Diver fights off 12-foot shark

[ScubaSarus]

Ive given these divers the benefit of the doubt that they may have been truely scared, but after realizing others are posing with the shark, I feel the main goal of the divers was to get a trophy and nothing else.

 

[CamG]

Greetings fellow SB'ers. I am a little taken back and saddened at the same time!
I am honestly seeking some members who spear fish to comment on this topic.
I can not imagine the over all opinion from those who are a part of our sphere "divers"
having such a attitude toward sharks. I know that the incident in question they have said they tried to avoid it, but there are some really big discrepancies that are in need of clarification! Just my opinion, I was not there.
I just look at this as a tragic reaction on so many levels. Once again sharks are on the loosing end of yet another media boom.
Once again divers are being slandered by the story! I feel that way, sorry!
Ocean conservation is set back by the actions of a few, the video is to much!
If caught in a moment of survival a shark IS attaching then if the moment requires it I understand. Still saddened but it would be acceptable, I would do everything in my power to survive. But I am betting spear fisherman encounter sharks far more than regular divers. And their voice is needed on this topic.
It might shed some light on the issue, but now it is up to the diving community to patch up the conservation movement and attempt to change the attitude that has once again reared its ugly head! JAWS WAS JUST A MOVIE!
I implore all spear fisherman out there do not feel the next time a shark shows up you need the jaws and tail on your wall! Sad but true............
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!:depressed:

 

[mjh]

CamG is right and polite about it. I think these guys are morons and their story is full of holes.

 

[captain]

Greetings fellow SB'ers. I am a little taken back and saddened at the same time!
I am honestly seeking some members who spear fish to comment on this topic.
I can not imagine the over all opinion from those who are a part of our sphere "divers"
having such a attitude toward sharks. I know that the incident in question they have said they tried to avoid it, but there are some really big discrepancies that are in need of clarification! Just my opinion, I was not there.
I just look at this as a tragic reaction on so many levels. Once again sharks are on the loosing end of yet another media boom.
Once again divers are being slandered by the story! I feel that way, sorry!
Ocean conservation is set back by the actions of a few, the video is to much!
If caught in a moment of survival a shark IS attaching then if the moment requires it I understand. Still saddened but it would be acceptable, I would do everything in my power to survive. But I am betting spear fisherman encounter sharks far more than regular divers. And their voice is needed on this topic.
It might shed some light on the issue, but now it is up to the diving community to patch up the conservation movement and attempt to change the attitude that has once again reared its ugly head! JAWS WAS JUST A MOVIE!
I implore all spear fisherman out there do not feel the next time a shark shows up you need the jaws and tail on your wall! Sad but true............
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!:depressed:

I have been a spearo most of my diving life. I am not a trophy hunter but if a fish is not a protected species I have no issues with someone taking one either by spear or line.

I hunt for food and am selective on what I take and obey the creel and size limits.

I have felt threatened once when diving under a gulf oil rig when two large bull sharks became interested in my buddy and I.
We had no speared fish when they began circling us in a tightening circle. The larger of the two which I estimated at 8 to 10 feet long, broke from the circle and headed straight for me. I had my gun pointed at it but believe me the last thing I wanted to have to do was shoot it. It came head on up to within a foot of my spear tip and then turned away.
Visibility was only about 25 to 30 feet and they swam out of sight. We carefully made a retreat to the boat watching each others backs. If push had come to shove I would have pulled the trigger. Believe me, it is a scary feeling when you think you might become a meal.
Most of my other encounters with sharks while spearing have been fleeting glimpses of them swimming by in the distance.

I think the staged shark feeding dives give people a false sense of the degree of the danger of interacting with a unpredictable wild animal.

I recall Walter here on the board related a scary incident with one he had a few years back.

Sharks are magnificent and dangerous creatures, treat them as such.

 

[Anti-Hero]

There is no way that is a 12 ft. shark. I'd say 9ft. max. Pretty lame video, and equally lame killing of the shark.

