Expedition leaders: Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Annie Guttridge and Vital Heim, PhD Student

Crew: Erin, Jason, Kate, Kelsey, Kenny, Matt, Sami and local Bahamian Sorantaa - Resident marine science student Blaine, from Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), also joined the crew on multiple days to assist with hands on research and to grow his in-field skills.

Introduction

Our research expedition was jammed-packed with shark action, research, good food, scientific lectures and rainbows.. all with a hint of blue hole adventure! We couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions, a better crew or more sharks, this week we really did hit the jackpot, read all below…

Day 1

Our research crew travelled from all parts of the US for our fifth dedicated research trip of the year! Upon arrival to the airport we promptly introduced ourselves and broke the ice with some shark jokes and trivia. Soon after, we excitedly boarded the plane ready for adventure. The view over the Bahamian waters and the west side of Andros is absolutely stunning. It’s amazing to see the untouched landscapes including blue holes, reefs, and the open ocean. Soon we arrived at the airport where we cleared customs, and hopped into our taxis to head south to the Andros Island Bonefish Club (AIBC). 

When we arrived at the AIBC, or lodge as we affectionately call it, the team gazed out to the beautiful view of the Bahamian waters right from the dock. We then unpacked, grabbed a quick lunch and met in the communal dining area where Vital and Annie lead discussions on protocols for our week of research. After our briefing, the team met our local boat captain Cole and field technician Rantaa and we began to load the boat with our research equipment. It was finally go time!

Our afternoon of research included the setting of block rigs, also known as drumlines. All drumline deployments contribute towards Saving the Blue’s sharks of Andros project and with the gear prepped Vital reiterated the methodology and set-up process as we putted out of the channel.

Within the hour we had deployed our drumlines! After deployment, we sat and waited for a buoy (drumline float) to move suggesting a shark was on the line. Regardless of movement all lines are checked every 45-minutes. It wasn’t long before we had our first shark on the line, a beautiful nurse shark! Everyone had the chance to see the shark up close and with two additional sharks caught soon after everyone had the opportunity to assist with securing the shark, taking measurements or placing a tag.

With a successful afternoon under our belts it was back to the lodge. Unfortunately we arrived home to a power outage, some swam and washed in the canal while others waited it out. Luckily, the power came on just in time for dinner! After a delicious and locally sourced dinner it was time for some informal shark chat and an early night ready for a full day of research tomorrow.

Day 2

Today we woke up to be fantastic conditions! Many of us watched the sun rise over a coffee before preparing equipment for a full day on the water. Some days we return back to the lodge for a break, however most days we stay out on the water all day long to ensure we maximize our fishing efforts. As we started our ride out our boat captain Cole spotted a fin in the distance! Within minutes we had a small pod of bottlenose dolphins riding the bow of the boat. It was a promising start to the day and we believed good luck was on our side.

We set our drumlines and before we could even anchor we had a shark on! First up was a nurse shark, shortly followed by blacknose! The sharks kept coming with another nurse and then a stunning Caribbean reef shark followed by a super star, a juvenile tiger shark measuring a tiny stretched total length of just 128cm!

After the tiger and in-between checks the crew jumped in to cool off and even spotted a few stingrays during a short swim! Our following checks went on to see us catch a blacknose and another nurse, what a day, and yet it wasn’t over.

To reward and refresh the team we decided to take a PIT stop by a popular blue hole! Everyone hoped in and took it in turns to dive down the hole, in addition to exploring the surrounding reef. The area was beaming with life from small jacks and snappers, to large barracuda.

After our refreshing dip it was back to research. Our next mission was to retrieve, download and replace two of our receivers (acoustic tracker listening stations). Most team members hopped in and watched as Annie and Vital freedived down to collect the receivers, once in hand Vital swam it back to the boat for cleaning and data download. The rest of the team hovered over the receiver marker to ensure easy redeployment. It wasn’t long before our receiver missions were complete and back to the lodge we headed.

Once home we took showers and met in the dining area for dinner. Dinner always consists of Jonny bread (if you know, you know), a salad or soup, a main dish, followed by a desert. The food is always incredible and the lodge cater to all diets. After dinner the crew sat down for a research talk led by Vital, followed by another early night to ensure we were rested for the following day. 

