Expedition leaders: Dr. Tristan Guttridge and Dr. Phil Matich

Crew: Khrys, Olivia, Marco, Maza, McKinzie and Wylie - Khrys, from local Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), had his position on the expedition fully sponsored by Saving the Blue.

Introduction

We have just returned from Saving the Blue’s fourth dedicated research expedition to Andros! In the course of our six day excursion we captured, tagged and released 24 healthy sharks of four different species. This amazing week was full of not only sharks but blue hole snorkels, dolphins, and for the first time, whales!

Day 1

This trip was very different to previous excursions, in part because it took place in the middle of a global pandemic. However, this did not deter any of us as we made our preparations for a trip of a lifetime. Our research team met at a private charter airport where they were greeted by trip leaders Dr. Tristan Guttridge and Dr. Phil Matich. The group made informal introductions, and received matching Saving the Blue masks, t-shirts and a glass bottled Stream-2-Sea hand sanitizer. Once through customs, we took to the air and headed to Andros, The Bahamas. Heartrates increased as Tristan and Phil pointed towards the westside of the island; we were close! As stories were told, excitement rose as we looked upon the beautiful landscape of our home for the next week. The west side of Andros is a protected national park, and the dozens of eye-catching blue holes scattered across the untouched land showcased just how special the island is.

After landing and clearing customs, we took a 40 minute ride south, to our home for the next six nights; the locally owned and operated Andros Island Bonefish Club (AIBC). Upon arrival, we were greeted by the AIBC staff and local Bahamian and future marine biologist Khrys. Khrys joined us on our expedition to complement his studies and strengthen the relationship Saving the Blue has with the local community. After introductions we placed our belongings in our rooms and convened in the dining hall. Tristan and Phil gave a safety briefing, introduced some of our anticipated excursions, and explored the equipment we would be using during our week ahead. It was decided that we would head out to the Tongue of the Ocean and fish there for the rest of the afternoon. The crew grabbed their equipment and we headed out to our fishing spot, led by our boat captain Cole. Upon arrival, Phil and Tristan showed the team how to setup our research equipment. We were in luck! In a matter of minutes, “Shark on!!!” was called out. Once the shark was brought to the side of the boat, it was time for action. Phil helped Cole with the shark while Tristan helped the team in the steps of a workup. This shark received a PIT tag (electronic transponder) and a Casey tag (external dart tag) for future identification purposes. After measurements were taken, the healthy female silky shark was released and swam off strong.

After the first shark we went on to catch four more silky sharks – three females and one male. In addition to the ID tags, the last two sharks received a 10-year acoustic tracking device, which was surgically placed in the body cavity of the shark. The team then headed back to the lodge and enjoyed a delicious meal, prepared by the staff. After dinner the team spilt into two groups; Phil took part of the crew where he taught them how to rig our hooks, while Tristan took the others and taught them how to download data from the acoustic receivers that the team would be retrieving the following day.

After a great day one, it was off to bed for an early start the following day.

Day 2

We were up for an early breakfast which consisted of fresh fruit, omelets, cereal, and more, followed by the teams briefing of the day’s objectives. We were to deploy the first ever deep water acoustic receivers in Andros, in addition to downloading the data from receivers that were deployed by the team in January. The deep water receivers had steel chain attached to a rope that was then attached to a yellow release mechanism, which then lead up to an underwater buoy with the acoustic receiver attached. Before deploying the deep water receivers, a trial run in ~30 ft of water was needed to ensure the equipment would sit properly on the sea floor. After some adjustments, including adding an extra mooring weight, everything was ready to go and we headed to the first deep drop location. It was very exciting to put the equipment out and watch as the first deep water receiver was deployed! Whoops, hollers, and high fives were given once the receiver had sunk to its position beyond our view in ~300 meters of water.

Next we drove to the second drop site and the same process occurred, this time the crew was able to hop in the water and watch as the second receiver was dropped to its new location. The team then went on to five other receivers that were previously deployed; our goal was to download their data and see what sharks had been detected over the last six months. Tristan and Phil took turns retrieving the receivers while the rest of the crew downloaded the data. A large, moody storm emerged during the last receiver download and Cole advised we should head in to wait for it to pass. Thankfully, it did, and we jumped back in the water at a blue hole spot for a quick snorkel.

