Diver fights off 12-foot shark

[ScubaSteve]

I have asked this question just recently and the staff do TRY to notify people when they delete posts. However, sometimes when there are a lot of "offenders", they are sometimes unable to get too all of them. Either way, I am fairly certain we can rely on them to perform their duties effectively (although not everybody agrees with it). If the offenses by an individual are completely out of line, then I am certain the notification the offender will get will be about taking a break from ScubaBoard for a set period of time.

I stand by the fact that I think many people are being lablelled anit-spearo simply because they have argued passionately about this one incident. I for one allowed my discussion to get passionate but I really am only discussing this incident and not spearing in general. Just my $0.02.

End

 

[banffski]

I have dived with sharks many times. I serious believe that the went there to kill and capture on video the killing of the shark to get there 5 mins of fame. If you go to ww.youtube.com/banffski]YouTube - banffski's Channel[/url] you will see me diving with 20 or more 10 to 12 foot bullsharks all within 4 feet of me. If they were actually trying to attack, there would be no stopping them, sharks are fast and very powerful creatures, the fact that knowone even had a bite makes me believe that the did not do this in self defence. They should be ashamed of themselfs.

 

[HateCheese]

I have dived with sharks many times. I serious believe that the went there to kill and capture on video the killing of the shark to get there 5 mins of fame. If you go to ww.youtube.com/banffski]YouTube - banffski's Channel[/url] you will see me diving with 20 or more 10 to 12 foot bullsharks all within 4 feet of me. If they were actually trying to attack, there would be no stopping them, sharks are fast and very powerful creatures, the fact that knowone even had a bite makes me believe that the did not do this in self defence. They should be ashamed of themselfs.

I went to YouTube and watched the video you mentioned. Nice video by the way. But it is the proverbial 'apples to oranges'. There is very little about that video that you can realistically compare to spearing. I saw a bunch of divers in a group, kneeling down on the sand. It appears there was bait placed out for good photos based on the sharks behavior and most of the divers holding cameras. So, there were divers in the water, bulls in the water, and food in the water, but why is this apples to oranges?

1) That dive was obviously a 'shark encounter' dive, where you can only imagine how many times those sharks had come in on dead fish. Sharks aren't stupid animals, they came in for the free, EASY meal, just like they probably did dozens or hundreds of times before.
2) Do you see the divers all packed together? BIG difference comparing that to spearing. If you know anything about animal behavior, you know that even a large predator attempts to avoid getting hurt. A half dozen grouped up divers is WAY bigger than any of those bulls. Spearing does not involve groups of spearfishers shoulder to shoulder, and this is VERY significant. Many refer to spearing as solo diving. The space separation between a buddy pair is generally larger than on a regular rec dive, some even refer to it as 'same ocean buddies'. COMPLETELY different from the sharks perspective - a group of divers vs 1 diver. Please don't discount this as it applies to most animals and certainly sharks, heck put it in your own perspective if it helps - imagine the difference between walking down a dark alley at midnight by yourself seeing a big dude vs you doing the same with a big group of friends. Both you and the big dude would have vastly different thoughts based on you being by yourself or with a group.
3) DEAD fish. Dead fish don't move. Dead fish dont shake or quiver. Dead fish dont bleed as much. Stimulation for a bull shark would be INCREDIBLY different. It senses blood in the water, and it has greatly developed nerves that pick up a 'distressed' fish by the way it shakes. This is so obvious I think I've said enough.
4) Distance. Sure, you think you have an idea of feeding behavior having seen a staged feeding. I've seen tigers eat in a zoo, but I wouldn't think of extrapolating from that....... Maybe your perspective would be different if you were holding the spear with a fish on it, or had a fish on a stringer clipped to your D ring. And when a bull comes in on you and it is THAT close and there is FRESH blood in the water, and the fish does one last little death quiver, MAYBE then you would understand that what you experienced in the video is NOTHING like spearing.

I am not trying to bust your chops, or appear like I am blasting you, cause I am not and greatly dislike those that post and resort to that behavior. But honestly, It is my opinion that the YouTube video you posted is more similar to an encounter in a zoo than it is to an encounter while spearing. Maybe the wording of that sounds bad, and sorry if it does cause that isn't my intent. Possibly a better way to ask it would be this - Would you feel the SAME level of comfort if on that dive you had a freshly killed fish on a stringer clipped to your D ring??????

 

[captain]

Hatecheese's anaylsis is similar to the Steve Irwin incident. Many of you probably have been to stingray city in the Caymans where people feed the rays without getting stung. These rays are so used to people and free food rarely does anything happen. Steve Irwin was trying to interact with a ray that had not been programed to accept the presence of people. In that instance Irwin lost his life not the ray.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I'v formed my opinion and thats that its just an opinion like others have.

