Who thinks this Shark was Killed (or should have been shot) ?

[drbill]

Does anyone know if the diver had fish on a stringer?

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Now, the fun part - from looking at OCEARCH's site, this isn't Katherine. No tags are visible, but then again the viz and video quality are pretty crappy. However, on May 6 she was transmitting from up around Jacksonville, quite a ways north of Bethel Shoal. She didn't get down there until around May 11.

So now that's at least two we have in the area ...

 

[drbill]

We had three great whites sighted in the same area on the same day a few years ago. In all the years (45) I've been diving Catalina and SoCal I've only knowingly had one "close encounter." That 14 ft great white just swam behind me, checked me out and swam on. I don't spear fish these days so I had nothing to entice it (although at that size it was most likely looking for a fat juicy sea lion further down the coast).

 

[diver 85]

Screw the shark, there's a cobia there!!!

Think it was a ling---I mean lemon fish...........

---------- Post added May 13th, 2014 at 07:09 AM ----------

If you'll watch the video muted, it'll seem like a friendly close encounter with a shark---& nothing more.........Damned Hollywood, they screw up everything..!!

 

[pasley]

Easy enough to sit in our living rooms and play second guess. When you are "there" your thought process is often quite a bit different than it is watching a video at home.
The shark made several passes in close proximity to the diver. That would tend to support the theories that he may have had a fish on a stringer and/or the shark had been taught to equate humans with food (dive operators feeding sharks to put on a good show for the customers). The video ends with the divers spear gun unfired. He did nudge the shark several times to help the shark get the point and leave him alone.

Would shoot the shark if it were me? I honestly do not know. I don't think I would, but I might. First of all I would not have a spear gun in the first place. But the repeated close passes would certainly have my full attention. Since the shark was nudged with the spear tip several times and yet the shark kept coming back, I am going to "ass-u-me" that he had already taken some game fish and there was blood in the water.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Easy enough to sit in our living rooms and play second guess. When you are "there" your thought process is often quite a bit different than it is watching a video at home.

Good disclaimer.

The shark made several passes in close proximity to the diver. That would tend to support the theories that he may have had a fish on a stringer and/or the shark had been taught to equate humans with food (dive operators feeding sharks to put on a good show for the customers). The video ends with the divers spear gun unfired. He did nudge the shark several times to help the shark get the point and leave him alone.

Oy. Here we go again. Why is it that people assume that in order for a shark to check divers out, it has to have been fed by divers? Is someone on the East Coast doing white shark feeds that I don't know about? Because if so, I'd like to go diving with them. White sharks (and other large shark species) are known to investigate divers out of assumed curiosity. With all the flailing and bubbling we're probably about as noticeable as a guy marching around in full plate armor would be to a ninja.

Would shoot the shark if it were me? I honestly do not know. I don't think I would, but I might. First of all I would not have a spear gun in the first place. But the repeated close passes would certainly have my full attention. Since the shark was nudged with the spear tip several times and yet the shark kept coming back, I am going to "ass-u-me" that he had already taken some game fish and there was blood in the water.

I'm not sure if he had fish, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. To me it looks like the shark was interested in him specifically - not necessarily as a prey item, but as a weird critter to be investigated. That doesn't mean it wouldn't have bitten him. I've heard accounts of divers who have been "inspected" by white sharks. One ab diver in particular had the peculiar experience of having one arm nipped, shaken, and released; the shark then bumped him a few times in the chest with its nose and then nipped, shook, and released the other arm. The guy survived, although I assume he had some nasty lacerations and visions of his life flashing before his eyes.

 

[Tigerman]

I think the comments are the funniest part "dont poke it!! Did that to a bees nest once, didnt turn out s good" is pretty high on the list of brilliant comments

 

[lamarpaulski]

I see a shark and possible prey...way more than slight curiousity....i also wondered if guy had bloody fish on stringer...



Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Who knows?

Misunderstood Sharks: Hug Me! | Picture 49723

 

[Arubandi07]

Finally got around to watching the clip, and I would characterize the Shark's behavior as 'curious, but cautious', not aggressive. Difficult to tell how the situation would have developed without the diver shooting the animal. IMO, unnecessary under the circumstances.
As to what I would have done in that situation? No idea, but even if I felt, that 'action' were the way to go, the most fearsome weapon in my arsenal is a tiny, blunt-tip BC knife, sooo ...:headscratch: