great whites

[aujax]

Has anyone here ever seen a great white on a regular dive (not a shark dive) off of California? Most people I've talked to when I dived Monterey said that they had never seen one, though most had been there for years.

 

[Wendy]

I know you asked about Cali, but since you are moving to Florida I thought you'd like to know that we have them here too. Usually in late winter some fisherman will spot or catch one by accident 20 miles offshore of Cocoa, so they are out there.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

Of my hundreds of diving friends and acquaintances (3 dive clubs, 2 scuba stores), only ONE of them has seen ONCE a GWS, and it was a juvenile, about 6 or 7 ft long, while scuba diving.

 

[lobsterhead]

I've been diving out here since '95 and never once seen a shark of any kind. Dove in San Diego, Channel Islands, Monterey, Fort Bragg. I do know one thing, stay away from the Great White "Bermuda Triangle". It runs from Santa Cruz to the Farallon Islands to San Francisco. I believe it to be a breeding ground for the GWS. Also heard sightings around Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay.

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

lobsterhead once bubbled...
I've been diving out here since '95 and never once seen a shark of any kind. Dove in San Diego, Channel Islands, Monterey, Fort Bragg. I do know one thing, stay away from the Great White "Bermuda Triangle". It runs from Santa Cruz to the Farallon Islands to San Francisco. I believe it to be a breeding ground for the GWS. Also heard sightings around Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay.

There have been incidences as far south as Carmel and as far north as Van Damme. I dont personally know of those divers who had those incidents, only read about it.

I agree, that the red triangle is worth avoiding for scuba. Most of the beaches in the red triangle are sandy bottoms anyway, with not much to see in the way of sea life. Just sand.

The other clue is seal and sea lion and elephant seal colonies. Staying away from those as a swimmer or freediver is a good idea too.

Everyone that I have read about that got hit by a GWS was near the surface or on their way to the surface. As such, I would not expect that a diver is at risk for a GWS attack anyway, as long as you do not bolt to the surface from your dive when you see one.