Makos and whale sharks competed through Shark Awareness Day 

FORT LAUDERDALE/DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA – And the winner is . . . After a nearly seven-month journey spanning more than a combined 29,100 miles, Nova Southeastern University  NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) has announced the winners of The Great Shark Race 2021 which began in January and ended at midnight on Shark Awareness Day, July 14.

The Great Shark Race 2021 was divided into two races: the shortfin makos, the fastest marine creatures on the planet that can swim up to 44 miles per hour, and the whale sharks, the gigantic shark species, which, not surprisingly, are some of the slowest swimmers. The three racing mako sharks traveled a combined 8,900+ miles. 

• Cuddles, sponsored by Penmanship, was declared the victor with 3,207 miles logged, followed closely by;
• Caison, sponsored by Certified Contracting Group, Inc., traveling 3,073 miles, and;
• Fishangler, sponsored by Fishangler App, which finished third with 2,627 miles.

As for the whale shark category, there was an interesting “side race” within the division that pitted NBC national news anchor Lester Holt against NBC reporter Kerry Sanders, who is known for his affinity for sharks. Lester beat out Kerry, 4,718.73 miles to 3,058.14 miles. 

The five whale shark racers were:

• AGT-Milo2, sponsored by Advanced Green Technologies, was declared the victor with 4,177 miles logged; followed by;
• Glass Cutter, sponsored by Miller Glass & Glazing, Inc., with 2,761 miles;
• Diablo, sponsored by Crawford Roofing, Inc., which traveled 2,717.64 miles.
• Contagious Energy, sponsored by the Moss Foundation, which travelled 1,979 miles; and
• Speed Racer, sponsored by the Boatyard Restaurant, which travelled 873 miles for 56 days before its tag got entangled in fishing line and stopped reporting.

As different as they may seem in terms of size and speed, both shark species in the Great Shark Race have something in common – they are endangered. The main goal of this unusual race is to further key scientific research aimed at saving these and other endangered shark species.

“Everyone loves a contest, so we thought this could be a great, fun, engaging way to raise public awareness about the dire status of both these endangered shark species and an effective way to attract sponsors to further fund this long-term research. The announcement was timed to Shark Week when the spotlight shines brightest on sharks,” said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of NSU’s GHRI and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center. “From the work we’ve done, we know that both these species can travel up to 12,000 miles in one year so our goal is to use new data to understand where they go, when they go and potentially why they travel to these specific locations.” 

The latest in ocean wildlife tracking technology was used to measure race results. A fin-mounted SPOT satellite tag on each shark allowed them to be tracked in near real time on the GHRI Race Tracking Website. These SPOT tags relayed crucial data back to researchers, including the distance that each shark covered as they swam around the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean Sea. 

The presenting sponsor for each race category were FishAngler App for the makos and The Moss Foundationfor the whale sharks. In addition to the companies Certified Contracting Group, Inc., Advanced Green Technologies, Crawford Roofing, Inc., Miller Glass & Glazing, Inc., and Boatyard Restaurant, individual shark sponsors were Penmanship and Gordon James III.

“As we continue the long-term project of working with GHRI researchers at NSU, we learn more and more how important sharks are to preserving healthy ocean ecosystems,” said world-renowned artist, conservationist and scientist Dr. Guy Harvey, chairman of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. “The Great Shark Race 2021 was a success and brought in much needed funds to continue our research. We sincerely thank all who supported us during this race. It is an amazing educational opportunity and a critical research initiative.”According to NSU’s GHRI research, up to 73 million sharks a year end up in the global shark fin trade, and some estimates say that annually approximately 100 million sharks are removed from the world’s oceans. Case in point: approximately 30% of the mako sharks tagged by NSU’s GHRI research scientists have been lost. These are clearly not sustainable numbers, and it should alarm everyone. It’s why creating awareness about this issue is more important than ever.

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 15 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private JK-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With nearly 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide.  Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 59 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visitwww.nova.edu for more information.

About the Guy Harvey Research Institute: Established in 1999, the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) provides the scientific information necessary to understand, conserve, and effectively manage the world’s marine fishes and their ecosystems. The GHRI is one of only a handful of private organizations dedicated exclusively to the science-based conservation of marine fish populations and biodiversity. For more information, please visit: www.cnso.nova.edu/ghri. 

About the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation: The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment. The GHOF also funds affiliated researchers working to better understand our ocean ecosystem and educators helping to foster the next era of marine conservationists. The GHOF will help ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. Follow the GHOF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @guyharveyocean. For more information, visit www.GHOF.org.

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[xyz-ihs snippet=”Prepared-by-PK”]

12 very committed people managed to clean up approximately 350kg of trash from a neglected area near Klong Son river mouth in just over 2h. Much of the trash we found was very old and was well on its way to becoming secondary microplastics. Thankfully it was removed and disposed of before the pollution became irreversible.

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About CORALYFE

Over the past 5 years, a number of local organizations have been collaborating with the Hat Nopparat Thara National Park, acting on issues such as trash handling, anchor damage, mooring lines, marine organism censuses, reef restoration, etc. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic many of these organizations were forced to interrupt their services, and many had to shut down completely.

