Death in Cocos from shark attack

[HalcyonDaze]

I would be quite surprised if anything is done, it will be chalked up to the "how rare shark attacks are" and be forgotten about. Cocos are a cash cow, those benefiting don't want another incident but I'd guess they also don't want anything changing or limiting them. I'll be surprised if there is ever a lot of details about this incident made public.

Hawaii seems to be one of the locations where there are regular sightings of tiger sharks, but there seems to be a lot more respect for them there, more of an altitude of if a tiger shark shows up, it's time to go, not like other places where encounters are less frequent and its "yay!, it's a tiger lets hang out with it".

So what do you mean by "if anything is done?" It's the ocean. There are sharks in it. Places like Cocos that have a healthy population of them are prime dive destinations because of that. It's a hazard of diving just like any other accident category on this board, and by comparison a very rare one. If you want to dive in a place where you're guaranteed not to be at risk of a shark attack, go blow bubbles in a quarry.

Along those lines, I don't know where you're getting your info about Hawaii, but that's home base for One Ocean Diving (Ocean Ramsey and Juan Oliphant's operation); their IG feed is full of pics of them freediving in the open with large tigers. Kona on the big island has a number of regular tigers that the dive charters know quite well.

 

[Kay Dee]

Well, if the shark was hungry before, it was not after the tragedy. Thus, the changes of being attacked again are not cumulative, same as with betting black again in a roulette after black wins. Same croupier but different chances with each roll.

Sharks rarely eat people, they bite them and cause fatal injuries, and may swallow an arm or a leg in the proccess, but it would be rare case indeed in my 60 odd years around the ocean that a single shark consumed the whole body (altough of course not impossible). Now a bunch of sharks in a feeding frenzy, that would be a different story, but that isn't the case here.

So if said shark was hungry before the attack he may well be even more hungry after the attack as he didnt get his full feed. Just saying.

 

[Kay Dee]

The liveaboard should have stayed and dove at the same spot just to show the tragedy was not repeatable but random in its own course.

With all due respect that is a ridiculous statement! That would be a HUGE irresponsible gamble at best. And I wonder how many on board would have taken up the challenge even if it was offered.

Besides, how do they or you know it is / was not repeatable and was just 'a random attack' and the same shark didnt attack / bite the next group of divers at the same spot?

You seem to be taking a lot for granted.

 

[Kay Dee]

Well, if the shark was hungry before, it was not after the tragedy. Thus, the changes of being attacked again are not cumulative, same as with betting black again in a roulette after black wins. Same croupier but different chances with each roll.

Coming in late I guess I missed something, can you direct me to the post where it says the shark devoured the whole person please?

 

[Kay Dee]

I assume by the tank or the BC. It was more of a push and carry than a drag. No damage done - but I kept very still both times! The picture of me you see here was taken on the same day!

You've got better luck than the Irish then Johnny boy!

But if it was at Cocos maybe it was just Avi playing tricks. ;-)

(Long time no see John, hope your doing well and keeping wet! Kevin Denlay)

 

[Kay Dee]

Oh, and as for shark feeding I think it is a GREAT THING, as long as it is not human induced.

The bellow photos are from (a multiple set of images) of the first time this event was witnessed at Cocos circa 1993. Only Avi Klapfer, (owner / skipper of Sea Hunter at the time), my wife and I in the water, and as recorded for posterity with entries in the Sea Hunter log book. (BTW, care to count the species involved in this 'feed'?)

On the same trip / different dive we also witnessed several dolphins repeatedly 'attack' a shark (eventually butting it with their nose at very high speed) to keep it away from approaching my wife. And it only needed two 'butts' for said shark to quickly disappear.

 

[chris kippax]

Shark attack hero's bravery award

Once a shark hits 4 to 5 metres it becomes a super predator and is something that requires the utmost respect. I have read a lot of Australian shark attack files and large sharks are known to eat people in their entirety.

 

[Kay Dee]

Shark attack hero's bravery award

Once a shark hits 4 to 5 metres it becomes a super predator and is something that requires the utmost respect. I have read a lot of Australian shark attack files and large sharks are known to eat people in their entirety.

As an expat Australian myself and as someone who has spent most of their entire life literally in and around the ocean, first swimming at four years old, spearfishing in my teens, surfing in my teens and twenties and then windsurfing and sail boating for 25 odd years, and the rest scuba diving, as I said IMO it is a rare (but not impossible) occurrence, especially if the body has been dead and in the water for some time. Would you please be kind enough to post links to said 'a lot of Oz attack files that prove sharks have eaten people in their entirety', as I would be very interested to read please.

As for people 'just' going missing after a shark attack, this proves nothing except they went missing, it does not prove the shark ate them entirely. Very hard to swim with one arm or leg missing, or a big chunk out of ones side, let alone dying from loss of blood and then 'sinking' (and then only later - possibly - being eaten by a shark).

And while those large sharks you talk about must be treated with the utmost respect I have been in the water with Giant Hammerheads (and regular Hammers), Tigers, and Oceanics and am still alive. It's the little (what Ozzies call) Grey Reef or Whaler sharks that come zooming in, take a bite, and cut an artery (and the clarity of the water or lack there-of I was in) that I'd be / am more worried about. Of course though, we often deployed electronic shark repellent devices when pulling long deco in known shark prone waters just to be sure. Better safe than sorry.

Take a look in following link at the size of tiger, 4th photo from the bottom / end. It and others were often unfortunately caught where we often dived a certain wreck.

WW2 Shipwreck exploration by Kevin Denlay: “Going back in time and bringing the ships back to life” – PART 1 – WW2Wrecks.com

 

[Kevrumbo]

Oh, and as for shark feeding I think it is a GREAT THING, as long as it is not human induced. . .

On the same trip / different dive we also witnessed several dolphins repeatedly 'attack' a shark (eventually butting it with their nose at very high speed) to keep it away from approaching my wife. And it only needed two 'butts' for said shark to quickly disappear. . .

Unclipping and a "bop" with a 6L stage cylinder on their rostrum works too when tigers start coming too close at a 6m deco stop (Honokohau Harbor Entrance Buoy, Big Island Hawaii).

The article, Shark kills US tourist off remote Costa Rican island , mentions that the attack occurred while the group was surfacing (most shark attacks on recreational divers are usually ambush tactics happening near or at the surface).

Only a very few that I've heard of have occurred at depth -the most infamous being Brett Gilliam's account with Oceanic Whitetips on a deep dive: Shark Attack! | Gilliam

Some General Common Sense Shark Attack Precautions:
1) Be aware of unusual marine life behavior at the dive site especially around pinniped rookeries and haul-outs; if at depth there's a noticeable absence of fish/marine life or everything disappears in an instant, then that could be a sign of an apex predator nearby.
2) During ascent from a dive, continually check the depths below and behind you.
3) In preparing to exit the water onto a Diveboat, make a submerged close approach to the boat step platform i.e. -try not to have a long surface swim or loiter on the surface if possible.
4) If hunting or collecting any marine animals of any type, remove them from the water immediately upon capture if possible.
5) Try not to dive alone for numerous increasingly obvious reasons. . .

Example of a surface attack:
Longimanus shark attacks my SMB

 

[John Bantin]

(Long time no see John, hope your doing well and keeping wet!)

Hi Kevin,

I'm getting older! Not doing as much diving as I was but can't complain. I've had more than my ration!
JB

Some of these people posting could do with reading my book (unashamed plug!) Shark Bytes.