Bet on the fishes with Florida's Great Shark Race

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Organizers of the Great Shark Race in Florida said fin fans can place bets on sharks to travel the most in six months -- but the real winner is science.

Nova Southeastern University, the Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation announced they are teaming for the Great Shark Race, which will allow individuals and businesses to place their bets by ponying up a $5,000 fee to purchase a tracking tag and have it attached to a mako or ocean whitetip shark.

The organizers said the person or group whose shark travels the furthest over the course of six months will receive a fishing vacation at the Islander Resort in Islamorada. Participants will be able to track their sharks using Nova Southeastern University's website.

The Mako Shark Division race starts April 2 and the Ocean Whitetip Division kicks off in June. The organizers said the data collected from the tracking tags will help give researchers a greater understanding of movement patterns for the two species.

"We began this event a few years ago and the big focus was on tiger sharks, and have since moved on to makos and oceanic whitetips," Antonio Fins, executive director of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, told the Broward Palm Beach New Times. "But some studies have shown that the oceanic whitetip population could be down 98 percent. This race is a way to get people involved and tag more sharks, which will provide invaluable in data for us."

The researchers said the event will also serve to raise awareness of conservation efforts.

"We want to have some fun but even more importantly use the race to bring added awareness to the plight of these magnificent animals," said Mahmood Shivji, a professor at NSU's Oceanographic Center and the director of GHRI. "It's vital that we learn the migratory patterns and other aspects of these animals' lives so we can ensure they survive and thrive for years to come."