My Biggest Fear (GW Shark encounter)

[pasley]

When I was taught to dive, the protocol for a shark such as the GW is head for the bottom and find some place to hunker down. Swimming for the surface puts GW in a better position for attack as they are particularly fond of the attack from below of suspected dinner items on or near the surface.

 

[BroadSkyDiver]

Looks like you made a friend! It looked very interested in you! Seems like it didn't know what to make of you, but every time you poked the gun at it, it backed off. It knew something was up, didn't know what just that you could "reach out" further than it a thought you could.

BroadSkyDiver, yes act aggressive towards the shark if it keeps coming back. Their normal prey swims away, standing your "ground" and poking at it will let it know that you are not what it's looking for. Stan Waterman was the 1st to record GWs outside a cage. He kept 5 large GWs at a safe distance by poking them with a stick with a nail at the end.

When I was taught to dive, the protocol for a shark such as the GW is head for the bottom and find some place to hunker down. Swimming for the surface puts GW in a better position for attack as they are particularly fond of the attack from below of suspected dinner items on or near the surface.

Great comments guys. I consider this life saving knowledge if this situation arises. Thank you.

 

[AfterDark]

Great comments guys. I consider this life saving knowledge if this situation arises. Thank you.

As a side note I've been diving 44 years this year with over 2000 dives never encountered a GW. However things have changed the protection of marine mammals have increased their numbers and have brought GWs to places they haven't been in numbers for 100years. Before 2006 I think there had been only one attack in Buzzards Bay MA that was blamed on a GW, back in the 1930's, there is some speculation however that it may have been a very large goosefish! Point being that New England hasn't been known as a feeding grounds for GWs. That is changing.

In 2006 I think a GW grabbed, then let go of a swimmer's leg in Touro, MA Cape Cod. IMO we can expect more of these mistakes in the future as more GWs come to feed and of course get BIGGER! There are more and more studies being done along the Cape's shoreline because that's where the GW's are. Live'in with nature is always exciting!

 

[Skittl1321]

If you ever hear that music underwater, you know things are not going to turn out well...

 

[drbill]

Although I'd always heard that GWS attack from below, I've seen more than one giant sea bass with jaw/tooth marks on their dorsal surfaces suggesting GWS can and do attack from above as well. I still think the advice of heading to the bottom makes sense. In my 45 years of diving Catalina waters, I've only knowingly had a GWS come close once... a 14 ft swam behind me while I was filming giant sea bass buddied up with the artist Wyland.

When I first moved to Catalina, I was quite nervous about GWS. When I saw Jaws, I stopped diving even though I was working in the summer with Jean-Michel Cousteau. Three years later, he saw me suiting up to dive and asked what got me back in the water. I said I saw "Jaws II."

 

[xyrandomyx]

Although I'd always heard that GWS attack from below, I've seen more than one giant sea bass with jaw/tooth marks on their dorsal surfaces suggesting GWS can and do attack from above as well. I still think the advice of heading to the bottom makes sense. In my 45 years of diving Catalina waters, I've only knowingly had a GWS come close once... a 14 ft swam behind me while I was filming giant sea bass buddied up with the artist Wyland.

When I first moved to Catalina, I was quite nervous about GWS. When I saw Jaws, I stopped diving even though I was working in the summer with Jean-Michel Cousteau. Three years later, he saw me suiting up to dive and asked what got me back in the water. I said I saw "Jaws II."

White Sharks are known to sometimes prey on Shorttail Stingrays here. The rays seem to prefer the bottom, so it'd make sense that the sharks would attack those from the top too.

 

[ccx2]

Seems pretty easy to me , just shove your Scuber Divers Oxygent bottle in its mouth and blow it up like they did in the movie,at least that's what I'd do.