The International SeaKeepers Society’s most recent DISCOVERY Yacht, luxury charter yacht Penny Mae, has recently hosted researchers from the University of Miami for a five-day tiger shark tagging expedition. This took place at Tiger Beach, positioned in the popular Caribbean yacht vacation location – the Bahamas.
Successful tiger shark tagging expedition for International SeaKeepers Society aboard charter yacht PENNY MAE - Image credit to International SeaKeepers Society
Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and his research team, along with SeaKeepers’ Staff and the crew of the motor yacht Penny Mae, successfully tagged 13 tiger sharks with the help of a custom-made shark tagging platform designed exclusively for shark research.
The researchers took blood samples, morphometric measurements, and conducted ultrasounds on 15 female tiger sharks. A total of 16 tiger sharks were captured and acoustic tags were implanted in 13 of the sharks, three of which also received satellite transmitters. Of the 16 captured sharks, one was a recapture from a previous shark tagging expedition in October 2013, and had since given birth, providing scientists with exciting data and a way to learn more about where the birth occurred. During the expedition, 13 sharks of other species were caught and immediately released, including, bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, lemon sharks, and nurse sharks as they were not part of the data collection or examination for this expedition.
Researchers have been able to track tagged sharks through hydrophone receivers that were mounted into the seafloor in the area in October. Analysis of the receiver data showed more than 11,000 detections recorded since installment. This data can help researchers further explore the habitat use of the female tiger sharks, the relationship among the female tiger shark reproductive state, condition and residency patterns, and how these patterns may be impacted by the tourism at Tiger Beach.
Tiger shark tagging expedition researchers and crew aboard superyacht Penny Mae - Image credit to International SeaKeepers Society
SeaKeepers’ most recent DISCOVERY Yachts, the 138ft Richmond charter yacht Penny Mae, and 28ft Bertram Lo Jo, departed from Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach on Sunday, May 11th and made the crossing to West End, Grand Bahama.
On Monday, May 12th, motor yacht Penny Mae traveled approximately 30 miles northwest of West End to Tiger Beach, an area where tiger sharks are known to aggregate, where she remained at anchor for the duration of the research trip. Lo Jo played a vital role as a support vessel and provided transportation for film crew and SeaKeepers staff throughout the expedition.
Later this year, a half hour segment on TechKnow, part of Al Jazeera America, will highlight Dr. Neil Hammerschlag’s research and his shark tagging expedition.
SeaKeepers’ DISCOVERY Yachts Program joins world-renowned scientists with world-class yacht owners to further scientific research. Yacht owners dedicate their yacht and its abilities to a scientist-led research expedition, in which owners and crew often participate. Previous expeditions include coral reef research in the Dry Tortugas with Miss Phebe II, drifter deployments off the Channel Islands with Valkyrie and genome-scale sequencing in Bimini on Copasetic.
