Hammer Head Shark on San Francisco reef today.

[noj3333]

I wish I had stayed a few days longer

You would have been over the ledge looking for your next target by the time he was spotted!!

All kidding aside, I caught a quick glimpse of it right when we splashed, and I thought to myself, "That shark is HUGE". By the time i got closer to the group I signaled to George, "BIG shark over there", but I think he had just got outside of our visibility distance.

He started to swim to me, and we both started looking for it (I was looking and thinking, "This thing better show up, or George is going to think I'm a F'in dope"...

I was actually looking in George's direction when he saw it, and I saw him light up, and signal an unknown, but obvious, hand sign to me, "Hammer Head Shark"...

We were able to watch him for another 90 seconds or so before he swam off. In the end 3 of the 4 divers saw it. Mike was too far away to hear the commotion, so unfortunately, he missed it.

After reading some of these comments I feel even more lucky to have seen him.

 

[noj3333]

That's an impressive dorsal fin. Do big sharks like that tend to hang around for a while or are they just passing through?

I believe there was another sighting on an adjacent dive site as well... so he may have been in the neighborhood for awhile.

 

[noj3333]

This is the second pictue that was captured of him... both by the same member of our group.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

This is the second pictue that was captured of him... both by the same member of our group.

The high dorsal fin is a give away on Great Hammerheads, one very close. I have seen several at Punta SUR over the years but they are just passing through…where to?

Dave Dillehay

 

[Guitarcrazy]

Last year there was a large hammerhead hanging around as well. We saw several black tip reef sharks, and we got a really close encounter with the hammerhead. I have a video somewhere, if I find it I will post it.

 

[Green Frog]

It’s a shame the viz was so low. I’d love to have a good clean image of that guy!

When I saw the pair of Scalloped Hammerheads I mentioned (San Sal, Bahamas) I was on the edge of the wall @ about 60-70 feet and they were about 30 feet below me in pretty clear water. It tried to swim down toward them to get a better photo, not knowing they were swimming downward at a gentle angle too. When I looked at my computer and noticed I was @ 138 feet, I nearly swallowed my regulator, and I still wasn’t any closer! Those guys just seem to be camera shy.



PS I tried manipulating those 2 images you posted with the basic tools on my iPad. Neither one could be sharpened up very much, but I was able to help the first one a little. Both will go into my library until I can find a better one. Did you get the name of the photographer (for attribution)?

 

[JFS]

Been a lot of hammerhead sightings in Cozumel the past 3-4 years now. Usually you will have a better chance seeing one during winter months with cooler water. This year there has been sightings all through the summer. Animals go wherever they can find food.... Ive seen several hammers on the reefs and walls of Cozumel including a pair of scalloped.