Unusual Blue Shark Sighting & Attack On UW Photographer In Keys

[RickI]

A blue shark
Blue shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A very experienced underwater photographer was shooting a rare 8 to 9 ft. blue shark in the warm shallows of the flats near Summerland Key in the lower Florida Keys. The following information comes in part from recent Facebook posts. The shark was described as sick or feeling cornered to have been this aggressive but the diver says her behavior was off. After about a half hour the shark attacked the photographer badly injuring one shoulder. It is possible the shark was just sighted in the shallows without the presence of chum, that information was unavailable at this time. He apparently doesn't use chain mail during shark shoots as it hinders his ability to get the shots he would like. It seems that video of the encounter and attack was recorded and may be broadcast at some point in the future.

Based on what happened in this accident and was reported elsewhere, if you see a predator such as a shark out of its normal geographic setting and behaving in a strange, impaired fashion, expect that it might make an "uncharacteristic" attack run on you. Being a photographer myself, it is sometimes easy to discount such possibilities in the excitement of trying to "get the shot" particularly of something you may have never seen before. The three cases of blue sharks in warmer water in this article, all were described as behaving strangely. It is something to remember as what may be climate related oddities including creatures showing up outside normal distributions continue to occur.

Continued at: UW Photographer Attacked By Rare Blue Shark In Warm Shallows Of Florida Keys - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

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[Chugwhump]

Thanks for the post Rick.

Chug
Has never seen a Blue Shark.

 

[RickI]

Me neither. I can recall being stunned by my first lionfish sighting in Bimini in 2007. I hadn't heard about the invasion and was astonished to just see it swimming along there. I might react the same way seeing a blue shark in shallow, warm water. The lionfish got aggressive after it was tired of too much photography, to no net effect. A blue shark might have worked a different outcome obviously enough as may have happened in this accident.

Pacific Predator Invades Atlantic - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

 

[HalcyonDaze]

The difference is that lionfish bloody well love this nice warm water and are postal little jerks to begin with. Blues are generally regarded as pretty cool customers most of the time, but shallow Keys waters are way the hell outside their normal habitat and temperature preference. Be interesting to see that video and get a sense of what happened. It would also be interesting to know if someone did a full necropsy on that earlier blue shark capture to see if there was anything wrong with it.

Back when I lived in Southern California I never so much as saw a glimpse of a blue shark. They really got hammered hard by fishing; the days when the photographers used to go out near Catalina and chum up dozens were long gone. I think the few boats that are left doing shark dives out there are lucky to get a handful in a day.

 

[scubadada]

Back when I lived in Southern California I never so much as saw a glimpse of a blue shark. They really got hammered hard by fishing; the days when the photographers used to go out near Catalina and chum up dozens were long gone. I think the few boats that are left doing shark dives out there are lucky to get a handful in a day.

It's a shame. In the early 70s, Blue Sharks were a common and beautiful sight off Catalina Island

 

[drbill]

How true... we'd see dozens and dozens of them on a dive day back in the late 60s and 70s but they are very rare sightings today inshore. I've done a number of shark dives with them in the past and they were always a little skittish and never an "attack" in my experience. They might be curious and check you out, but nothing problematic. One of our divemasters would hand feed them. Of course the bigger ones out in the open Pacific are known to attack and are considered dangerous. Sorry to hear about this injury.

It's a shame. In the early 70s, Blue Sharks were a common and beautiful sight off Catalina Island