Shark Photo ID: Ripley

I got to name a shark for One Ocean Research's Photo ID! As One Ocean Diving does daily data collection at their aggregation site during their eco-tour, they have the opportunity to take this less invasive option of tagging to keep track of individuals. AND if you go on a tour and snap some photos of one not already ID'ed you get to pick the nickname :)! This is Ripley (like from 👽👽👽) :). A smaller female with a very obvious wound to her gills on the left side. This is most likely from mating! Since sharks don't have hands they have to grab on somehow! It's really exciting to see the same individuals repeatedly and I'm forever grateful I get the opportunity to! I started diving with sharks about three years ago and I still occasionally see the first shark I hopped in the water with. We've seen familiar sharks come in pregnant, then come back post-delivery, (a completely different size hahah) but it can be scary too. With such a shrinking population, every shark kill in the area could potentially be one you've grown to love. Sometimes they come in with injuries, fishing line, or simply don't return at all. Don't get me wrong. These guys definitely aren't pets, nor are they as cute and cuddly as their nicknames. They're apex predators, but that doesn't mean they don't have individual personalities to love.

Photo by Ocean Ramsey on One Ocean Diving

Photo by Ocean Ramsey on One Ocean Diving