Great White Dive

[PhotoTJ]

I was diving a beach dive here in Malibu, CA today. The red tides seem to be gone, and I thought I'd grab a scallop or two, and get my 'lobster eye' tuned up, as the season starts next week. Now, in the course of getting scallops, you will stir up the water a little, and as a result, you will be visited by our state fish, the Garibaldi. And soon, you will have an entire crowd of friends zooming around you. Kelp bass, Sheepshead, SurfPerch, Blacksmiths, and others.

Well, all this was going on, when I actually heard every fish around me disappear. (Sort of a quick whoosh, if you're wondering.) As soon as everyone vanished, I turned around, tank to the reef, and looked around with my scallop bar held high.

Why?

Cause a 10' Great White was swimming by, passing about 15 feet from me!

I stayed there for 10 minutes or so, I don't think I moved a thing except my eyes, (which were moving a lot!), till I felt a nibble on my glove. The Garibaldi were back.

I pretty much commandoed my way back to shore, swimming in quick dashes from cover to cover. You wouldn't think a 190-pound diver in full gear could hide behind a single kelp stipe, but I managed it.

OK, I've now dove with a Great White with no cage! And I didn't soil my wetsuit!

 

[sapphire]

I can't even imagine, TJ :wacko: !! [note to self - don't go U/W hunting with TJ...] I am glad you had that KELP to protect you, LOL

be careful,

sapphire

 

[the sharkman]

Wow. That right there is a dive of a lifetime. Seems like we're having a lot of Great White sightings, but it's rare to have one from a diver. Now I wish I would've never watched "Jaws".

:guitar:

 

[Karen Cleveland]

All I can say is WOW!!! You just had a dive of a lifetime!

I know it noticed you but did it show any interest at all? Reason I ask is my dive buddy saw one at San Clemente Island a few years back and he noticed it after it had swam over him....he was retreiving someone's weight belt from the bottom. When he looked up he saw the tail end swimming away from him about 15ft away. So at some point it was pretty close but it just swam by.

Great story thanks for posting it!

Karen

 

[docmartin]

i am green with envy. it is not the kind of encounter most would intentionally seek but if it happens and all ends well it is right up there with getting abducted by aliens (only more credible).

 

[pasley]

You neglected to say where in Malibu this magnificent encouter occured.

Sounds like you had truely remarkable experience. I am :gator: with envy.

 

[KBulla]

All I can say is "Wow!" I know this wasn't necessarily a sought after experience, but what an amazing moment or several moments you had. Cage diving with Great Whites is something I will do before I retire my regulator, but to just look around and see one... And that whoosh and silence must have been so surreal when the fish hit the deck. My hat is off to you.

~Kris

 

[ChrisM]

all I can say is WOW......

I am amazed that you didn't soil the suit.... The recent sightings of GWs have not kept me out of the water because common sense tells me nothing will happen... But I believe if I saw one I would first cry like a little girl, and then brag about it to all my friends once I got out of the water.

What Malibu site? Enquiring minds want to know.....

Chris

 

[large_diver]

Wow.....I love the comment about something nibbling on your glove....that would have made me jump about 2 miles under the circumstances ;-)

 

[Raven C]

Man, that's what we've been talking about. I WISH I WAS THERE!!!

I can just see those baby blues scanning now. LOL

How incredibly inspiring. I need to go hunting I mean diving. Heehee. We need to talk. I want all the details. (My eyes are so big and the grin is well, ear to ear.)

SO very cool. R