Expedition leaders: Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Dr. Bryan Keller and Annie Guttridge

Crew: Allyson, Dharma, Hannah, Jerry, Lindsay, Raven, Sydnee, Tayshaun. – Tayshaun, from local Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), had his position on the expedition fully sponsored by Saving the Blue.

Introduction

A week of absolutely incredible weather, with bright sunny days and dead flat conditions, however our expedition generated long days with some frustrating challenges. We saw six species of shark, 11 sharks in total, deployed BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Videos) cleaned a beach, gave lectures, sponsored a local Bahamian student from BAMSI and of course, had some fun!

Day 1

With low winds and our main objective of the week being to tag silky sharks, we headed straight out to the Tongue of The Ocean to one of our research locations. We didn’t have long however we always go out on arrival allowing the crew to secure their sea legs, and to run through deploying and retrieving equipment. Unfortunately no sharks were caught so the team were unable to practice a work-up, however the activity rehearsal gave us a few hours of experience ready for the week ahead.

Once back at the lodge Tayshaun, a local Bahamian marine science student was waiting for us; Tayshaun was joining us for our week long research experience.  After a quick introduction everybody showered and feasted on a tasty dinner before settling down for a lecture from Bryan, before finally heading to bed.

Day 2

We were all up early today as we headed out with the sun starting to rise. Our first spot of the day was the pelagics once again in the hopes of catching and tagging silky sharks.

Within 30 minutes of deployment we had our first shark! It was a 153cm silky shark. All team members were assigned a role and the shark was quickly secured to the boat which allowed the team to take measurements; no tag was needed, as this animal was a recapture from July 2020. After a quick release we noticed there was another shark on the line, another silky! Once again the team quickly secured the shark and took measurements, this time however a tag was needed and once placed the shark was released and swam away strong.

After our excitement of two captures we all hopped into the water for a snorkel and to observe the sharks in their natural habitat. Many of the team had never swam in the open ocean before and so the experience was both daunting and thrilling! Once back on the boat we headed back to the lodge to swap out some equipment before heading back out for more fishing.

Before departure we spotted a southern stingray feeding in the shallows, it’s always a wonderful sight to see wild animals peacefully going about their day. On arrival to our next spot we all jumped in for a quick cool down! We immediately saw a shark nearby and a beautiful large school of spade fish! However after just 10 minutes in the water it was time to climb back on board the boat and start our afternoon activity.

We only had two hours of fishing ahead but we set up and stayed optimistic! Our first check, no sharks, second check, no sharks, third check, no sharks! And that’s the way research goes, sometimes you get lucky, other times you don’t.

As we hauled our equipment the sun began to set and we slowly made our way back to the lodge. On arrival, all crew members assisted with cleaning the equipment which is challenging when you’re cold, tired and being bitten by bugs! Life as a researcher isn’t always glamorous, it can be challenging, often repetitive and tiring. Everyday tasks such as cleaning late at night after a long day often brings a team together. With cleaning complete it was time for a quick shower before dinner and an early night ready for another early morning tomorrow.

Day 3

Today we woke early to absolutely breathtaking conditions. Glassy water, no wind and the darkness fading with the sun teasing to make an appearance. We departed at 6:30am and as we drove back out to our silky shark spot everyone was deep in thought, or perhaps still a little sleepy due to the early departure time!

On arrival spirits were high and we quickly deployed our equipment. Once set it was the usual waiting while watching our floats for activity. Often, but not always, we can see if a shark is on the line as the buoy moves and stands up. With this in mind we always watch the floats for movement, however regardless of action we always check the lines at least once every 45 minutes. After a really slow morning with no shark captures, although we lost a lot of bait (!), we decided to haul our lines and head inshore to set in slightly shallower water. With our main research goal of the week being the tagging of silky sharks it wasn’t easy to leave, however with no sharks present we had to move on.

