If you're a fan of B-movies and monster flicks, then you're in for a treat with the latest film from director Mark Polonia. "Cocaine Shark" is a highly anticipated cocaine-fueled monster movie that promises to be a thrilling ride from start to finish.

The plot of the movie revolves around a mafia drug lord who unleashes a highly addictive stimulant called HT25 on the streets. The drug is derived from sharks that are held captive in a secret lab, and it causes monstrous side effects. After an explosion and leak at the lab, an army of mutated, bloodthirsty sharks and other creatures are set loose on the world as a small band of people tries to stop the carnage.

The idea for "Cocaine Shark" originated from social media users who pitched the idea for a movie after New Zealand authorities announced the interception of 3.2 tonnes of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. The concept caught the attention of many, including director Elizabeth Banks, who expressed her interest in tackling a project featuring a coked-out animal.

The film is written by Bret McCormick and directed by Mark Polonia, who is known for his work on "Amityville in Space." The cast includes Ken VanSant and Titus Himmelberger, among others.

If you're a fan of B-movies and monster flicks, then "Cocaine Shark" is a must-see film. It's set to arrive on digital and DVD on July 7, so mark your calendars and get ready for a wild ride. Check out the trailer below and prepare to be blown away!

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A massive great white shark has been detected off the coast of Florida this week, just ahead of the expected busy spring break season. According to the Global Shark Tracker of OCEARCH, Maple, a great white shark, was detected on Monday morning southeast of St. George Island, Florida, in the Gulf Of Mexico. Maple is 11-feet, 7-inches long and weighs a whopping 1,264 pounds.

Maple has reportedly been spending much of her winter in the Gulf of Mexico over the past two seasons, as noted by OCEARCH. The shark was named after the maple leaf, a national emblem of Canada. Interestingly, Maple has a unique wound on the left side of her body which the team believes is due to an interaction with another larger white shark.

"It is not unusual for sharks to assert their dominance over a smaller animal of their species by delivering a significant but non-fatal bite," said OCEARCH.

On the other hand, another great white shark, Tancook, was detected on Tuesday just after 9:30 a.m. several miles east of Amelia Island. The shark weighs around 715 pounds and measures 9-feet, 9-inches long. The OCEARCH team tagged Tancook in 2021 when they met him off West Ironbound Island just south of Tancook Island. Tancook was named after the phrase "facing the open sea."

"We're excited to gain more insight into the open sea as we continue to track Tancook's movements," said OCEARCH.

OCEARCH is a global non-profit organization committed to conducting unprecedented research on the ocean's giants to help scientists gather previously unattainable data. The organization aims to accelerate the ocean's return to balance and abundance through innovative scientific research, education, outreach, and policy, leveraging the collaborations of individuals and organizations in the U.S. and worldwide.

The detection of two massive great white sharks off Florida's coast, Maple and Tancook, is a reminder of the importance of ocean conservation. With organizations like OCEARCH conducting groundbreaking research and collecting invaluable data, we are one step closer to preserving the ocean's balance and abundance. As we head into the spring break season, it is important to remember to respect marine life and their natural habitats.

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Sixgill shark carcass, its liver ‘surgically removed’ by orcas (Photo: Christine Wessels/MarineDynamics)

In the waters off the coast of South Africa, two orcas were recently observed engaging in a remarkable feat: they hunted and killed 19 sharks in just one day. The orcas not only killed the sharks, but they also ate their livers and left the rest of the carcasses to rot.

This behavior is extremely rare and has left many researchers and marine biologists scratching their heads. What could be behind this unprecedented attack? 

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are apex predators that can be found in all of the world's oceans. They are the largest member of the dolphin family and are known for their intelligence, communication skills, and complex social structures.

Orcas are also known to be opportunistic hunters, meaning they will eat whatever prey is available to them. Their diet can include fish, seals, sea lions, and even other whales. However, this recent attack on sharks is particularly unusual.

 A male and female orca pair named Port and Starboard, notorious for their previous eight great white shark killings, recently attacked 19 broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus), devouring their livers before leaving their carcasses to wash ashore on the southernmost coast of South Africa near Pearly Beach. This puzzling onslaught captured the attention of Alison Kock, a marine biologist at South African National Parks, who tweeted about the orcas' infamy and the frenzy that unfolded on February 23.