 

[captain]

There is no way that is a 12 ft. shark. I'd say 9ft. max. Pretty lame video, and equally lame killing of the shark.

A wide angle underwater lens can distort the size perspective depending on which object is closer to the lens. It is hard enough for the eye to judge size under water because of the refraction and even harder in a wide angle picture. I can make a 10 pound fish look like a 40 pound one if I hold it in outstretched arms close to the camera lens.

 

[HateCheese]

CamG is right and polite about it. I think these guys are morons and their story is full of holes.

I don't think CamG was calling those guys morons. Sounds like he was open minded enough to ask his questions hoping that spearos would respond. Smart enough idea to get an impression from those of us who have significant experiences with sharks and blood in the water - and not just with a camera and a cage.

CamG, I made a long post a few pages back. Quick recap is that noone who spears wants to mess with a shark. And if spearfishers were looking to kill a shark, they come in CLOSE on almost every dive when you are spearing. My impression is that they could shoot a shark every time they are out, so there is probably a good reason that they did this one time.

Photos afterwards could be for anything - it was a rare occurance, they did survive a (use your own word here - dangerous/deadly/threatening/scarry) encounter, good or bad many people capture the moment of big events, anyone 'fishing' is generally regarded as a liar (I caught a fish THIS big....) and it would document the fish, maybe they wanted a photo so when they are 90 yo in a rocking chair talking to their grandkid they can point to the photo and say 'be careful when you...'. Generally, there are lots of shark lovers (me included) and for some, their gut reaction hits the keyboard before they ask themselves a few questions first and ponder.

Here is what someone spearing thinks when they see a shark:
Crap, they only show up when I have a fish on the stringer, never when I have a camera/video.... at least it is far away
CRAP, it is big
CRAP it is moving in, starting to feel like I am on the menu
CRAP CRAP, it is getting closer, do I look tasty?
PLEASE leave me alone, quit circling tighter and tigher
You evolved for 50 kazillion years to be a good predator, get your own fish
Wow, he just made a beeline for me and came within 1ft
*@#^, he just did that again
So, how many times will he do that before he makes an exploratory bite/bite for the fish on the stringer attached to me that would probably kill me?

Guess what, none of us knows the answer to the last one...... Because of that, many who spear have at one point thought - it might be either the shark or me.

Truth is, there is a bias on this board against people who spear. I've been a member for years, but dont post often for that and other reasons - everyone will die unless they dive a bp/w (can't spell out 'back plate and wing' to be cool), you must use a 7ft hose when diving open water, my way is right mentality. There are lots of great people on this board, but it is more often easier to not agitate the few....

Hopefully this somewhat answers your question.

 

[ScubaSteve]

So, how many times will he do that before he makes an exploratory bite/bite for the fish on the stringer attached to me that would probably kill me?

Guess what, none of us knows the answer to the last one.

I really have no intention of posting a lot in this thread because of my involvement in "the other" thread which started to get out of control. I do however have a couple common sense points.

If you have your hard earned catch attached to you and you see a shark swimming by looking to take that fish......WHY kill the shark rather than drop the fish or kill the shark so your buddy does not have to drop the catch? This makes no sense to me as a non-spearo. If I went golfing and my ball landed 6" from an alligator, do you think I am going to attack the alligator with a 9-iron so I do not have to count a stroke? No, common sense should kick in and tell me to take a drop and keep playing safely.

I have made my opinions of this incident abundently clear and they have not changed, so an unbiased answer to this would be appreciated.

 

[TGreene]

Here something for the spearo's to potentially solve this problem...

GREEN LASER

-Tim

 

[mjh]

HateCheese you are right CamG was being very even handed. I am not, what I said stands. I do have some experience with sharks and there is almost always a chance to get out of the situation short of killing the shark and then posing with it.

One of my shark encounters
Silky Shark Encounter on Vimeo