Ocearch scientists search for great whites off the coast of Ireland and the UK.

“Que paso?” It’s thought the sharks may be following tuna and bait fish up from the Med.

Ocearch scientists, renowned for their study and tracking of large sharks in the Atlantic, are currently off the coast of Ireland searching for the first recorded great white shark in Irish or UK waters.

Despite much searching and UK shark expert Richard Peirce exploring around a dozen “credible” sightings, a great white shark sighting in British or Irish waters has never been confirmed.

Nukumi – a 17 ft 2 in. 3,541 lbs pinged back in 2021 about as far east as has been seen.

“Conditions in parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland are very similar, to where there are thriving populations of great whites in other parts of the world. I’m talking about food sources — namely seals — and water temperatures,” conservationist Richard Peirce told ABC News.

A small population of great whites is found in the Mediterranean, and it’s thought they could migrate to eastern parts of the North Atlantic to forage for food off the coasts of Spain, France, and Ireland. A young female great white was caught off La Rochelle in 1977, but since then huge populations of tuna and bait fish have moved north to UK and Irish shores.

Other great whites are in the western Atlantic but none have ever been tracked further east than the Acores.

There has never been a confirmed great white shark sighting in British or Irish waters, although other favourite food sources such as seals are abundant.

Shark expert Dr Nick Payne, said

“I think given the conditions we have in Britain and Ireland in terms of the water temperatures and the kind of food that’s available, the kind of habitats that exist on the seabed here, I think there’s a really good chance – these are exactly the kind of conditions, this is like a Goldilocks environment for these animals. It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold, the food here is right, both here in Ireland and throughout different parts of the UK. This whole region is potentially a really comfortable place for them. It’s just a matter of trying to find out if they’re here.”

However in previous weeks the team have fruitlessly searched the waters off Spain and France before moving to Ireland. The expedition will continue in Irish waters until 8 September.

Stay tuned! ocearch.org

Taj Burrow wins 2024 Four Season Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy!

Taj Burrow today became the first ever three-time winner of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, beating Mikey February in the grand final to cap off three radical days of competition in the best waves the event has ever seen.

Taj Burrow – Jon Frank

Burrow’s victory was hard fought. After finishing runner-up in all three divisions and surfing the maximum 10 heats, the 46-year-old Australian did his best to conserve energy on the final day. While being conservative with wave selection is counterintuitive behaviour for a surfer when the waves are four-foot and flawless, it was a wise call. Burrow’s six excellent wave scores on the final day proved that while he may have sacrificed quantity, the quality of his waves didn’t suffer in the least.

Grey skies greeted competitors as they made their way out to the Sultans lineup this morning, but as an early tropical downpour dissipated it left a silky-smooth ocean in its wake. Slack winds and non-stop waves were the perfect recipe for the twin fin division to get underway, and Jeremy Flores came out all guns blazing. Unimpressed with his performances on the opening two days, and with no chance of winning overall, Flores was surfing for pride alone, but that was plenty. An 8.33 and a 7.17, both for beautifully ridden tubes, were warning shots to the field, and enough for a comfortable victory over Burrow and local wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil.

Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil – Jon Frank

The second heat saw more fireworks from another passion-fuelled surfer, Jadson Andre. Going upside down on his backhand, as he has all event, Andre locked in an 8.33 and a 7.83 to move on to the next round in first. Mikey February advanced in second, while a valiant but fatigued Carissa Moore was eliminated.

After his strong opening round performance Flores stepped up further in the semi-finals against February, whose pair of sixes were no match for Flores’ 8.67 and 9.10. By now the tide was optimal, conditions had clicked, and the waves were impeccable. A 17.77 total for Flores saw him move on to the final with a head of steam after claiming the scalp of the most renowned twin fin artists in the game.

Mikey February – Jon Frank

In the second semi, Andre, who needed to advance to the twin fin final to remain in contention for the overall final, had no answer to Burrow’s all out assault. Opening with an incredible 9.67 for a deep tube complete with wild foamball ride, the West Australian was never headed. As he has all week Andre stayed busy catching waves the length of the point, whether banging out big backhand blasts at the top peak, or sneaking off to hunt tubes further down the line.

While Andre’s two final waves were his highest scorers it was Burrow who had the last laugh with the event’s first perfect 10 coming in the dying minutes, thrown unanimously by the judging panel for a deep disappearing act.