Orcas, Port and Starboard. Named for the direction in which their dorsal fins fall (Photo: Christine Wessels/MarineDynamics)

This marks the latest event in a series of shark attacks by the duo in the area. During their past sprees, the orcas consumed only the livers of their victims, an action that helped them become more proficient hunters. Sharks' livers are high in nutrients, such as fats and vitamins, which provide orcas with the energy they need. As such, they may have learned to consume these organs, which are easier to locate as they are large and buoyant, often floating to the water's surface upon the shark's death.

Orcas often hunt in pairs or groups, giving them an edge over their prey. One orca might distract the shark, allowing the other to attack. The intelligence and social cooperation required to carry out this technique is impressive. The orcas can also use their massive tails to flip sharks, rendering them motionless.

Such behavior has been observed in various locations worldwide, including South America, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. However, these attacks have only recently become more frequent among sevengill and great white sharks in South Africa. The death of so many sharks in a single day raises concerns about the consequences of this predation on the local ecosystem.

Kock believes that the orcas' expertise stems from experience, allowing them to remember where the liver is located in a shark and becoming more proficient over time. This expertise, coupled with the orcas' ability to work together, results in highly effective hunting techniques. The consequences of these hunts may be more far-reaching than the death toll of the sharks themselves. The absence of these top predators could lead to significant changes in the ecosystem.

Examining a shark carcass washed up on the beach.(Photo: Hennie Otto/Marine Dynamics)

Possible Explanations

There are several possible explanations for why these orcas carried out such a brutal attack on the sharks:

1. Food Shortage
One possibility is that the orcas were struggling to find enough food in their usual hunting grounds. Sharks are a relatively easy prey for orcas, and the livers are a particularly nutrient-rich part of the animal. It's possible that the orcas were simply taking advantage of a food source that they don't normally target.

2. Environmental Changes
Another possibility is that environmental changes have caused a disruption in the orcas' usual food sources. Overfishing, pollution, and climate change can all impact the availability of prey for marine animals. It's possible that the orcas were forced to adapt their hunting tactics in order to survive.

3. Social Learning
Orcas are known for their ability to learn from one another. It's possible that the orcas learned this hunting technique from another pod or group of orcas. This would explain why this behavior is so rare, as it may only be present in a small subset of the overall orca population.

4. Playful Behavior
Finally, it's possible that the orcas were simply playing. Orcas are known for their playful nature and are often seen engaging in what appears to be "play" behavior. It's possible that the orcas were simply having fun and not necessarily targeting the sharks for food.

The Impact on the Ecosystem

While this attack may seem shocking, it's important to remember that all species play a role in the ecosystem. Orcas are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain. By targeting sharks, the orcas may be helping to regulate the shark population and ensure that the overall ecosystem remains healthy.

However, it's also possible that this attack could have unintended consequences. Sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem, and their absence could have ripple effects throughout the food chain.

Although the onlookers were initially panicked, as the dog continued to engage with the shark, they soon began to cheer Rufus on. As the video progresses, Rufus exits the water and returns safely to the shore, much to the relief of the passengers.

It remains unclear whether Rufus was merely attempting to play with the shark or was acting to protect his territory, but his bravery has been celebrated by animal lovers around the world.

The Bahamian dog has become a viral sensation after taking on a shark and coming out on top. The incident, which was captured on video, has left many in awe of Rufus's daring and bravery.

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For years, Isla Guadalupe in Mexico has been a much sought-after destination for shark enthusiasts. However, this dream has come to an end with the permanent closure of the Great White Shark cage diving site to tourism.

The Mexican Government announced the ban on "all tourism activities, and film and TV productions at Isla Guadalupe" on January 10, citing conservation concerns as the primary reason. This ban expands on an already-existing suspension from May to December 2022 on cage diving and sport fishing in the same area. The initial closure aimed to "gather information that will guide activities and the adoption of the best sustainability practices that guarantee the conservation of the aforementioned populations," according to a statement issued by the Mexican Government.

The new Management Plan for Guadalupe specifies that "White Shark observation may not be carried out in the Reserve for tourist purposes, to avoid altering [sharks'] habitat, behavior and feeding sites, and thereby preserve and conserve the species."

However, local tour operators and some shark advocates have expressed concerns about the closure. They argue that the absence of dive tourists may result in more harm to shark populations, despite good intentions. According to critics, liveaboards that visited the protected waters served as an effective physical deterrent to poachers and illegal fishing activities. Operators were present on an almost-permanent basis throughout the six-month season when Great Whites migrate to Isla Guadalupe each year. They brought tourists, which helped to keep poachers and fishermen out.

With the new ban, these tour operators and liveaboards are effectively out of business, and the local economy, which relies heavily on shark tourism, will suffer.

