Great White attack on Diver

[lexvil]

We need to remember that we are playing in their yard, don’t be paranoid just aware.
I live in Mountain Lion territory and I dive in GW waters, just know they are there and see you, you will really see them
I hope the link works, try to not look like food. This is just a little ways from where I dive most of the time.

 

[tarponchik]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/sh...ark-attack-victim-gary-johnson-ng-b881426122z

Facts. Gary was not an Abalone diver - they were not snorkelllers, surfers or swimmers - he and his wife ran the Esperance dive club.

@tarponchik - The reference about swimmers and snorkelllers is because it's peak school holiday season and it's a popular holiday destination. The surfers have already started bleating about "bound to happen we need to do something" - of course it was bound to happen and will unfortunately happen again one day. Cull island isn't that far from Kelp Beds where two surfers have been fatalities in a three year period.

@xmass-Eve - that will not be happening. The stupid moron premier at the time who behaved like a hysterical scaredycat pussy by instigating an illegal cull was outted at the next election and will forever be known as Cullin Barnett. Current premier Mark McGowan has a totally different approach to shark mitigation strategies. Shark shields subsidies have been made affordable for those who want them - Gary probably wouldn't have had one because he was a shark lover. McGowan has put in netted shark areas at popular beaches for those who want that extra protection. Last week I took one of my LOB buddies visiting from the US down to a city beach where Ken Crewe was taken in chest deep water and saw the netted area for the first time. People were swimming outside of the netted area and inside - there are no stupid laws forcing you to swim there nor will there be any drum lines.

@DandyDon yes those stats are correct, we have great whites, a lot of them and big ones. It's the southern ocean, they're well studied, we know why they like hanging around there and it's for food source (seal colony) and migratory patterns of their preferred food source (i.e. The salmon run) and they enjoy the colder waters. There are two populations of them down there - a lighter morph who prefer staying close to the coastline and a darker deep way offshore population. There has been an injured whale off the coast in the last week which had been tangled in fishing nets and fisheries dept expected the whale to die after it got free and headed out to sea. Who knows if it did where it ended up and if that is even a relevant factor.

There were seals on the rocks yesterday. Gary's gear was black the time I met them so ... His smile and enthusiasm for the ocean will not be forgotten and he would not want any cull or action taken. I crossed paths and chatted and blew bubbles with them about 5 years ago while looking for sea dragons. A quick chat gave me a glimpse of the local knowledge they had of the area and passion for the ocean - apparently he dived for pleasure almost every day he could and knew and accepted the risks.

Really heartfelt sympathies to his wife and buddy, family, friends and the people of Esperance.

OK, thank you for clarification.

 

[Bob DBF]

I really don't want to take this thread off on any tangent but just wanted to clarify the misconception re abalone diving done by free divers. Not there. We have a world class abalone industry that's done with cages

The misconception may be due to the recreational abalone diving in California US has to be done freediving.

Is there recreational abalone diving there, or just commercial?


Bob

 

[Wingy]

Yes there is recreational abalone "fishing" but it's incredibly policed. Fisheries will be in car parks, on the beaches, on jet skis and helicopters to make sure no one is out of the designated area or in trouble as the main participants are Asian immigrants who often have no "water skills"

Couple of Media grabs -

Last year, to improve safety for recreational fishers after four drownings in five years, the abalone season was restructured to four one-hour session throughout summer.

Those keen to partake of madness must have a valid abalone licence and get to the beach between 7am and 8am on any or all of the three remaining days: January 12, February 2 and February 16.

Two men fined 90K each for attempted trafficking of Abalone

Fisheries Dept website warns in very big letters fines range from $100 to $10,000 up to a certain level then after that it's trafficking and big fines and/or imprisonment.

 

[clownfishsydney]

A member from our dive club in Sydney dived with Gary and his wife a week ago after been invited out on their boat. She said they were kind and generous to do this and they had a beer at a local brewery after the dive. So sad. His body has not yet been recovered according to today's paper, but that of another person who disappeared from a nearby beach has been, he was also attacked by a shark, but this may have been after he died as he drifted off the beach and out to sea.

 

[Wingy]

Michael that was similar to my experience - just bumped into them while staying at Esperance with a friend who is an Ab diver I wanted a dive and he waved across to their boat as we came in - happy smiling lovely couple who said "look here, try there, watch for surge there, come down with us for a look if you've got your gear now if you want" and that's how Gary was apparently and your post really cements that. Seeing his wife and family thanking the police (as the cop being interviewed said - we might have blue shirts on but that doesn't take away the hurt of losing a mate) just nothing but lovely people.

Apparently Gary did have a shark shield but it was not active when he was taken. His wife said he would not want any action taken against sharks and neither did she.

A young guy was washed off the rocks a day or two earlier so their had been a search for his body which was the one recovered.

 

[PelagicPK]

We need to remember that we are playing in their yard, don’t be paranoid just aware.
I live in Mountain Lion territory and I dive in GW waters, just know they are there and see you, you will really see them
I hope the link works, try to not look like food. This is just a little ways from where I dive most of the time.

Thank you for the mind-blowing video! We dive Monterey and Point Lobos with the idea that GWs don't like scuba divers because our gear (breathing on regs) is noisy enough to distinguish us from food under water (not near the surface). Something deters them because they have plenty of opportunities to grab a scuba diver in Monterey. They DO go after Monterey freedivers who spearfish, and freedivers in general if a recent Shark Week test in the middle of the Bay is true. In that test, two freedivers jumped into the waters of Monterey Bay (I'd guess a mile offshore) and descended and ascended silently to see if GWs would take an interest. According to the show, they sure did, like 3 or 4 of them.

Is Australia more dangerous than the California Coast in terms of GW interactions with scuba divers?

 

[Shasta_man]

Seeing them is not the scary part. It's after you see them and they disappear into the gloom.

Right after I got certified in Monterey, I went diving with some instabuddies consisting of another newbie and two experienced divers both using 100s. We did a shore dive where the plan is go out and turn back at ~half air left. Instead the other newbie ran low when we were still way out there. Since I was next lowest on air, I had to ascend with him. Swimming back on the surface was just a bit scary feeling like a bug on the surface, particular trying to cross kelp patches. Saw a seal and otter close up on the way in so that was cool. They were effortlessly swimming about while I icecubed in. Major aerobic workout.

I note you and Lexvil are serious about diving as it's not a short commute for either of you.

 

[Wingy]

I'd have to agree with that Shastaman...I make sure I try and keep any deco time or surface swims to an absolute minimum here - not fond of that dangling bait feeling.

Isn't life strange..that 6 degrees of separation thing - I just found out via FB Gary was a close friends brother in law.