The NMFS team just completed its annual juvenile shark survey in the Southern California Bight. This area is an important nursery ground for blue, mako, white and thresher sharks, all of which are caught in local fisheries. Blue and mako sharks are the two species most commonly caught during this survey although we do occasionally catch mola mola, pelagic rays and thresher sharks as well. Through the survey we collect a range of biological and fisheries data and also deploy satellite tags in collaboration with the TOPP program.

"I have been in the water (no cage) many times with makos, and they generally make very bold and fast approaches to the photographer," notes nature photographer Richard Herrmann. "This one was no different."

"Great Whites are a bunch of punks," he said, spitting chum as he spoke. "Ever since that movie by that Steven Spielberg fellow, they all swim around like their fins don't stink. We all have notochords of cartilage, you know. Not just the big bad Great White." Those fightin' words were uttered by Quint, a macho mako shark who hangs out off Long Island.

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. Although humans are supposed to be rational, humans decide who lives and who dies based on the curious calculus of cuddly.

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. The surface waters of the open ocean are referred to as the “pelagic zone”, and it is hard for people who have never been out at sea

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. Sharks are tough animals and nothing about the gear that is used to catch and study them can be small or delicate.

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. Tanner Bank has been good to us, producing a variety of sharks and reasonably high catch rates.

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. Fishing has been slow inshore so we decided to change our luck.

Russ Vetter, Leg III SHARK CRUISE. It is a big ocean and mako and blue sharks live in a big neighborhood.

Russ Vetter, from Leg III SHARK CRUISE. Fishing is a noble activity, both for recreation and as a livelihood, but facts are facts and lost fishing gear can cause problems