Right or wrong? Diver kills Tiger Shark.

[diver 85]

Hey, no different than

and the crocodiles.......

..................My Hero...............

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Something fishy here.... details just don't create a picture for me that justifies the first spear shot into the shark...."I tried to watch it for a second" .............. "the shark made a roll and looked like it was going to charge us..." some times we have to make split second decisions but honestly..... does that magnificent creature deserve to take two hours to kill because someone gave it a second before deciding it looked like it was going to do something? Woundn't it have been better to bunch up and head to the surface and use those sharp pointy things to discourage the thing instead of killing it? As much a\experience in the water as they claim you would think that could be a reasonable option unless you wanted some really impressive pictures to post......

 

[pollywogg]

This whole '200 pounds of man wrestles and kills 12 foot mankiller on his own turf' story sounds a little dubious to me. So, the whole time this is going on(2 hours), his buddy stays in the water photographing the whole ordeal? There is absolutely no oppurtunity to get to the boat, or for the boat to get close enough to lend a hand, in 2 hours? I know that sharks aren't gory animals, but I can't help but notice the lack of blood from the multiple wounds from the alleged live and wriggling shark. In one of the pics, there is a ghost of blood in the water. Also, why and how is the shark in that orientation in the water? Was he trying to box the spearfisherman? To my admittedly inexperienced eye, that shark looks completely dead and lifeless in all of those shots.
Just MHO. Like I said, it just seems a dubious.

 

[mikemill]

If this was truely a case of self defense it would have gone something like this:
Shark circles, group of divers slowly move towards the boat and signal for help, if need be fire a shot at the shark, get everyone out of the water. Once everyone was out of the water and on the boat then (and IMO only then) should one worry about any sort of mercy kill.

 

[CompuDude]

I think the rampant speculation in this thread is retarded.

We just don't have the information, based on this one crappy article, to make a judgment call that these were blood-thirsty bastards bent on scoring a shark kill. Based on the actual quotes, assuming they are accurate quotes (that publication is something of a UK "national inquirer" as I am told), it's a mercy killing after a scary situation, pure and simple. Once the shark is going to die, there's no harm in documenting the process, and if the photographer is any good, and the shark is at least somewhat slowed down by multiple wounds, you're going to end up with some pretty spectacular shots.

Don't get me wrong, it's a terrible thing that a beautiful shark like that died... but IF it truly was self-preservation, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with what they did.

If their story is pure BS and they just wanted the kill and photos, then I'd agree in a heartbeat that they're pure scum. But we don't have the information to make that call, based on the little evidence at hand.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

So much ignorance about sharks and spearfishing is expressed in this thread. Did the guys use 6 shafts to defend themselves? No, they used one shaft (which was shot into the gills). That was the one and only defensive shot.

I read the story as two people are in the water, one has a camera, one has a gun. The gun is discharged into the shark based on the behavoir of the shark. After this, the divers could have returned to the boat and left. Freedivers do not carry multiple shafts when blue water hunting.


Instead of leaving, they re-entered the water shot a bunch more shafts into the top of the shark's head near the brain and got a bunch of excellent pictures.

I believe the guy when he says, he was threatened and made the first defensive shot. If he placed a decent shot into the gills, the shark was almost surely mortally wounded. I think that is the important issue. They decided they wanted to finish the job and eventually killed the shark. To me this is the humane thing to do, but certainly other people might feel it was better to let the shark swim off with 5 feet of steel hanging out of his gills.

I'm not sure the story is representative of most spearfisherman and it does present an easily mis-interpreted scenario, but I will give the benfit of doubt to the hunters.

Would you people feel different if these same guys took out a grizzly bear that charged them? I wouldn't.

Anybody who says they would just swim like hell to get away from an agressive shark, is completely ignorant of large predators. That is the absolute LAST thing you should do, unless you are 5 feet from the boat. You need to turn and face the shark and make sure he knows that you are watching him. The you scream like a little girl for the guys to bring the boat over.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Would you people feel different if these same guys took out a grizzly bear that charged them? I wouldn't.

Anybody who says they would just swim like hell to get away from an agressive shark, is completely ignorant of large predators. That is the absolute LAST thing you should do, unless you are 5 feet from the boat. You need to turn and face the shark and make sure he knows that you are watching him. The you scream like a little girl for the guys to bring the boat over.

Yep I would feel the same way if someone told me they observed a grizzly for a second then shot it because they thought it was going to attack. I agree it is inhumane and irresponsible to leave a wounded animal to die slowly. I grew up in bear country if I killed every bear Black or Grizzly I though might attack . I have also attended to people attacked by bears.... that is another story.

My position was/is based on the person stating they observed for what would be a very short time.. then based their decision on what he though the critter might do... not that it was attacking but might attack.

I suggested earlier... the divers should have bunched together.. so they would be doing what you say... facing the shark.... move carefully to the boat and use their sharp pointy object to prod it if it approached close enough. If it didn't come in close enough to prod as they normally do before taste testing their intended prey they could exit. If they poked it and it started coming back I fully support shooting it. Before someone says... well you don't know how you would have reacted in a similar situation. I would suggest that I have survived enough close encounters with bears to have a pretty good idea.

I agree I wasn't there all I can base my opinion on is the information presented here. Maybe I am nitpicking from the report but that is all the evidence we have. Maybe these are honest people... maybe not... I am glad they survived... sorry the shark didn't. I value human life more than sharks but I value sharks more than a photo op. I really do hope this was a necessary kill ..... only the participants know for sure.

As to whether it is insane to be discussing this.... well... why did the OP post then and initiate a poll on it for unless he wanted to initiate discussion and elicit opinions?

 

[Jim Ernst]

Mans got balls of steel. Like fighting a bear with a knife and a spear.

Bull Crap....

If that shark wanted them .... It would have had them!

 

[cwkline]

I think some of you would have felt better if it had ended with a dead diver and a live shark. None of us was there. If a shark were posturing around me and I had my gun, I probably would have done the same thing.

 

[ljdiver]

hard to say...i was wondering the same thing though when i first read the story earlier today. for now i give him the benefit of the doubt, he is clearly quite an experienced diver/spearfisher and anyone who is in the ocean that often i would 'hope' has respect for its creatures. pictures look like the end of the battle to me. hopefully more info will come out later.

also some more pics are available in the link in the next post (had to get 5 posts before i could put up the url)