I was looking to see a video of a shark charging at a diver and then being speared just in time or maybe an actual bite or bump by the shark . All I see is a shark meandering about and a 2 hour ordeal to kill it. I see no video or photo of the shark directing any unprovoked anger or threrat towards the diver before being speared. All I see is presence that propogated the fear of the divers well equippped to kill sealife.

Someone show me some.

The way the setting was: cameras, loads of spears, media coverage, a 10ft tall diver, possible money paid out etc makes this out to be opportunity taken.

 

[HateCheese]

Has a full video been posted, or just clips?

I have only seen clips. ScubaSarus, do you have a link to the whole video?

 

[ScubaSarus]

I wish I did Cheese because that would dispell some of the myths we have and it would suit the divers purpose to show us the footage showing that the shark was about to attack them.

I have no doubt the shark was a threat as many sharks have that potential; but there are many peopel walking about that are threats and we just avoid them and keep a safe comfort zone.

 

[TGreene]

I spend every waking moment, rain or shine, freezing or warm on my motorcycle... To the tune of 20,000+ miles a year.

I stand a far better chance of being taken by some Soccer Mom in her shiny new SUV that's generally too busy chatting or texting her friends than paying attention to the road. Countless bikers are killed or critically injured every year by people that "just didn't see the motorcycle", which makes ever present of the dangers that surround us every time we toss a leg over our bikes. By being constantly aware of our total surroundings and prepared, we can place ourselves in a far better position to take evasive action.

There is no such thing as a motorcycle going up against a car or truck and coming out the victor... Never has been and never will be.

This places us at great risk every time we "dive into those waters", but we have just as much right to be there as every other licensed and registered vehicle/driver does. In fact we're also faced with hundreds of thousands of UNLICENSED and UNREGISTERED motor vehicles/drivers that are every bit as much of a problem as the licensed ones. Even though they may be tailing us with incredibly short distances between ourselves and them and placing our lives in great risk by doing so, we can't legally shoot them. Sometimes it only takes a slippery patch of pavement to bring a bike down, and then the vehicle tailing said bike cannot possibly not stop in time to avert disaster. If an animal darts out in front of me and I have to grab my brakes and quickly down shift, that same person tailing me at close range will not have time to keep from squishing me...

Now we get to the greatest potential for automobile/motorcycle: The left turn into a bikers path! A very close friend lost his leg last summer by a seriously underinsured motorist driving an SUV that was didn't see him... My buddy got artificial leg for Christmas, but wasn't able to provide Christmas for his 2 young boys or wife, because every spare dime has had to go towards his medical bills. :sad:

For the greatest visibility and to be heard the best, like many bikers I have yanked the baffles out of the pipes, wired in a 130db horn and added high intensity spot lights. The world is full of people that want me arrested because I have "loud pipes", my lights bother them, and *gasp* I choose to sometimes not wear a helmet.

Rather than focusing on the issue of drivers talking and texting on their phones while behind the wheel, THEY would much rather legislate bikers right off the roads. Just because we wear black leathers and ride around on 2 wheels instead of 4, shouldn't make us any less human than the others, but again, we can't kill them or even take an ounce of a defensive measure against them, though we are inadvertently targeted every day by idiot drivers.


The moral of the story is that statistically you're far better off in the ocean with 12 foot sharks circling you than you are on a motorcycle surrounded by SUV's... And if I can't kill an SUV driver, you shouldn't be able to kill a shark!

-Tim

 

[Hank49]

The moral of the story is that statistically you're far better off in the ocean with 12 foot sharks circling you than you are on a motorcycle surrounded by SUV's... And if I can't kill an SUV driver, you shouldn't be able to kill a shark!

-Tim

Your analogy is again apples to oranges. Your comparison of sharks to SUVs is would be applicable if you were to try and swim with twenty or more 35 foot whale sharks or huge mantas. You very likely could get injured ACCIDENTALLY by a huge tail swipe or collision. The animals are harmless in intention but very dangerous in reality if you choose to swim with them.
The tiger or bull shark in this instance is there for one reason. It's looking for the easy meal, as mentioned many times. Most sharks I've encountered free dive spearing approach, see that I'm pretty large and bolt off before I can even tell what species it is. But on a few occasions rather larger bull sharks were letting me know who was boss and they showed no fear of me whatsoever. I kept my gun pointed at them the whole time they circled me looking for that easy meal I had just shot.
I love seeing sharks. But I wouldn't hesistate to shoot one through the gills if I thought he was getting too bold. It's impossible to tell if one will attack or not for sure and becomes a purely judgemental decision whether to shoot or not.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I like his analogy when looked at in a simplified means. We face threats every day but don't go off killing to avoid them