Off-topic Discussion moved from Diver Missing in the Bahamas thread

[Mike]

Is that $1000 offer good to anyone? I'd like in on that given we have video of a reef shark approaching within 5 ft last week in Jupiter. I will say it was not a threatening approach, just a curious shark.



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I'd like some of that $1000 too if I could -

Here is a video from a couple of weeks ago from a dive in Belize, those noises 3 or 4 times are me bashing the sharks with my video rig

 

[The Chairman]

Pete, you left out HAWAII,,,,,,,



Haw. Rev. Stat. § 188-40.6 : Hawaii Statutes - Section 188-40.6: Shark feeding; prohibitions; exceptions; penalties.

They conveniently exclude chumming. What a crock!

 

[scorpiofish]

When I encounter these people who claim that sharks are approaching divers, the discussion ends pretty quickly. First, I tell them that I will give them $1,000 if they can get a shark to come close enough to me for a great pic without a dead or wounded fish (excluding nurse sharks, barracudas, and sand tigers in North Carolina). Second, I ask them to identify the dive site because I want to dive there to see if for myself.

They quickly stfu.

People don't understand that it is not easy getting a shark to come close even with a crate of dead, bloody fish. To this day, I have only one "acceptable" pic of a Bull Shark because I can't get them close enough to me. Great Hammers and Sandbar Sharks are very difficult to get close to; and, if one does decide to come close, it usually does one or two passes then moves on. We are having better luck feeding them while snorkeling with them; apparently, because they don't like the bubbles; but, still not easy and most are still not coming in close enough.

While I agree with your point, I would like my $1000 please. Wolf Island, Galapagos. Galapagos sharks. No bait. Close enough to touch. Also, so friends have been bumped by Silkies while bobbing at the surface in the Galapagos. They get curious when they see you bobbing.

I won't even count photos of white tips (not oceanic white tips). You can find them piled up under ledges in Galapagos and Socorros during the day.

 

[Doug Kahle]

Is that $1000 offer good to anyone? I'd like in on that given we have video of a reef shark approaching within 5 ft last week in Jupiter. I will say it was not a threatening approach, just a curious shark.



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I'm betting 5 feet is really closer to 8 to 10 feet, which is not good enough. I need the shark 3 to 5 feet in front of me.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 11:45 AM ----------

I'd like some of that $1000 too if I could -

Here is a video from a couple of weeks ago from a dive in Belize, those noises 3 or 4 times are me bashing the sharks with my video rig

That's interesting. Are they feeding there? What do you think it was attracted to? But, you need to get me close enough for a great pic.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 11:47 AM ----------

While I agree with your point, I would like my $1000 please. Wolf Island, Galapagos. Galapagos sharks. No bait. Close enough to touch. Also, so friends have been bumped by Silkies while bobbing at the surface in the Galapagos. They get curious when they see you bobbing.

I won't even count photos of white tips (not oceanic white tips). You can find them piled up under ledges in Galapagos and Socorros during the day.

Again, you need to get me close enough to the shark for a great pic. Yeah, the white tips (not OWT's) don't count either, they are like nurse sharks.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ----------

Well, as noted above...you need dead or wounded fish to attract them...they will not approach without that (please disregard what you witnessed on your trip, that doesn't count). but their behavior is not altered by doing this...huh? pretzel logic there...

I don't think anyone is claiming the shark's behavior is not altered. Of course it's altered. A human simply being in their environment alters their behavior. A shark that "sees" a diver on a reef and then changes its course just had its behavior altered. Spear-fishing alters shark behavior; fishing from a pier, the beach, a boat, or any place else alters their behavior; a boat going overhead alters a shark's behavior; a shark swimming near the surface that encounters the shadow of a plane going overhead just had its behavior altered; and so on and so on.

So, are you against any activity that alters the shark's behavior?

The issue is how is the shark's behavior altered -- in a "detrimental" way?

