Join us for a marine science weekend featuring a day-long trip featuring the sharks of Miami Bay. We will set nets and tag sharks and other fish, such as barracuda, with marine conservation biologist Dr. David Shiffman and his team of biologists on the research vessel Garvin. Our shark research excursion will be the highlight of our Saturday activities. For Friday and Sunday, destinations include a tour of a wildlife rehabilitation center and a morning of snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
FRIDAY: Tour Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, an internationally recognized center for seabird rehabilitation. We will view the pelican feeding, meet the wildlife currently in rehabilitation, and see up close two or three ambassador animals and possibly a bird release. In 2023, Pelican Harbor treated over 2,000 birds and animals across 134 species of animals.
SATURDAY: Climb aboard our all-day charter, the research vessel Garvin. We will help deploy gear and fish for sharks. Once caught, we’ll take measurements, tissue samples, and tag the sharks, all under the supervision of the team, which includes a fisheries scientist, conservation biologists, and our lead researcher, Dr. Shiffman. We will be working with the crew from The Field School, and the funds paid for this trip will subsidize Miami-area high schoolers with on-the-sea experiences. For more information on their programs, click here: https://www.getintothefield.com/
SUNDAY: Grab your gear for a half-day snorkel trip out of Key Largo. This park is renowned for being the country’s first undersea park, and encompasses 70 nautical square miles of coral reef and mangrove swamp. The destination for our trip will be based on the day’s weather and sea conditions to ensure safety and an optimal snorkeling experience.
ABOUT THE SHARKS: Twenty-five species of sharks are found in the waters around Florida. The most common sharks tagged are nurse, black-tipped, bonnethead, and, occasionally, great hammerhead, tiger, bull, and Caribbean sharks. The data gathered from tagging is used in population monitoring research. There is no guarantee on the number of sharks that may be fished, but the crew usually averages three sharks per outing.
Our shark tagging leader is Dr. David Shiffman, a marine conservation biologist at Arizona State University. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, National Geographic, and Scientific American, and he writes a monthly column in Scuba Diving Magazine. Dr. Shiffman is the author of the book, Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator. In the book, Shiffman explains how sharks are some of the most fascinating, ecologically important, threatened, and misunderstood animals on Earth. Their role as predators has earned them a reputation as a major threat to humans. But the truth is that sharks are in danger from us.
Hotel accommodations are reserved at Tru by Hilton West Brickell with rooms starting at $139 per night for double or king rooms. The last day to book this rate is Monday, August 18. This hotel is located three miles from where we are chartering the boat for shark tagging. The snorkeling location is approximately 63 miles away, and Pelican Harbor is 10 miles away.
Transportation, food, and all other expenses are the responsibility of the participant. The registration fee covers the charter boat and crew for shark tagging, the Pelican Harbor tour, the snorkeling charter, and transportation to the marina from the hotel on Saturday. We can coordinate between participants to share car rentals or explore other transportation options to Pelican Station and Key Largo.
The hotel booking link will be available after registration and payment have been completed.
Due to the costs and nature of this trip, refunds are available up to thirty days before the trip start date of Sept 19. Cancelations before Aug 19 are refundable minus the cancellation fees. Starting Aug 19, cancellations are not refundable. All refunds will incur a 5% processing fee.
For questions, please email Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org.