Pacific Coast Shark Sighting 2013 Report

Discussion in 'All Discussions' started by DosXX, Oct 3, 2013.

  1. DosXX

    DosXX Well-Known Member

    Mar 2, 2013
    I found this report to be very interesting and in some cases, chilling, reading. The sightings are from surfers, paddleboarders, divers, and fishermen mostly off Calif. Many are of whites seen off SoCAL. I say chilling, because years ago I used to free dive and SCUBA at a number of the So CAL spots listed. Sharks, and certainly not whites, were not much of a concern then; but it seems that there has been an increase in the seal/sea lion populations in these areas over the years.

    I only skimmed the reports, but several caught my eye. In particular was a 7/16 report from a SCUBA diver who was spearfishing off Refugio State Beach (north of S. Barbara). He had speared a lingcod and was holding it in his hand when a 12 ft white swam up and grabbed it. I particularly like the part where he says: "...We struggled for a few seconds before the shark pulled it out of my hand and swam off..."

    http://sharkresearchcommittee.com/pacific_coast_shark_news.htm
     
  2. sisurfdogg

    sisurfdogg Well-Known Member

    Jun 17, 2013
    Give the man in the grey suit your lunch money, rather than pay the vig with your arm. Maybe if we talked to the sea lions and the lingcod and explained to them that they are causing a big problem attracting the great whites, they would figure out that it is not worth it to them to risk their life protecting their surf spot and maybe it is time for them to find another surf spot because their days are numbered and it is creating a big problem with the two legged folk who don't wanna be one legged folk.

    It is always nice to have the mermaids on your side. Don't piss them off. Trust me bro!
     

  3. waterbaby

    waterbaby Well-Known Member

    Oct 1, 2012
    I don't know why I don't get freaked out when surfing up here north of santa barbara...maybe it's because, subconsciously, I'm hoping the dolphin myth is true (I frequently see them).

    Fact is, Montana de Oro is a seal rookery, it protrudes way out in the pacific, the water is significantly colder than the surrounding area, etc, etc...it's just fk'n gnarly. To think surfing just a couple miles north of there is going to change anything is pretty ignorant....and what's even dumber is I would never think of scuba diving here
     
  4. yankee

    yankee Well-Known Member

    Sep 26, 2008
    So, this is an interesting topic to me. Here on the east coast we don't get the sense that Great Whites are going to snatch us; yet, as we all know, they're certainly out there, and a lot closer than we like to think. Temperature of the ocean seems to have nothing to do with where these critters cruise. That Internet shark tracking site is a real eye-opener; hello Mary Lee!

    And, you guys on the left coast seem to be perpetually in fear of Great White attacks. Yet, the world's greatest tally for shark attacks / bites is always, year-on-year, Florida.

    The Bull Sharks that are prolific here on the east coast are known for unpredictable, aggressive behavior. And they are, literally, every freakin' where: in the ocean, the salt marshes, even in the fresh water tributaries, e.g., the Potomac River.

    Places like Oz have constructed massive shark nets to protect ocean bathers against Great Whites the size of pickup trucks. Florida's position seems to be 'meh, it's just tourists, they'll make more.'

    What's my point....Well, it's more wondering: since we, here on the correct coast (just a joke! try not to go batso), don't have seal rookeries or sea lion populations as the left coast has, is that why people in wetsuits get scarfed up when swimming or surfing in that region? Mistaken identity by hungry Great Whites?
    (I'm leaving New England with their growing seal pop out of this hypothetical because, well, because I can.)

    And since the number of shark attacks are far & away the greater number in Florida, why is that? Is it a species thing in Florida (Bulls) and a case of mistaken identity thing in Cali (Great Whites)...?
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2013
  5. Mad Atom

    Mad Atom Well-Known Member

    615
    Jul 16, 2013
    I asked this question in another thread and it didn't seem like anyone really knew the answer. Is the number of great white attacks on the rise, or are we just seeing more of them? It seems clear that there are more great whites in the waters where we swim, surf, dive, etc. Logic would tell you that if there is more human-shark interaction, the number of attacks will increase. Is that the case with great whites? All the incidents I hear about are on the southern east coast, and it's usually a bull shark.
     
