2011 Finprinting White Sharks
Pangaea's Act Project coordinator, Michael Scholl, conducted research and conservation projects on Great White Sharks from 1997 to 2007 in South Africa. One of the leading scientists on this endangered Shark species, he established the finprinting photographic based identification technique which represents a very efficient and eco-friendly way to identify individual White Sharks based on their unique dorsal fin features.
In January 2011, Tiffany De Klerk, one of our Young Explorers, lived and breathed White Sharks for over a month...
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Finprinting White Sharks
written by Tiffany De Klerk
January 23, 2011
Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, Gansbaai, Western Cape South Africa
A mad scramble for a pen and my camera ensues as a shark arrives at our boat.” First shark sighted at exactly 8: 54” I hurriedly scribble this down on the clip board. Whipping out the camera at break neck speed while trying to stabilise myself on the boat in order to get a useable photo of the dorsal fin of this 3.5m male shark. I’m here in Gaansbaai, the self-proclaimed ‘Great White Shark capital of the world’. This relatively isolated and small town in the Western Cape (South Africa) is where thousands of tourist flock to specifically view Great White Sharks in their natural habitat
…before they disappear forever.
As many of the YEPs know, along with anyone who has ever spoken to me or met me, I am passionate about the ocean and specifically sharks so when Michael Scholl offered me the opportunity to research Great White sharks it was like winning the lottery! I too wanted to see these magnificent and highly efficient predators in their own back yard. As an aspiring marine scientist this was a brilliant opportunity to get some field experience. The idea behind “Fin-printing” is that the first dorsal fin of the shark is photographed and data, including various unique markings or scars the size and sex of the shark, as well as the environmental conditions at the time of the sighting, is taken and put into a database. This can allow scientists to estimate global populations and range of these sharks. For example, if a shark is resighted many miles away from the previous sighting scientists can then get an idea of where these sharks go. Although the shark diving industry along with White Shark research has been in existence for over 20 years much of the shark’s behaviour and movements remain a mystery. In order to protect and manage White Shark populations we need to know more about where they go so that these areas can be monitored and protected.
Early morning launch before the wind picks up. We cruise through the breakers towards Dyer Island (now home to several bird species) and Geyser rock (home to around 65 000 Cape fur Seals). That would be 65 000 reasons why Great Whites are found in these waters. In between these two spots of lands lies a 150m wide channel called “Shark Alley”. This is frequently patrolled by white sharks and is a popular venue for cage diving. One often smells Dyer Island and Geyser rock before one sees it. When the stench of what is essentially seal-poop wafts to your nostrils, you know that you are in shark territory. Now the work begins…
Although Gaansbaai is the place of sea, sun and sharks, research is no easy task. It requires patience, a keen eye for detail and a ‘trigger-happy’ finger on the camera. In the last week I have taken close to 400 pictures of only a handful of sharks. This may sound a lot but these sneaky creatures are sometimes unpredictable and some of the photos are unusable for research purposes. I am required every trip to take a photograph of the full dorsal fin from both sides of each shark, record the model of camera the photo is taken with, all the sea conditions, GPS co-ordinates, time the shark is first sighted, size, markings and sex of the sharks all while trying not to fall over the top railing of the boat. Then once back on dry land I have catalogued every photo using a specific code. Pretty technical stuff actually. Quite challenging when there are 5 or more different sharks around the boat and the swell makes you feel like you’re on some sort of theme park ride. Slowly I have gotten the hang of this “balancing act”. Michael, I have huge respect for what you do!
All this chaos is worth it in the end. This data is critical to better understanding these apex predators. I have learnt so much in the few days I have been in Gaansbaai. For example, great white sharks are nomads, in other words many of the sharks we see every day have never seen a boat or a human in their entire life. One famous shark, Nicole, travel all the way to Australia form Gaansbaai. Therefore theories on the conditioning of sharks through chumming are blown out of the water (excuse the pun). However, this fact does make it all the more difficult to study this species. The more we know the better equipped we will be to conserve these essential links in the chain.
Although Great Whites are protected by law in South African waters in reality they are under severe threat from illegal fisherman who catch these sharks for fins, jaws and teeth and is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Newspapers, film and various other forms of media haven’t exactly boosted the shark’s image as a cuddly creature that should be conserved for future generations. Thankfully though responsible shark tourism the feelings of people towards sharks are morphing from irrational fear to respect, awe and in some cases new-found love. As the new member of the crew of such a responsible cage diving operator (Sharklady Adventures) it has been my pleasure ensuring that the “JAWS” theme song is forever erased from the minds of people from all over the world. It has been a fantastic experience with possibly the best operator in the area. I have had the pleasure of meeting many somewhat interesting characters, including the Springbok Sevens Rugby Team which arrived on our doorstep on Saturday. Let’s just say some of the clients are nearly as entertaining as the sharks themselves.
It has been a great experience so far (excuse the pun again). I look forward to many more early mornings with many sharks!
