Possible GWS at N. Monastery

[bbianchi]

A good buddy of mine, who is my sequential PADI Pro # partner as well as a local DM may have run across a GWS this past weekend.

From what he told me, he was taking someone from out of the country for a tour dive at North Monastery on Sunday. After the dive she asked what kind of fish would be 7-8 feet big and have white gills. When they returned to the dive shop he gave her a fish ID book and she picked out the GWS.

Very possible as I believe him, and the person on the tour was acting fairly certain.

 

[Ben_ca]

Could also be a salmon shark... remember that tiny thing someone found a while back everyone was certain it was a GWS then the Aquarium guys id'd it as a Salmon

 

[rdjiv]

Jaws Theme

 

[Ben_ca]

Jaws Theme

Does anyone have one of those underwater MP3 players? I want to blast the music next time I'm diving... then hang around the parking lot and watch the reactions

 

[El Dude]

A good buddy of mine, who is my sequential PADI Pro # partner as well as a local DM may have run across a GWS this past weekend.

From what he told me, he was taking someone from out of the country for a tour dive at North Monastery on Sunday. After the dive she asked what kind of fish would be 7-8 feet big and have white gills. When they returned to the dive shop he gave her a fish ID book and she picked out the GWS.

Very possible as I believe him, and the person on the tour was acting fairly certain.

No doubt you or your friend are telling the truth. I wonder what kind of shark it was? 7-8 ft is a good size. How far off was the shark? Since Monastery has that canyon there it could have been any number of sharks. The three pelagics that come to mind other than the white shark (NOT GREAT white, that's an ichthyological pet peeve of mine, AFS only recognized the WHITE shark, i digress...) are the salmon, soupfins and blues. All can get to respectable size and are found in MoCal. I'm NOT calling anyone a liar, just thinking aloud through type, on a board, kinda silly I know. If it was a white shark I think they are very blessed to have seen one. I was buzzed by the man in the grey suit once off flatiron in Trinidad. It's really tough to spot ID large sharks if you're not formally trained. But it sure is fun no matter what!!!!!

 

[Ben_ca]

It's really tough to spot ID large sharks if you're not formally trained....

It's tough to ID anything when you are scared $hitless!!!!

 

[Peter_C]

Well the Monterey trench is right there and Great Whites are known to be in the area. That is exactly how I want to meet the Landlord. Way cool experience even if it wasn't a Great White.

 

[El Dude]

It's tough to ID anything when you are scared $hitless!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Spoken like a true prophet Ben!

 

[andrewy]

still it is awesome, i only seen leopard sharks and reef, nerve sharks. is it true that if you stay close to the bottom sharks cant bite your butt off?

 

[vladimir]

No, but if you sit on the bottom they'll have to flip you over before they do.