives in open waters, neither close to the bottom or near the shores, yet they have been known to leap out of the water, reaching heights of 9 meters in the air.
The animal is admired for its diversity. So too, is Dr Harvey.