Tiffany de Klerk
Malaysia Expedition Selection Camp Young Explorer
Pangaea Shark Project - Finprinting 
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Finprinting White Sharks
written by Tiffany De Klerk
February 10, 2011
Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, Gansbaai, Western Cape South Africa
The juggling act starts almost immediately before the chum has even hit the water. It’s February, otherwise known as the “slow season” for sharks and yet we are greeted by 3 sharks swimming around the boat. There I stand with my camera in one hand, the clipboard and notes in the other hand and my pen in my mouth. This is the life of a great white shark researcher. I cannot believe that I am more than half way into my trip here to Gaansbaai. I’m just getting the hang of my little juggling act and yet I must soon depart. These thoughts fade as a forth shark graces us with his presence, a shark we have come to know as “Scar Face”. This male shark is close to 3m long and has nasty gashes on the left gill slits. It’s amazing how I have grown attached to these sharks…and to the crew.
I really feel part of the Shark Lady crew now. It’s like a tightly knit family of people dedicated to sharks. These people will literally bend over backwards for you. It reminds me why I love South Africa so much…it’s because I love the people here! Anyway, I have diverged from the point of this blog – to tell you about the sharks and the research. So... as I was saying, although it is usually a slow time of the year for sharks here in Gaansbaai we have had at least 5 or so sharks on every single trip in the last week. Well, our boat has, the other operators are struggling for sharks while we struggle to keep count. This seems to be an anomaly for this time of the year. The crew keeps on saying how they can’t believe how many sharks we are seeing. The season seems to be up-side-down this year. Usually sharks are not really found in such high numbers around Dyer Island and geyser rock at this time of the year. However, we have anchored there every day and have seen sharks without fail. Incredible! These sharks continue to puzzle us. Thanks to the abnormally high numbers of great whites, it’s been quite an effort to keep track of the different sharks, their distinct markings and scars all the while taking photos and ensuring I know which photo belongs to which shark. For example we saw 12 different individuals today on a single trip. It was really a case of where does one look! Michael, some tips would be helpful about now (Smile). Despite the chaos, I am getting really good at spotting different sharks and recognising the individuals. I have also learnt so much during my short time here: seamanship, shark research techniques, scientific photography and what it really means to be a researcher.
I have learnt that research is not only a juggling act, but can, at times, also be extremely time consuming. I have spent hours at sea in the last while and hours after that specifically coding each photo of each shark. The fancy shark documentaries on BBC and National Geographic don’t show the hours spent waiting for sharks or the thousands of photos you have to take to get that decent and usable one. That part is edited out. Despite this, my short time here has affirmed my desire to become a marine scientist. In the last 3 weeks I have not woken up once without being excited about the day that lay ahead. I can’t wait to see more sharks.
And so, I bid you a due for now, as there are many more sharks that need identifying and photographing.
Tiffany de Klerk
Malaysia Expedition Selection Camp Young Explorer
Pangaea Shark Project - Finprinting
Finprinting White Sharks
written by Tiffany De Klerk
March 01, 2011
Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, Gansbaai, Western Cape South Africa
So I’m “chilling” here in Gansbaai doing shark research. But some of you may be wondering exactly what on earth Great White Shark ‘Fin-printing’ is! So, for this blog post I wish to enlighten those who are confused or not exactly sure what I am doing here in shark country.
‘Fin-printing’ is a similar concept to human finger printing. The dorsal fin of every individual great white is unique. It has unique scarring, pigmentation, shape and notches: like the little valleys on your fingertips. No two sharks are the same in this regard but at times telling them apart can be a daunting task. That is when technology in the form of a digital camera comes into play. By taking relatively high resolution images of the shark’s dorsal fin, scientists can examine and compare images at a later stage. I reviewed the images every day after each trip out to see. While taking these images one records other characteristics of the shark being photographed. Size, Sex, unique scarring and whether the shark is the 1st, 2nd or 12th shark to be seen that day is all recorded on a data sheet provided by Marine & Coastal Management in South Africa. I have so many of these sheets as there is only space for 4 sharks per sheet. Therefore on a trip out to sea I would take about 3 or so copies. Along with data on the sharks, I had to record information about our location at the time of the sightings and the sea conditions. These include: GPS co-ordinates, sea condition, swell height, wind direction, wind speed, water temperature and water visibility. These vital pieces of information help scientist understand more about shark activity and how the sea conditions affect it.
After all this every image needs to be renamed and coded in a specific fashion. Here is basically the sequence: 000DyyyymmddAaaCcccccccIM0000. Now this may look super confusing. My first reaction was: “HUH?” It turns out that it is actually really easy and quite brilliant. The first three digits are for the shark reference number. In other words the number the shark as seen that day. For example: if the image is of the first shark seen on that day then the number will be”001”. Then comes the date written in the American format with the year first. The Author of the image is next. 3 initials of the author’s name are placed there. Then the camera brand, the first three spaces, and then the model number. Lastly the image number: this is just the number the camera assigns to each image. Eventually you get to know the sequence off by heart. After coding some 2000 + photos you can imagine that I know it off by heart.
By recording, coding and cataloguing these images we can build a database of the sharks. This is an non-invasive method of tracking the great white. Not to mention cheaper than placing satellite tags on each individual. This means that we can also record re-sightings over a short and long period by comparing photos from previous sightings.
Why do we as volunteers and scientists go through all this effort? We know…well nearly nothing (relatively speaking)…about the white shark and so intense scientific studies such as this are essential to better understanding this shark. If we can understand the shark better we can develop better strategies to protect and manage their populations. I have loved being part of this. I recommend it to all those YE’s out there looking to make a difference.
Tiffany de Klerk
Malaysia Expedition Selection Camp Young Explorer
Pangaea Shark Project - Finprinting
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