EMERGENCY GREAT WHITE

The great white man is in danger, and protecting the Lord of the Seas effectively today is urgent. Founder of the SOS Grand Blanc association, the photographer Patrice Héraud published at the end of the year "The Great White Shark, from Myth to reality". His message is clear: to save the species we must act, and time is now short.

POPULATIONS DECREED

In 10 years, according to Australian researchers, 80% of Great White Sharks have been decimated, bringing to less than 10 000 the number of individuals that cross in the waters of the continent island. Admittedly, the species is now considered by CITES as officially threatened. "But it is insufficient, believes Patrice Heraud, it should be listed on the list of endangered species, that full reserves are created, and that the so-called accidental catches are no longer tolerated."

PREFERRED OBSERVER SINCE MORE THAN 20 YEARS

Patrice Héraud has really discovered sharks there are more than 20 years, through his profession of photographer. Since then, he has taken up the cause of the great predator, has multiplied the missions alongside scientists in Australia and elsewhere. In 2004, he founded SOS Grand Blanc, both to raise funds for scientific missions, but also to have a framework to raise public awareness: all year, when not in the field, he multiplies the conferences, the actions of sensitization. With adults, but also children, who end up loving and understanding the Great Whites, often much better than their elders.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RODNEY FOX

"But I'm not a scientist," he says. Above all, he brings his gaze, support, even if his knowledge of the subject is undeniable today. It is also with Rodney Fox that he has learned a lot, and their two associations work today in close collaboration: in the field of course, by organizing together marking and census missions in Australian waters, but also in the corridors of power, where they became ambassadors of the cause of the Great Whites.

GET THE SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENTS

Only governments can make concrete decisions and enforce truly effective measures. But then we come up against such contradictory interests that things are progressing slowly: protecting the Grand Blanc also means restricting fishing zones, a sector that weighs heavily in the Australian economy. It is also, while the local tourism rests partly on the interest in little morbid raised by the Great White, limit and frame shark outings which multiply in an anarchic way.

AND FRAME ECO-TOURISM

Patrice Héraud, always alongside Rodney Fox, is fighting for eco-tourism to regain its true justification, a respectful approach to an animal in its natural element. "But," he explains, "what's happening today is very different, some operators are content to immerse full cages of divers by swaying baits on the surface." Result, excited animals, who jump on the bars of the cages, eventually hurt themselves, and still convey a little more the image of the bloodthirsty shark. If nothing is done, there is a risk of outright prohibition of launching with the Great Whites.

THE SHARK IN ITS ELEMENT

And what Patrice wishes is an alternative, a return to a respectful approach: to find the animal in its environment, possibly observing it in cages, but asked 25 or 30 meters. By privileging knowledge, discovery. "That's what Rodney Fox and his son are proposing, and we're really here again in the concept of eco-tourism." The shark is again in his world, much calmer, more accessible, it is the diver who goes to him and not the other way around.

TO PROTECT IT, IT IS URGENT TO KNOW IT

This is the paradox of the Great White Shark. We all, divers or otherwise, images, ideas on the big shark, generally very negative. It is unfortunately part of the collective imagination, "and yet, explains Patrice, we know almost nothing about him. It was thought solitary, it seems that he is able to live in a group. And where does he go, or where do the females go when they leave the waters they are accustomed to frequent? They disappear for months and for the moment we can only make assumptions ... Where are the youngest, barely born and already objects of all mysteries? "In 20 years, sorry Patrice, the smallest I could see measured 1meter 80, what happens before? "

A VERY SLOW REPRODUCTION

And the Great White will certainly not be saved by its reproductive capacity: even if we know little about its life cycle, we know that the sexual maturity is late, that the gestation is long since the shortest estimates speak of 12 to 14 months, and that the species practices intrauterine cannibalism. It remains for the survivors to confront the predators, to feed themselves. But again, we know very little of the first months of life of small sharks, lack of sufficient observations.

WILL WE HAVE TIME TO REVERSE STEAM?

It would be necessary, then, to hope to see populations increase again, long years of stabilization, and emergency rescue of individuals. "A few years ago, says Patrice, we marked 2 sharks in partnership with a school in my area. The children adopted them, they witnessed live marking thanks to a webcam, and on the wall of the library there are always the pictures of Paillette and Biscoto. Whenever I go there, I am asked for news, if by chance they have had children. And I wish I could continue to say that they are fine. "

"THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, FROM MYTH TO REALITY"

Published at the end of the year by Glénat, "The Great White Shark, from myth to reality", gives an overview of the knowledge of the lord of the seas, through texts by Alexandrine Civard-Racinais. The photographs of Patrice Héraud, mainly made in Australia during scientific missions, show the White in all his majesty: 144 pages of discovery, and pleasure of the eyes.

Patrice Héraud offers you on his website http://patriceheraud.com/ a special offer reserved for Mag readers: the autographed book (price 30 euros) accompanied by an original signed print of one of the photographs of the book in the format 20 × 30 cm and a 50% discount on the amount of the costs of packaging and shipping (5 euros instead of 10 euros). When ordering, all you have to do is indicate “SCUBA PEOPLE”.

Text: Isabelle Croizeau

Photos: Patrice Heraud