Day 3

Another day in paradise! During every trip we try to explore a new location and this trip was no different, today the team decided to deploy our drumlines in a new spot.

The morning was filled with Caribbean reef and nurse sharks, eight to be exact! The busy morning provided an exciting opportunity for the team to gain some much desired experience and a chance for the crew to learn or advance their shark research skills.

After our busy morning, we decided to head back to the lodge for a mini break and to avoid the midday heat. Upon arrival to the lodge, the team relaxed outside catching some sun rays while eating lunch with a beautiful view of the ocean. After our brief moment of downtime it was equipment repairs and hook replacement after which we headed back out for our last few hours of fishing.

Our afternoon saw us add three more sharks to our daily total. Again, all team members were expanding their hands-on experience, while Saving the Blue added to their important data pool. 

Finally the day drew to a close as we started to loose daylight and we headed back to the lodge to close out day three of our week long expedition. With dinner a piece of cake was consumed by all to celebrate Captain Cole’s birthday (we won’t mention Jason’s slice), followed by another evening lecture from Vital.

Day 4

A new day was upon us and, as with every morning, the team had 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 our delicious breakfasts we packed up the boat in our usual fashion and headed out for another long day on the water. 

First up we headed to a spot known for large sharks. We were hoping to catch a great hammerhead which would contribute to our hammerhead project. With spirts high we set our rigs and began our wait. First up, and to our total surprise was another tiny tiger shark! The team were ecstatic to see such another stunning and rare shark up close.

The tiger was soon followed by a couple of nurse sharks and the team once again took it in turns rotating between shark handling, data collection and equipment preparation. After the nurse sharks the team experienced a slight lull in captures, and jumped in the ocean to cool down, however things soon picked back up with a teeny Caribbean reef, a blacknose and another nurse shark to finish the first part of our day.

Lunch time! Like most days, today was lunch on the boat while on the move. With long, busy, full days the team grab lunch as and when they can, there isn’t a standardized lunchtime or location and so people eat as and when they wish. While most of the crew ate lunch we relocated the boat to the pelagics and even spotted some eagle rays and a tiny turtle on route!

On arrival to our new site, silky sharks were immediately spotted and so we wasted no time in getting to work. We prepared our equipment and soon enough had our lines set. Bingo, we had our first (and what would be our only) silky shark. We quickly worked up the shark, taking measurements and scanning for tags before releasing her back to the depths of the open ocean. Success, although it appeared the capture may have spooked the other sharks away as they seemed to disappear. With no sharks visibly present, and no additional shark captures we packed up to call it a day.

Before leaving though, the team took the opportunity to hop in and enjoy the deep blues of the open ocean, however as luck would have it, the sharks returned! Everyone saw the sharks up close and observed firsthand how bold the open ocean predators can be; beaming with confidence with a true lack personal space! In addition to the sharks we saw mahi-mahi, tuna, barracuda and rainbow runners! After our incredible little dive, it was time to pack up and head home.

After returning from a great day out on the water, we settled at the lodge for dinner and enjoyed the remainder of the night relaxing and talking through the weeks successes.

Day 5

Our plans for today ranged from COVID tests to blue holes, shark captures and beach cleans!

First up we set out early morning for more research. Today our team were joined by Blaine, a local marine science student from Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI). Within an hour we had caught many sharks and by lunchtime we had captured and tagged four nurse sharks and two Caribbean reef sharks!

After our morning efforts it was back to the lodge to then head north for our COVID tests. As the US required all visitors (including residents and citizens) to provide a negative COVID test to reenter the US we headed to the Fresh Creek clinic for our tests. On arrival we presented our ID and paperwork, followed by being tested - results were all negative! After our visit to the clinic we stopped off for lunch at local bar, Sammies. We always take any opportunity to support the local economy, in any way we can and buying lunch at a local restaurant with locally sourced food is a win all round! After our delicious lunch we cleaned the beach right outside of the restaurant. With a focus on plastics (micro and large) we filled bag after bag of trash, in addition we collected some large items like a thick and dense ghost rope (see below). Many of the team produced several diving knives and meticulously cut through fishing lines and net that were wrapped around driftwood, or trees. Shortly after, all of our trash was loaded up in our truck and hauled away. None of this trash would ever besmirch the ocean again. 

