Flying Sharks’ First Middle East Collection Trip!

So, Flying Sharks finally kicked off its first collection mission in the Middle East, after our exploratory trip back in February, when we basically spent two full weeks cataloguing every fish species we could find. This October mission marked the beginning of the real work: collecting live animals in the Red Sea for a new research and aquarium facility focused heavily on coral conservation and restoration.

Our team spent two weeks on site, and the conditions were… let’s call them “character-building.” We didn’t quite have the number of local hands we hoped for, nor the ideal amount of boats or cars, and the weather kept things interesting from day one. Still, as history has shown time and again, Flying Sharks tends to perform best when things get complicated.

Despite the challenges, the team pushed through every obstacle and ended up collecting double the target for this first operational trip! Not a bad start, considering this was our debut in the region and the first of several collection missions planned for this project.

We’re genuinely thankful for the trust placed in us and excited about the work ahead. Helping launch an initiative so focused on coral conservation — in one of the most iconic marine regions on the planet — is both an honour and a responsibility we don’t take lightly.

More adventures from the Middle East coming soon. Stay tuned.