Talks this weekend in the UK

First up for those in London. Saturday is Shark Day - a free event at the London Aquarium (although you have to pay to get into the Aquarium!).

The main speakers are:

Thomas Peschak, well known shark biologist and photographer, and author of "Currents Of Contrast" and a new book "South Africa's Great White Shark". Thomas is launching the new book at the event - I saw it this week and really liked it. It is really about the lives of the sharks. Great stuff.

Mark Addison, a well known shark operator from South Africa, who has worked with all the big documentary filmmakers. His presentation will particularly focus on Tiger Sharks in SA.

Alternatively, if you are in the Midlands. On Saturday, I am speaking at the Outdoors Show at the NEC on the topic of coral reefs. And on Sunday at the same show I am announcing the winners of the British Underwater Image Festival BUIF. Other speakers at the Outdoor Show include Ray Mears, Brian Blessed and Bill Oddie (although those names probably don't mean much not non-Brits, but then non-Brits are unlikely to be able to make it).

Alex

p.s. If you are at the Outdoor Show do come and say hi! If you can find me - it is a massive event. I am most likely to be in the diving area, which is reasonably small.

See you there Alex...(Birmingham)

And if you all want a real special treat.. I personally will be proping up the bar waiting to see if my film makes the grade...Or not... Come and say Hi and have a pint...I'll be wearing my 'Wetpixel' T-shirt and as always, a wry smile. <_<

Dive safe

DeanB

I miss the NEC .. especially the Autosport show .. now thats interesting .. has the Dive show gotten any better ? I havent been in 7 years.

Going to the dive show on Mothers Day.... Shame on you!

I'm working

Hey Giles, the November Diveshow is still good. The LIDS show is shrinking fast each year. The outdoor show is bigger than the Diveshow, but the diving component is considerably smaller. My dad went to the Autosport Show.

Dean, I would love to wear a Wetpixel T-Shirt - but unfortunately I don't have one

Is it Mother's Day, Simon? I was more concerned with timing my talk so that I don't miss too much rugby on the Saturday!

Alex

I know Simon... You'd have thought they would have done it all on the Saturday...What can you do..

Oh well, after two hours of sobbing and pleading and something about carrying me for 9months 'MA' finally got around the fact that paying over exagerated prices for a pint of warm lager comes first...

Working..On a Sunday...Thats sacriledge...

Alex, I thought being a Famous..Nearly Knighted, personality photographer, you'd have got a free one.

Dive safe

DeanB

Hey Giles, the November Diveshow is still good. The LIDS show is shrinking fast each year. The outdoor show is bigger than the Diveshow, but the diving component is considerably smaller.

The London show is changing but I'm not sure it's shrinking. No big manufacturers maybe (like DEMA) but more individual exhibitor stands and the usual attendance figures (15,000 approx.) despite it being held somewhere near France! There was no Saturday afternoon lull this year and the isles were much wider giving less of a crush. Don't forget it has developed from the old BSAC Cpex show that was a fraction of the size.

Working..On a Sunday...Thats sacriledge...

Technically i havent worked for a month, so i can cope with it!

I went to school with a few of the lads playing for England on sat, they were all insistent that they had sunday off to see their moms.

More details on shark day:

Programme

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London Aquarium, County Hall,

Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB

1100: Shark Day opens

Jamie Oliver, known to us as the real Jamie Oliver, is head aquarist at

the London Aquarium. A qualified marine biologist who is also a trained

commercial diver, Jamie has a superb portfolio of underwater images to

his credit. Recently the London Aquarium presented an exhibition of his work.

Jamie will be our Master of Ceremonies for this event.

1110 - 1145: Grant Bates

Grant Bates is an accomplished underwater photographer who has tracked

sharks around the globe. He has shared that enthusiasm with audiences

throughout the UK through his presentations. Grant is a trustee of The

Shark Trust and an active fundraiser who has run in the London Marathon

attired in a hammerhead shark headdress. Grant will explain his personal

fascination for sharks and outline the need for their protection and the

role of the Shark Trust in preserving sharks for future generations.

1200 - 1245: Stuart Nicholls

Stuart Nicholls is also a trustee of the Shark Trust. Stuart is a regular

speaker on sharks. At Shark Day, Stuart will provide a fascinating

insight into the biology of sharks to help us better understand how these

animals have attained near-perfection. Stewart will touch on a few of the

nearly four hundred species of sharks and this promises to be a talk with

a highly educational slant that will enhance your next shark encounters.

1300 - 1345: Gavin Parsons

Gavin Parsons is a multi-award winning wildlife photographer. He will be

very well known to many of our clients as the former editor of Sport

Diver magazine and is now a regular contributor to Diver magazine. Gavin

scored a highly commended in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of

the Year Competition for his evocative study of a whale shark. Gavin will

take you on a tour through his outstanding portfolio of shark portraits

and will provide you with the hard won tips that will help you make your

own inspirational shark images on future dives.

1400 - 1445: John and Suna Nightingale

John and Suna Nightingale work through their radio broadcasts, stills

photography and underwater video work to bring attention to the crisis

facing sharks through overfishing. Unable to attend Shark Day themselves

(they are on location in Bimini teaching shark research students to take

their own underwater images), the father and son team have generously

provided us with their film "Sharks - Out There". Originally shot for

National Geographic, "Sharks - Out There" is an investigative report that

will put into sharp perspective the urgency needed to protect and

preserve these intriguing creatures.

1500 - 1545: Mark Addisson

Mark Addisson is one of the world's great shark adventurers. Mark will

present both amazing video footage and incredible stills photography from

his outstanding work in South African waters. This will be a roller

coaster ride that takes in the challenges of diving in the turmoil of the

sardine run, entering an unpredictable low visibility world in which

birds, dolphins, orcas and sharks compete both to feed and remain alive

themselves in one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom. Mark

will also show us the gentle side of sharks with a portrayal of the much

maligned raggies of Aliwal Shoal. But it is with tiger sharks that Mark

has really made his reputation and we can promise you that the

interaction between these huge sharks and divers you will see at Shark

Day will simply leave you breathless.

1600 - 1645: Tom Peschak

Tom Peschak is Shark Day's keynote speaker. Tom is an outstanding

wildlife photographer and journalist whose underwater and topside work

appears regularly in BBC Wildlife Magazine. He is a marine biologist

working with the University of Cape Town Marine Biology Research

Institute. Tom's first book had its UK launch at our own Visions in the

Sea underwater photography festival in 2005. "Currents of Contrast - Life

in Southern Africa's Two Oceans" won critical acclaim for both its

superlative photography and informative text. Tom's presentation at

Visions was exceptional in its scope. Tom's new book, co-written with

Michael Scholl, is "South Africa's Great White Shark". Imaginatively

photographed with many awesome split-level studies of the great

white,this is a fascinating guide set out by an expert on the premier shark.

But at Shark Day Tom isn't going to confine himself to just the whites.

He is currently shooting a hugely ambitious project to document no fewer

than forty different African shark species. At Shark Day you'll see some

of his most recent images that will form part of his next book. This is

going to be a memorable opportunity to learn about the behind the scenes

work of one of the best shark shooters in the business. And a chance to

be captivated by simply awesome underwater photography.

1645 - 1730: The Great Shark Debate

How do we help protect sharks? What is justifiable diver interaction with

sharks and what are publicity stunts? Think of some questions and

suggestions and put them to the Shark Day panel of experts. Moderated by

Grant Bates.

Enjoy Shark Day