Diver fights off 12-foot shark

[Scuba-Stu]

where is PETA when you need 'em?

Nobody needs PETA ever.

 

[DiverBeth]

I'm in agreement that the story doesn't pass the smell test. It to me that they could have gotten safely out of the water. Very sad that a beautiful and graceful animal had to needlessly die.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Bottom line is that these fellows profited from their behavior, and are ... to many people today ... someone to admire.

Rewarding bad behavior only guarantees that it'll be repeated. I expect someone else'll be trying this in the not-too-distant future ... and whattya suppose will happen if the shark "wins" next time?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Reallydg]

Okay - so you're scared, feel threatened, and in self-defense have to take the shot. Then, out of a sense of "I want to be humane" you're going to make sure the shark doesn't suffer. Okay - I'll give you that, but then the need to post this video?????? If what you said is true, then why do you need to show this all over the place? Unless it's about the $$$$, which makes all the previous assumptions suspect.

I first caught this on the news this morning, and from the way it was introduced you would have thought this shark was chasing these guys all over the ocean. Then I listen to their story and start thinking, "Huh?"

 

[Jeff Toorish]

As I posted in one of the other threads, all that jackass needed to do was fire a camera strobe off directly at the shark when it was at it's closest, and due to their electrical stimuli, it would have f'd-up that fishes' world for several minutes at the very least, allowing more than enough time for everyone to get out of the water safely and without a scratch.
-Tim

Out of curiosity, just wondering where you got this idea? I shoot photos of sharks all the time, up very close and personal. I normally use two very large, very powerful strobes and I've never seen sharks react is any appreciable way. They just keep swimming along like they always do.

I've been on shoots where there are dozens of sharks and several photographers and I've never seen sharks react is any apreciable way to strobes going off.

Jeff

 

[TGreene]

Out of curiosity, just wondering where you got this idea? I shoot photos of sharks all the time, up very close and personal. I normally use two very large, very powerful strobes and I've never seen sharks react is any appreciable way. They just keep swimming along like they always do.

I've been on shoots where there are dozens of sharks and several photographers and I've never seen sharks react is any apreciable way to strobes going off.

Jeff

From photographing my own shark and watching his responses mostly. Maybe it's a distance thing that has to do with the electrical stimuli... don't really know.

My shark books are also very clear about specific electrical stimuli as well, so one combined with the other == ???

-Tim

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, I agree it appears the story is complete BS. Why the cameraman?-- even if they were simply looking to spear some food for the table. But as usual, I'm the one out of step. Many of the reply posts condemning the divers for the fake show seem to infer that these guys are the reason that 90% of all the big game fish that existed in 1980 are gone. Killing one shark (even if not for food) makes really no difference at all. Maybe we ahould attack the real problem-the trawlers and to a lesser extent, the long lines. Of course, I'm a shell collector used to being "flamed".

 

[TGreene]

Yeah, I agree it appears the story is complete BS. Why the cameraman?-- even if they were simply looking to spear some food for the table. But as usual, I'm the one out of step. Many of the reply posts condemning the divers for the fake show seem to infer that these guys are the reason that 90% of all the big game fish that existed in 1980 are gone. Killing one shark (even if not for food) makes really no difference at all. Maybe we ahould attack the real problem-the trawlers and to a lesser extent, the long lines. Of course, I'm a shell collector used to being "flamed".

The trawler and long line operators are not smearing up every possible media outlet while lying about their superhuman skills!

 

[Jeff Toorish]

From photographing my own shark and watching his responses mostly. Maybe it's a distance thing that has to do with the electrical stimuli... don't really know.

My shark books are also very clear about specific electrical stimuli as well, so one combined with the other == ???

-Tim

I've been closer than a foot when two Inon 240Z flashes went off and the sharks never reacted at all.

If they were going to react, it would be after the strobe, while the capacitor is recharging from the batteries. That would affect sharks' Ampullae of Lorenzini temporarily but not in any dramatic or significant way. I can say, after taking literally thousands of photos of sharks, some extremely closely, the strobes themselves do not seem to cause any reaction one way of the other.

Jeff

 

[TGreene]

Okay - so you're scared, feel threatened, and in self-defense have to take the shot. Then, out of a sense of "I want to be humane" you're going to make sure the shark doesn't suffer. Okay - I'll give you that, but then the need to post this video?????? If what you said is true, then why do you need to show this all over the place? Unless it's about the $$$$, which makes all the previous assumptions suspect.

I first caught this on the news this morning, and from the way it was introduced you would have thought this shark was chasing these guys all over the ocean. Then I listen to their story and start thinking, "Huh?"

Kinda makes ya wonder if they are getting ready to start up a Charter Fishing service doesn't it..? Seriously, think of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of free advertising they have received within the past 24-36 hours.

-Tim