BajaNomad - . - Powered by XMB

.

rogerj1 - 7-31-2004 at 10:29 PM

Make sure you hose off before heading to your favorite apres surf hangout. :cool:

JESSE - 8-1-2004 at 02:20 PM

So in order to make it they have to kill sharks to get the extract?

whodat54321 - 8-1-2004 at 02:35 PM

for now they have to. I'm sure they are seeking out the active ingredient that makes the sharks bail and will synthesize it.

putting myself in the shark's place, I wouldn't want to be around rotton stinking bodies either. :barf:

Markitos - 8-7-2004 at 05:10 PM

Just drop a dead chicken in your mates wetty! The sharks will leave YOU alone! :lol:

Make sure your amigo has payed his share of the gas first thou :biggrin:

MaiTaiMama - 8-8-2004 at 01:18 AM

Thanks for the info Grover. I love the ocean but couldn't wait for the real thing to keep those buggers away....anyone have any follow-ups on shark repellant??

[Edited on 8-8-2004 by MaiTaiMama]

whodat54321 - 8-8-2004 at 10:30 AM

battery chuckers?

an old friend of mine who dives some told me a story of how they dunked a starting battery in the drink for a few seconds to scare off a bunch of the sharks, but I somehow think that's a bunch of bull....

bancoduo - 3-7-2006 at 02:18 PM

I think a rabbits foot would be just as effective.

[Edited on 3-7-2006 by bancoduo]

Diver - 3-7-2006 at 03:11 PM

Responding to a post from 8-8-2004 ??

sharks

bancoduo - 3-7-2006 at 03:52 PM

Are sharks obsolete in 06? :spingrin:

KAT54 - 3-7-2006 at 04:08 PM

Diver leave this guy alone.
He's new and doesn't even know that there aren't waves in San Felipe.
He wiil learn.

sharks

tehag - 3-7-2006 at 04:09 PM

Some Pacific Island cultures believe that sharks are repelled by bold stripes. Some research has suggeted that it may be more than just superstition. Take a look at old beach costumes, lots of very bold stripes. Have we forgotten something else? I have been wearing a striped tee shirt to snorkel and dive in for an unmentionable number of years all over Baja and So California without so much as a wink from a shark.

vandenberg - 3-7-2006 at 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tehag
Some Pacific Island cultures believe that sharks are repelled by bold stripes. Some research has suggeted that it may be more than just superstition. Take a look at old beach costumes, lots of very bold stripes. Have we forgotten something else? I have been wearing a striped tee shirt to snorkel and dive in for an unmentionable number of years all over Baja and So California without so much as a wink from a shark.

Not enough meat on you for a shark to bother with, no matter what suit you wear ?? :lol:

Al G - 3-7-2006 at 11:08 PM

I going to opt for the repellent because in a wet suit I look just like a seal. I am sure I would be the slowest out of the water. What am I talking about I don't know how to surf!!! :lol:

Gotta lose some weight :no:

bajarasta - 10-2-2006 at 09:12 PM

sharks... what sharks!! ? there are no sharks in baja worth wasting your time worring about! im telling you from experience man!! unless your at the gut dump at the fish camp on an outgoing tide youve got nothing to worry about!!!
try living and surfing in the heart of the red triangle where you often surf alone and the locals name the fish(no bullchit).
there is a spot in humboldt where the local shark is called "twenty foot tony"!! and at yet another yet more secret place you have to paddle through whats known as "the petting zoo" to get to the lineup.
we pray all year to not get bit in the water sos we can go to mex for a while and not worry about it at all...
but the stripes in bold are for real.the stripes mean "predator " in the ocean not prey. sea snakes, zebra fish, and other poisonous animals have these similar zebra stripe patterns.
as for gettin bit? well if it happens it happens. at least a baja tiberon wont be the size of a eurovan camper!!!!
just surf and "no worries"!!
bajarasta

Better slather your dead shark repellant on

Sharksbaja - 10-2-2006 at 09:31 PM

because they do exist...everywhere you wanna go.

http://www.santarosaliacasitas.com/city.htm

and some discussion re: same:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=7861

Bajamatic - 10-2-2006 at 09:41 PM

yeah - and smoke another one if you think the shark, with eyesight about as good as my 90 y.o. gramps behind the wheel after dark, is gonna care if there are stripes on your board while he looks up into the sun at your silhouette.

