Incident At Isla Guadalupe Blog Report V.2

[Scubalaslo]

Hi All,

Looking for confirmation or even a straight answer concerning this blog post from U/W Photographer Dean Karr regarding a-supposed-fatal shark cage breach incident at Isla Guadalupe some time in the past three weeks. The rumors are starting to build and people are talking about an event-if true-would be the first of it's kind in the cage diving industry.


If this event is true-SOMEONE-must have seen it. There have to be images and video as well coming from the divers who were on board with Lawrence Groth from Great White Adventures aka Shark Diving International.

His blog:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=5802972&blogID=305791367

Blog Post:

RUMOR HAD IT THAT ONE GREAT WHITE GOT STUCK IN THE CAGE OF ONE OF THE CHARTERS LAST WEEK AND DIED, I HOPE THIS IS NOT TRUE, BUT WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL I SEE LAWRENCE. I'M SURE SOME PART OF THE STORY IS TRUE AND I'M SURE WHOEVER WAS IN THAT CAGE WENT FOR ONE WILD ****ING RIDE.... I JUST HOPE THE ANIMAL LIVED.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE WEEK OF THE YEAR. IT SNEAKS UP SO FAST ON ME EVERY TIME. JUST WHEN IT SEEMED MONTHS AWAY, IT'S NOW A DAY AWAY. THIS IS THE 3RD OR 4TH EXPEDITION THAT MY FRIEND LAWRENCE GROTH OF GREAT WHITE ADVENTURES HAS TAKEN OUT THIS YEAR. THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING SEVERAL NEW AGGRESSIVE MALES OUT ON THE FIRST THREE TRIPS, WHOM AREN'T ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING HUMAN BEINGS IN ALUMINUM CAGES, LOOKING LIKE CHRISTMAS TURKEYS. THE RESULT OF THEIR IGNORANCE HAD THEM ATTACKING THE CAGES WITH FIERCE VALOR!

If anyone knows about this please step forward. Or if anyone from SDI or GWA would like to make a statement please do so at this time.

 

[hammerhead man]

I was on a San Diego Shark Divers Dive trip to Isa Guadalupe three years ago and there was a woman on board that had been with the same outfit two years previously where a GW did get its head stuck in the cage; however, the end result was that the shark broke the cage and swam away. According the the woman when the shark got stuck it began thrashing and forced its way into the cage with the divers all bunched together at the other end of the cage. The shark then made a 90 degree turn away from the divers (fortunately) and when out the side of the cage. I saw pics of the cage and it was absolutely destroyed (this event was also highlighted on Discovery channel's shark week). The whole event took less than a minute to occur. The woman said she learned two things: 1. GW's have only a forward gear, and 2. When faced with this situation civalry is not a consideration (she was in the cage with 3 men). Based upon that story, my guess is that if a GW did get stuck it didn't die in the cage, it might have died from the wounds sustained by the broken pieces of the cage, but not in the cage. These are incredibly powerful animals.

 

[drbill]

I've had two friends who were cage diving with the great whites down there and in two separate incidents had GW's go through or get stuck in the cage. They are largely aluminium on the sides and pose more of a psychological barrier than a real one for an animal with that power. In neither case were any of the divers injured.

The GW's didn't dare trying to go through the cage when I was in it. Have you seen MY fangs! They wouldn't have a chance.

 

[Scubalaslo]

"Shark Diving International<sdistaff@seesharks.com" <sdistaff@gmail.com>
hide details 2:05 pm (1½ hours ago)
reply-to

SDIstaff@seesharks.com
to

date
Sep 5, 2007 2:05 PM
subject
Guadalupe 2008
mailed-by
gmail.com Hello,

My name is James Moskito I am the VP / Expedition Leader for Great White Adventures / Shark Diving International
First I am happy to say we have continued our 100% safety record for all of our guests and SHARKS.
The rumors that have been showing up on the internet are just that rumors and lies.

We are doing amazing thing this year at Guadalupe with the sharks and I hope you can join us sometime.


--
Thank you,
James Moskito

Golden Gate Expeditions Inc.
Shark Diving International
Great White Adventures
2516 Blanding Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501-1506
510-814-8256
www.SeeSharks.com

The Ultimate Shark Diving Experience Is Closer Than You Think!

 

[MyDiveLog]

I was on Lawrences 2nd Isla Guadalupe trip of the season, and no shark (or human) was hurt on our trip or the one before it. We DID have one shark take the bait and head towards the cage to escape. The head stuck in the cage and it thrashed around a bit (see photo below), but it freed itself without injury to the shark or diver ... the Great Whites don't have a reverse gear.

 

[deeper thoughts]

photo?

 

[MyDiveLog]

I THOUGHT I attached a photo but it didn't seem to work. I've put the two photos in my photo gallery, which you can get to be clicking on "photo gallery" under my photo. One photo is a topside shot of the shark with his head a bit into the cage. The other is of a great white taking the bait. The one of a GW breaching isn't mine and certainly wasn't taken on that trip!

Lawerence Groth and his crew were amazing and, other than the 20-hour boat ride, the trip was truly one of a lifetime.

 

[drbill]

Ha, you should have gone down there on my friend's boat... it was a 10 hour trip from San Diego (at a cruising speed of 25 knots).