The more people reply "NO" that more I wanna dive there! :shakehead 
"The dude in the grey suit" took me awhile... funny!
"The dude in the grey suit" took me awhile... funny!
Would you dive the Farallones?
- Thread starter Ben_ca
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Wow, those are some really nice shots. I think I would like to dive that spot someday.
Peter_C
Contributor
Some interesting shark statistics http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/statistics.htm
"The best places to see the Great White Shark in the wild are the Farallon Islands, Dyer Island near to Gaansbai in South Africa and in the Southern Australian Ocean off Adelaide and Port Lincoln."
"On 4 November 1993 commercial diver Joe Burke was collecting sea urchins in the vicinity of the U. S. Coast Guard buoy at Southeast Farallon Island near San Francisco. It was about 1030 hours and Burke had recorded a surface water temperature of 12.6 C and estimated the air temperature at 16° C. The diver was dressed in a full wetsuit with gloves, hood, swim fins, and facemask (all colored black) and carried a wire urchin-collecting basket. The sky was clear, with a brisk 20-knot wind causing whitecaps on the 2 meter ground swells. Water visibility was about 12 to 14 meters. When entering the water, Burke observed a number of pinnipeds on the island's beach, but none in the water. The ocean floor was rocky, with numerous sand channels scattered generously throughout the area. The diver noted small-stature kelps growing from some of the rock surfaces.
Burke recalled , "I was picking sea urchins on the top of a reef in about 35 or 40 feet of water. I had been down for about 15 minutes and was working on either side of a sand channel. I was on the edge of several large rocks when a seal went by me, about 10 feet off the bottom, in a big hurry heading towards shore. Normally seals will swim around me and check me out before they leave. This one didn't so I knew there could be a shark coming. I swam down onto the sand and watched in the direction from which the seal had come. About 10 seconds after it had passed a really fat White Shark, about 18 feet in length, came cruising over the rocks heading toward me. It was swimming very slowly, I would guess about as fast as I could swim. The shark was only about a foot off of the reef as it passed over the top of me. I hugged the bottom as it passed overhead, then it changed direction and swam about 10 feet in front of me as it headed toward another reef close by. I think the shark was a female, as I don't remember seeing any claspers. When it reached the reef closest to shore it turned to my left, swimming slowly over the top of the reef, parallel to the sand channel. It slowly turned and headed back towards me. When it was alongside me, it almost stopped its forward movement and hovered as it looked me over. It then slowly moved away and I headed up the sand channel in the opposite direction of the shark.When I reached my boat, I surfaced next to it and told my tender to help me aboard. I waited about an hour before I went back in the water. I did not see the shark again that day."
Commercial urchin diver "D. D." had two encounters with White Sharks off Southeast Farallon Island in January 1992. The encounters were separated by only 12 days, with the first occurring on the 9th and the second on the 21st.
His description of these two encounters follows:
"It was about 1000 hours and I had just jumped in water about 45 feet deep to survey the area for urchins. Water visibility was about 50 feet and I was over a reef with broad sand channels intersecting the area. I noticed an object coming at me from just out of my visual range. As it continued toward me I was able to identify it as a Great White Shark about 15 feet in length. When it was about 20 feet from my location, it turned to its right and slowly swam off over the top of the reef until out of sight. I never felt threatened or concerned, because the shark's movements were slow and deliberate. About an hour after I had my run in, my companion diver saw a different Great White near the same area. This shark was different than the one I had seen, because my shark had the top of its tail cut off."
"My second encounter occurred in the same area as the first at about 1030 hours. I had been in the water about five minutes picking urchins. I was over a 'rolling reef' with an occasional rock pile. Water visibility was 30 to 40 feet and there were 10 to 15 sea lions playing around me. They would dive-bomb me and would play with the floats on my urchin basket from time to time. Suddenly, the sea lions were gone. I started looking around and saw movement coming toward me from behind. Within only a few seconds I could make out a Great White that was at least 15 feet in length. The shark had a tremendous girth, with perfect coloration and not a scratch on it. Over the years I've seen big Great Whites with scrapes and scars on their head and body. The shark swam a slow half circle around me, then headed away until it was almost out of sight. Then it made a quick turn and headed back in the direction from which it had come. When the shark made its hasty turn I got the feeling it was swimming back toward me to size me up. However, it swam past me and disappeared out of sight. No sooner had the shark disappeared than the sea lions suddenly reappeared, playing around me again. I left the area to locate my companion diver to alert him to the shark's presence. Neither of us saw the shark again."
"The best places to see the Great White Shark in the wild are the Farallon Islands, Dyer Island near to Gaansbai in South Africa and in the Southern Australian Ocean off Adelaide and Port Lincoln."
"On 4 November 1993 commercial diver Joe Burke was collecting sea urchins in the vicinity of the U. S. Coast Guard buoy at Southeast Farallon Island near San Francisco. It was about 1030 hours and Burke had recorded a surface water temperature of 12.6 C and estimated the air temperature at 16° C. The diver was dressed in a full wetsuit with gloves, hood, swim fins, and facemask (all colored black) and carried a wire urchin-collecting basket. The sky was clear, with a brisk 20-knot wind causing whitecaps on the 2 meter ground swells. Water visibility was about 12 to 14 meters. When entering the water, Burke observed a number of pinnipeds on the island's beach, but none in the water. The ocean floor was rocky, with numerous sand channels scattered generously throughout the area. The diver noted small-stature kelps growing from some of the rock surfaces.
