Tiger Shark - Jupiter, FL 01/25/2014

[drrich2]

I'm still struggling with how one should react upon seeing a large tiger shark nearby in the wild.

One the one hand, Abernathy with his work with Emma, and for that matter dive trips to Tiger Beach for cageless tiger shark diving with food in the water, seem to indicate one can dive around tiger sharks much as some do around bull sharks; with respect, but not overt fear.

I've seen posts before indicating some people regard them as concerning enough to warrant a slow retreat, or at least keeping a good distance.

The way people view species known to've killed humans is also in question. Diving cageless with great whites is often viewed as reckless and dangerous, yet diving around bull sharks and great hammerheads cageless doesn't usually seem controversial. Some posts about oceanic white tips sound like they'd freak me out a bit (e.g.: shark coming in real close, needing to maintain eye contact to discourage inappropriate contact, etc...), yet people dive cageless with them.

So, if you were at Jupiter (or whatever), and a big, oh, say, 14 - 16 foot tiger shark cruised into the vicinity and hung around, what would most of you do? Assuming it's not a shark dive looking for them, and you weren't specifically prepared for dealing with sharks on the dive.

Richard.

 

[MrChen]

I know others would be swimming after it to get GoPro footage, which means I could watch from a distance until it left. If it didn't leave, I'd stay low, watch it, and try to move on. Visibility isn't always great though, so it could be 40 ft away and you wouldn't even know it.

 

[sportxlh]

I wonder how common it is to see tiger sharks on Jupiter dives? Fed and unfed?

I keep telling myself I'd like to see a tiger shark on a dive...while I'm surrounded by people who look tastier than I do!

Richard.

Like they say.... you don't have to swim faster than the angry tiger shark, just faster than your dive buddy.

 

[drrich2]

I've heard that one before, but it brings up another question. It's said the sight of a fleeing creature can trigger the attack instinct in some predators. I believe if I were in the water with, oh, say, an instabuddy I had no close attachment to, and he panicked and bolted, seems to me hovering in place, not racing would be the thing to do.

I'm guessing that a GWS or Tiger Shark would likely go after him.

Then again, in the GWS case, I'm kinda shaped like a sea lion...

Richard.

 

[matts1w]

I have done the massive shark feed dive in Pacific Harbor, Fiji a few times. Every now and then, one of several tiger sharks makes an appearance. When I saw the massive tigershark named Scarface, there must of been 10-15 stocky bull sharks in the feed "arena." All of a sudden they all just disappeared into the haze...gone...and maybe one minute later Scarface swam into the scene, munched a few fish heads, checked everybody out, and then swam off. One she was gone the bulls returned. It was one of the coolest things I have seen underwater.

Point is even big a$$ bullies know it is time to chill when a tiger is in the area.

The Fiji Shark Dive - Beqa Adventure Divers

 

[Odo]

I hope you get your hand bit off! Both of them would be better. We need a poster boy for irresponsibility. Then you might stop. Sharks are harassing us all the time because of you idiots. Btw this is not a "feeding sharks argument." this is putting other divers (me and my friends) in danger argument. **** heads!

 

[sportxlh]

...... I dove the next day and the north current washed away the muck: vis was 80 + on Center Street. we had several Lemon sharks check us out during the dive. Even saw one Lemon on Tunnels during the second dive. It was laying in the sand next to the reef either sleeping or at a cleaning station and moved off as we drifted towards it.......

Odo made methink of something.....Just to clarify one point from last sunday: I was not ona shark feeding dive when I saw the Lemons. Jupiter Dive Center does not endorseshark feeding, that's who I dove with. The Lemons just showed up to check us out,though we were only about 200 yards from Federal water so it very well couldbe those sharks were attuned to being fed by other operators at another reefline a bit east of our spot.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Odo made methink of something.....Just to clarify one point from last sunday: I was not ona shark feeding dive when I saw the Lemons. Jupiter Dive Center does not endorseshark feeding, that's who I dove with. The Lemons just showed up to check us out,though we were only about 200 yards from Federal water so it very well couldbe those sharks were attuned to being fed by other operators at another reefline a bit east of our spot.

Note however that they only "checked you out." I get the distinct impression that some folks feel if a shark so much as comes within visual range and looks at them, they conclude it's obviously been fed by someone and reach for the speargun or powerhead. They seem to forget that it's the sharks' ocean and sharks can do as they damn well please, and that includes turning up to investigate when fish get shot and stealing one if the shark is quick enough.

Seguing off that topic as per the original poster's intent, I haven't been around tigers outside of a cage, but I have had a few bull encounters and used to go solo diving/spearing at San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands in Southern California, which are definitely "man in the gray suit" territory (both have large seal and sealion colonies). In the former cases, I never really felt threatened; they didn't come close and actually the first time I saw a bull underwater I "lit the afterburners" trying to get close for a photo. In the latter, I certainly was watching my back but I felt good about my chances. I'd love to see one of our occasional visiting South Florida white sharks on a dive, and an open-water dive with tigers and great hammerheads is still on the list.

Overall it depends on the circumstances, particularly viz and the shark's behavior. As a scientist I'm loathe to apply anthropomorphism to an animal, but I've heard enough anecdotes to think they may have moods and personalities.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Halcyon if u get the chance take one of Abernathy trips to tiger beach. Cageless and just amazing and very safe compared to what you are seeing here.

 

[drrich2]

I hope you get your hand bit off! Both of them would be better. We need a poster boy for irresponsibility. Then you might stop. Sharks are harassing us all the time because of you idiots. Btw this is not a "feeding sharks argument." this is putting other divers (me and my friends) in danger argument. **** heads!

Judging from your line in your profile only killing what you can eat in a night or getting a bigger freezer, it stands to reason you are a spear fisherman. In that sport, you cause fish blood and fish thrashing to enter the environment in the vicinity of divers, which may lead to sharks investigating in the pursuit of easy food.

While you aren't dumping, oh, say, a full-size bucket of blood into the area, you are introducing the fish struggles, which from what I've read can be quite enticing to sharks. And sometimes spear fisherman ply their hobby in groups.

Is this so different from the shark feed dives as to warrant wishing somebody will get both hands bitten off by a shark on such a dive so as to be a propaganda tool to oppose shark feed divers?

Richard.