Horizon Charters, one of the original Great White Shark cage diving liveaboards in the area, issued a statement saying, "As it stands, there is no mechanism that will magically reopen Guadalupe, no legal challenge, no petition, or pressure campaign. It is closed."

The operator also pointed out that there are no provisions in the new management plan to protect the 400+ Great White Sharks that they've come to know and love. These particular sharks are the "main breeding animals" for most of the waters from Hawaii to Washington State, the entire coast of California, Baja, and the Sea of Cortez, the operator continued.

"The loss of these animals to illegal fishing could potentially collapse the entire white shark population in the Eastern Pacific," the shop added. "As such, it is imperative that Mexico set aside the manpower and funding necessary to protect these animals each and every season moving forward."

As the reopening of Guadalupe remains uncertain, Horizon Charters has decided to refund all bookings for the upcoming season.

The closure of Isla Guadalupe may be a blow to shark enthusiasts, but it is also a reminder of the need for sustainable tourism practices to protect our planet's precious marine life.

"I have been involved in shark research, conservation, television and ecotourism for the best part of 15 years. I most commonly receive queries from students looking for ‘that dream job’ working with sharks. Whilst most students are fixated on a path towards marine biology and research on sharks, the truth is that many professionals who successfully work with sharks have limited or no experience in academia and research. So if 10 years of university study is not your thing, do not despair, as there are still numerous ‘shark jobs’ out there if you look and prepare hard enough. Here are 10 such jobs that can give enthusiasts that shark fix and a career, to boot." - Ryan Johnson 

Marine Biologist

Becoming a marine (or shark) biologist is the path most often taken by aspiring students aiming to build a career working with sharks. This is natural, as nothing is more rewarding then been at the forefront of scientific research on sharks and discovering new facets of their incredible behavior, physiology and ecology. I do,  however, believe that some people misunderstand this career. To start with, marine biology is an academic career and ultimately the value and success of your career will be determined by the quantity and quality of your scientific publications (hard core academic writing). Whilst at student level, you may have experiences with sharks on a regular basis, after you are qualified, your field work aspiration have to be balanced against producing scientific outputs (lots of analysing and writing). Thus, I always caution people who want to become marine biologists. If your goal is to interact and swim with sharks on a regular basis, then marine biology is possibly not for you. If, however, you are excited about putting the effort into producing academic publications, and you can balance this with your fieldwork expectations, then you may be in line to have a wonderful fulling filling career working with sharks. The main point of this article, is to illustrate that there are many shark jobs, in addition to marine academia that can allow you to enjoy a great career working with sharks – so if you are looking for an incredible shark career, but academia is not your thing, please read on!

Research Technician

Shark fans who do not have the formal academic qualifications of a marine biologist can still have incredible careers working and conducting research on sharks as marine technicians. This person is a technical expert who assists scientists and specialises in fieldwork, technologies, logistics and all the other aspects of research that are not directly related to the academic pursuit of designing a project, collecting the data, analyzing the data, writing up and publishing the results. In short, marine technicians are right-hand people, often doing the enjoyable practical work whilst the marine biologist is in front of the computer getting grants and publishing research. This is definitely a dream job for people wanting to be involved in shark research but who do not want to be responsible for producing the scientific publication. The job, however, does require significant training and most technicians have spent between 2 and 4 years studying at a polytechnic or college to gain sufficient practical skills and qualifications.

Ecotourism Guide

Shark snorkeling and similar shark ecotourism activities are a world wide tourism phenomenon. From shark cage diving, to swimming with rays, to whale shark snorkeling, many humans who are not qualified to SCUBA dive still enjoy interacting and encountering sharks through tourism. Whilst many of the people guiding these interactions are qualified master SCUBA divers, this qualification is not always necessary (depending on government legislation). Guides taking non-divers to interact and view sharks need to have impeccable ‘people’ skills. The clients will be nervous and will be looking for the guide to take away (or at least manage) their fear of sharks. If you have a great love for sharks, a wish to share your passion with everyone else, and good water skills, then becoming a shark tourism guide may be the perfect ‘shark job’ for you.

SCUBA Diving Guide

Whilst many shark ecotourism interactions today require no SCUBA qualification, a number still do. SCUBA divers wanting to dive with sharks need a specialist guide, one who not only a competent master SCUBA diver, but also has a deep knowledge of shark behaviour. Qualifying as a dive-master involves significant training and costs. The initial qualification is an open water SCUBA qualification, after this is qualifications such as advanced, rescue and other specialties are required before becoming a dive-master. It is also a good idea to invest into some ‘shark specialty courses’ if you are intending to take paying clients on a shark dive. Guests will be looking to you for experience and expertise, and the more you can fulfill this role, the better the service you can offer.