 

[wspalding]

I'm betting 5 feet is really closer to 8 to 10 feet, which is not good enough. I need the shark 3 to 5 feet in front of me.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 11:45 AM ----------



That's interesting. Are they feeding there? What do you think it was attracted to? But, you need to get me close enough for a great pic.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 11:47 AM ----------



Again, you need to get me close enough to the shark for a great pic. Yeah, the white tips (not OWT's) don't count either, they are like nurse sharks.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ----------



I don't think anyone is claiming the shark's behavior is not altered. Of course it's altered. A human simply being in their environment alters their behavior. A shark that "sees" a diver on a reef and then changes its course just had its behavior altered. Spear-fishing alters shark behavior; fishing from a pier, the beach, a boat, or any place else alters their behavior; a boat going overhead alters a shark's behavior; a shark swimming near the surface that encounters the shadow of a plane going overhead just had its behavior altered; and so on and so on.

So, are you against any activity that alters the shark's behavior?

The issue is how is the shark's behavior altered -- in a "detrimental" way?

Come dive Jupiter during Lemon shark migration.



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[reefman]

elphinstone reef(southern red sea), that's me snorkeling and the oceanic's third pass, my cressi's on his head. happened the next day on daedulus island as well. ditched those yellow fins upon finishing that trip. can acquire closer captures than that as our entire photo group were all on safety stops below me.


reefman
key largo

 

[Mike]

But, you need to get me close enough for a great pic.

That's funny. If they are close enough you have to hit them with your camera rig 3-4 times on the head because they are too close, I think that's close enough for you to get your pictures. Any closer would put you inside them.

---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 09:15 AM ----------

So, are you against any activity that alters the shark's behavior?

The issue is how is the shark's behavior altered -- in a "detrimental" way?

The sharks in my video have without any doubts been fed and they are now pain in the asses due to it since they now associate a diver out from the rest of the group away from the reef as someone who is going to feed them. Maybe you'd like it because you could get your pictures, but to others (me) when they come in aggressively to your body and you have to beat them off, it's not fun anymore. That's altered in a detrimental way in my book.

 

[Doug Kahle]

Come dive Jupiter during Lemon shark migration.


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I dove it every Saturday, Sunday, and most holidays this past year. There was bait. I would estimate that only 20% to 30% of the Lemons came close enough for a great pic with the bait. Many of them were too shy to get too close. When we fed them all the bait, they stopped coming close.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

When I encounter these people who claim that sharks are approaching divers, the discussion ends pretty quickly. First, I tell them that I will give them $1,000 if they can get a shark to come close enough to me for a great pic without a dead or wounded fish (excluding nurse sharks, barracudas, and sand tigers in North Carolina). Second, I ask them to identify the dive site because I want to dive there to see if for myself.

They quickly stfu.

People don't understand that it is not easy getting a shark to come close even with a crate of dead, bloody fish. To this day, I have only one "acceptable" pic of a Bull Shark because I can't get them close enough to me. Great Hammers and Sandbar Sharks are very difficult to get close to; and, if one does decide to come close, it usually does one or two passes then moves on. We are having better luck feeding them while snorkeling with them; apparently, because they don't like the bubbles; but, still not easy and most are still not coming in close enough.

Most Tigers we encounter are too shy to come close enough. We see them on the perimeter, or, they give us one quick fly-by and we never see them again.

Also, the study by Neil Hammerschlag and the U of Miami demonstrated that feeding Tigers had no impact on their migration. Thus, why did the Tigers not stay at Tiger Beach where they can obtain easy food? Why are they not staying in the area with the divers that are feeding them?

Also, this past Lemon Shark migration in Palm Beach County demonstrated that we had 20 to 30 Lemon Sharks for a couple months. Then, suddenly, they all disappeared. They left us and continued on their migration. Again, why did they not stay with the divers who were feeding them?

In conclusion, you expect me to believe that these very same sharks that I cannot get close to with a crate of bloody dead fish are approaching divers who have no dead fish? Bull****! Bull****! Bull****! Again, I got a $1,000 for you if you can get one close to me without a dead fish or wounded fish.

Are you serious? You will pay me $1000 if you get a picture? How far away do you need to be to get a good picture? You decide what is a good picture, so if your focus is off - no payment is made? Lastly, can you freedive or only scuba?

 

[Scott from LongIsland]

what is wrong with the Galapagos picture again? man, i have never seen anyone alter their stance/argument so much to fit their end goal. selective reasoning at its best.