Here we saw stingrays and many different species of coral reef fishes, as well as a Caribbean reef shark resting in the blue hole! This was very exciting to all of us, especially Tristan who had never seen one resting before despite many years of observing reef sharks in the wild. The weather remained stubborn and wouldn’t clear. With this in mind the team decided to finish their snorkel and head in early to enjoy a lecture by Tristan. Tristan spoke on the sharks found in Andros while answering questions from the team. After our delicious dinner, we headed to bed to rest up the for next day.

Day 3

Our crew was up early again and headed out to the buoy to deploy our last deep water receiver which was the deepest one yet. It took the team around 30 minutes just to unwind all the rope! A couple of crew members helped Phil throw the very heavy chain over and watched as the receiver sank into position with the aim of detecting pelagic sharks in the near future. We headed over to the buoy, and three silky sharks appeared, including one of the sharks we tagged on Day one! – reassuringly she was visibly unaffected by our previous interaction based on her behavior and close proximity to the boat.

Given the ideal conditions the team decided to hop in with the sharks and enjoy them in their natural habitat. The experience was incredible, and the crew bonded as they shared the underwater world with these beautiful, pelagic animals. As the crew returned to the boat, the decision was made to set some lines ready for capture. Shortly after a single silky shark was caught and the team assisted with the workup, including implanting another acoustic transmitter.

In the afternoon the weather took a turn for the worse. Captain Cole advised we should head in, closer to shore to ensure we were kept safe. We finished the afternoon by fishing for more sharks in shallower waters at the reef drop off, but to no avail, no further sharks were caught. Due to the poor weather, we headed back to the lodge concluding our day on the water.

Lastly, Tristan gave another lecture on shark research techniques, then we finished the evening with a delicious dinner and dessert.

Day 4

Today’s goal was to catch more silky sharks in the morning, then head to the shallow, backreef habitat to sample some other shark species. However, on heading out we were greeted by high winds and intense waves, thus we were unable to sample the silky sharks.

We adjusted our plans and decided to survey the backreef all day using our standardized drumline setup. The team set five rigs along the shallow water on the inside of the cay and waited 30 – 45 minutes between each check. During these checks we assessed bait status and measured environmental data such as water temperature and salinity. While waiting to check the rigs, we spotted a loggerhead turtle and a small pod of bottlenose dolphins that hung out for a while, spinning under the water and breaching to catch a glimpse of us on the boat!

In total the team caught five nurse sharks on the drumlines, and was able to measure and PIT tag each of them for future identification. During one check the team spotted a MASSIVE shark, it was a great hammerhead! Tristan estimated the shark to be approximately 13 feet! The shark seemed fearless and swam incredibly close to the boat. Everyone was in shock and expressed full blown excitement as the shark fearlessly approached. What an unexpected and awe-inspiring experience, especially during the summer! We hoped it might take an interest in one of our rigs so we could fit it with a satellite tag to track its future movements. Little did we know this was not the only hammerhead in the area. As we approached rig three’s location, we realized it was not in line with the others. It took a minute to find the buoy, however Tristan spotted it several hundred feet from where it was deployed. We knew then that something large was on that line… As we got closer we saw the undeniable shape of a hammerhead. It was another 13 foot female great hammerhead!

The team worked extremely quickly to conduct the work up on this shark given their sensitivity. Hammerheads often become stressed while hooked, more so than most shark species. We measured, Casey and PIT tagged the shark, and lastly we placed a SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tag on its dorsal fin. A SPOT tag will send positional data to a satellite every time it surfaces, allowing Saving the Blue to track the shark and watch its movements over the coming months. In less than seven minutes the workup was complete, and we released the shark, watching it swim away strong and effortlessly with the SPOT tag skimming the top of the water on the shark’s dorsal fin. Everyone was utterly ecstatic from the whole experience! Being able to see not only one but two huge hammerheads and being able to SPOT tag one was unbelievable, especially during the summer months when great hammerheads are rarely observed in The Bahamas. After we composed ourselves from all the excitement it was time to head back to the lodge for dinner.