Underwater Photographer / Videographer

Vessel Skipper or Crew

Strangely enough, most sharks that humans encounter are at sea, go figure! A top quality skipper and crew are a must, to get people to the sharks. Skippers and crew are perfect assistants to help in working and interacting with the sharks, during time on anchor. Crew members can fill in as divers, research assistants, wranglers or simply enjoy watching sharks in action. Qualifying as a vessel skipper does take some work and training, but qualifying to a useful level with course work and gaining practical skippering hours, should take less than one year.

Aquarist

Not all sharks occur in the wild, many aquariums house many sharks as part of their displays. Recently, a US aquarium has had moderate success housing juvenile great white sharks. If you are looking for hands on work with sharks, then shark husbandry at an aquarium may be your perfect job. The husbandry of sharks involves ensuring they are kept healthy and well maintained in the aquarium. This involves feeding, monitoring behaviour, maintaining water quality and occasionally treating them for illness (and the other myriad of tasks it takes to run a successful salt water aquarium). Another aspect of this position is assisting in various behavioral experiments that associated researchers may be conducting.

Veterinarian

Whilst most vets are focused on working with domesticated animals (read cats and dogs), a small section of vets specialise in working with marine life. Aquariums and researchers all require the services of vets for various shark projects or health maintenance. For instance, during the OCEARCH (Shark wranglers series) we had a specialised vet on each expedition involving catching and tagging great white sharks. The vets on the expedition conducted the surgeries that were too complicated for the researcher (e.g. withdrawing blood) and also monitored the overall health of sharks whilst we had them on cradles out of the water. Anyone aspiring to become a vet take note- there is a huge amount of formal academic and practical training required. Also, as work on sharks is quite rare, you will most likely end up primarily working on cats and dogs or even farm animals and enjoying the occasional bit of shark work.

Commercial / Scientific Diver

Legally- speaking, most scientific SCUBA diving for marine research has to be conducted by a qualified scientific diver. A scientific dive qualification is similar to a commercial divers qualification. Commercial divers are often the underwater specialists who can safely collect the underwater data that marine biologists require ( other things you would do would be to maintain underwater equipment, retrieve units, tag sharks etc). Commercial diving qualifications are intensive but achievable for most people who are qualified as a recreational diver and want to take their diving to another level.

Environmental Journalist

A writer, and particularly one who is concerned about wildlife, is another career that may allow you to have extensive opportunity to work with sharks. It is a fact that sharks sell newspapers and magazines. As such, each publication whose niche market centers around wildlife, conservation, travel or ecotourism is going to regularly features stories on sharks. If writing is your specialty, getting SCUBA qualified and pitching stories about sharks is a sure way to be able to work with these incredible animals on an occasional basis. Many environmental journalists have traveled the world and experienced and documented a greater diversity of sharks than most marine biologists have.

Bonus Job – Shark N.G.O. Campaigner

My wife, Fiona Ayerst, (Director of shark NGO – Sharklife) just reminded me of one more important shark job – a shark NGO campaigner. Numerous shark conservation organisations around the world have been started up by passionate conservationists with the express aim of saving sharks from extinction. Many such orginisations run shark campaigns that allow campaigners to work closely with wild sharks. Most small NGO’s work with a shoestring budget and rely primarily on volunteers offering their time for free. Some of the larger ones, however, offer a great opportunity to work with sharks, save sharks and build a career. Also, if you are passionate enough, why don’t you start a shark NGO yourself?

In the end,

People who are lucky enough to work in shark jobs are typically not the most wealthy, but they do live a life of passion and intrigue. Thus, if swimming, watching and enjoying the wonders of the shark world is your aim, then I would strongly suggest seeing which of these industries you would be best suited to.Try to gain as much practical experience as possible before investing into formal training, in a career that may not be perfect for you. At Blue Wilderness, our shark volunteer program is designed specifically with you in mind, it opens you up to a variety of industries including shark research, ecotourism, photography, education and awareness: all over the course of one month. For many aspiring shark professionals, it is a great program to determine where your passion lies, and take the first steps toward realising your passion. You can learn more about the shark volunteer program by clicking the button below! Stay sharky.

This article was provided by:bluewilderness.co.za written by Ryan Johnson