Spearfisher encounter with Great White of FL east coast.

[wspalding]

Not that I wouldn't have been soiling my wetsuit but, the body language of the GWS seems to be more one of curiosity than aggression. I'm kind of wondering if poking the shark might have been unnecessary. I've seen other videos where divers have been approached like that without any aggression from the shark.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Not that I wouldn't have been soiling my wetsuit but, the body language of the GWS seems to be more one of curiosity than aggression. I'm kind of wondering if poking the shark might have been unnecessary. I've seen other videos where divers have been approached like that without any aggression from the shark.

If a huge bear came up to you in an open field and brought his mouth 4-5 ft from your face (after slamming you in the back and actually biting your backpack).. would this be aggressive at all? what if you poked him in the throat really hard on one approach and then he circled around and approached from the rear a few seconds later, with, say his mouth slightly open... then you poke him as hard as possible with a very sharp steel spike in the ass... and he spins and comes back within a few feet of your face once again... would you consider this bear exhibiting "body language" that represents curiosity or might you consider it to be territorial or even a little "aggressive"?

 

[tddfleming]

She was in Boynton today.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Yes, it looks like she gave the Palm Beach county divers the slip. Her track seems to have put her in proximity to the 130' ledge yesterday - missed opportunity. She might end up in the Upper Keys this weekend - sadly, the weather off Key Largo is looking crappy as hell. Not sure any boats are going to even want to go out; even inside the reef line it looks like they're calling for 3-5 seas and 20-25 knot winds. Otherwise I'd be booking a trip out to the Spiegel and Duane pronto. Offshore it's looking like a recipe for getting one's ass kicked by King Neptune, 5-9 feet.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

If a huge bear came up to you in an open field and brought his mouth 4-5 ft from your face (after slamming you in the back and actually biting your backpack).. would this be aggressive at all? what if you poked him in the throat really hard on one approach and then he circled around and approached from the rear a few seconds later, with, say his mouth slightly open... then you poke him as hard as possible with a very sharp steel spike in the ass... and he spins and comes back within a few feet of your face once again... would you consider this bear exhibiting "body language" that represents curiosity or might you consider it to be territorial or even a little "aggressive"?

I think its behavior was inquisitive rather than predatory ... but yeah, white sharks have a habit of "inspecting" things with their mouths, and that results in a little more wear and tear than I'd like. I'm generally pretty comfortable around sharks, but I have the same attitude towards them as I do firearms - I do not want the business end pointed at me at close range. The jabs were not an overreaction. Shooting the shark would have been.

 

[opie712]

Where do you go to track the sharks migration that's interesting

 

[messenone]

Where do you go to track the sharks migration that's interesting

Want to know the answer to that question also please!!

 

[wspalding]

I think its behavior was inquisitive rather than predatory ... but yeah, white sharks have a habit of "inspecting" things with their mouths, and that results in a little more wear and tear than I'd like. I'm generally pretty comfortable around sharks, but I have the same attitude towards them as I do firearms - I do not want the business end pointed at me at close range. The jabs were not an overreaction. Shooting the shark would have been.

I can't say that I would have been comfortable with that shark showing that much interest in me (in fact I can say with certainty I would have been freaked out), and I am 100% certain I would have jabbed it too if I had the tool. Since I don't spear I'd have been on the bottom with nothing more than a camera so, I really don't know what I could have done other than hunker down against the reef and hope that the GWS loses interest soon. It's always easier to to evaluate the situation from the comfort of my easy chair and not 3 feet from a GWS. I'm not criticizing the diver, just trying to assess how much danger I would have been in given my own situation of diving without any kind of tool to fend off a curious shark.

 

[sheeper]

track 'em at OCEARCH.ORG »

She is headed to the TekDive conference in Miami this weekend. I invited her to visit the TDI booth....

 

[RickI]

Considering the attack off Vero Beach, Limited sighting reports from past years and the reason the white sharks are here in the first place I would guess there's more than one white shark headed south. There's only one with a satellite tracker of course. More at White Shark Attacks FL Diver, Another GW Heads For S. Florida? - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

Also I learned the diver was carrying a speared fish. For well experienced spear fishermen particularly those that shoot in waters with GW sharks, would you give the shark the fish, if not, why not?