Cayman shark video seems to be going viral

[Drew Sailbum]

A local diver who was out culling lionfish had a very close encounter with a Caribbean Reef Shark a few days ago.


A friend showed me the video on YouTube and within a half hour it had 5000 more views. Overnight it has reached 70,000+. Going kind of crazy.

Details, as I understand them third-hand...

Dive was on Grand Cayman's East End, near to the High Rock area. The diver was quite new, only certified a few weeks ago. Footage was shot with a GoPro mask mounted camera.

The diver was culling lionfish, which are an invasive species.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuJmrv_KF24

Disclosures: The diver is a student of a friend of a friend. He is apparently making money off the video on a click per view basis. I'm getting nothing.

If you share the link, please point back to the original video.

The diver in question is concerned that sharks not be villianized.

 

[gopbroek]

Here is another video which may explain the root cause of this particular sharks behavior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nhE5ahHRh8 . This was Belize but it is repeated across the Carib and yes I am also guilty of feeding lion fish to sharks. After a few experiences of nurse sharks (not reef sharks) & a barracuda making unsolicited runs at me plus a few begging Morays I have become a little more selective at what I will feed. I am still an easy mark for groupers and snappers but hesitate at sharks.
.

 

[Mike.D]

Hahaha that first video is hilarious. What a friendly looking shark


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mike]

If you student cares about his new recreational pursuit and the oceans in general, he should be explained to that the title of his video while I'm sure it will attract more attention, more clicks and more money, isn't doing sharks any good and is just furthering the non-diving public's stereotyping, fear and lack of empathy for sharks. Pimping sharks for a few bucks isn't real cool in my book.

That shark isn't doing anything new that sharks do all over the world, ask any spear fishing diver about that sharks behavior and the reply is going to be something along the lines of just another shark looking for a free meal.

 

[diver 85]

Here is another video which may explain the root cause of this particular sharks behavior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nhE5ahHRh8 . This was Belize but it is repeated across the Carib and yes I am also guilty of feeding lion fish to sharks. After a few experiences of nurse sharks (not reef sharks) & a barracuda making unsolicited runs at me plus a few begging Morays I have become a little more selective at what I will feed. I am still an easy mark for groupers and snappers but hesitate at sharks.
.

My last trip to C Brac back in 2011, they(DMs @ CBBR) were trying to get large grouper & sharks to start eating them...On every dive, DM shot all the lionfish we saw & would stop & try to get 'something' to eat them......Back then, they didn't know if the larger fish would---ie if they were harmful(thru their toxin) to the grouper & sharks ---or what.....Somewhere I have video of some of the feeding---but for the life of me I can't find it right now...

EDIT 1:....It had been a while since I looked @ them & it was (spotted) eels they were 'testing' on....Here's 2 videos(click below links), if I remember right only eels were taken the lionfish back then......
How To Eat A Lionfish Video by GEAUXtiger | Photobucket
http://s176.photobucket.com/user/GEAUXtiger/media/CBrac 2011 day 6/20110916193.mp4.html?sort=3&o=8

EDIT 2:...OP, thanks for sharing the video, I just loved it....Joe

 

[drrich2]

Interesting. The show motion bit at the end somewhat over-dramatized the 'it's coming after me' angle a bit, in my view. Couple of observations:

1.) While I can understand some people prefer not to feed wildlife, and some may want the lionfish for themselves (e.g.: for food), when a shark is repeatedly getting in your space after the thing, wouldn't it make sense to just give it up? We're not talking a 30 lbs. grouper. One little lionfish.

2.) I suspect that the popularization of lionfish culling will lead to more divers who are not accustomed to some aspects of spear fishing (e.g.: freeloading wildlife) being accosted by wannabe free-loaders like that shark, big green moray eels, etc... And it's going to freak some of them out. The way he was poking at the shark with that tool had me thinking about the injuries to the animal that could result (I don't know enough about spearfishing or reading sharks to know whether his reaction was appropriate or not).

Richard.

 

[Scared Silly]

The diver was doing something he had no business doing given their experience. Sharks will find injured prey and hone in on them. That is what sharks do. Hopefully he had to clean his suit.

 

[diver 85]

The diver was doing something he had no business doing given their experience. Sharks will find injured prey and hone in on them. That is what sharks do. Hopefully he had to clean his suit.

I liked his verbal response, I think mine might have been about the same........'OH CHIT'.......10 dives or 2000 dives under the belt..

 

[patrickusaf08]

I could not tell if there were fish in the little carrying thing or not. If there were some other fish in there that were killed they could be leaving a trail of blood and all that would attract the shark. If all you are going to try to do is help kill a few lion fish I would prob just leave them where they are because sharks can smell blood in the water a very long way off. If you do not possibly want to be bothered by sharks trying to mistake you for food do not carry around what would be their food on you.

 

[DDR]

Seemed to mostly be going for the shiny metal bit at the end of his spear not that this helps the frightened diver