After dinner Phil gave a presentation on bull sharks. The presentation had a trivia type feel and felt more like an educational game, which everyone absolutely loved!

Day 5

We started early this morning allowing us head out to the buoy for more silky shark tagging, and on the way we were met with another surprise – SPERM WHALES!!! The first Saving the Blue had seen! We watched the whales breach and, as we got closer, saw three whales in close proximity to one another. The whales appeared skittish so we respected their space and viewed from afar. An amazing sight to see nonetheless.

After the whales dove to the depths, we made our way to the buoy where we set out our rigs. Unfortunately nothing was caught, these animals are wild after all and nothing is guaranteed. The whales however resurfaced and we decided to slowly approach again. Sadly they dove leaving us to contemplate where they were heading and if we would see then again. So, we returned to the buoy once again and quickly caught two silky sharks! The crew, as always, assisted with the workups and tags for each shark.

Next up we downloaded two more acoustic receivers and noted that some 10 foot tiger sharks had been cruising in the flats prior to our arrival. We then headed to a very special area – A place known as Isla’s spot. As we arrived we found a good viewing site, and watched as the lemon sharks began to approach, exhibiting curiosity towards their visitors. The crew adored the close interaction experience with the sharks as they swam within a few inches of our feet! Altogether there were around 15 lemon sharks, ranging from a few months old to a couple years, illustrating differences in age, size and coloration, but overlap in their space use.

After our enjoyable and educational afternoon we set out for more fishing on the fore reef, and ended up catching and working up a single nurse shark. The team then wrapped up the day and headed back to the lodge for another amazing dinner prepared by the staff.

Day 6

The last full day was here and it was going to be another busy day and early morning so we could visit the buoy in hopes of tagging more silkies.

We caught and tagged one lone silky with a pop-off archival satellite tag before heading back to the lodge to grab additional drum line equipment and to eat a quick lunch before heading out for an afternoon of fishing.

Once back on the water, we downloaded two acoustic receivers and made our way over to a beautiful channel to snorkel, cool off and dive a new blue hole! While snorkeling, we saw stingrays, barracuda, hogfish, and many more species. It’s always hard to leave beautiful snorkeling spots, however we had more rigs to set.

After our snorkel we set out to drumline one last time, and as always we checked the rigs every 30 – 45 minutes while watching the equipment for signs of caught sharks. We ended the day with four more nurse sharks and a new species, one blacknose shark, performing work ups and tagging each.

With another successful day under our belts we headed back to the lodge for our last supper on the island. Everyone was sad our departure was looming, however we still had tomorrow morning so we remained upbeat and hopeful for more shark action tomorrow!

Day 7

For our last morning we returned to the buoy one last time and set our equipment to target more silky sharks. In total we caught three silkies and performed work ups on each. A super successful morning as the acoustic tags in particular contribute key data to our long term silky project. Each shark received a PIT, Casey and acoustic tag, totaling eight for our trip.

Finally, we headed inland and searched the waters outside the Bonefish Club for a satellite tag deployed on a silky sharks last November. The tag had popped up yesterday, but unfortunately we could not find it. - Cole went on to find the tag after our departure.

As we docked the boat for the final time our team headed to their rooms to pack their belongings and to say farewell to the Bonefish Club staff, Cole, and Khrys before taking our taxi rides to the airport.

After our short 70 minute flight home we landed in Fort Lauderdale the crew said their goodbyes to each other, but planned to keep in touch and always remember this trip of a lifetime.

Thank you

Thank you to our research trip leaders Dr. Tristan Guttridge and Dr. Phil Matich 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.

Gratitude must also go to all on the trip for their generosity in allowing us to use their images in this blog.

Early results

Blacknose - One

Great Hammerhead - One

Nurse shark - Nine

Silky shark - Twelve

Total shark count for the week: 23