Shark Live-Tracked By 'Revolutionary' New Fin Camera Off Montauk

MONTAUK, NY— Scientist and "Shark Week" host Dr. Craig O'Connell has exciting news to share — he's deployed the first-ever fin camera on a thresher shark in Montauk.

O'Connell founded the Montauk-based O'Seas Conservation Foundation in 2013 with his wife Dr. Nicole O'Connell; the nonprofit organization integrates shark conservation efforts with youth education.

Also, OCF runs a popular "Shark Camp," for 8th to 12th graders, opening their eyes to the opportunities in conservation and marine biology careers.

O'Connell described the exciting work being done off the coast of Montauk with Patch.

Of the fin camera, he said, "This new camera technology is revolutionary. It’s a non-invasive system that detaches from the shark after four hours and tells us how the animal recovers after capture, how quickly the shark is swimming, what their environment looks like, and what predators and prey are in the region."

What’s exciting, he added, is that he and his team were able to “live-track” a 10' thresher shark, minute-by-minute after the release. "We quickly realized that our heavy fishing gear was entirely beneficial to the health of the shark. Because our capture/fight time was so minimal, the shark quickly recovered from the fight and we tracked it for several miles until the camera popped off."

The popular "Shark Week," he said, "is an amazing week of television where we bring sharks to many people who may not have the opportunity to get into the ocean and swim with sharks. For me, it is an opportunity to teach the world about these beautiful animals and an opportunity for the viewers to learn why these animals are so fascinating and deserve our protection."

Sharks spark both fascination and fear, he said. "People genuinely fear what they don’t know. That is why I think 'Shark Week' is so beneficial," O'Connell said. "When done properly, 'Shark Week' can be a valuable tool that educates the world about how beautiful, intelligent and fascinating these animals truly are. With continued efforts, this fear will transition into public fascination and with this fascination, it is my hope that people will see sharks the exact same way we do."

When asked if he believes there's been an increased presence of sharks off the East End and Montauk, O'Connell said it strongly depends on the species. There are many species that are in heavy decline — shortfin makos and dusty sharks — while others are starting to make a comeback due to management efforts and the cooperation of the general public and recreational and commercial fishermen, he said.

Take the white shark, for example. "Due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act as well as the specific protection of these charismatic predators — as well as a variety of many other factors — the white sharks are coming back and during certain times of the year, our team sees at least one white shark nearly every single day on our non-invasive camera traps," he said.

For many, the word "shark" conjures up images of "Jaws," leading many afraid to take the plunge into local waters. But, a shark sighting in a bay in the Hamptons recently and reports of two kids bitten by sharks off Fire Island recently, experts, including O'Connell, say it's still very, very safe to go in the water.

"I can understand why people may have an inherent fear of sharks. However, I urge people to learn more about them before they make assumptions based off of media and cinema content," O'Connell said. "Once the general public properly learns about sharks, they will begin to like them, and once they like them they will want to protect them. That’s what we need. We need more people that will do whatever they can to evoke change and help maintain the delicate balance that exists within our seas."

Working with sharks, teamwork is a vital tool, essential for all involved. "I recently made my first film on a very elusive shark species that calls Montauk its home and the reason why my team succeeded is because several locals stepped in to assure my project was a success," O'Connell said. "I am truly grateful to the Montauk community as they have been supportive of my work and nonprofit."

He added, "Teamwork makes the dream work."

Spending thousands of hours observing sharks both above and below the sea has led to some conclusions, O'Connell said. "These animals are intelligent, curious and full of personality. In the past, sharks were thought of as mindless killing machines, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth."

This season in Montauk has meant a sea of exciting moments. One, he said, is top secret and will be unveiled in the new film.

Another big moment happened on the first day of Shark Camp, when non-invasive baited cameras were utilized. "We filmed two separate baby white sharks and one huge 16' white shark! Although we see these often, it was unexpected as it was very early in the season. This set the stage for the entire summer and thus far, it has been very sharky."

Photos courtesy Dr. Craig O'Connell.