The Devil's Teeth(Book)

[soakshishead]

I recently finished the book too. I did two trips with Lawrence Groth on the Patriot. I've got two pics of one of the Rat Pack to show for it. Casey's descriptions of the wildness of the Farallons are very accurate. I've been there three times, twice looking for sharks and once on a research ship (we were just passing by on our way to San Diego).

I did get the impression that Casey was a bit over awed with the two researchers. It tainted my enjoyment of the story. Knowing Lawrence too, I didn't get the same impression as she depicted. By the way, I was there in Nov. 2001, and Oct. 2002.

Soakshishead

 

[markrovner]

Here's my question: Susan Casey got Peter Pyle fired, and may have jeopardized Shark Watch -- does anyone know whether Shark Watch is operating this season?

I loved the book, but Casey's blithe self-absorption may have done more harm than good to shark conservation, especially for the Farallon sharks.

 

[Bill Fisher]

Great book, and great history of the Farrallons, but these 2 people (soakshishead & markrovner) finally posted what I was thinking when I finished the book....

I hope one of these guys was bangin' Ms. Casey, because how else could they have made such a goofball decision to let her sit on the anchored boat in the bay?????
It's senseless...in my mind she was put at risk, and almost lost at sea!

They hatched this plan after they had been told to suspend shark watch.
Than the boat got lost at sea...what if she had been on it?

It seems to me that the reasearchers had an awesome thing going, but couldn't live with the fact that other people would like to experience a great white shark encounter too. I guess when you have had the island to yourself during shark season for 10 or more years it would kind of seem like your own, but let's not be selfish.

Casey's opinion of the "cage divers" is more than likely shaped by the opinions of the researchers, not from her own experience.

After all, she was just doing what the rest of us would like to do, see a great white at the Farrallons!

I personally have seen footage of the researchers ramming into a great white while it was feeding at the surface....seems to be pretty intrusive to me. How is it a "natural" observation when you quickly motor out to the feeding site and accidently plow into the shark? woops...

In my opinion, Pyle looked like the fool...he lost his job at the Farrallons over all this. I think the author was so starstruck by the researcher that even she didn't realize how exploited he looked when the book was over...

Cage divers are still at the Farrallons, the reasearchers are not...too bad they couldn't have worked together like the "cage divers" origianlly offered.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in great whites/farrallons.
Bill

 

[Bill Fisher]

I looked for some book reviews after my post above...
Here's the first one I found and I couldn't agree more...

A Disappointing Story on Many Levels. Ms. Casey squanders a unique opportunity to provide insight into the strained relations between white sharks and humans. While she seems to enjoy breathlessly relating her fascination with the sharks, she fails completely as a science writer. Basic knowledge about shark behavior and conservation is inexplicably missing, much of it written up over the years by exactly the scientists she is supposedly profiling. The conflict between the cage divers and the scientists begs for a thoughtful analysis--it was the catalyst for the troubles at the Farallones, and the underlying issues have profound implications for how we treat endangered wildlife--yet Ms. Casey skims airly over it. Finally, the author's behavior gives authorities ample cause to severely limit access to the islands and results in a scientist losing the job he's loved for years. I just hope Ms. Casey is sharing royalties with Peter Pyle or the fellow whose sailboat she lost. Somehow, I doubt it.

 

[Tanked]

Well, I was going to give my opinion, but Bill already sumed up how I felt about the book.

 

[menemsha43]

goofball decision to let her sit on the anchored boat in the bay?????
It's senseless...in my mind she was put at risk, and almost lost at sea!

Very good point - had similar thoughts as well.

 

[isurus]

any chance someone could fill those of us not likely to read the book on why/how pyle lost his gig and this sailboat incident?

 

[Bill Fisher]

He lost his gig at the Farrallons because he was told to suspend the shark watch for the season. There was a dispute against the cage diving operator in which Pyle was trying to stop them from coming to SEFI. Pyle was suggesting that the cage divers were disrupting his research. The cage diving operator wanted to work out a solution where both parties could work together. ie: sharing data, shark sightings, etc...Pyle did not want to do this and took the cage divers to court. While the case was going on Pyle was asked to suspend the Shark Watch until further notice.

Maybe he saw the end was near....but he then asked the author (Casey) to find a boat, and they could anchor it in the bay and she could do the shark watch from the boat...since they were now not "technically" on the island...

She found someone willing to "lend" her their boat in the name of science. Well, the weather got bad, Casey came on the island, which she was forbidden to do (read the book) and the boat got lost at sea during a violent storm.

Well, they had to report the boat missing, and when they did, they're secret came out. Pyle ignored his directives, continued shark watch, and brought Susan Casey onto SEFI. Result...Pyle's off the island. What a shame.

In the meantime, the state of CA adopted some regulations for the cage divers...no towing of decoys, staying a specified distance from an attack site, etc...which allows them, as they always could, to view sharks at SEFI.

Cage divers still enjoy the Farrallons, and unfortunately the shark watch (which was a great thing) is now defunct.

 

[isurus]

thanks. shame everyone couldn't get along for the good of the sharks.