Men in gray suits in Norcal

[Peter_C]

dsafanda, I totally agree, but having some knowledge never hurts. I was always impressed with how Great Whites struck so hard at the surface be it a bird or pinniped. The fact that they generally hit from below means if you stay on the bottom your chances of not being attacked are even better. Do you remember the kid that was attacked on a boogie board probably 12 years ago at Stinson beach? He was my neighbor in Lucas Valley. I think it was 48 stitches later or something, he recovered and was seen playing in the street often.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I've got over 1100 dives in Monterey, and maybe 15 at the Farallones, and I've never
seen a GW. I've seen Leopard sharks, an Angel Shark, and three Thresher Sharks (2
UW, one jumped clean out of the water while we were on the boat) and four or five
blues.

Very few of the divers who have been hit by a white saw it coming.

The more common definition of the Red Triangle is Ano Nuevo to the Farallones to
Pt. Reyes. It does not include Monterey or Stillwater (where the Scubaboarders are
going tomorrow).

Net: worry about drunk drivers and drivers on cell phones (one yacker damn near got
me driving home from Monterey this afternoon).

 

[Hogie]

Well, I'm convinced. I'll try to make the next Norcal dive. That is presuming I'm not run down on my way bicycling to work by a drunk driver talking on their cell phone. ;-)

 

[renpirate]

Welcome to the North Coast! Our next dive will be the first weekend of June.

 

[Ishie]

Elephant seals are a GW delicacy, so I'd say don't dive in places where there's huge elephant seal haul outs, particularly during landlord season.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of ano nuevo and the Farallons as known elephant seal breeding grounds, and you wouldn't catch me diving either (don't have the skill for the latter anyway).

Few other places I wouldn't dive... Tamales is a GW breeding ground, so I'd probably avoid it. But attacks are few and far between. The last fatality was off Humboldt county, but the victim was freediving for abs, which is higher risk; fatality before that was way down south and that was a swimmer.

I dive Monterey/Carmel. Last attack I heard of around here was Marco Flagg in the 90s (lived; wasn't too seriously injured) and I could be wrong, but I think the last death was a swimmer in Lovers Cove in the 1950s.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I dive Monterey/Carmel. Last attack I heard of around here was Marco Flagg in the 90s (lived; wasn't too seriously injured) and I could be wrong, but I think the last death was a swimmer in Lovers Cove in the 1950s.

There was a fatal attack on a surfer at Spanish Bay in 1981.

Here's the official scorecard: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/sharkdata2.pdf

 

[Ishie]

I like the "encounter" language. Lotta surface attacks.

Though it lists the attack at Point Lobos as a major injury, which I found surprising. What constitutes minor?

 

[Hogie]

There was a fatal attack on a surfer at Spanish Bay in 1981.

Here's the official scorecard: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/sharkdata2.pdf

I poked around the site for a while and found some interesting stuff. I thought it was funny how similar the Salmon and White sharks look. I wonder how many "small" GW sitings are actually Salmon sharks.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/lamnidae.pdf

 

[Ishie]

Hmmm, looks like a mako and a white had a baby. Forbidden luv...

Do they hang out this far south? I thought their prime stomping ground (swimming ground?) was in Alaska.

With the breeding grounds near Tamales Bay, I'd think baby GW sightings would be baby GW sightings (or leopard sharks disguising themselves to get more respect)?

 

[KelpCoasters]

I poked around the site for a while and found some interesting stuff. I thought it was funny how similar the Salmon and White sharks look. I wonder how many "small" GW sitings are actually Salmon sharks.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/lamnidae.pdf

I don't think I've heard of salmon shark sightings around here. Something interesting to research...