Wasn't even in the water and I think I need a new pair of shorts.
Dangerous Shark Interaction
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lulubelle
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You didn't just slice three words out of context did you? Yep you did. You might want to avoid doing that. Unless you are just trying to pick a fight.
I certainly didn't wish anyone death or injury and it is silly for you to imply that I did. But anyone holding on to a bag of fish or fishy smelling bag when there are sharks in the vicinity certainly can expect/deserves extra attention from any nearby predators. That's what they do. The smart money would be to ditch the bag and let the sharks check it out.
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Well I guess that he got out safely.
What are the rules for scuba diving and spearfishing in the US? Is it regulated to make sure fish stocks are protected, all is it just a free for all?
What are the rules for scuba diving and spearfishing in the US? Is it regulated to make sure fish stocks are protected, all is it just a free for all?
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dumpsterDiver
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In the US, freediving and scuba fishing generally fall under the same rules. Spearfishing is regulated with bag limits that are consistent with other recreational gear types.
However there are some federal and state rules which place additional restrictions against spearfishing, regardless of whether scuba gear is used or not. Certain species are precluded from being taken while spearfishing.
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dumpsterDiver
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The bag contained no fish. The last time the bag held fish was two weeks prior. The bag had been rinsed, dried in the sun and then sat in the garage. The behavoir showed on that video had nothing to do with some faint scent coming from a bag.
In case you are unable to discern what the video shows, maybe this will help. The sharks were in feeding mode, they had just been competing with each other to devour a 25 lb jack in a few seconds. The sharks then turned to the next object in the water. Some might think their behavior was territorial or intended to reduce competition for food from the diver, but I doubt that. They seemed to be interested in FEEDING.
The video is not that unusual; except perhaps that the diver was not actively spearfishing, did not have any fish with him and had not speared any fish for several minutes. The few seconds of excitement in that clip showed a few sharks in a very aggressive mode directed at a non-spearfishing diver.
Based on your comments, I doubt you have much experience with spearfishing around sharks (yet you are willing to comment and seemingly provide guidance on how best to engage in this activity).
In general, sharks can and do sense bloody fish carried by a diver, but if they are detecting a scent only, they tend to circle around, slowly investigate, make repeated direct approaches and veer off at progressively closer distances as they become more excited and are more sure of the source of the scent. They tend to make these approaches at generally the same level as the diver. Of course if they SEE fish or FEEL low frequency vibrations from struggling fish, then the behavior can be vastly different.
Ditching a speared fish or a bag can NOT assure the diver that the sharks will discontinue their immediate interest in the diver and instead become totally intent on the bag of fish etc. It would be much simpler if this were the case and it is the reaction that most spearfisherman WISH would occur, but all too commonly it doesn't work like that in the real world.
Many people have learned that dropping the fish and abandoning it to a shark is a very bad idea. I’ve had to learn this lesson myself. I know this is counterintuitive and against all the PC crap you hear that sharks are “only interested in food” and want nothing to do with divers.
Maybe that is what this video shows?
RAD Diver
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I can't believe no mention of 180ft on a single tank, 40 min of deco on what looks like a 19cuft tank attached behind his back. Probably decoing on BG, which I guess would be air.
I guess if everything goes right, but not a dive I would do or was trained to do in that configuration.
I guess if everything goes right, but not a dive I would do or was trained to do in that configuration.
diveprof
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Bumped by a large bull once... That's enough. Learned the dos and don'ts.
OK thanks. I am not familiar with spearfishing at all. Is the ethos of the sport taking fish to eat/sell, or just for the sake of hunting the fish?
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dumpsterDiver
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Fish are not to be wasted, they are to be eaten. spearfishing is probably the least destructive way to take fish. Ideally, only the proper size and species are targeted, no lost fishing line, net, incidental by-catch, release mortality etc.
I see. So most spear-fishermen are taking fish for their own dinner. That makes sense. I agree that compared to getting a giant trawling net and ripping off everything that resides on the seabed, it is infinitely preferable.
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