Taj Burrow – Jon Frank

“It was a really fast, perfect cylinder,” said Burrow. “I knew it was a good one because there were some foamball moments in there, then it let me out and I did a nice roundhouse cutback. The whole week has been a blur of tubes but that felt like a 10 for sure.” Burrow’s near-perfect 19.67-out-of-20 total saw his MR x Mayhem California Twin Pin take him to his third final for the week.

Jeremy Flores and Taj Burrow – Jon Frank

A battle between two of the WSL Championship Tour’s greatest ever performers was always going to be a closely fought affair, no matter the surfboards being ridden. After five minutes Burrow sat with priority on his preferred corner of the reef, while Flores headed up the line to chase the bigger top peak. Somehow the next set delivered gems to both men, Flores the first to pull into a huge tube, exiting in time for Burrow to hear the crowd erupt as he paddled into a gem of his own.

“That was so fun!” said Burrow, of the back-to-back barrels that ensued. Flores earned a 9.67 for his bigger first pit, Burrow a 9.77 for his deeper tube behind. Like that, we had a final on our hands as the two surfers scoured every inch of the lineup looking for waves. In the end it was Flores who found a better second score, a 7.27 the reward for his last wave, a tight tube followed by a long wall that allowed him to unleash his arsenal of powerful open face carves and under the lip laybacks.

Jeremy Flores – Jon Frank

“It was crazy, it looked like the swell was dying then suddenly it turned on again,” said Flores. “I was a bit angry today, I’d been cruising at first, yesterday I was a bit bummed, but today I really wanted to win something. And I did! Still got it!”

With the twin fin division decided, the grand finalists were locked in. Burrow kept his rash vest on to surf his third straight 33-minute heat, and fourth for the day, while February had spent the previous hour relaxing in an airconditioned cabin on the Kuda Princess, the luxury yacht that has been the surfer’s locker room all week. While fatigue was starting to play a role, there was no way Burrow wanted to lose his rhythm. He opted against taking any form of break and rolled straight on to the title-deciding bout, merely pausing for a second to add a third small trailer to his twin fin set-up, given the grand final allows for any equipment to be used.

Mikey February – Jon Frank

February remained atop his beloved Channel Islands twin fin, as another insane tube duel commenced. February caught seven waves to Burrow’s four, and both men had three excellent scores to their name at final’s end, but with a 9.10 and a 9.03 it was Burrow who led throughout. An 8.67 and a 9.10 ensued February was never far from first, and with a few minutes to go a storm loomed large on the horizon. Suddenly the wind turned stiff offshore, and even after a week of big barrels, suddenly they’d never seen wider.

Burrow’s final pit for the week was a gem, but an 8.00 was no help to him. He kicked out in the channel leaving February alone in the lineup chasing a 9.04. As the buzzer went February snuck into one last long wall. The crowd seemed to be paying little attention as the South African flew through section after section in the tube. Burrow was worried but he needn’t have been, as the resulting 8.17 fell short. Bottles began popping on the back of the Princess as Burrow’s 18.13 scoreline narrowly shaded February’s 17.77 two-wave total.

Taj Burrow – Jon Frank

“I almost feel guilty for winning,” said Burrow afterwards. “Mikey was the best surfer here this week. He looks beautiful on any board but especially that twinny. His turns were looking so perfect, he was on point and ripping and I knew he was the one to beat.

“But I know how to surf a heat, and I knew how I could do it. I patiently sat on my spot, got a couple of drainers, did a few turns of my own. Even at the end I knew he could get me, and then the storm hit! The wind ripped in hard offshore, the waves were so groomed and I got maybe my roundest tube for the week. I thought I’d done enough at that point, then Mikey caught another wave on the buzzer, and was in the barrel for ages. I didn’t think it was the score, but you never know, and finally it was read out that’d I’d won.

“I was staring down the barrel of a bunch of seconds, and that led me to dig deep for the final. I was very tired and running on adrenaline, but I knew my formula and the ocean delivered. That might be one of the funnest finals I’ve ever surfed. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear a jersey again … unless I get invited back! I got so tubed, with friends, staying at the Four Seasons, there’s no way you can better that. The pinch-me moments have been non-stop all week.”