Our afternoons activity was drumlining. Drum lines consist of a floating buoy tied to a rope that’s secured to a 45-pound (20-kilogram) weight, which has a monofilament line attached to it with a baited hook. The weight is dropped into the water with the rope length allowing the buoy to comfortably sit at the surface so we always know our equipment’s location by sight, in addition to GPS.

With our lines comfortably set the wait was on! But it didn’t take long.. Bingo! Annie spotted a float moving and so we made our over to the area to check on the capture. It was a large nurse shark, measuring 185cm in total length. As the team worked on securing the shark other crew members assisted with equipment preparation. As today was Raven’s birthday we all agreed she should be the first to tag our first shark of the day! After a speedy work up the nurse was released and we were back to waiting. But it wasn’t long until we had another surprise, a small pod of bottlenose dolphin cruised past our boat as we moved towards our floats for the next check. Mother nature always has a way of bringing a smile to the faces of the people who love her! But again, no time to stop, we had another shark on the line, this time a Caribbean reef……. 

As darkness approached we slowly made our way back to the lodge for more equipment cleaning and repairs. After our evening duties it was time for our usual homemade meal with a twist, birthday cake and candles for birthday girl Raven! After our mini celebration it was back to rig repairs such as hook replacement and crimping, then off to bed ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

Day 4

Another morning in paradise as we woke again to calm conditions with low winds. Today we swapped our silky shark objectives for great hammerheads. Our morning activity focused on shallow, murky water that was considered a rather risky choice; we believed we’d get lucky with a hammerhead, or unlucky with no captures! Unfortunately it was the latter, and after a few hours of fishing, and no captures we called it a morning and headed back to the lodge to swap out equipment.

Sadly, we did not have the right tides for what we were attempting. Our mission this week was to capture silky sharks, however with them absent we were forced to change our missions and we worked as best we could with the tides we had. Research can be challenging and as we like to say, catching the 0’s (no sharks on our data set) can be just as informative as catching many, it’s just not as exciting!

Next up was our BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) deployments. We set three in total and our sets were a Saving the Blue first! The rigs were standardized and kickstarted the beginning of our BRUV project. We excitedly placed them in the water with marker floats (in addition to taking GPS coordinates), and moved on to an afternoon dive for fun while we waited for our BRUVs to time out.

On arrival to our spot we hopped in to cool down and to make a few dives as we patiently waited to see if any sharks, particularly hammerheads would appear. However, after a few hours of little action we called it a day and climbed back on the boat to retrieve our BRUVs and head back to the lodge to review footage!

Once at the lodge we quickly showered and settled down for dinner, and a movie, well, not a movie, BRUV footage! Bryan selected a video at random and within five minutes we all screeched as a great hammerhead appeared in shot! It was an incredible moment, the shark made multiple passes and the team were ecstatic to finally see a hammerhead, albeit on a screen and not in person. Nonetheless, knowing we were in the water with this giant close by lifted our spirits. The subsequent videos showed Caribbean reef and sharpnose sharks, in addition to heaps of hogfish, grouper and more. The BRUV videos really showcased the healthy reefs of Andros and the team thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the footage. 

With spirits high Annie headed to the lodge dock where our old/dormant bait pieces (from our previous fishing efforts) had been discarded. Jackpot! We had at least seven large lemon sharks circling. The sharks ranged from subadults to adults at around the 240cm mark. It was a fabulous end to a successful day.

Day 5

Another beautiful sunrise followed by a hearty breakfast. Every morning, guests have the choice of a freshly-made breakfast eggs (scrambled, fried, or an omelet) to-order at no extra cost, cereals, toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, and more.

After breakfast we headed out for a morning of fishing in a new spot. We regularly visit and fish in new locations to gain a better understanding of the habitats and environments surrounding Andros. Andros is HUGE so our sampling area is forever growing. After our morning we finished our set with a single Caribbean reef shark, but a shark nonetheless! We also retrieved a straightened hook suggesting an incredibly large shark had taken our bait and likely dragged our weight, thus straightening the hook! We’ll never know what it was… So, as we’d planned an evening activity we headed back to the lodge for a small rest before our nighttime adventure. 

