Shark Slaying is uncool!

Keta and "The Tuck and Roll" are involved in the study and preservation of sharks. We assist with the development of alternative projects for former hunters displaced by the Philippine legislative ban on the hunting of whale sharks and manta rays. We donate footage and information regarding all shark sightings. And we work with educators, and like minded people developing collective groups which also contribute to research.

To participate with our projects click here if you would like Keta Films to contact you regarding partnership.

Filming wildlife submerges photographers and divers in the habitat of their subjects. Back in the day, underwater filmmaking used large, awkward and heavy equipment that often required a few people to operate. A roll of film only lasted a few minutes depending on the size and speed of the camera.
 

Today life can be captured with much less effort and expense making it accessible for many to enter the world of filmmaking. This in turn has made filmmakers and photographers valuable to the study of wildlife. Often their footage and observations are extensive. Keta donates all footage to research.
 

Eco-tourism for the former hunters escorts tourists to observe whale sharks, instead of killing them. Alternative fishing methods, such as fish traps and seaweed cultivation now support their families and they have built a whale shark museum in Talaysan, Philippines.Their efforts provide further scientific research and teach preservation to the public. Help scientist learn about sharks migration, shark numbers, growth and life expectancy.

Adopt a whale shark and track its migration. Through satellite telemetry, you will learn along with the scientists studying the world's largest vegetarian. Great for schools and dive shops.


 

Tuck and Roll. Keta's next expedition to search for previously tagged whale sharks like "Nacho" and "Monka" is slated for Fall 2010. Contact us here to contribute or participate.

Keta and Shark Preservation

Since the 1998 Keta has been contributed to independent shark research and education.

Keta continues to support many research efforts working as a collective publishing data on worldwide shark encounters, behavior observations and photographic collections.

The Tuck and Roll is a collective of biologist, environmental groups, independent researchers, educators and filmmakers working along side to help bridge the gaps in shark and marine research.

If you are interested in contributing email us here with questions or comments.

Myth or Legend?

Tuck and Roll is the procedure developed by the Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines to escape from the belly of a giant whale shark.To kill a whale shark, the hunters would dive with a large hand held harpoon stabbing 50-foot whale sharks between their eyes.

 

 

A second  free diver would enter the water and cut a large hole in the upper lip of the shark. Threading a thick rope through the sharks mouth and towing the shark to shallow water.

The shark was kept alive for freshness. An illegal exporter and distributor of shark fins and rare whale shark meat then determined the price for the catch.

 

If the  free divers had trouble harpooning the shark or cutting the hole for the towrope; they risked being ingested by the huge sharks.

To escape the mouth or avoid being swallowed, the whale shark hunters developed the “tuck and roll” technique which allowed them to be ejected without being decapitated or losing a limb.

 

The Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines no longer kill whale sharks for their fins.

Some former hunters are now part of the World Wildlife Foundation. They assist in tagging and photo ID projects that help with research efforts to understand the migration of whale sharks migrating through the Bohol Sea.

Many of the photos on this site are from the days when the hunters still killed whale sharks. They are reminders that some countries still mine their whale sharks.
 

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