Bruce R Leech - 10-3-2006 at 01:32 PM

¿Grover have you tested it yourself yet?

once again thanks for all your help Grover.

There is only one reliable way to repel sharks...

bigzaggin - 10-3-2006 at 01:45 PM

...if you see one coming, just shove your face underwater and yell "BEAT IT!" super loud. They will probably bail. I tried this a number of times at the reef breaks north of Santa Cruz with typically positive results. You might have to translate when screaming at sharks in Baja (¡salga de aqui!), though a fair number (especially in Norte) do understand English.

By the way, central Baja is basically overrun with voracious sharks, especially the Sisters area where upwards of 19 attacks (11 fatal) have been registered in the past 9 months. A local fisherman there, who has fished the entire West Coast from Washington down (and is missing a leg), told me the sharks in that zone are hands down the hungriest, toughest, most aggressive beasts for thousands of miles in every direction. I am being totally serious.

Something to consider anyway.

Ken Bondy - 10-3-2006 at 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigzaggin
By the way, central Baja is basically overrun with voracious sharks, especially the Sisters area where upwards of 19 attacks (11 fatal) have been registered in the past 9 months.

bigzaggin what's the source of that statement? I have been observing sharks and their relationship with fisherman in the central Sea of Cortez for many years, and based on what I have seen (see photo below) the sharks have certainly taken a bigger hit than the fishermen. What species do you think are the "voracious" ones? Threshers like those whose fins are in the panga?

ThresherFins.jpg - 42kB

Bajamatic - 10-3-2006 at 03:04 PM

That part of baja, being the end of the japanese current, is a well known hunting ground for whities. There have been some caught off santa rosaliita. Shark week always talks about it. One guy was claiming that this year its really thick with 'em - "you can almost walk on the water on the backs of the sharks" he said. Might have lost something in translation but scared the balls out of me.

Ken Bondy - 10-3-2006 at 03:34 PM

Bajamatic

Guadalupe Island has long been known as a habitat for whites. There are several operations that now that run caged white shark trips to Guadalupe, they are VERY popular. I haven't seen anything published in the scientific journals about the great increase in shark activity on the central west coast of Baja, with many attacks and fatalities, that bigzaggin cites. There is so much misinformation and fiction quoted about sharks and shark behavior that I always like to get the source of such statements. Often they are anectodal and cannot be supported, and just add to the mythology associated with sharks.

Bajamatic - 10-3-2006 at 03:39 PM

Academy of Sciences has warning posted all over SF about it.

Ken Bondy - 10-3-2006 at 03:44 PM

Can you give me a reference, website, etc.??? What Academy of Sciences??

DanO - 10-3-2006 at 03:47 PM

As Ken notes, one of the California white shark's main southern habitats is Isla Guadalupe, 160 miles off the Baja coast (BTW, California white sharks have been shown to have ranges of well over a thousand miles).

I also recall a post from the Amigos board from a guy who said he'd seen a white shark carcass on the beach in Bahia Soledad (although I suspected at the time he was just trying to protect a "secret" spot).

Don't worry, just repeat after me -- there are no sharks, there are no sharks, there are no sharks . . . .

Frankly, I'd be more concerned about the howling wind, treacherous currents and sharp rocks (but that's why we love the north coast of Baja).

[Edited on 10-3-2006 by DanO]

You have me interested

Sharksbaja - 10-3-2006 at 06:59 PM

I'd also like some evidence of the increase Matic talks about.

Here ya go:

Shark Attacks

Ken Bondy - 10-3-2006 at 08:22 PM

That's a great link, thanks Sharksbaja. It shows a total of 5 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in all of Baja with the last fatality 33 years ago. Seems to conflict with the statistics bigzaggin quoted.

elgatoloco - 10-3-2006 at 08:29 PM

Me thinks bigzag has been hitting the zigzag. :lol:

I wonder if he surfs and he ever goes to the area he references and if he wants to make sure the lineup is as uncrowded as it usually is? :biggrin:

Ken Bondy - 10-3-2006 at 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elgatoloco
Me thinks bigzag has been hitting the zigzag. :lol:

elgatoloco THAT is really funny. Why can't I think of stuff like that??

++Ken++

Don Alley - 10-3-2006 at 09:19 PM

Sharks sure do get a bad rap. 11 recent fatalities, sure, yeah.

So lets have tons of people who are unlikely to even see a shark buy some of that new repellant made from sharks. Yep, just what sharks need to go along with their bad reputation: another dubious market along with the shark fin soup.

