Cayman shark video seems to be going viral

[Chugwhump]

Occupational hazard when hunting Lions.
If you are whacking them, you WILL see sharks.
I have been mugged several times by Reefies and Bulls here in SoFla.
Sandbar Sharks tend to make a pass or six and eventually veer off.
Nurse Sharks can be pests.
Hammerheads and Bonnetheads are 'fraidy cats for the most part.
There are getting to be some VERY aggressive Eels hereabouts.
Never feed from a spear or tickle stick tip.
I keep Lions for consumption only if they are 8" or longer at this point.
I just drop the little ones, unless I am hunting in a Lion Tournament.

Chug
Natural born killer.

 

[divin'dog]

The diver was quite new, only certified a few weeks ago.

Next thing ya know, he'll buy a fishing rod and be catching salmon in the river with the bears... As a new diver, he got a learning experience... hope it sinks in!

 

[morecowbells]

I will admit to a certain degree of guilty pleasure watching this video. Sharks are fascinating and beautiful creatures. The question which lingers with me is with him being a newer diver, where was his dive buddy or guide?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What popped into my mind is, why isn't there a dive buddy that is watching for sharks? (In addition to supplying emergency air if the guy hunting runs into a problem or vice versa)

While I support the culling of lionfish, I don't think that safety precautions should be tossed out the window, but rather racheted up considering the activity. He has entered the sharks territory and he is attracting them as he kills lionfish. What else is expected?

Am I so far out in right field thinking that someone should be on the lookout for sharks?

 

[drbill]

The fact that there are divers that feed speared lionfish to the sharks (as well as to groupers and other predators) obviously conditions the sharks to expect food when someone spears one. I haven't speared in a few decades (used to do so for dinner), but anyone who does should be aware that they are offering temptation to the sharks (great whites and makos in my neck of the "woods"). I've dived with many Caribbean reef sharks without incident, had them swimming all around me... but I wasn't carrying something that might tempt them. Sadly this video will send a bad message to many viewers.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The fact that there are divers that feed speared lionfish to the sharks (as well as to groupers and other predators) obviously conditions the sharks to expect food when someone spears one.

Not the smartest thing to do if you ask me. Why not just leave the carcasses for the other fish to eat (and not feed them)? Part of me thinks that would slightly upset the ecosystem, but negligible considering the dramatic impact lionfish have had on the ecosystem. That shouldn't condition them to expect food from people spearfishing (I hope/guess).

 

[Lopez116]

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2014/03/...-water?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

The diver who shot the video of his close encounter with a reef shark may end up in hot water himself. The clip has been viewed more than 2 million times on YouTube, but Jason Dimitri could end up in a spot of bother.
The video shows him hunting lionfish with a spear, but now it has emerged he hasn’t got a licence.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment (DOE) said the popular clip sends mixed messages for Cayman. “It brings importance and highlights some of the issues that we are dealing with here from a local conservation perspective with the lionfish,” said Bradley Johnson of the DOE. “It shows some aggressive shark behaviour which is uncharacteristic of 99% of our sharks at dive sites here. So it does send two separate messages. So I think we have a chance to send a possitive message from that with all the interest we’ve been getting.”

To hunt lionfish with a spear divers must apply to the DOE and complete a course.


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