Twin Fin Division Results
1. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) equal with Mikey February (ZAF) 800pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts

2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 2700pts
2. Mikey February (ZAF) 2600pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 2500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2500pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) 2200pts
5. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 2200pts

A new wavepool tech is launching in Hamburg – you can own share of it!

Imagine this on the Thames!

The Hamburg startup Floating Wave aims to set new standards in urban surfing by combining cutting-edge technology with sustainability, the 12-meter-wide Floating Wave offers a unique project that brings together economic benefits, urban accessibility, and scalability. This innovative floating wave is set to change life for inland surfers right around the world!

Unlike other artificial river waves and large surf parks, which are often located outside city centers, Floating Wave brings the surfing experience directly to people in the heart of harbor cities. The innovative floating pontoon solution is made possible by advanced wave technology and expertise in water construction.

Floating Wave utilizes state-of-the-art wave technology that consumes 50% less energy than conventional systems. By using filtered river water instead of drinking water, the ecological footprint is significantly reduced. This combination of efficiency and environmental friendliness makes Floating Wave a pioneer in the field of artificial river waves.

Thanks to its unique features, Floating Waves can be implemented quickly and efficiently worldwide in any suitable harbor city. This allows for a planning and construction period of just 16 to 24 months. This unique selling point supports the fast and healthy growth of Floating Wave.

The First Floating Wave will be in Hamburg, Germany. The project has broad support from politics and business, as well as cooperation with environmental authorities and experts, have made this possible. The Hamburg startup is excited to realize the first floating river wave in its home harbor, with an opening planned for 2026.

The owners are now inviting visionary co-founders and investors to join them in setting new milestones in the market for artificial river waves.

“With lower mooring fees and reduced energy consumption, Floating Wave offers a financially attractive and environmentally responsible investment opportunity. Together, we can bring the surfing experience to central urban locations worldwide and transform cityscapes and recreational activities”

Felix Segebrecht, Founder:

„We are excited about the support from the city and our seed investors for our smart low-tech innovation. Our next goal is to close the upcoming funding round to ensure a successful launch in the spring of 2026. We look forward to engaging with visionary banks and investors as we advance.“

José Fernandes, Snowboard World Champion, Surfer, and Entrepreneur:

“Floating Wave is a true game changer for the leisure industry. By innovatively combining proven technologies, it significantly reduces fixed costs for mooring and energy while enabling central urban locations. Thanks to sound financial planning and support from the federal INVEST funding program, this project is not only ecologically but also economically sustainable.”

Christoph Holstein, State Councillor for Sports, City of Hamburg:

“This project revitalizes unused harbor areas for sports, recreation, and tourism. It creates space for leisure and sports activities and adds a spectacular surfing attraction to the city’s offerings. It aligns exceptionally well with the core concept of ‘Active City’ and the use of the city for non-club-based sports. Therefore, the Sports Authority supports this attractive project.”

Michael Zirlewagen, President of the German Surfing Association (DWV):

“The Floating Wave in Hamburg combines sustainability, innovation, and passion to create a unique surf location in the heart of the city. This project makes surfing accessible to both beginners and professionals alike, and has the potential to set a precedent for similar initiatives across Germany. We are excited to fully support the Floating Wave and look forward to the opportunity to surf the rapids in Hamburg soon.”

If you are interested contact Felix Segebrecht at [email protected]

Pumping Sultans on day two for thruster division at Champions Trophy

The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy went rogue today as a big jump in swell saw the decision made to switch the traditional order of proceedings and run the thruster division rather than the scheduled twin fins. With heaving tubes in the six-foot range strafing the Sultans reef, there was little complaint about the call from competitors, who promptly paddled out and spent the day pulling into big barrels, with South Africa’s favourite son Mikey February standing tall at day’s end to claim full points and join Taj Burrow on top of the Surfing Champions Trophy leaderboard.

Mikey February – Jon Frank

“I finally won something!” said an elated February after the final. “I don’t surf a thruster often, but there’s nothing wrong with riding a thruster in pumping waves, and this event challenges people in different ways. With this lineup of names I was probably the most nervous about today, so was just taking notes and trying to have fun.”

Last night at the single fin presentation, Taj Burrow told the crowd that yesterday had been the best Father’s Day of his life. Burrow kept that energy going this morning, locking straight into an incredible tube shootout with fellow former-CT competitors Jeremy Flores and Jadson Andre to kickstart the second day.

