Sharks in Context

[cyklon_300]

'angry divers with a powerhead' set...he be da Boss in de oshun.

yawn...

 

[JustAddWater]

So sharks are responsible for the missing swimmers and divers? All this time I was blaming satanic cults. (That's what we do in California)

 

[zeN||]

I am convinced there are more shark encounters/deaths than reported by statistics, and of course the way these statistics are reported you, as a diver aren't any more at risk of an encounter than someone living in Kansas that never goes in the ocean (though the stats are pretty low), then again if you spearfish regularly in Fl you almost certainly have had numerous run-ins with bull sharks zeN

 

[Cudabait]

Zen is really on the right track.

If you stand in the middle of the road at night, you may get hit by a car or thruck. It's probably true, there are more shark hits than get reported. I know this particularly true with regards to barracuda attacks. Unfortunately many barracuda attacks go unreported. I am aware of at least two recently in Texas. I am very interested in info regarding barracuda attacks or near misses. I have posted a thread in this section under "Barracuda Attacks". Based on research I've done, incredibly little is actually known about barracuda. If you wish, you can check out my posts. Big fish will bite!!

 

[Albion]

JustAddWater once bubbled...
So sharks are responsible for the missing swimmers and divers? All this time I was blaming satanic cults. (That's what we do in California)

I bin watchin "Taken" and that is obvioulsy da truth, so my money for missin dyvers is on alien abductions yessir.

 

[PhotoTJ]

zeN|| once bubbled...
I am convinced there are more shark encounters/deaths than reported by statistics, and of course the way these statistics are reported you, as a diver aren't any more at risk of an encounter than someone living in Kansas that never goes in the ocean (though the stats are pretty low), then again if you spearfish regularly in Fl you almost certainly have had numerous run-ins with bull sharks zeN

Pretty big distinction between encounters and deaths.

Encounters? Sure, to my knowledge, no one is collecting encounter reports.

Deaths? I'm sure that one or two people 'missing in the ocean' may have been victims of an attack, and lots of these were eaten posthumusly, but consider, almost all sharks will scavange.

Now, missing spearfishermen? Yeah, I'll give you that most or all of them were eaten. You know the risks when you do it, getting in the water and creating a chum slick. I've been known to take a halibut or sheepshead or two myself, and let's just say, 'My perceptions are heightened!' If I've got a fish on the loop, my head is on a swivel! :shark:

 

[Cudabait]

Heads in the sand??

Anyone see National Geographic last night. Pretty good. Biologists studying unbaited attacks by Great Whites on Farallon Island off California coast. Whites feeding on sea lions and elephant seals ( about 500 pounders) Very interesting. Other whites appear after the initial kill to share. But, they exhibited a structured, non frenzied, approach to feed, with respect to the shark that made the initial kill.

Then they mounted cameras on surfboard. Yep, you can see the white coming straight up out of nowhere to hit the board!! Attacked an unoccupied surfboard being reeled in on a rod and reel just like a giant lure. What I thought was extremely interesting was the statement by the marine biologist that he WOULD NOT go into those waters!!! Smart scientist!!!

I think homo sapiens falls somewhere between a surfboard and elephant seal. But who am I to say, I.ve only been attacked by a four foot barracuda. As always, I continue to be facinated by this s--t.

 

[Cudabait]

TJ'

By the way I checked out your photos. Nice work!! What equipment did you use to shoo the underwater stuff?? Thanks,

Cudabait

 

[PhotoTJ]

Everything on my site was shot with an MX-10, YS-40 flash, standard lens. I'm switching to digital, casue you can get more than 36 shots per dive. Oly 5050.

 

[DivePartner1]

“Carrie Wilson, a shark expert for the California Department of Fish and Game, said that since 1950 there had been 93 white shark attacks on humans in California waters. Of those, 10 were fatal.” Other than the recent one, the last fatal attack was in 1994 on a diver off San Miguel Island. NYTimes, Aug. 31, 2003.