Shark Research and Conservation – Freediving With One Ocean Diving

Whether you are deathly afraid of sharks, or find them one of the most fascinating and exotic animals on this planet (or maybe you fit both categories), there is one thing we can all agree on – they are disappearing at an alarming rate. In the last 20 years alone, 90% of our world’s shark species have been disseminated. The biggest proponent to the mass killing of sharks is for the Asian delicacy, shark fin soup. Did you know that to harvest 100 MILLION shark fins annually for shark fin soup, the fins of the shark are cut off while the shark is still alive, and the shark is then thrown back into the ocean to bleed out? Horrendous.

Why are sharks important?

In case your fear of sharks has gotten in the way of seeing just how valuable they are to our ecosystem, here are a few pointers:

1. They feed on the dead, dying and weak animals, while regulating prey populations (more predators lead to greater diversity)
2. Sharks (and other top predators) affect other animals through a “cascade effect” throughout the ecosystem, ultimately influencing community structure
3. They provide essential food sources for scavengers

Who is doing something about it?

Marine research has long been a passion of mine, even if the tangible prospect of it lasted for only a fleeting moment in time. But, while living in Hawaii I had the great pleasure of meeting, and often diving with the crew from One Ocean Diving. These guys are THE REAL DEAL. Ocean Ramsey (yes that is her real name) and Juan Oliphant are a shark-loving, shark-studying, shark-conservationist duo that run the show. They are located in Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu. Oh and you’re in luck! You can join celebrities like Zac Efron and Nina Dobrev who have gone diving with Ocean and Juan, and book a dive yourself! One Ocean Diving provides dives daily every hour on the hour from 7am – 3pm out of Haleiwa Harbor.

One Ocean Diving aims to protect the shark population through both research and conservation.

RESEARCH – While I highly encourage you to read up on the research they have done and continue to do, on their website – here is a quick overview. Every single dive they go on, even with the sea-sick tourists eager to wade next to a Galapagos shark, is a research dive. Their Shark ID program allows them to track things like shark migration and behavior. Guess what – if you are diving with them, and happen to spot a shark that they have yet to ID, you can actually name the shark yourself! Their research method is non-invasive, and their ultimate goal is to protect the shark population.

CONSERVATION – A primary goal of their ongoing marine research is to globally inspire shark conservation. Research helps to develop a better understanding of shark behavior, which when shared may in turn protect these pelagic animals. Follow their adventures around the world diving with different shark species and spreading accurate information about shark behavior on their social media pages! YOU can be your own conservationist by spreading the word – read more below!

How can I help?

You, YES YOU can help by doing any of the following:

1. Go diving! Join One Ocean Diving for a freediving experience of a lifetime! Heading to Oahu for a vacation? Drop by One Ocean Diving’s website HERE to book your own freedive with sharks. Trust me, it beats the “cage diving” options in the same harbor by a long shot. Additionally, while boating out to your dive spot, you will learn a great deal about shark behavior and how to interact with sharks underwater. The entire One Ocean Diving crew will make you feel safe and comfortable so that you can truly enjoy the experience.
2. Spread awareness – Follow One Ocean Diving on Facebook and Instagram, share their research findings with friends and family, be a proponent for change by dismantling the stigma surrounding sharks and reminding everyone how beneficial sharks are to our ecosystem!
3. Donate – There are several ways to monetarily support this non-profit! Proceeds from freedives booked, and purchases of gear/apparel on their One Ocean Design website are just a couple of ways to support their ongoing research and conservation initiatives.

Is freediving with sharks scary?

This definitely depends on the person – while I greatly respect the fact that sharks are predators and I am in their home, I am not and have never been afraid of sharks. It was an honor for me to share their space even for a brief moment, while also having the opportunity to learn from the best in the business about the proper way to share space with sharks in the ocean.

While I encourage everyone to give this experience a chance, even if you feel deathly afraid, you also have the option of joining as a tag along, without entering the water. That way you can still learn about One Ocean Diving’s ongoing research and conservation initiatives, understand shark behavior and ‘warning signs’, and can enjoy watching your friends / family swim around way off the coast of Haleiwa with several different shark species.