Missing dorsals

Sharksbaja - 10-3-2006 at 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Alley
Sharks sure do get a bad rap.

We sure do...

I mean they sure do!

Countless shark carcasses without fins was almost enough to make me sick. Literally.

These sleazy fishermen cater to sleazy (but wealthy) aristocrats.

[Edited on 10-4-2006 by Sharksbaja]

gnukid - 10-3-2006 at 11:30 PM

More heresay:

Marine biologists in la paz go with pangeros and cut open the stomachs of sharks to study what they eat... anyway I read recent papers there in which an addendum to the report suggests that more than likely most deaths of fisherman divers in the pacific off baja may more likely be attributed to giant squids not sharks since little evidence exists of shark attacks to account for the deaths. I personally had a hard time believing it since squids supposedly eat at night in the deep and average 20inches, though this summer I have seen many large squid in the day time and they are extremely aggressive and carniverous. Maybe you remember the story of Moby Dick?

By the way, Nautilus Explorer runs Guadalupe Island shark cage dive trips

http://www.nautilusexplorer.com/main/?multimedia_captainsLog...

dean miller - 10-4-2006 at 07:06 AM

Sharks- Baja- Isla Guadalupe

This island has long been the favorite spearfishing island of the serious spearfisherman. It has also been a area where big fish and big GWS have been encounted. Several examples:

The spearfishing blue fin tuna W/R was set by Frank Lipenthaul (Sp) in the late 1950s at La Jolla cove in California at 20+ pounds using an Adict type gun. In 1963 Ron Merker broke the WR with a 50+ pound BFT using a Sampson gun. Around 1990 Terry Maas shattered the WR for BFT at a few pounds short of 400 pounds (398) using a gun of his own design. Ron's and Terry"s WR were set at Guadalupe Island while free diving.

In 1974 Al Sneppersnoff, a reconized world class spear fisherman, was attacked at killed by a GWS at Guadalupe about 10 feet from the saftey of the boat. It was dusk, the day's diving had finishished and he was approaching the swim step when a fin appeared and almost immedialty the shark struck his legs. The stike removed a large portion of a thigh and severed the large femoral artery. He was pulled on the boat where he went to the big reef in the sky--in the presence of his 10 year old son Allan Jr.

Al senior is one of the subjects of the 1960s book book "Last of the blue water hunters" by Carlos Eyles which documented a blue water hunting trip in to Baja prior to the completition of the "Road," RV invasion, etc (enough said!?) Al's attack was also the subject of the first chapter of the book the "Golden sea" by Playboy press.

Eleven years and a few days later Harry Ingram was also on a spearfishing trip to the same island, Guadalupe, spearfishing in the same area and it was dusk and Harry was also preparing to hop on the swim step when a shark fin was noticed heading straight for Harry. He turned with his six foot gun fully loaded just in time to pull the trigger sending the seven foot shaft (arrow to a spear fisherman) directly into the open mouth of the GWS. Harry turned his back to suddenly discover he was on the back of the GWS which arched and tossed Harry out of the water. The GWS continued on swimming away from Harry and the boat, Harry's terminal gear deployed but his custom gun was torn from his hand in the process and never recovered. Harry survived with out a scratch and is still spearfishing --not at Guadalupe- not in low visability- and certainly not at night . His encouter was also chapter one in one of Carlos's many books--whose title I can't recall==(how about others of the community??)

There are currently a number of Shark encounter trips that visit the Island. These are not to spear fish but rather for the late model tube sucking bubble blowers to encounter a shark through the comfort and security of a cage.

So long as I can recall there has always been a shark fishing industry in Baja servicing the far east world's quest for exotic soup, providing leather for cowboy boots, and meat for the masses. Fifty years ago the market was small and the road to the market was long and difficult. Today the shark market is huge, the hunters are many, and the buyers come to search out the suppliers. Consquenly the sharks have been and will continue to decrease in Baja at an alarming rate so log as this industry continues.

It has been noted in many areas of pandemic shark activity such as Durban South Africa, which has more sharks than any where else in the world, that when dogs are allowed on the beach that the shark sightings and attacks increase. How ever this does not apparently effect the aquatic activity the participants leave Fido at home and enjoy the blue.

Most consider sharks attacks as being targets of opportunity. a flailing fin from a diver, a dangling arm attatched to a surfer. All sharks can be considerd dangerous, but world wide only around thirty are considered "dangerous man eaters" At the top of this Etonian heap is the GWS wich ranges world wide and is generally the last thing the victim recalls.

