Sharks & Diving

[Bogie]

Last week a surfer was attacked by a great white shark while paddling his surfboard off a beach in Monterey. He was lucky to survive but suffered had nasty cuts on his neck and arms, He was released from the hospital and is doing fine.

There is an area off California called the “Red Triangle” that runs from Bodega Bay, out to the Farallon Islands, and down to Big Sir. They migrate inland in the fall during the breeding and calving season of elephant seals at Ano Nuevo and various seals at the Farallon Islands.

I dive Monterey area so these Great Whites are around. I don’t really worry about them but I always wondered was there anything I could do if one approached. I was diving off Bluefish Cove a few weeks back and found out that a diver was attached at the same location several years ago. There are many more attacks on surfers or free divers based on the stats than scuba divers.

Chances of an attack of a great white while scuba diving is extremely small and I don’t worry about it. Bull, Tiger, and Oceanic Whitetip are more common in other areas but the Great White is in my area.

I am curious if there is anything you can do to prevent or fend off a shark attack?

 

[knowone]

Stay out of those LDSsssss where they are known to predate

Leave your wallet at home and carry a stick

 

[Garrobo]

Stay out of the water when sharks are around. Carry a 12 gauge bang stick. Don't paddle a surf board off a beach in Monterey. And what 'knowone' said.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm convinced that great whites don't really like the taste of human ... every time they bite one, they spit it out ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MaxBottomtime]

GWs are surface feeders. Minimize your surface swim as much as possible. You would be extremely fortunate to see one underwater. There is an urchin diver who works the Farallons and dives with sharks all the time.

 

[divingtpapa]

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

-Dori, from Finding Nemo

 

[jefffalcone]

GWs are surface feeders. Minimize your surface swim as much as possible. You would be extremely fortunate to see one underwater. There is an urchin diver who works the Farallons and dives with sharks all the time.

This is what I was going to say. Divers generally don't get attacked because of the way gws hunt. I would love to see one.

 

[starrlamia]

Do a little research too on shark behaviour, learn what are aggressive signs and what are not. Every shark is different, some are more aggressive then others, while most are just curious. I too would love to come across one! But I think I would be scared ****less lol.

 

[Thalassamania]

I've dove around a lot of sharks over the years and only had one "high intensity" experience. Here's a thread with that story (Post #28), Bret's well known story (Post #25) and a passel of other toothy sea stories.

 

[RonFrank]

The Urchin diver fascinates me. It would be interesting to know how often he collects urchins and if sharks are there year around of just annually. I also don't understand what urchins are used for other than sushi. Maybe that is the only market but this guy has been harvesting them since 1978. I find it interesting that this is a one man operation. Seems like one day this guy may not come home.