Tag Archives: sharks

Summer Camp 2018: Sharks vs People

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WhaleTimes announces this year’s summer camp, SHARKS VS PEOPLE. Great whites make headlines. Hammerheads send chills down the spine. Even the prehistoric (and extinct) Megaladon shark has attained legendary status as a monster. The truth is, you’re more likely to become a professional football player, injure yourself fixing the toilet, or get a spider bite than attacked by a shark. More than 500 sharks roam the seas (and some rivers). Some are longer than a school bus. Others swim faster than a killer whale. Some sharks can change color. Many glow in the dark! Sharks’ undeserved fearsome reputation overshadows the real story. The most dangerous animal in the sea is people, not sharks. Many shark species are threatened or endangered. They need our help to save them.  Find out how in this fun and exciting class.

WhaleTimes’ Sharks vs People Summer Camp introduces kids to shark adaptations and species. Throughout this program, special guest Ruth A. Musgrave, author of MISSION SHARK RESCUE  (National Geographic Children’s Books) and EVERYTHING SHARKS (National Geographic Children’s Books), shares her love of sharks, introduces amazing sharks, the scientists who study them, and empowers kids to help save sharks.

This program offered through museums and science centers throughout the country.

Fintastic Friday is here!

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Friday May 13, 2016 is an important holiday, Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice!

WhaleTimes created Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice to help raise awareness and encourage advocacy to protect elasmobranchs. Fintastic Friday SKATE Courtesy NOAA Ocean Explorer wbsmThis special annual holiday is celebrated worldwide.

Humans are not doing their job to protect sharks. Movies, books, and news outlets have created and perpetuated a false, but stereotypical view of sharks. This misguided hatred has caused a lack of compassion  or understanding about sharks’ significant role in the health of the ocean. People hear even less about skates and rays.

On average, only 10 people are killed by sharks a year — in the entire world. BUT people kill more than 11,000 sharks EVERY HOUR of every day. Can you imagine people remaining mum if that number were whales? Dolphins? Penguins? Or some other popular species? Never.

We’ll say it again,  People are not doing their best to protect sharks.

WhaleTimes believes kids are the future of sharks. No one is louder and more enthusiastic than a kid who cares. Kids love sharks. They haven’t seen the movies or heard the skewed, sensationalized, and poorly researched news clips. We want kids from all over the world cheering, SAVE THE SHARKS on this special holiday and every day.

Find out how to celebrate and protect sharks today!

Oceanscape Network highlights WhaleTimes Director

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Mission Shark Rescue coverCongratulations to our very own Ruth A. Musgrave for her efforts in shark and ocean conservation, her new book MISSION: SHARK RESCUE (National Geographic Children’s Books March 2016) and for being highlighted by Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Oceanscape Network as part of their S.T.E.A.M. Powered: Profiles in Science, Creativity and Exploration.

This multi-part series features five women who are at the tops of their fields in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. Over the 2015-16 school year, one week will be dedicated to each person, highlighting their education, careers and innovative contributions to their various disciplines — including the discovery of new species, the School Visits April 2016 (12) 448 x 274exploration of hostile ecosystems and the conservation of marine species.

This week, schools are encouraged to submit students’ questions to Ruth via the Oceanscape Network.

Ruth is also sharing her shark conservation message with students throughout Oregon as part of a community service effort with Barnes and Noble (Tualatin) and throughout the world through Skype interviews.

Fintastic Friday I LOVE SHARKS WhaleTimes Copyright RA Musgrave wblrgGo Ruth. And thank you for helping raise awareness of sharks.

We sure have a lot to celebrate this year for Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice. Don’t forget to celebrate with us on May 13.

 

Give a shout out for sharks

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Happy Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates and Rays a Voice!

Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) Courtesy NOAA

Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) Courtesy NOAA

Fintastic Friday celebrates sharks and encourages everyone to find ways to change public opinion about from hatred to love and fear to appreciation. Think of it as Earth Day for sharks!

Gray reef (Carcharinus amblyrhynchos) Courtesy NOAA Photo credit David Burdick

Gray reef (Carcharinus amblyrhynchos) Courtesy NOAA Photo credit David Burdick

Why a day for sharks? Shark, ray, and skate populations throughout the world are in peril, some threatened and others critically endangered. All of them need more people to care.

We know people and scientists can encourage governments to save sharks the same way they pushed for protection of whales so long ago. In fact, there are many countries stepping up to protect sharks by creating sanctuaries for sharks, but more need to be part of the solution.

To celebrate we want you to meet just a few scientists and organizations working to protect sharks, skates, and rays throughout the world. We suggest you send them all a big sharky thank you! (see the Big as Life Thank You idea on our Fintastic Friday page)

This year’s Fintastic Friday dedicated to Eugenie Clark, an inspiration to all of us to protect our oceans.  Thank you.

Fintastic Friday WhaleTimes Image Courtesy Paulo Maurin NOAA wb lgGet the word out! Share or Like Fintastic Friday on the WhaleTimes Facebook page

Dr. Dean Grubbs shows off “Big as Life” Thank You for Fintastic Friday!!!

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A six gill shark takes a selfie in the deep

A six gill shark takes a selfie in the deep

Recently, WhaleTimes Director Ruth Musgrave was invited to visit elementary schools in Oregon City, Oregon to talk about sharks. She discovered the kids in Oregon City LOVE sharks as much as we do.
The kids were inspired to celebrate Fintastic Friday early and send a “Big as Life” thank you to biologists helping sharks.
If you follow the link below you’ll see Dr. Dean Grubbs, Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, showing off his thank you!Take a look! https://www.facebook.com/FSUCML

Thank you kids — and Dr. Grubbs and our friends at Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory! Together we can save sharks!

Don’t forget to mark your calendar, Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice is just months away.