Gail Addison

Gail Addison
Hails from: HILLCREST SOUTH AFRICA
Currently lives in: WIDENHAM, SOUTH COAST SOUTH AFRICA
Favorite Place: THE OKAVANGO DELTA...BECAUSE IT IS SO PURE.
Passions: HORSES, SHARKS 
Favorite Shark: OBVIOUSLY TIGER SHARKS. WE KNOW A LOT OF THE RESIDENT GIRLS HERE, AND WE HAVE COME TO LOVE THEM EACH FOR THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES.

What shark are you most like and why?
PORODERMA PANTHERIUM, LEOPARD SHARK. THIS SOUTH AFRICAN ENDEMIC SHARK IS ENIGMATIC. IT IS UNMISTAKABLE WITH IT’S STRIKING LEOPARD LIKE ROSETTES.

If you could tell people one thing about about sharks and/or the oceans, what would it be?
OUR OCEANS CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE OUR UNREGULATED DUMPING GROUND! OUR OCEANS CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE A LIMITLESS FOOD SOURCE. WE HAVE TO REGULATE AND PROTECT OUR OCEANS, AND ENSURE THAT THESE REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCED. WITH A LITTLE SACRIFICE NOW WE CAN CHANGE THIS DOWNWARD SPIRAL AND SAVE OURSELVES AN UNPRECEDENTED DISASTER.

I UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED WITH SHARKS BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKED AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROJECTS ACROSS THE BOARD RELATING TO SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE LIFE. I CAN SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID BECAUSE I AM NOT OWNED BY ANY ORGANIZATION. THE ISSUES FACING SHARKS ARE LARGELY POLICITAL ONES AND TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THESE IN AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE REQUIRES HONESTY AND MOST OF ALL A BACKBONE!

Short Bio:
Shark Angel, Gail Addison, has her roots in watersports and is an ex- South African Water-skiing champion! Gail took this love of water into the marine realm by becoming a diving instructor and using this platform to introduce people to our Blue Planet as well as educating them about our marine realm. Gail’s daily activity in running Blue Wilderness Dive Expeditions sees her educating a wide spectrum of people, from orphans - who have never seen the sea - to recreational divers wanting to interact with the sharks of Shark Park. Part of Gail’s growth personally has come about due to the growing threat that sharks face around the world and the realisation that she is in a unique position to change this situation in her small way and reverse many of the myths that exist in people’s minds about sharks and the very real danger sharks face from MAN.

 

The Truth About Sharks

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Predator or Prey

Sharks kill fewer than 4 humans on average each year, while humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks annually.

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Evolved to Perfection

Sharks have been honed to perfection, having existed on this planet for over 400 million years.

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Why We Need Sharks

Sharks play a vital role at the top of the food chain by maintaining balance in the oceans.

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Looming Extinction

* An estimated 73 million sharks are killed each year (that works out to more than 10,000 sharks per hour).

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Shark Fin Soup

Shark fins are tasteless, and may contain high levels of toxic methyl-mercury.

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Laws Protecting Sharks

Only a small number of countries have banned finning - many more need to be encouraged to enact legislation.

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Shark Products

Many people assume that because they don’t eat shark fin soup – then they can’t possibly be contributing to the demise of the sharks and rays.