Shark Men uncover great white nursery - Malibu, CA!

[fnfalman]

Hell, I'm more worried about people in general and divers in particular going to be cruisin' the area looking for these baby sharks to play with.

 

[geoff w]

You're kidding, right?

Only partly. It's dangerous to underestimate the stupidity of people, and especially the consequences caused by well-intentioned but stupid politicians and bureaucrats

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Patrick Smith got some pictures of the juveniles off Santa Monica the last couple of years. I only saw one, but he and Captain Andy see them often from the Moby Kate.

 

[rypark1999]

I have no source for this and my knowledge of the issue is minimal (if you could even call it that - i just know what i see off of Discovery Channel/Shark Week/news/internet, etc), but isn't it common knowledge (at least among locals or locals with a keen interest in Great Whites - like me) that the Malibu area is a nursing area for Great Whites? Is this really a "revelation"?

There are tons (<---OK, a wild exaggeration) of sightings of juvie white sharks (and the local news reports it whenever it happens) near Sunset Beach, Topanga Cyn State Beach and other areas of Malibu.

Maybe my thought here is just an assumption on my part? Dr Bill, maybe you can enlighten me?

 

[rypark1999]

MaxBottomTime: thanks for the exemplar. maybe you were thinking the same thing I was?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I remember a few years ago when someone fishing off the Santa Monica pier caught a juvenile GW. When he released it, people went nuts. They didn't realize that GWs don't even have the teeth to eat mammals until they are at least eight feet long.

 

[rypark1999]

They didn't realize that GWs don't even have the teeth to eat mammals until they are at least eight feet long.

and this would be an example of my ignorance on GWS. i did not know that. thanks for the info.

and also, thanks to the original poster for posting this. i think it's cool too. :cool2:

 

[rypark1999]

Hell, I'm more worried about people in general and divers in particular going to be cruisin' the area looking for these baby sharks to play with.

oops! i guess i fall into the "general" and "particular" category. I remember when the guy got pics of the GWS leaping out of the water at Sunset. I sat on the beach a couple times hoping to catch a glimpse of the show. no joy. (although my intent isn't to "play" with the babies - i just wanted to see)

 

[fnfalman]

oops! i guess i fall into the "general" and "particular" category. I remember when the guy got pics of the GWS leaping out of the water at Sunset. I sat on the beach a couple times hoping to catch a glimpse of the show. no joy. (although my intent isn't to "play" with the babies - i just wanted to see)

There's a big difference between sitting on the beach, hoping for a sighting and take a boat out there, cruising around or start diving around that area looking for baby or juvenile great whites.

These sharks are not quite on the endangered list but damn close. It's known that they aren't exactly breeding like rabbits either. So if their breeding sites were getting disturbed, they might have to go elsewhere and possibly stopped breeding altogether.

Or better yet, somebody going to start "cage" diving.

 

[drbill]

Juvenile great whites are known from several areas along the SoCal coast so I don't think the Malibu "nursery" is exclusive by any means.

As Phil said, the young sharks are fish eaters... they don't switch to marine mammals until later in life. Besides, WE are not on their preferred menu. I was diving with Wyland as my buddy when a 14 footer passed by. It scoped us out and decided he'd swim a mile further down the coast to munch on sea lions instead. Of course I've put on a little weight (bioprene) since then so the equation may have changed.