Taj Burrow – Jon Frank

With shifting peaks and regular cleanup sets breaking the length of the huge playing field, competitors were constantly on the move, hunting waves that would not only let them in, but more importantly let them out. There was no shortage of wild near misses as the ocean flexed on the field, which only served to make the handful of spectacularly threaded tubes in each heat even more enjoyable.

Jadson Andre – Jon Frank

Burrow and Flores, with an 8 and a 7-point ride apiece, moved on at the expense of yesterday’s winner Andre, whose pair of sevens left him just short but no less happy to be in the Maldives, as he paddled back in smiling.

In the second heat, February looked ominous from the start, advancing with a 15-point two-wave total. Carissa Moore weaved her way through countless tubes to claim second, while Maldivian wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil found one fun barrel but couldn’t secure a backup score to finish in third.

Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil – Jon Frank

Semi-final one saw Burrow and Moore square off in one of the biggest matchups of icons the Surfing Champions Trophy has ever seen. On top of Moore’s five world titles and Olympic gold medal, and Burrow’s folio of hall of fame video parts, both surfers have won at Pipeline, Bells, J-Bay, Snapper Rocks, Rio and Margaret River, to name a few.

Carissa Moore – Jon Frank

The opening exchange saw Burrow fly through a long running tube and kick out in time to see Moore lock into a drainer of her own. Back-to-back barrels earned an 8.50 and a 6.83 respectively and the tone had been set. At the halfway mark Burrow took off on the wave of the event, locking in from the top of the lineup through 50 metres of hypnotic warping sections before finally getting clamped moments from an exit and the event’s first perfect 10. Moore was left needing an 8.18 that never came, the two legends beaming as they boarded the boat afterwards, thrilled to share a heat.

“That was insane!” said Burrow. “Carissa was getting completely drained, we were sharing tubes, taking turns. It was so sick to share a heat with her, and in pumping waves too. Very special.”

Mikey February – Jon Frank

In the second semi-final February opened with a deep tube to silky smooth carve for an 8.33 to put himself in prime position. Flores replied with a stand tall tube for a 7.17, and with February unable to secure a solid second score, the door was left open. In the dying minutes Flores found his chance on a smaller inside wave. A barrel backed up with carves netted the Frenchman a 5.60, just short of the 5.94 he needed. Known for his fiery competitive nature, the Four Seasons version of Flores simply laughed and went back to playing with his kids, before settling in for the final.

Unlike yesterday’s final, today Burrow took full advantage of his seven-minute age advantage, starting his campaign with an 8.67 for a big barrel and a string of trademark frontside turns before February had even entered the water. When he did, February sat on the wider inside peak and went to work. A 6.00 and a 5.93 in quick succession weren’t quite enough for the lead, but applied pressure to Burrow, who sat with only a 3.50 as his backup.

Mikey February – Jon Frank

As time ticked away, credit must go to both surfers, who could have taken the easy option and looked to build their totals with safe scores, but instead chose to go big till the end. While Burrow rolled the dice on a couple of Hail Mary set waves that only resulted in minor scores, February came up big with mere minutes on the clock. Needing a 6.17, a throwaway by today’s high standards, February swung for the fences as a solid set approached. Taking off into a deep, deftly ridden tube, February emerged with the spit, eyed off the wickedly critical closeout section and wrenched a fully committed layback carve. The spray from February’s vicious turn was still landing long after the resulting 9.57 was read out, giving the tall South African the win.

“My first overseas surf trip was to the Maldives when I was 14 years old,” said February soon after. “My parents scraped up all the money they could to get me here, and now to be here at the Four Seasons, competing with all these amazing surfers, is pretty special. I’m pinching every time I look around or I’m in the water.”

There is one more round to run in the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for 2024, and this year it will be the twin fin division that decides our grand finalists. The forecast remains pristine for the remainder of the waiting period so stay tuned for more updates to come from the Maldives.

Thruster Division Results
1. Mikey February (ZAF) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Jeremy Flores (FRA) 800pts
5. Jadson Andre (MDV) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts

2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 1800pts
1. Mikey February (ZAF) 1800pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 1700pts
4. Carissa Moore (HAW) 1500pts
4. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 1500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1500pts