As part of the former staff of one of these organizations, Coralyfe founders felt a personal responsibility to resume work on these important projects, aiming to restore the health of local coral reefs and to reverse the damage that countless years of unregulated tourism and human activity have caused. To visit the website, please CLICK HERE; Facebook Page.

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Krabi First Day On the Dragon Crest

Back in July 2020, when the COVID-19 situation in Thailand seemed better, I decided to make a trip to Krabi (again) for my birthday. My last visit was great. Unfortunately, I felt like I did not have enough. 

I asked my friend, Ohm, if he would be interested in coming along. I did not expect that he would agree to come after all these years apart from each other. I felt I did not give him enough support. Plus, some of my personal issues prevented me from seeing him. Fortunately, he said Yes. So I considered that my birthday gift from him, a friendship rebounding.

In short, we decided to take a tour bus because I thought the flight ticket was more expensive than usual during the COVID-19 situation recovery in Thailand. Turned out to be a mistake. The tickets were not actually that pricey and the opportunity cost we had to pay was the suffering we had to go through on the bus for 13 hours. It wasn’t that bad (at least for me because I usually don’t sleep at night) until my phone and my laptop ran out of battery.

We arrived at the Krabi bus station at around 8 a.m. and decided to take a minibus to a hotel in Ao Nang Beach. For a moment, I realised that I forgot to book a hotel. Thank the power of the internet. I googled for a hotel with the best price and Ta-Da! We got a nice and cheap hotel booked in less than 5 minutes on the way.

When we had done with the hotel concerns, Ohm and I just realised that the air, we were breathing, was so fresh that we did not feel sleepy anymore. The sky was shaded in brightly blue and the wind was gently touching my face. There, the smell of the Andaman sea ran through my body and I felt relieved like — this is my home.

20 minutes from the bus station to Ao Nang, I forgot to check the exact location of our hotel. We ended up walking around for a while looking for our hotel. In the meantime, I texted Dalton to come over and hang out with us.

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Dalton is a friend of ours. He/She is a friendly person with a charismatic personality. I’m sure that everyone would love her when she’s around.

He was gonna take us to the top of the Dragon Crest. The first question that came into my head was “Is it safe?” By that question, I hope it wouldn’t be too steep, like a moderately steep hill was okay for me.

“It is only 3 km climbing,” said Dalton.

“There is no snake up there right?” I asked again.

“You do not have to worry about that” He replied, while I was rolling my eyes.

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We rolled!  The mountain is 15 kilometres north-west of Ao Nang beach, slightly inland from the coast. Not so many shops around the area were open. I guessed it’s because of the COVID. Then, we stopped by a 7/11 for a few bottles of water and coffee for me since I didn’t sleep at all last night.

I don’t know how much it is going to cost you for a tour guide but, fortunately, we had Dalton. He seemed to know everything around here (Of course after all these years working in Krabi and knowing nothing, I would kill her). Therefore, we could save our money for a boat tour exploring the islands tomorrow.

On the way up, I was so cheerful with all adrenaline rushing over my body. 30 minutes later, my exhaustion shut me. For some of you, the hike may not be oppressively difficult, but for me, I hadn’t been to the gym since COVID and the lockdown in Bangkok. So I keep pushing myself. When I felt like passing out, I shouted to those two ahead of me, asked them to stop, and took a break. 

It was halfway to the top and I kept asking Dalton when we were going to be there. I thought it was going to be like walking in Lumpini Park for 10- 20 kilometres. Unfortunately, my calculation was wrong. I didn’t realise that there were differences between walking and climbing. 

I took photos and videos but none of them looked good. Then I realised that we usually take pictures of mountain climbers at the top of the mountain. We’re smiling, ecstatic, triumphant. We don’t take the picture along the way because who wants to see and remember the rest of it?

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We push ourselves because we have to, not because we like it. The relentless climb, the pain, and the anguish of taking it to the next level. Nobody takes pictures of that. No one wants to remember. We just want to remember the view from the top. The Breathtaking moment on the edge of the world. 

That is what keeps us climbing and it is totally worth the pain. No matter how crazy that part is. It’s WORTH anything.

We hung out on the top of the Dragon Crest for a while and let that moment sink into our memory (phone camera too) before we started to climb down as the sky was telling us that it was going to rain soon. It turned out just like I thought. The sky was crumbling on us. After ten minutes pouring from the sky, the rain had turned itself and our pathway down to hill into a narrow and rapid stream,

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I was scared and worried about my safety but Dalton told me that was going to be alright. I rolled my eyes, as always, and kept walking down silently and hoped that we would arrive soon to the exit.

For a person, who complained a lot about the climbing and the weather conditions at the time, I must say that I love it. The view on the top did take my breath away. Again with the rush of the adrenaline, I never felt so alive like this before. We left the Dragon Crest with relief and jubilance.

Before we went back to the hotel, we stopped by the beach and took a few moments to appreciate the beauty of the sea after the storm. Then, we headed back to the hotel, took a shower, and went out for dinner. We finished our first day in Krabi with a few beers and went to bed. I must say that I slept splendidly.

