About me

About Me

 

My name is Alexander Buttigieg, better known to all my friends as “The Sharkman”.  Why? Well it is because of the Love and Deep Passion that I share for this Magnificent Creature.

 

I am 65 years old and come from the tiny Mediterranean Island of Malta. I am a retired Professional Scuba Diving Instructor with a great passion for sharks and marine conservation that started in the early 70’s. Since then I have been collecting as much data as possible about sharks. Having started scuba diving at a very young age, it is no surprise that I would make it my profession.
 

In 1997 I set up this web site “Sharkman’s World” dedicated to the education, conservation and protection of Sharks, and also initialized and spearheaded the campaign for the Great White Shark protection in Malta, a campaign that lasted for two years until September 1999, when the Maltese Government issued Legal Notice (L.N. 161 of 1999) that gave protection to the Great White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and also the Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus).

 

 

I have dived with and studied sharks in many parts of the world including South Africa, Fiji and in Malta. I also take an active part in many international campaigns for shark protection. In 2001 “Sharkman’s World” won the Best Personal Website Award in the Malta Web Awards.

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In 2007, I set up The Shark Group, an internet based forum and also in the same year, Sharkman’s World became a member of the international Shark Alliance. In 2008, I was also the co-founder of the Let Sharks Live network, and initiated the International “Year Of The Shark – 2009” campaign. This campaign was a global success and was repeated in 2019.

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I was also a regional investigator for the Mediterranean Sea and collaborated with the Global Shark Attack File (Shark Research Institute, USA),  Shark Research Committee (USA), The International Shark Attack File (USA), The Australian Shark Attack File, and The Fishbase database.

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I have written various articles and contributed data and information for T.V. documentaries, scientific publications and books.

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My Dreams
 

My first dream was to get the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) protected in Maltese Waters. As mentioned above, this came true in 1999.

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My next Dream was what I considered to be the ULTIMATE DREAM. To Encounter the GREAT WHITE SHARK!! Until some time ago, this dream seemed Impossible, but then, with the help of a few true friends, this Dream also Came True. On February 5th. 2001, I set out on the first journey that was to give me a very close encounter with Carcharodon carcharias, the GREAT WHITE SHARK!! I flew over to South Africa and there I saw the Great Whites of Dyer Island. This was an experience that I will never forget.

 

Just a few days short of a year later, I was there again on my 2nd. trip. It is there that one can see the true beauty of these magnificent creatures.

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Another dream came true, when in 2009, as part of the The International Year Of The Shark campaign, I was invited by the Fiji Shark Conservation & Awareness Project to go to FIJI. For 3 weeks, I dived with, observed and photographed the Sharks at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. These included Bulls, Greys, Black-Tips, White-Tips and Nurse Sharks What an awesome experience!!

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What's next? Well, I want to keep fighting to get more shark species fully protected and thus help save them from becoming extinct.