S.C. dive research team swims with sharks in the Bahamas
March 2, 2015
CAMDEN, SC – Tom Mullikin – joined by his son Thomas Mullikin Jr. and Bryan Kellar from Camden-based Global Eco Adventures (GEA) Shark Institute, along with retired U.S. Navy Chief Greg Hincke,retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Mike Holford, and active duty U.S. Army special operator (Combat Diver) Danny Pritchard – participated in the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Shark Awareness Specialty Course at Stuart Cove’s in Nassau, Bahamas, last weekend.
Facilitated and taught by expert shark divers led by Stuart Cove’s Terri Harrison and Georgi Merlusca, the course was a fast-paced intensive study focusing on local sharks, and featuring several shark dives. The study group participated in feeding the massive Fish; with the younger Mullikin (Thomas Jr.) successfully completing the Shark Feeder course.
The majority of the observed sharks were Caribbean reef sharks, though one tiger shark was spotted during one of the dives. Caribbean reef sharks are found throughout the Bahamas, maintaining a pivotal ecological role on the reef. Multiple studies have demonstrated healthy reefs have sharks, said to be like “the canaries in the coal mine.”
Mullikin (Sr.), the founding pres. of GEA and a Master Diver (PADI) with recorded dives in all the Earth’s oceans including certification as a polar diver for his ice dives in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, says, “We not only need a broader understanding of sharks, but there needs to be public pressure to stop the senseless slaughter of this magnificent fish that sits atop the marine food chain.”
In 2011, the Bahamas became the world’s fourth nation – behind the Maldives, Honduras, and Palau – to officially ban all commercial shark fishing (including sale and trade of shark products) on the islands and in the approximately 243,000 square miles of surrounding Bahamian waters. By protecting the sharks – within this new shark sanctuary – Bahamians are subsequently protecting their reefs.
GEA’s Keller says, “It’s easy to tell people that sharks are advanced creatures with no natural aggression toward people, however, most don’t believe this without some sort of proof. Reaching this conclusion is effortless when the eight-foot predators are feeding inches from your face and changing their swimming patterns to avoid contact you gain a very different perspective.” Keller will continue his bench research on a variety of projects included investigating what factors influence partner preference in lemon sharks and the spatial ecology of sharks in South Carolina. Next year, he will continue ongoing research into how offshore wind farms will impact the seasonal migrations of coastal sharks.
Interested in joining one of the GEA Shark Institute dives or for additional information, please contact Thomas Mullikin, Jr. at 803-427-3532. To assist in protecting sharks, please contact your legislator and request they support Bryan’s Law – “to stop the senseless killing.”
– Visit Global Eco Adventures.
