Great Danger for the Great White Shark

GREAT DANGER FOR THE GREAT WHITE SHARK The global population of the Great White Shark is generally estimated at 3000-5000. A recent pioneering study indicates however that real population figures could be 50% lower bringing to light that this already threatened species may be closer to extinction than we previously thought. LOCATION OF STUDY GANSBAAI , SOUTH AFRICA WORLD'S HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF GREAT WHITE SHARKS. METHOD OF STUDY EACH GREAT WHITE SHARK HAS A UNIQUE DORSAL FIN NOTCH SLASHFIN BIG WOLFGANG OVER 20,000 PHOTOS WERE TAKEN FROM A SHARK TOURING VESSEL OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD (2007 - 2011) BOR JIM BOB NOTCH DORIAN A COMPUTERIZED DORSAL FIN RECOGNITION PROGRAM CALLED DARWIN WAS USED TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL SHARKS, TAKING MORE THAN 3 YEARS TO COMPLETE. THE RESULTS ONLY 532 INDIVIDUAL SHARKS WERE IDENTIFIED. MARINE BIOLOGISTS THEN USED A COMPUTER PROGRAM CALLED MARK TO EXTRAPOLATE THE OPEN POPULATION OF GREAT WHITE SHARKS IN GANSBAAI TO BE BETWEEN 808 -1008! HALF AS MANY GREAT WHITE SHARKS? PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED THIS STUDY'S MAXIMUM ESTIMATE OF GREAT WHITE ESTIMATE OF GREAT WHITE SHARKS IN GANSBAAI WAS 2000 SHARKS IN GANSBAAI is 1008 1008 POPULATION ESTIMATES OF OTHER THREATENED SPECIES These figures are from the IUCN Red list of threatened species. SNOW LEOPARD 4,080 - 6,500 BLACK RHINO 4,800 CHEETAH 10,000 TIGER 3,000 GREAT WHITE SHARK 2000/3000/5000? THE FIRST 5 COUNTRIES TO PROTECT THE GREAT WHITE SHARK SOUTH AFRICA - SINCE 1991 NAMIBIA - SINCE 1993 USA - SINCE 1997 AUSTRALIA - SINCE 1998 MALTA - SINCE 2000 SHARE THIS INFO AND HELP RAISE AWARENESS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS STUDY PLEASE VISIT: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066035 THIS RESEARCH WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY Dyer Island The Dyer Island Conservation Trust www.dict.org.za & aser vation Marine Dynamics Shark Cage Diving www.sharkwatchsa.com Marine Dynamics Shark Tours www.sharkwatchsa.com Conse