  6. seldom seen

    seldom seen Well-Known Member

    Aug 21, 2012
    Interesting discussion. One thing I often wonder is if they do cull the seal population on Cape Cod will that result in more attacks...since there would be the same number of hungry sharks expecting food, less resources(seals), thus causing the sharks to seek some variety? A seal got tagged and devoured the weekend of 9/13 off Coast Guard beach, about 40 yards away from the lineup with a bunch of guys out. Does that indicate that White attacks are more of mistaken identity?

    Also, random, but Bull's amaze me, with the whole fresh water thing. I read once(can't cite) that one was found like 2,000 miles up the Amazon River.
     
  7. sisurfdogg

    sisurfdogg Well-Known Member

    Jun 17, 2013
    Most of the shark attacks here in the east Florida coast are 3-6 foot blacktips or spinner sharks. They are going after schools of mullet and bait fish and bite swimmer's and surfers hands, feet and extremities, then let go when they realize it is a human. Nurse sharks bite a lot of scuba divers because the dumb divers like to pet them and pull on their tails.

    The real danger here is from bull sharks, lemon sharks and tiger sharks. They like to eat tarpon and big jacks and little sharks. They get big. They will eat you. Attacks by them are very rare. Bottom line: if it is your time, it is your time. Be safe all you bros and wahinis!
     
  8. hinmo24t

    hinmo24t Well-Known Member

    412
    Jan 16, 2012
    cool post, thanks.
     
  9. MFitz73

    MFitz73 Well-Known Member

    Aug 21, 2010
    I think anyone that says great white attacks on humans are mistaken identity are full of sh%t. sure ok, maybe there is mistaken identity once in a while where seals hangout... but I think its much simpler than that. if a shark is hungry enough it will investigate anything it comes upon. there I just saved millions of dollars that would go to ridiculous research on why sharks attack.
    So... I do think your theory on culling seals and increased attack potential on humans is in the ball park too. Sharks will be like, huh, where did all the food go? well I have to fuel up before I head off to my next destination so lets get a fiberglass sandwich.
     
  10. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    I know I'm from the east coast but damn man you're in Cali, there's sharks.... white ones! A friend of mine a couple years ago the day before a contest got hit by a great white in Santa Cruz. I know its not Socal but Great whites travel thousands of miles! The actually breed off the coast of SoCal and give birth in the Hawaiin Islands. We don't have seals in Florida but we have Great Whites! Few months back a spear fisher caught a great white swimming behind him on his GoPro in Sebastian Inlet!

    I live in the shark bite capitol of the world (so they say) but its usually just little nips. We have a lot of bait fish in the water and when the water is cloudy due to the tide from the river heading out, the sharks are just racing through schools of fish grabbing what they can. If your foot is in the way you get hit but as soon as the shark realizes it isn't a little bait fish it lets go.

    I got hit in front of my house.... I was paddling out and went I duck dove under a wave something hit my board hard! Thought it was either the bottom or a log or debris or something. When I surfaced there was perfect jaw marks just a few inches from my head on my board. The jaw imprint was exactly the size of my hand spread out. I had a bright yellow board with an "O" for a logo on the nose. Damn thing probably looked like Jew fish under water and that's exactly what the shark thought! You could plainly see that as soon as it hit my board it realized it wasn't a fish and it let go because the jaw marks had barely broke through the fiberglass.
    When it let go though it tore through the rail of my board pretty good, but on the top and bottom of my board I had perfect teeth marks! I light glassed over it so you could still see the bite marks. Beach patrol said by the size of the jaw marks it was probably 4' - 6' shark.

    People get bit here almost every other day but its very rarely serious. I actually believe that a lot of the bites could be from Barracuda. Barracuda will bite at anything and are very aggressive. Their teeth are even more menacing than a sharks.