Only a few have survived a GWS attack, Harry Ingram and Rodney Fox come to mind. Rodney has capitizied on his scares and made a comfortable living from his encounter for the last fifty years or more.

So go surfing, leave your dog at home, don't dangle your arms, exit before dusk and enjoy the water

DM

chino - 10-4-2006 at 07:23 AM

Order your reppelant today and recieve a free lightning rod hat guarenteed to protect you from being struck by lightning,
Maybe the reppelant would work for a soup base for some of the albondigas recipies posted on nomads!

elgatoloco - 10-4-2006 at 08:08 AM

http://www.carloseyles.com/

Cincodemayo - 10-4-2006 at 09:34 AM

Years ago there was an awesome movie about Great Whites with Rodney Fox called Blue Water, White Death that followed the book. I still have the book....A good friend has dived all over the world including Antarctica and has gone on the Great White expiditions to Guadalupe Is. twice now...both times getting out of the cages along with National Geographic divers.
Little bit more balsy than I'd do!! I'd take the cage anyday around those eating machines. That area is suppose to be the last pristine Great White breeding area on Earth.

DanO - 10-4-2006 at 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chino
Order your reppelant today and recieve a free lightning rod hat guarenteed to protect you from being struck by lightning,
Maybe the reppelant would work for a soup base for some of the albondigas recipies posted on nomads!

Good one.

dean miller - 10-5-2006 at 05:42 AM

Elgatoloco,

Thanks for the tip on Carlos Eyles web site.

Carlos and I were in frequent touch when he lived a few miles north in a small town above Moro bay called Cayucos, but over the passage of time and seperation of the miles had lost touch.

We have already exchanged several Emails to catch up. He and his wife are well enjoying life to the fullest.

Thanks again,

dm

FARASHA - 10-7-2006 at 12:53 AM

I have had some encounters with sharks over the last ten years, and they are getting lesser, seem to disappear.
Hard to find and smaller in numbers.
With the smaller REEFSHARKS we had very little problem,as long as we wouldn't swim after them and respect the distance they kept. Filming and cameras did attract them - electrical impulses from light or strobe units seems to call them for a CLOSE UP. But non of them attempted to go for a bite.Bodylanguage never changed,they where just cruising.

A 3m Tiger Shark encounter was quite tough, we were filming, and sitting at the top of a seamount in about 60ft depht. The Tigershark was ONLY attracted by the cameras lowvoltage lightunit. always went for it.But turned away 3 m in front of us.
NOTHING would keep it away, no shouting or else. Except the SIZE of our group sitting close together.The moment we left the spot the shark left us alone.
Another Shark encounter was with a group of OCEANIC WHITETIP's between 2 to3 meters lenght, they circled the boat just below surface and allso showed interest in Cameras with light units and Strobes.
They did not follow us to the bottom, would not join us during the dive.Except for one in late afternoon.
But they got pretty nasty while we were snorkeling with them. A bump with the fist in front of their nose or trashing the water in front of their noses kept them away for a minute or so - then they came closer. The trashing was useless as the shouting too.The circles started to get tighter, and bodylanguage told us to get out of water asap.Hard to control ONE leave alone a group.
So I think there is no real repellant for them , except to stay out of water, no way to be safe from an attack.
They are unpredictable and have quite difficult to read body language - depending on what species.

I never had an GW to face - I would just be out of the water in a nick of the time.I have to admit I wouldn't go in the water if I knew before.

Ken Bondy - 10-8-2006 at 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FARASHA
They are unpredictable and have quite difficult to read body language - depending on what species.

I respectfully disagree with this. This is part of the mythology about sharks that threatens their very existence. I have spent many hours swimming with and photographing sharks in many parts of the world. I have first-hand experience with many pelagic species, including blue, silky, hammerhead, whitetip, silvertip, blacktip, reef, tiger, oceanic whitetip, bull, Galapagos, and probably a few others that I can't remember. I believe that "normal" shark behavior is very predictable and body language is easy to read. They've had 400 million years to develop it. What is not predictable is an abnormal condition like baiting. A pack of hungry domestic dogs would exhibit unpredictable behavior if they were fighting over a piece of meat, but that does not lead to the conclusion that domestic dog behavior is unpredictable.