The 4 Islands Tour

The next day, I woke up with curiosity and excitement to walk around Ao Nang Beach in the morning. I woke Ohm and asked him if he would like to go for a morning walk with me. I believed it must be the best feeling ever. Well, he still seemed tired and sleepy. I didn’t push him. So I left.

On my way to the beach, the pavement was so quiet. Nothing was moving except the trees blown by the wind from the sea. I closed my eyes and let that emotion sink in: all the sound of nothingness and the wind from the morning sea holding against my body. It was wonderful. I wish I could describe it better, but sometimes the best way to know it is to feel it. A moment later, I saw Ohm driving our rented scooter after me.

“Hop on”, he said.

“Okay, thought you wouldn’t come along” I mumbled.

After a 3 minute drive to the beach, we started to explore the area. I took off my flip-flop and walked on the beach with my bare feet. I turned my face toward the sun. I felt such a blessing when the first ray of light from the sun touched my face while the wave washed up the sand onto my feet. I felt relieved and connected to nature again. All anxiety, anger, and sorrow were just gone — like it’s never there. I could not explain why I felt so much joy in my chest that it burst out into tears. Yes, I cried and I was so glad that it came from happiness.

If you are still reading this, you might think that I am a crazy person but, trust me! After all that I had been through over the years. The sea is like my therapeutic sanctuary. It always brings me back to life and takes all my stress away.

I tried not to let Ohm see me crying so I stuffed my emotions back inside. Like I said earlier… I don’t want people to think that I am a crazy person. 

Later, we went back to the hotel and prepared for the 4 islands private tour. We bought the tour with the hotel for 2,500 baht. However, I negotiated it down to 2,000 baht. Lucky us! Dalton also came with us. I didn’t know how she managed to stay alive after working for the hotel at night and hang out with us during the day.

The four islands tour in Krabi is a classic. The boat will take us to some of Krabi’s most iconic landmarks, Koh Gai (Chicken Island), Koh Poda, Koh Mor, and Koh Tub. I was trying to recall my memories for the day. Unfortunately, I might not be able to go through all the details. Therefore, I’m going to put this part as a photos series;

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Thale Waek is a renowned natural attraction of Krabi and named one of the “Unseen Thailand” resulting from the natural wonder when the tide recedes; it reveals sand dunes that connect to 3 Islands; namely, Ko Kai, Ko Thap, and Ko Mo – Information form Amazing Thailand.

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Later, we went to Porda Island for chilling and lunch. Since it was a bit stormy in that after noon, so I didn’t have a chance to take any photos from the island. Well, I did take some photos and later my phone got wet and become a paperweight. Here are some photo of Koh Porda from the Internet.

When the rain stopped, our boat driver took us snorkelling but the sky was still leaking a bit. So we didn’t see much of the coral or marine life because of the tide under the water. Besides the last when I visit Krabi, most of the coral was bleaching due to the rise of water temperature. It was disappointing because the Andaman sea was well known as one of the most spectacular topographies. Despite having been damaged by the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, some remain popular tourist destinations. Some of the National Parks were closed for recovery for example Maya Bay.

Next we headed to Railay Beach. It is known a small peninsula between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang in Thailand. The only way to access the area is by a boat due to high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access.The four main areas of Railay consist of Phra Nang, West Railay, East Railay, and Ton Sai.

The boat driver dropped us off at the East Railay. The beach was filled with the greenishness of mangroves forests, which was very beautiful and comforting to look at. The driver told us that we could through the area to Railay Beach West & Phra Nang Beach.

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We didn’t get a change to hang out around the Phra Nang Beach because the wave was so strong that we didn’t think it’s safe to get into the water. Then, we went back to Ao Nang, grabbed dinner, rest.

The Old Secret Path to the Crystal Cave

On our last day in Krabi, Andrea agreed to show us one of the oldest secret pathways to the crystal cave. I just made it up actually for the secret things. Anyways, Andrea is the founder of Coralyfe. He works on coral restoration, beach clean up, and more (I didn’t talk to him much because I was busy staring at him) (>_<).

It didn’t take us long to the cave but the climbing was, for me, quite steep and overgrown. I didn’t even know how could remember which way to go because there was no signage at all. On the Dragon Crest, there was also no signage for the climber but at least you could see the pathway. Here, I hoped that there wouldn’t be any snakes jump out. Otherwise, I would have died from a heart attack. I even told Andy that “If I died up here, you could leave my body around here. I’m 100% biodegradable”

From the outside, It was just a normal cave with a bunch of rocks. However, Andy told us to turned on our flashlights and light up those rocks in the dark. We did that and, somehow, they started to glittering by the light. It was incredibly fantastic. I felt like this trip to Krabi was the best vacation I’ve ever had, adventurous challenging, and reliving.

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After we finished from the cave, we headed down to the beach and did come clean up a bit. It wan’t much. Dalton and Ohm helped me out before we chilled and played around.

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We tried to picked up as much as we could but unfortunately this CleanUp was unplanned. I saw the beach was cover with all the trash and no body seemed to care about it at all. Thus, I hope this would help a bit. At least, 20-25 kg. was taken cared of.

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