Marine Life Shark bite at Grand Bahama

[johndiver999]

It’s been quite a couple of weeks. If people familiar with these waters are nervous and a diver’s leg gets bitten off on the ladder, perhaps it’s time for operators to keep a staff member underwater until everyone is on board. Chumming sharks, in my view, should be abandoned or prohibited.

What exactly do you think staff members will do to prevent legs from being chomped off? Who will protect the staff members?

 

[tarponchik]

pics in linked article:

US tourist, 73, loses leg in Bahamas shark attack while climbing onto boat

The attack happened as the expert scuba diver — who had just completed her 500th dive in May — was standing on a ladder to get back onto the boat.

nypost.com

Ernst (third from the right) had just completed her 500th dive in May.

Obviously, she is the third from the left.

I wonder why nobody including Ernst who claimed she saw the shark before she started climbing the ladder and pushed it away did not mention what kind of shark attacked her. Shall I assume this was a reef shark?

 

[jonhall]

did not mention what kind of shark attacked her. Shall I assume this was a reef shark?

One of the articles out now mentions Caribbean reef shark. Those are the only type I’ve seen at Shark Junction (the dive site.)

 

[Green Frog]

I've read with great interest everything I can find about this, and none of the articles I've seen have mention the shark's species. I am particularly interested because I was in Nassau diving with Stewart Cove's the week before. For most of our dives we saw sharks and on one in particular dive there were 5 following us around practically the whole dive. They never showed any signs of aggressive behavior. We went to the periphery of one of their Shark Adventure (shark feeding) dives but actually, once we were away from the actual feeding we still saw a lot of sharks.

I was curious about the species... the feedings involve mostly Caribbean Reef Sharks, but i've seen other species around the Bahamas without seeing any overt aggression. I've never felt at all threatened by sharks in the Bahamas.

I have to agree that chumming the water (ie feeding) in an uncontrolled manner near the same area where sharks and people are swimming together doesn't seem like a good practice. In shark feedings i've experienced, the rate of feeding has kept the sharks somewhat "calm".

 

[Kimela]

I know this is a controversial subject but I don't want to be anywhere near where they feed sharks or morays. I also don't want to be on a dive with lionfish spearos. I know sharks and morays have been known to challenge divers for their catch. I'm too much of a scaredy cat.

 

[tarponchik]

One of the articles out now mentions Caribbean reef shark. Those are the only type I’ve seen at Shark Junction (the dive site.)

No Lemon Sharks there?

 

[Green Frog]

Tarponchik, I’ve never seen a lemon shark on the half dozen feeds or so I’ve watched in Nassau and Bimini. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, I’ve just never seen them.

Kimela, I’ve been on a couple of Lion Fish spearing dives (observing, not spearing) and the most aggressive consumers of the speared Lion Fish were Nassau Groupers. Sharks do seem to love them too. I haven’t seen any Morays around when lion fish were being speared.

 

[Johnoly]

I also don't want to be on a dive with lionfish spearos.

More than half the lionfish hunters that I dive with on charters are Female Speara's. And they are growing and out-catching the men because they are more patient and therefore don't spook the additional 2,3,5 other lionfish in the immediate vicinity.

It's alright and perfectly fine to avoid spearo's and speara's in the water and on the same boat. And just like photogs where macro shooters don't hang around wide angle shooters, it's just different ways to dive. But LF hunting is absolutely growing and eliminating those charter boat choices will also narrow your dive site choices down to the least common denominator.

 

[Kimela]

More than half the lionfish hunters that I dive with on charters are Female Speara's. And they are growing and out-catching the men because they are more patient and therefore don't spook the additional 2,3,5 other lionfish in the immediate vicinity.

It's alright and perfectly fine to avoid spearo's and speara's in the water and on the same boat. And just like photogs where macro shooters don't hang around wide angle shooters, it's just different ways to dive. But LF hunting is absolutely growing and eliminating those charter boat choices will also narrow your dive site choices down to the least common denominator.

The folks we dive with are looking for macro with us, so it's no big deal. We're all diving for different reasons.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I know this is a controversial subject but I don't want to be anywhere near where they feed sharks or morays. I also don't want to be on a dive with lionfish spearos. I know sharks and morays have been known to challenge divers for their catch. I'm too much of a scaredy cat.

We have a reef here where the local dive op feeds nurse sharks and morays
Most of us avoid it now because the fish life has become too “curious and friendly”