Bodega Bay

[Chuck Tribolet]

Rocky, you know better. The red triangle is Ano Nuevo to the Farallones to Pt. Reyes.

Lover's Pt. is not part of it.

And would you care to back up that statement that Lovers is the "deadliest spot off
the California coast in terms of White Shark deaths in one place. "?

 

[JustinW]

Chuck, I took rocky's statements with a grain of salt, especially in that he has admitted not having dived there. The red triangle is overblown by just about everyone. It has a catchy name and always attracts attention for its reputation. The fact is that while there are large numbers of whites in the area, there are also large populations in other areas outside of the "triangle." About ten years ago, I was really into shark fishing, mainly for the blue sharks that were abundant in the area. From june through the end of october i was down there just about every day, soaking ground up frozen fish-cicles in the bay. While I saw hundreds of blue sharks, not once were we able to ever lure a white shark in. This being both during the day and at night for several years. We even attempted areas that are more well known for whites just to see if we could catch a glimpse of one (not molest it) and even at the farallons we had no success. We can all make what we want of the man in the grey suit that lives here in california with us. There is little we can do other than to not dive with seals and other common sense rules, but the red triangle is certainly overblown.

 

[norcadiver]

Rocky, you know better. The red triangle is Ano Nuevo to the Farallones to Pt. Reyes.

Lover's Pt. is not part of it.

Actually, I don't know that. I've heard various MEDIA definitions for the Red Triangle, and many of them include points as far south as Carmel and as far north as Bodega Bay. Personally, I believe the idea of a Red Triangle is silly. I'm surprised you would take it seriously enough to be defensive or protective about it.

And would you care to back up that statement that Lovers is the "deadliest spot off
the California coast in terms of White Shark deaths in one place. "?

Mea culpa. There's only been one fatality off Lover's Point in the two attacks there. A third attack and second fatality in the same area was at Spanish Bay.

Rocky

 

[norcadiver]

Chuck, I took rocky's statements with a grain of salt, especially in that he has admitted not having dived there.

Not having dived there? Where is there?

I confess that I haven't been diving off Doran Beach or inside Bodega Bay. I don't really expect that to change though who knows.

I have been diving off Horseshoe Cove, Portugese Beach, the mouth of Tomales Bay, the north side of Pt. Reyes, the Farallon Islands and a few other California locations.

Rocky

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I know Rocky's been diving in ANYBODY's definition of the Red Triangle: The Farallones.
I know, because I was there, on the Pac Star a few years ago.

A while back I did a Google search on

"Red Triangle" shark

Most of the definitions came up with the Ano Nuevo to Farallones to Pt. Reyes
version. There were lots of hits on a version that went down to Monterey, but they
were all the same PBS special (PBS stations have well-trained webmasters ;-)

And what Rocky said about two attacks and one fatality at Lover's Pt. matches what
I remembered, but couldn't find the nice California Great White Shark site I'd found
that info on. I didn't think there had been more than one fatality at Lover's (and IIRC
it was questionable that it was actually Lover's, but within a mile or so), and it would
take more than one to be "the deadliest spot" (Lottsa spots have ONE).

The spot that scares me: Monterey Breakwater. Tons of seals in season. And Lobos
Rocks.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I know Rocky's been diving in ANYBODY's definition of the Red Triangle: The Farallones.
I know, because I was there, on the Pac Star a few years ago.

A while back I did a Google search on

"Red Triangle" shark

Most of the definitions came up with the Ano Nuevo to Farallones to Pt. Reyes
version. There were lots of hits on a version that went down to Monterey, but they
were all the same PBS special (PBS stations have well-trained webmasters ;-)

And what Rocky said about two attacks and one fatality at Lover's Pt. matches what
I remembered, but couldn't find the nice California Great White Shark site I'd found
that info on. I didn't think there had been more than one fatality at Lover's (and IIRC
it was questionable that it was actually Lover's, but within a mile or so), and it would
take more than one to be "the deadliest spot" (Lottsa spots have ONE).

The spot that scares me: Monterey Breakwater. Tons of seals in season. And Lobos
Rocks.

I think the sharks are spread out along the coast all the way from border to border. I also think that at different times there are concentrations in different spots.
A lady gets killed at Avila Beach, Randy Frye get his head bit off up around Ft. Bragg, a friend of mine gets his surf board slammed into his face from a shark ramming the bottom up at the Klamath river mouth. Yeah I'm sure there might be more sharks in the average year around the Farallons and around the seal colonies but there are also a lot of seal colonies in a lot of different locations.
The sharks don't stay in some imaginary triangle, that's silly. I'll bet at times there are sharks where you'd least expect it and other times no sharks in places that have the worst rep.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The sharks don't stay in some imaginary triangle, that's silly. I'll bet at times there are sharks where you'd least expect it and other times no sharks in places that have the worst rep.

No, they don't stay in a triangle, but they are more like there than elsewhere.

And it is seasonal. There are few the first half of the year at the Farallones. There are
quite a number in the second half, esp. the middle of the second half.

 

[JustinW]

I have often had serious reservations about the Breakwater in monterey. I know I am not the only one here to have spotted deal pinnipeds at that spot. It always gets me nervous to see lots of seals and dead seals in a tight area.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have often had serious reservations about the Breakwater in monterey. I know I am not the only one here to have spotted deal pinnipeds at that spot. It always gets me nervous to see lots of seals and dead seals in a tight area.

Yeah that a posibility, but I'll bet out at the mile buoy they cruise around looking for a snack with those seals that hang out on it. The sharks can get a good running start.
I don't know if they like all the boat noise around the harbor.
Never know.

 

[Ishie]

I don't think there's ever been a GW spotted at BW? Shallow quite a ways out (though I know, I know, they can be in any depth they can fit in), way too many people making too much noise, boat traffic, and such.

I have to admit, near the beginning of my dive experience, we made an ascent a bit far out and had to swim by a large sea lion carcass, and that was a bit unnerving, but the fact that the thing died and was out there getting white and bloated for a week without anything remotely large taking any pieces of it was encouraging.