Diver - 10-8-2006 at 10:26 AM

I agree with Ken,

Having been diving with hammerheads, nurse sharks, reek sharks and black tips quite a few times, I would say that sharks are very predictable.
In mating season black tips are very territorial and will bump or bite you if you invade their space.
Hammerheads usually cruise right by divers.
Reef sharks can be curious enough to scare you.
Nurse sharks won't bite you until you bite them first (or do something really stupid).
All sharks will be curious about your freshly speared fish but if you use a little common sense, you can avoid any problems.
Now some sharks will try to bite/eat you - that's also predictable in most cases.
.

Ken Bondy - 10-8-2006 at 11:28 AM

Wise words Diver. There are a few sharks (white, tiger, oceanic white-tip, bull) that are large enough to prey on animals that are about the size of a human being. Those are the truly dangerous sharks. But the fact that they we are in their food chain does not mean that their behavior is unpredictable, just the opposite. The vast majority of sharks feed on fish and stuff that is much smaller than we are, thus they have no interest in us as prey, and generally avoid us. The only consistently curious shark I have encountered is the silky. They are very beautiful, classic sharks, 6-10 ft in length, and they really want to know what you are! They will come very close and will make gentle contact (bumping). I have pushed them away with fins, cameras, strobes many times.

FARASHA - 10-8-2006 at 11:29 AM

FIRST - I answereed to a thread about SHARKREPELLANT - in my opinion there is non for ALL the different species.As they DO have different bodylanguages. What might work for one won't for another.Like birds for example. Depends on their hunting grounds they visit.
Had a Sharkexpert ( Jack Jackson) telling the same, that you don't know the history of a shark -you never will know for sure what they'll do next.And they do differ from each other.

ie - At SHAB RUMI / Red SEA, they had an research running for some month - included Tankbanging before dropping a bait.( they run a counting of species there)
AFTER 20 odd years we dove there, someone used a tankbanger to call his Buddies attention - and was suddenly surrounded by Grey REEF SHARKS. Something they would normally NOT do.
I had myself fortunately NEVER a bad experience - and felt except for those 2 ocassion quite comfortable,but wouldn't take a risk if i am unfamiliar with a species, or a local population.
Reef Sharks - nosy and territorial but would leave you alone- as I posted above - but when they felt the electrical voltage froma active camera they ALLWAYS came towards the photographer rather then to anybody else of the group.
Same we had with the Tigershark in the Atlantik.
If they are used to be fed then it changes the whole picture.
Same goes for any other species experience.
A friend of mine works lives around seychelles, and worked before in Red Sea, and did notice a remarkable different behavior of the Oceanic Whitetips for instance.
We had Blue Sharks reported in Croatia/Mediterrenian Sea close to harbors, that would go instantly after everything,no buckling or circling, or bumping previously. And that included people in the water too. Somrthing I never saw in Red Sea happen.
I could bring in some more observations I had,or heard of, but this would be tooo tiring now for me.
At the end - the experience you had do differ from what I had - doesn't that say something???

Ken Bondy - 10-8-2006 at 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FARASHA
At the end - the experience you had do differ from what I had - doesn't that say something???

It could. I am only speaking from my first-hand experience, but that experience is fairly extensive.

dean miller - 10-10-2006 at 12:22 PM

"First hand extensice experiences" are wonderful stories to impress the land lubber c-cktail crowd but are certainly not definitive of a individual or collective shark's behavior patterns or eating habits.

I too have had many encounters with sharks, mal grin, mal bon.

First was on a photo trip to Vera Cruz. I was free diving. I spotted a Lemon shark as I assume it concurently spotted me. Suddenly it was on and circling - then I was pushing and striking it's nose with the lens of a very expensive Sampson Camera. With in a few moments but what recall was enons I was struck in the back of the head by the boat which had seen the event and rushed to my aid. I turned gave them my hand and was catapulted in to the boat, dropping the Samson in the process. We waited several hours and I re-entered the water and retrieved the Samson. Therefore all Lemons are dangerous!

Off Catalina in very deep water blowing bubbles. Surfaced with a huge Hammer head near me --he was following me, circling me, under me, but never an agressive move-But gave the divers on the boat who were observing the event a thrill! Therefor Hammer Heads are courious!

Off Catalina on the Avalon Banks on the very first shark cage dive in SoCal. After considerable chumming very Blue sharks started to appear. Certainly not worth a cage, so we swam amoung them. That is until suddenly a some what large Bonito shark (tiger) appeared all the blues were gone in a flash and we who were in the water had the shark swimming in and around us. Therefore blues are cute and fun and Bonitos are to be avoided!

