Great white takes scallop diver - Mexico
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MidOH
Banned
They zap the shark while it's checking you out.
If a shark hits you at full speed like it would a sea lion, you're dead. But who the heck scubas where GW's hunt seals like that?
If a shark hits you at full speed like it would a sea lion, you're dead. But who the heck scubas where GW's hunt seals like that?
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Thought that was explained. More time in their territory, making noise, focused on looking down. Shark encounters are a numbers game; the longer you're in the water the higher the chance of coming across one. The old-time abalone divers in South Australia used to spend 7-8 hours underwater at a stretch (which also led to a number of them getting bent like pretzels); spend that much time underwater making noise and there's a good chance something is going to check you out. If your head is down in the rocks when that happens, you won't see it coming.
Considering almost 20 years before that a writer asked him how many white shark encounters he'd had while urchin diving off the Farallones (usually with no tender on the boat, so completely solo) and his answer was "about 400," he had a pretty good run before taking a relatively minor injury (I'd call still walking and talking immediately after a predator the size of a pickup takes a shot at you "minor"). Granted, he'd had other tussles with white sharks before then - getting his mask knocked off, having to hit them over the head with an urchin basket, the clip below which went viral (and is even more chilling in the context of this fatality) - but that was "first blood" so to speak. Overall he seems to consider that another day at work (some days I might consider white sharks a step down in hazard level from commuting in Miami).
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Seems there have been three known fatal attacks on divers using shark shields, which may have occurred when the unit was off or improperly configured.
Ocean Guardian - Wikipedia
Generally they're pretty effective, although some configurations may be ... problematic if not used wisely.
Sharks are very sensitive to electromagnetic fields; within a few meters of the unit it's enough to induce muscle spasms from the sensory overload.
Wild animals are generally operating off a cost-benefit analysis - if they expend too much energy or incur a serious injury taking down prey, it may kill them. Catching prey unaware is always preferable (like how Hollywood aside, successful fighter aces in history got most of their kills shooting someone in the ass when they weren't looking). It's not so much "staring them down" as making it clear you are aware of them, you are tracking their movements, and you could exact an undesired cost in terms of energy expenditure and injury. Take the clip below as an example; if the tiger shark had caught the turtle off guard and gotten a bite in on the shell edge (where it would have purchase and leverage to bite through), it would be an easy kill over in seconds instead of a prolonged maneuvering duel (with a small but plausible risk of injury, like the turtle snapping at an eye).Well, if we are going to share horrific diver/shark stories, then there is this from way back in the day.
25 Years Later, Memories of Shark Attack Remain Vivid
It happened 25 years ago, but the image of sharks savagely attacking his diving partner and dragging him to the hazy depths of the Caribbean is as vivid in Bret Gilliam's mind today as it was in the days after the attack.www.latimes.com
As for "staring sharks down", works for some, but take it from an old 'shark diver' (pre wreck diving daze) with all limbs still attached, does not even faze others. Highly recommend the Shark Shield though, although even it wont stop a determined shark.
But sure beats trying to stare them down.
The case you referenced involved oceanic whitetips, which tend to live in a "food desert" and don't pass up many opportunities to eat. That said, the diver taken was alone at the time, there were multiple sharks, and even after his buddy tried to assist they ignored him and pressed home their attacks on an already-wounded target.
so basically just keep your back to the shark when they try to bite then when you get a chance bite the tip of its tail… got it 
Belzelbub
Contributor
They work pretty well. Lots of videos out there showing the tests they did with various sharks. One thing, they will zap divers if they come in contact with the whip. I’ve zapped myself, and it’s got some kick.
First dive I did with mine deterred a shark. I’ve noticed significantly fewer sharks with the shield compared to previous dives. My buddy actually saw the shark on that first dive and the abrupt change in direction convinced him that it worked. He stayed closer than usual that dive.
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
An open circuit hooka diver in probably clear water? Not a chance.
Mistaken identity happens to surfers, not scuba divers. My guess is it was an exploratory bite, but unfortunately an exploratory bite from a 19ft shark is pretty much guaranteed to be fatal, regardless of where you get bit.
AZTinman
Contributor
In 2010, Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla and group of researchers published a study entitled: Records of the white shark, Carcharon, in the Gulf of California. The study includes some interesting information. One of the specimens documented in the study was over twenty-one feet long. This particular shark died while entangled in a totoabe gill net set in about thirty feet of water at El Glulfo de Santa Clara in the extreme northern end of the Gulf of California. El Gulfo de Santa Clara is northwest of beach resort community of Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Sonora.
Tha conclusions of the research group regarding the times of the year white sharks were most frequently present in the Gulf of California. It seems that numbers go up during the winter and spring months. The Gulf of California is a temperate body of water; it cools significantly during the winter months.
Unfortunately, the location of the 2018 fatal shark attack southeast of Puerto Penasco, Sonora isn't noted in the 2023 Shark attack map included in the original post for this thread. Locations of the fatalities south of Guaymas are noted on the map. The 2018 fatality was southwest of Isla San Jorge (Bird Island) and occurred in deep water. The deceased diver was transported via panga to Puerto Penasco. Photos of the deceased diver were pretty gruesome.
-AZTinman
Tha conclusions of the research group regarding the times of the year white sharks were most frequently present in the Gulf of California. It seems that numbers go up during the winter and spring months. The Gulf of California is a temperate body of water; it cools significantly during the winter months.
Unfortunately, the location of the 2018 fatal shark attack southeast of Puerto Penasco, Sonora isn't noted in the 2023 Shark attack map included in the original post for this thread. Locations of the fatalities south of Guaymas are noted on the map. The 2018 fatality was southwest of Isla San Jorge (Bird Island) and occurred in deep water. The deceased diver was transported via panga to Puerto Penasco. Photos of the deceased diver were pretty gruesome.
-AZTinman
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