    Here's the vid of my buddy getting hit in Santa Cruz.....

    http://surf.transworld.net/1000089538/features/eric-geiselmans-great-white-shark-scare/
     
  11. Mad Atom

    Mad Atom Well-Known Member

    615
    Jul 16, 2013
    I can see this thread going in the same direction the other one did, but I agree about culling. Things never go well when humans intervene (play god). It might take years, but the seals & sea lions will eventually move to get away from their predators, and the predators will follow them out. As long as they don't come up to MAINE everything will be cool. All we have to worry about right now are ornery lobstahs and people from Quebec, and I'd like to keep it that way.
     
  12. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    and wicked good bumpa stickas!
     
  13. Tlokein

    Tlokein Well-Known Member

    Oct 12, 2012
    I was watching a show the other night talking about a recent increase in white attacks in SoCal. Even though (like the east coast) there have been whites out there with us forever there have been very very few attacks. Their theory behind the recent increase in attacks in SoCal is that the presence of pinnipeds triggers the whites to go into hunting mode. So no seals around and the whites are just cruising...throw in a bunch of seals and they line up for the buffet and your chance for getting munched goes way up. Interesting theory at least, and does make sense IMHO...

    Re: The mistaken identity attack theory...I personally think this is the case in most situations where whites hit a boarder. I've also read though that whites can be territorial at times and can attack for that reason, which would obviously not be a case of mistaken ID. One theory is when it's a bite and let go attack it's a mistaken ID, when they return it's a territorial attack. And of course they are still wild animals and apex predators so there may be other triggers that we just don't understand. Just ask Siegfried and Roy about their pet tiger...

    Personally the bulls are what I fear the most. Aggressive, territorial, will go anywhere and easily cruise in just a few feet of water, and the damn things are everywhere. Last October I saw a 6ft spinner jump right where my launch point was, but I could clearly ID it so I went on out...If I had just seen the shape or a short fin...no freaking way. If I can't ID it I assume it's a bull.

    Personally if someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to jump in a tank with a white, a tiger, or a bull, I'd choose the white every time.
     
  14. seldom seen

    seldom seen Well-Known Member

    Aug 21, 2012
    Hahahaha! Agreed on the bulls.
     
  15. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    Couldn't agree more! Bulls and tigers seem to be way more aggressive than whites. A few years back somewhere in the Tampa area a guy got mauled by a bull in the river just off his dock! DEAD!!!

    Three weeks ago a friend of mine caught a 9' bull also in the river. I say river (that's the technical term... Halifax River) but its actually the back side of New Smyrna inside the inlet. There is huge sandbar back there in which every one parks their boats on the weekends and parties! The call it "disappearing islands". Everyone lounges around in the water drinking and playing. A few hundred yards from there is where he caught that bull shark!!!!

    If I can get some picts from him I'll post them....
     
  16. Tlokein

    Tlokein Well-Known Member

    Oct 12, 2012
    wavehog1 - if you go to the back side of harkers island (taylor's creek) where the marinas are they catch big bulls there all the time. Their practically trained to show up at night and feed on the scraps from the fishing boats. I bet ever freaking marina on the east coast has bulls crusing around everywhere.

    I thinks its funny when people stay in between the shore and the first sandbar in 3ft of water because they're scared to go out past the breakers b/c of sharks. That channel is nothing but a critter highway and you've got a better chance of getting bit there than you do out the back.
     
  17. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    Exactly! That three feet of water is best place to get tagged!
     
  18. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Yeah, he jumped off his dock off the intracoastal on St. Pete Beach / Boca Ciega Bay and got chomped in half, pretty brutal

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95960&page=1
     
  19. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    Yep.... that's the one! Thanks for finding that DawnPatrol!
     
  20. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    No problemo, they're definitely out there, wasn't long ago that a White was caught just off the coast of Treasure Island (where I normally go when the Gulf is working), definitely makes you wonder, but can't think about that crap out there, just gotta accept it as a possibility and let fate do it's thing