On arrival we ate lunch, then some took the opportunity to lie down and rest, while others cleaned their equipment or caught up with friends and family. Bryan and Annie decided to launch the drone from the lodge dock in the hopes of seeing some sharks nearby, and within minutes Bryan spotted a few subadult lemon sharks cruising in the neighboring shallows.

After our break it was time to head out for our last activity of the day, night fishing. We set our lines as the sunlight started to fade; the wait was on. We were checking the lines for movement, however once we hit darkness there was nothing to do except wait and hope!

In total we caught two nurse sharks and a giant horse eye jack that gave Bryan the fight of his life! We believed it was a large shark until the very last moment, and then up popped the fish! We believe the jack was hiding under a ledge, hence the struggle to retrieve our equipment. Once the line was hauled we started our ride home, back to the lodge once again for a shower and bed!

Day 6

Our last full day in Andros and with the new Bahamian requirements for additional COVID testing, we headed north for ours. On arrival we each received a test (which later confirmed we were all negative), and so we moved on to a local beach for a beach clean. The majority of the group worked on cleaning the beach while Annie and Cole headed even further north to collect some important cargo that had been shipped over from Florida.

During the beach clean the team focused on smaller plastics although we couldn’t resist the odd large item such as an old boat fuel canister! Research assistant Allyson even found a turtle scoot! - Please note you can NOT import/export any piece of a turtle, even if found, just like this. All turtle parts are protected by law and a scientific research permit is required to collect, receive, import or export parts.

After we collated our efforts into a pile we rewarded ourselves with lunch at a local bar! Saving the Blue supports the local economy in many ways, and purchasing lunch locally, particularly during the quietness of the pandemic, felt great! We sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air with the incredible view of a white sandy beach and the stunning blues and greens of the ocean. After lunch we piled the trash into the back of the truck and headed to the dump to dispose of our efforts, after which we headed south, back to the lodge.

Once at the lodge we took a mini-break for around 45 minutes before heading out for another evening of night fishing. It was our final fishing session and hopes were high, we all really longed to catch a large tiger or hammerhead, but again, our luck wasn’t in. During our 3hr set we didn’t see a large shark, however we did have a BITE OFF (!) suggesting a large shark took our line but bit itself free! By 7pm we’d caught two nurse sharks and a blacknose; the last captures of our trip. With a tired crew we slowly headed back to the lodge for our last night in Andros. 

Day 7

It was our final morning in paradise and today was treat day! Blue hole adventure or shark action? We voted as a team and the vote was in, sharks it was.

We set up in a known sharkie area and within minutes had Caribbean reef, lemon and blacknose sharks surrounding the boat. The team loved every minute watching the sharks interact and coexist and with the turquoise blue water and bright overhead sun, it was a hard place to leave…. But we had to, we had a flight in just a few hours! 

Once back at the lodge we quickly cleaned up, packed the last of our belongings and headed north in our taxi’s back to the airport. On arrival our charter flight was waiting and before we knew it we were in the air, but leaving on a high! - Bryan had asked the pilots for a Performance Takeoff and they did just that! The cabin was filled with laughs and the odd scream as the plane pulled a few g’s which gave everyone a last hit of adrenaline! After our fun it was a quiet flight home of reflection before finally clearing customs and parting with sad goodbyes. It’s never easy to leave, but we must be grateful for the memories made. Until next time…

Thank you

Thank you to our research trip leaders Dr. Bryan Keller and Annie Guttridge for guiding the team through an incredibly successful week. A huge thank you to our research assistants for their passion, determination and endless enthusiasm to work hard, learn and produce results. We would also like to thank the Andros Island Bonefish Club for their hospitality, and the hardworking and ever professional Cole from PFO Charters for his top class boating and captaining skills.

Early results

Blacknose Shark- One

Caribbean Reef Shark - Two

Nurse Shark - Six

Silky Shark - Two

Total shark count for the week: 11