Shark attacks diver

[tlj3071]

While I feel for the victim, I am firmly of the belief that most shark attacks on humans (divers and surfers at least - not commenting on shallow water strikes) are the result of mistaken identity. Sharks have been swimming around for a REALLY long time and generally KNOW what "food" looks like. There have been documented instances of sharks biting humans then apparently "spitting out" what they got - probably when when they realized that this wasn't "food". There was one instance I recall reading about where a great white bit a surfer's head then let the surfer go almost immediately. The surfer survived, but required lots of stitches. The major problem is that a "nibble" by a shark on an unknown potential food source is pretty drastic from our point of view.

 

[iamrushman]

may he get well soon...any idea what activity he was doing at the time?

 

[Freewillow]

Hope the guy is getting better. Now I am a bit scared @ what I videotaped a few weeks ago


hammerhead


Or this, longimanus

 

[CuzzA]

I doubt any mistaken identity on scuba. Since sharks are highly migratory, location of an attack is somewhat irrelevant to me. My guess is this shark has been fed by either shark experience dives or spearfisherman not protecting their catch. This assuming the divers weren't doing something to provoke the attack.

 

[mmmbelows]

Hope the guy is getting better. Now I am a bit scared @ what I videotaped a few weeks ago


hammerhead


Or this, longimanus

Nothing to have been worried about with the hammer head he was totally passive and paying little attention to you, the 2nd one was a different story, coming straight on and he was definitely checking you out after he was close in to you with two passes, the 2nd pass was really invading your space, I hate when they do that, for it to come in so close it's overcoming it's natural fear of injury coming in that close, it's usually a sign of a shark who has been feeding off of spear fisherman or something like that. They get aggressive with divers because that's how they've been getting the speared fish away from the spear diver.

 

[CuzzA]

Sorry, but I disagree with your evaluation of the second video. First, it's an Oceanic White Tip. These sharks inhabit the deep blue, far offshore where hardly anyone is spearfishing. Very few spearos are doing deep technical spearfishing dives where they would come into contact with that species. Furthermore, we know that species is not one to take lightly under any circumstance. They are flat out predators as evidence of the history of them eating crews who were treading water after their ships went down. In fact, IMO, I would characterize them more dangerous to dive with than Great Whites due to food being so scarce in the open ocean and "anything" is potentially a good meal, including a diver.

 

[miketsp]

This attack got a lot of publicity because it's the first recorded attack in Noronha but the diving community in general is appalled by the speculative and low standard of reporting. Lots of discussions on Facebook diving groups.
It wasn't a "dive", he was just snorkeling.
How the heck some of the reports managed to bring Hammerheads into the subject, no one knows.
The 3 types normally found in Noronha are Nurse Sharks (very calm), Lemon Sharks (actually quite timid - they normally stay well away from submerged divers blowing bubbles) and very rarely Tiger Sharks (most likely candidate for an attack).
Authorities are still investigating the attack and the bay was closed for swimming today.
Considering how many people swim in this bay, every day for many years without any incidents this really is unusual.

 

[Freewillow]

Sorry, but I disagree with your evaluation of the second video. First, it's an Oceanic White Tip. These sharks inhabit the deep blue, far offshore where hardly anyone is spearfishing. Very few spearos are doing deep technical spearfishing dives where they would come into contact with that species. Furthermore, we know that species is not one to take lightly under any circumstance. They are flat out predators as evidence of the history of them eating crews who were treading water after their ships went down. In fact, IMO, I would characterize them more dangerous to dive with than Great Whites due to food being so scarce in the open ocean and "anything" is potentially a good meal, including a diver.

Hi Cuzza, thank you for commenting my video. We are both right: (Carcharhinus longimanus is the scientific name of the Oceanic whitetip shark .

I agree also with the fact that this shark,can be dangerous and that he lives in the open Ocean. As a mater of fact, the video was taken @ brothers, a ridiculously small pair of rocks in the middle of the red sea. It is quite frequent that these sharks are seen around dive boats. They are known to be very curious and not afraid of men. The last case of death that I know of was a few years ago when a diver, that had finished her dive, jumped with fins and masks from the boat. The story tells that she miscalculated her jump and got her leg scrached by the sharks skin. The story continues by blood in the water, and a single, but fatal bite in the femoral artery.

My guess is that these sharks are around because some illegal feeding has been going on but I do not know for sure.

So encounters with these sharks can be frequent and "safe" in this place - togheter with Daedaleus - but I must admit that he got me scared with his second pass .

 

[CuzzA]

Yeah, it wasn't showing aggression, but was definitely investigating if you were worth the risk of taking a bite. That's one species I would probably go ahead and exit the water. Too bold, aggressive and unpredictable.

How remote is this area you filmed it? How deep? I ask because I'm pretty sure spearfishing on scuba is not allowed in that part of the world so for it to come in contact with skindivers spearfishing seams unlikely to me. Especially considering the average skindivers only hits depths of ~70 fsw. Although, if these two rock outcroppings you mention hold a lot of game fish and it's close to shore I suppose it's possible.

I do recall some documentaries about attacks in the Red Sea as a result of shark experience dives. Is this still allowed? The one documentary I recall in particular was about shark experience charters keeping their bait behind their back. As a result beach goers started to get bit on the ass. I'm not a fan of these shark experience dives and think they should be illegal.

 

[Steve_C]

I'm pretty sure spearfishing on scuba is not allowed

Not being allowed does not mean that it does not occur. Illegal fishing is not uncommon in many parts of the world. Not allowing may reduce the incidence but it often does not eliminate.

Sharks will bite and run, at least the small ones. I have watched many a small shark bite off part of a bait and then leave.