Sharks and Rays

Federal Agents Used Controversial Trackers Without Warrants

Controversial devices used to track cell phones and mobile Internet devices were used by local federal law enforcement without the necessary permission from a judge, according to recent e-mails. Federal investigators in Arizona have been taken to court over the use of "stingrays," electronic devic ... More >>

Shark Fin Soup Is Banned in California

​Governor Jerry Brown today criminalized the sale and distribution of shark fins in California. And you know what that means  ... no more shark fin soup for you!Brown signed the controversial ban today, saying it will help curb the dwindling shark population. "The practice of cutting the fins ... More >>

Shark Fin FAQ: So What's This Ban All About?

​Yesterday, SFoodie broke the news that the California state senate had passed AB 376, a statewide ban on the sale and import of shark fins. Since the bill had already passed through the Assembly last spring, it now goes to the governor's office. So what's this bill all about? Dried shark fin i ... More >>

California Senate Passes the Shark's Fin Ban

AB 376 may help reduce the demand for shark fins, above.​According to staffers in the office of Assemblymember Paul Fong, the California Senate just passed AB 376, the statewide ban on selling or importing shark's fin, with a vote of 25 to 9. California may soon become the nation's fourth state to ... More >>

Go for a Swim, No More Great White Shark Sightings at Stinson Beach

There's nothing to worry about ​Just in time for the weekend, park officials have lifted the ban on deep-water swimming at Stinson Beach after a great white shark was spotted on Sunday. Alex Picavet, spokeswoman with the National Park Service told reporters that they are set to impose any more res ... More >>

Great White Shark Spotted at Stinson Beach

Snack attack ​There isn't a cloud in the sky; the temperature is picture-perfect, and tomorrow is summer solstice. We cannot think of any good reason not to skip out on work and hit the beach. Yet we woke up this morning to the dreadful news that nobody will be allowed to swim at Stinson Beach thi ... More >>

Assemblymember Paul Fong Talks About the Shark's Fin Ban

Assemblymember Paul Fong​On Monday, the California State Assembly voted to pass AB-376, a proposed ban on the sale and import of shark's fin. The ban, which has been publicly condemned by state senator Leland Yee and SF mayor Ed Lee, is intended to prevent the practice of shark finning, which is d ... More >>

Shark Fin Soup Ban Is More Popular Than You Think

Either we eat him or he eats us​California voters might enjoy shark fin soup -- that gelatinous Chinese delicacy -- but not enough to keep the practice of shark finning alive, according to a new poll. A new poll commissioned by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium shows that 76 percent of all state voters a ... More >>

Mayor Ed Lee Eats Shark's Fin Soup

If you don't eat him, he will eat you!​The typically nonconfrontational Mayor Ed Lee stepped out of his mold this morning and confronted a contentious issue head on: the proposed ban on the import of shark fins across California. And he has a damn good reason for it -- he eats shark's fin soup.

Shark Fin Watch, Gadfly Alert, the Cereal Shot

polytropos/FlickrShark finning has become a focal point all over the Chinese diaspora for discussions about environmental issues.​Today marks the launch of Talking Points: Notes on national stories, local trends, random tastes, and other miscellanea dredged up from the food media.1. Shark fin watc ... More >>

Is Banning Shark's Fin Racist?

​Today, the San Francisco Chronicle surveyed the battle emerging over a recently introduced state assembly bill proposing to ban the sale and import of shark's fin throughout California. The pro and con camps are defining it as a fight over cultural heritage versus environmental conservation.Accor ... More >>

Shark Will Almost Certainly Not Eat You, Expert Assures

Callaghan Fritz-Cope/Pelagic Shark Research FoundationYou likely won't be attacked by a shark. But this seal...​Following Monday's bloody Pacifica shark incident -- in which locals gawked as a Great White tore a hapless sea lion to shreds -- a number of observers were shocked at how quickly surfer ... More >>

Expert Teaches You How to Get Eaten by a Great White Shark

El Monstruo de Cojimar was captured off the coast of Cuba in 1945 and purportedly clocked in at 21 feet.​Dr. John McCosker, the Senior Scientist and Chair of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Science, presented a talk called "Sharks: Why We Love, Fear, and Need Them" a ... More >>

Weekend Party Preview: Flying Lotus, Dancing Ghosts

Megalodon​This weekend's hand-picked soirees offer no running theme between them. Your four Weekend Party Preview options are completely disparate and wonderfully eclectic in their own rights. We'd like to think that such a mixed up spread should please even the most alienated and discerning party ... More >>

What To Do? Wednesday's Pick: San Francisco Ocean Film Festival

In Awe of the Shark from Save Our Seas Foundation on Vimeo. San Francisco Ocean Film Festival @ Theatre 39 at Pier 39 In 1997, a killer whale breached the surface of the water off San Francisco, shocking a boatload of whale watchers (one with a video camera). It had a huge great white shark clampe ... More >>

Shark Week

The You Lagoon

Featured Local Video: Lou Lou & the Guitarfish

Last year I had to good fortune to hang out with the Rosenthal family--a very talented bunch of artists, musicians, and filmmakers for this cover story. The two siblings in that household, Lou Lou and George, play in a local punk pop band called Lou Lou & the Guitarfish , and have a record out on ... More >>

What Cats Think

Monterey Bay Aquarium Sharks are Total Party Animals

Fins

Just when you thought it was safe to flag down the waiter, a storm brews over shark fin soup.