Burke recalled , "I was picking sea urchins on the top of a reef in about 35 or 40 feet of water. I had been down for about 15 minutes and was working on either side of a sand channel. I was on the edge of several large rocks when a seal went by me, about 10 feet off the bottom, in a big hurry heading towards shore. Normally seals will swim around me and check me out before they leave. This one didn't so I knew there could be a shark coming. I swam down onto the sand and watched in the direction from which the seal had come. About 10 seconds after it had passed a really fat White Shark, about 18 feet in length, came cruising over the rocks heading toward me. It was swimming very slowly, I would guess about as fast as I could swim. The shark was only about a foot off of the reef as it passed over the top of me. I hugged the bottom as it passed overhead, then it changed direction and swam about 10 feet in front of me as it headed toward another reef close by. I think the shark was a female, as I don't remember seeing any claspers. When it reached the reef closest to shore it turned to my left, swimming slowly over the top of the reef, parallel to the sand channel. It slowly turned and headed back towards me. When it was alongside me, it almost stopped its forward movement and hovered as it looked me over. It then slowly moved away and I headed up the sand channel in the opposite direction of the shark.When I reached my boat, I surfaced next to it and told my tender to help me aboard. I waited about an hour before I went back in the water. I did not see the shark again that day."
Commercial urchin diver "D. D." had two encounters with White Sharks off Southeast Farallon Island in January 1992. The encounters were separated by only 12 days, with the first occurring on the 9th and the second on the 21st.
His description of these two encounters follows:
"It was about 1000 hours and I had just jumped in water about 45 feet deep to survey the area for urchins. Water visibility was about 50 feet and I was over a reef with broad sand channels intersecting the area. I noticed an object coming at me from just out of my visual range. As it continued toward me I was able to identify it as a Great White Shark about 15 feet in length. When it was about 20 feet from my location, it turned to its right and slowly swam off over the top of the reef until out of sight. I never felt threatened or concerned, because the shark's movements were slow and deliberate. About an hour after I had my run in, my companion diver saw a different Great White near the same area. This shark was different than the one I had seen, because my shark had the top of its tail cut off."
"My second encounter occurred in the same area as the first at about 1030 hours. I had been in the water about five minutes picking urchins. I was over a 'rolling reef' with an occasional rock pile. Water visibility was 30 to 40 feet and there were 10 to 15 sea lions playing around me. They would dive-bomb me and would play with the floats on my urchin basket from time to time. Suddenly, the sea lions were gone. I started looking around and saw movement coming toward me from behind. Within only a few seconds I could make out a Great White that was at least 15 feet in length. The shark had a tremendous girth, with perfect coloration and not a scratch on it. Over the years I've seen big Great Whites with scrapes and scars on their head and body. The shark swam a slow half circle around me, then headed away until it was almost out of sight. Then it made a quick turn and headed back in the direction from which it had come. When the shark made its hasty turn I got the feeling it was swimming back toward me to size me up. However, it swam past me and disappeared out of sight. No sooner had the shark disappeared than the sea lions suddenly reappeared, playing around me again. I left the area to locate my companion diver to alert him to the shark's presence. Neither of us saw the shark again."
Peter_C
Contributor
The pictures and video posted above, show just what I have heard about the Farallon's, that they are spectacular. Thanks for posting your links.
yangnome
Guest
Peter_C:
I wouldn't count on that. Talking with our divers at the aquarium, they said the electronic device they have didnt seem to work with the white (they tested it with the female). It does work well with the Galapagos though.
Peter_C
Contributor
yangnome:
Hey now that is not very encouraging
I wanted some type of "bug" spray to keep the critters away, so I could dive there at some point. It is a photographers dream.
The "bug spray" is called a calender. Fall is the sharky season, so we go Jan 1 throughPeter_C:Hey now that is not very encouraging
the end of 4th of July weekend.
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Peter C,
Suggest that you read Dr.Perry Gilbert, President of the World shark reseach panel, "Sharks and survival" This book which is long out of print is a wealth of information and is the basis for most articles written today. It lists all the world's known and recorded shark attacks until the date of publication. There were two editions suggest the latest..
J.Y. Cousteau ( there are so many now) was attacked at the Farallons, did not re visit the island to make a documentary.
Leroy French a very popular SF area diver -dive shop owner of the 1960s was also attacked there.
There were several others in days gone by.
Yes it is a place to be avoided!
SDM
Suggest that you read Dr.Perry Gilbert, President of the World shark reseach panel, "Sharks and survival" This book which is long out of print is a wealth of information and is the basis for most articles written today. It lists all the world's known and recorded shark attacks until the date of publication. There were two editions suggest the latest..
J.Y. Cousteau ( there are so many now) was attacked at the Farallons, did not re visit the island to make a documentary.
Leroy French a very popular SF area diver -dive shop owner of the 1960s was also attacked there.
There were several others in days gone by.
Yes it is a place to be avoided!
SDM
Peter_C
Contributor
Sam, for some reason those attacks you mention do not show up on any of the websites that list shark attacks.
Chuck, take a look at the link I posted above and it shows when the attacks are most common on the Pacific Coast. I would link the chart but they want it copy right protected, so I will respect that.
Chuck, take a look at the link I posted above and it shows when the attacks are most common on the Pacific Coast. I would link the chart but they want it copy right protected, so I will respect that.
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