As photographer of the Dutch Shark Society, Peter Verhoog (peterverhoog.com) documented the work of the Orkney Skate Trust, that is supported by World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the project partners in the project Sharks and Rays Back into the North Sea.
He managed to get unique under water material of skates and eggcases.
The waters around Orkney are the last stronghold of this enigmatic species, and research focuses on the collection of data on habitat, breeding and reproduction, that will help conservation of this critically endangered top predator: the Giant Skate (Dipturus intermedius).
The Orkney Skate Trust is currently working on tagging, identifying breeding grounds, identification of individuals and conservation of the species in general.
Enjoy Peter’s Video, that shows the operation with a Baited Remote Underwater Video, a spy camera, looking for eggcases on the sea floor and diver surveys! And the giant skate in all its glory!
You can read all about the work of the Orkney Skate Trust on their website!
