Scout Garea has been fundraising for a shark research project since November. Photo / Supplied
Scout Garea has been fundraising for a shark research project since November. Photo / Supplied
Scout Garea spends a lot of time in the ocean.
That’s why the 8-year-old is raising money to track great white sharks in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel.
Scout, who lives with her family in Whangamatā, has been fundraising since November for a research project founded byshark scientist Dr Riley Elliott.
In June, Elliott received a Department of Conservation permit to track and satellite-tag 20 great white sharks, with the project allowing people to see where the animals are travelling through a live app.
The project is driven by funding and support from the public and is hosted by the Sustainable Ocean Society - a non-profit established by Elliot and a group of his friends.
Scout was initially trying to raise $4000 to sponsor a satellite tag to track and name a great white shark.
But after finding out this week all 20 tags have been sponsored, she is now focusing her efforts on raising money for the $700 acoustic tags, which track sharks differently.
Scout's first fundraising event was busking at the Beach Hop festival in Whangamatā. Photo / Supplied
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times, Scout said she lived a two-minute walk from the beach and spent a lot of time boogie boarding and learning how to surf.
Scout said she had borrowed many books from the library about sharks.
“I learned a lot about sharks and I learned to like them.”
She found out about Elliott’s project through a newspaper article and decided she wanted to raise money for a satellite tag because she liked sharks and wanted to name one.
After finding out all the tags had been sponsored already, Scout said she was “a bit disappointed” she could not name a shark.
“But happy that he [Elliott] got the money for all of them.”
Her first fundraising event was busking at the Beach Hop festival in Whangamatā.
“[I was] playing the piano to some Beach Hop songs.”
She also raised $132 from a raffle at the Whangamatā Christmas Grotto.
Scout pictured with her twin sister Edie Garea and 10-year-old sister Ruby Bo Garea. Photo / Supplied
Her mother, Jo Jukes, said they had a large inflatable shark they took with them to fundraising events.
“We have some signs on him that says, he’s only 1.8m and that the sharks that are being sighted in our waters are up to 2.5m.
“I think that’s probably the drawcard for when Scout’s usually out and about - people are quite surprised to find out the size of the young sharks that are around.”
Jukes said Scout thought it was important to track great white sharks to know where they were and to feel safe in the water.
“We went through a phase of watching a lot of Soul Surfer - the movie about Bethany Hamilton - and I think that had an impact on our family.”
Elliott said Scout’s fundraising efforts were an example of “the beauty of engaging the public”.
“It empowers people to be involved in science, no matter what your level.”
Elliott said satellite tags tracked the shark “anywhere in the world” but relied on the shark coming above the surface of the water.
“An acoustic tag pings a sound underwater that will be picked up if the shark doesn’t surface ... but only within where you put those receiver stations.”
Elliott said acoustic receivers were put in “areas of interest” such as Anzac Bay, the harbour mouth, and where people fished and surfed.
Acoustic tags lasted 10 years, allowing “long-term understanding of movement”, but using satellite and acoustic tags collectively gave the “biggest understanding”.