After a successful beach clean the crew were hot and tired so we agreed a cool down in a nearby blue hole was in order! On arrival most of the crew jumped from the dive platform into the water, refreshing is an understatement! We all enjoyed a few laps of the blue hole, a few dives or simply relaxed floating at the surface… After a busy day of many missions it was time once again to head home to the lodge for dinner and cake, as today was Kenny’s birthday! 

Day 6

Today was incredible. Read on! The morning started well with great weather conditions, low winds and a pod of dolphins that escorted us out to our research site for the day.

Whenever the team set lines in a potential hammerhead spot the trip leaders talk through (again) the protocols and practices, and today was no different. Vital and Annie talked everyone though the process and within minutes of the first set, we had a large hit! One of the buoys was flung across the water; it was clear something incredibly large was on the line. We approached slowly but with intent, however as soon as the line was hit, it became clear the shark (unconfirmed) had got off (confirmed by line retrieval and redeployment). The group’s adrenaline and excitement was at an all-time high with both Annie and Vital suspecting a large tiger or hammerhead had taken the bait.

We anchored once again, however as soon as we did, we saw another big hit! This time, the shark was on and within a minute of the strike the team confirmed it was a great hammerhead. All systems were GO! Given the incredibly sensitive nature of hammerheads it was crucial the team worked with speed and proficiency. The team handed off equipment to Vital and Annie as they prepared to tag the hammerhead with a SPOT (Smart Position and Temperature) tag while other team members were taking measurements.

With a constant flow of water over its gills, the hammerhead remained calm, which allowed the team to perform a textbook workup; within 8 minutes (8 minutes!!!!) from the initial splash, the team secured the shark, took measurements, placed a PIT, a Casey and a SPOT tag to the animal and released it. A workup of this speed is testament to a new, but passionate and dedicated team taking instruction in a highly pressurized environment. We were ecstatic!!! Once the tag was secured on the shark, the team prepared for release and the shark went on its way in excellent release condition!

Our first great hammerhead of the trip and what a way to start a morning! Note- The shark was a young female and generated data that day and continued to provide regular data for months (she is still producing data points now, in January 2022).

With spirits on the boat electric it wasn’t long before we had more captures to keep us on our toes. One blacktip, followed by another, and then another! Lastly, we caught three nurse sharks to finish our day of fishing. In between checks we retrieved trash from the ocean and spoke about our life in The Bahamas over the last week.. Incredible. 

Once back at the lodge people went for showers, and slowly congregated by the outside bar, a place we regularly see large lemon sharks, however dusk provided yet another surprise, a bull shark! We had a large bull and two large lemons in just a few feet of water circling under our toes. After enjoying the sharks it was time for dinner and another lecture by Vital. Before we knew it, it was time for our last sleep at the lodge.

Day 7

Our final morning in paradise. We woke early and headed out for a treat, a morning of relaxing with juvenile lemon sharks in the shallows. As we pulled out of the dock research assistant Sami spotted and collected some ghost fishing rope and line, while Erin spotted an incredible and complete rainbow (our mascot for the week) which lit the sky.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at Isla’s spot, our lemon shark site. Our destination was a secluded beach with white puffy sand and crystal clear aqua water. On arrival we were greeted by a large female southern stingray and could see a few small sharks off in the distance. One, two, five, ten (!), in total we had approximately ten lemon sharks ranging from ~70cm to ~200cm. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions – Sunshine overhead, a slight breeze to keep us cool and sharks everywhere! What a way to say goodbye to Andros. 

But all good things come to an end. We boarded the boat one final time, and headed back to the lodge for a shower, followed by last minute packing, all before grabbing a light lunch and hopping in the taxi’s north to the airport. Our chartered flight flew the team back home safely and we finally said our sad goodbyes. What a week.. Thank you all for an incredible trip, you’ll be a hard team to follow..

Thank you

Thank you to our research trip leaders Annie Guttridge and Vital Heim 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 Annie Guttridge for capturing all imagery in this blog.

Early results

Blacknose - 3

Blacktip - 3

Caribbean Reef - 7

Great Hammerhead - 1

Nurse shark - 21

Silky shark - 1

Tiger Shark - 2

Total shark count for the week: 38