Shark Encounter at Flat Rock

[Dive California]

Did a dive this morning at Flat Rock, just south of the rocks with my buddy Andy, and we dropped down to poor visibility (about 10-20 feet) and he shot a Sculpin almost immediately. Andy placed the Sculpin on his stringer and we continued our dive around flat rock; about 30 minutes into the dive I noticed Andy jerk upright and point out behind me. I looked but didn't see anything. We got closer together and continued our dive heading north of the rocks into Bluff Cove. About 2-3 minutes later we both jerked upright as at least two grey sharks about 6 feet long circled us. The water was murky and it was difficult for us to determine what kind of sharks they were. They disappeared and returned about 2 minutes later; again circling us. They were curious but not afraid of us; even after blowing lots of bubbles. We looked at each other and decided to immediately end our dive and head to the service; even thought we each still had 2000 psi.

Any idea what kind of sharks we saw? We know what we didn’t see…they were not Blues or Leopards.

About two weeks ago, in the same spot two separate sights…one was confirmed to be a juvenile white shark. Check out the website at:

http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/pacific_coast_shark_news.htm


Thanks for any assistance.

 

[FrankPro1]

Both sightings at Flat Rock were said to have been around 7ft long. You might have seen a baby landlord Are you sure there was two? While white sharks do congregate in areas with high amounts of their target species, they are usually solitary animals. Blue and Mako fit into that relative size but are almost always found in offshore oceanic environments. Can you describe the relative shape? Large, hefty body "White Shark", Slender with conical snout "Mako", Long thin Body w/ Large Pectoral fin "Blue".

 

[Dive California]

Yeah, could have been only one....like I said, viz was bad...as were the two sightings in April. Also nobody got close enough to measure the shark(s). 6-7 feet who can really be certain...unlike most people, I like to estimate smaller...my 6' guess could have been 7'...or their 7' might have been 6 1/2' Who really knows. No, as to shape...I would say it was long, not large in the girth. Maybe a Mako, just could not tell.

It was NOT a blue. Juvenile Whites are not large in the girth, as when they become adults.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We've seen large sharks there on a few occasions, probably gray smoothhound. It they were GWs, the last place you would want to be is at the surface.
Carlos would be half the man he used to be.

 

[sunfishh]

It is also possible it was a seven gill or a soupfin

 

[Dive California]

Thanks Phil...don't want to be half of anuything...when we decided to go to the surface...we got back to back...Andy had a spear gun pointing out and I had a pole spear pointing out...we must have looked very funny to anybody that was watching.

No, my bwst guess...it was not a soupfin or a six gill (not sure what a seven gill is...maybe you meant 6).

Phil I'd like to think your right and it was a gray smoothhound...however, the largest smoothound shark recorded was only slightly over 5' What we saw was at least 6' maybe 7'

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Don't forget, things look 25% larger under water, except sharks and lobsters, which look 100% larger.

 

[Dominantly]

As I was reading your story, I was thinking 7 gill.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I can't help ya identify in the slightest. Hell, this thread alone names several sharks I've never heard of. What it does for me is remind me to never swim around with a dead fish in tow. :shocked2:

 

[drbill]

Soupfins in my experience tend to be quite wary of divers. Makos are much less so, and do occasionally have encounters with spearfishers I know here on the island. Seven gills are fairly distinct physically from other species and do not appear to be concerned about close encounters with divers based on the number of reports from the San Diego area.

Certainly quite possible that it is a juvenile GWS.

Phil, are gray smoothhounds reasonably common over there off "the Big Island?" I've never seen one here off Catalina. Interesting.