So three more stories..Mal grin, Mal bon

I would suggest that if interested the reader might want to consult the written word;
"Sharks and Survival" (OFP) by Dr. Perry Gilbert, Chariman of the Shark research panel.
"Shark Lady" by Dr.Euginie CLarke, Cape Haze Marine Lab
"Killers of the sea" by Ed Ricciuti, NY Zoological society
"Myth and Maneater" David Webster
"Shark hunters" By Ben Cropp
"Dangerous marine animals" By Dr. Bruce Halstead.
Or if you have $$$ to burn and yearing to learn more about sharks;
"Dangerous and venomous Marine animals of the world" by Dr Bruce Halstead--a used one is currently for sale -$300.00.

There have been two documented photgraphed wild shark attacks;

1) Skin Diver Magazine 1961(?) Jim Stewart, CDO of SIO was struck by a white tip in South Pacific as the world famous UW photograper Ron Church, was clicking away. Jim lost the triceps, (the muscle in the back of his arm) Ron has some great pictures!
2) Life Magazine (197???) Mexican crew was filming in Cozumel a rogue shark came into the frame and took a huge hunk out of a diver, swam away out of the film. As I recall the Photographer was Ramon Bravo

--The predictablity of a wild shark is it's unpredictablity--

Sharks do not display demonstratable trait or habits that would indicate their predictability . There are always the old infirm creatures that can't compete with the others for food so they search the shadows and become "Rogue Sharks" and victims make headlines and the beach is closed.

And so it goes...

I eagerly awaite your observations, experiences and learned responses

DM

Cypress - 10-10-2006 at 12:29 PM

Hammerheads can move very fast when they want to.

FARASHA - 10-10-2006 at 12:33 PM

Thanks DEAN for your expertises. I have to admit I was laughing on some stage, the way you put things, facts,...
Yeah those beautiful beasts are predictable unpredictable.
They have good days and BAD days, as we humans, there are also red neck's in the sea, isn't it? :biggrin:

I did read some of those books you mentioned - my favorit is Halsted's.!!

FARASHA - 10-11-2006 at 03:23 AM

It's a still frame out of the video we took.
That Oceanic Whitetip (out of a groupof 6 sharks) tried to get a taste of a Divebuddies fins,while he started to get back into the boat.

[Edited on 11-10-2006 by FARASHA]

dean miller - 10-11-2006 at 06:52 AM

FYI

Re Jim Stewart
CDO ==Cheif Diving Officer
SIO == Scripps Institution of Oceanography (or was it changed as one time propossed to Oceanology)

Jim was second CDO of SIO he replaced Connie Limbaugh after his tragic dearth in 1959. Jim served as the CDO for almost 40 years. He is now close to 80 retired and a frequent Baja /diver traveler

DM

FARASHA - 10-12-2006 at 03:45 AM

Not of the best quality this still from the video,but you see that of all the divers at that time in the water - they choose either us or the other photographer to come close at.

Ken Bondy - 10-13-2006 at 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dean miller
"First hand extensice experiences" are wonderful stories to impress the land lubber c-cktail crowd but are certainly not definitive of a individual or collective shark's behavior patterns or eating habits.
DM

Dean

I don't use my experience in observing shark behavior to impress the "land lubber c-cktail crowd' (whatever that is). I use it, when appropriate, to offer an opposing view to anectodal and often incorrect information that is detrimental to shark survival. An example of such anectodal mythology is the information quoted in this thread (11 Baja fatalities in the last 9 months), when in fact the last documented Baja fatality was 33 years ago.

Cincodemayo - 10-13-2006 at 11:48 AM

As Jaques Cousteau would say....The more predictable you think a shark is the more unpredictable he becomes.

Here's a good article from the pros...
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/interview_taylors.html

[Edited on 10-13-2006 by Cincodemayo]

FARASHA - 10-14-2006 at 12:22 PM

THANKS for the article Cinco, good one!

dean miller - 10-16-2006 at 12:08 PM

cincodemayo,

Cousteau should know...

Cousteau and diving companion Fredric Dumas was attacked by a shark in 1960 off Cape Verde Islands.

DM

FARASHA - 10-16-2006 at 12:28 PM

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS - that was the place I had the Tigershark encounter.Was told that there are also GWSharks.
Great diving there.But tough diveconditions.

dean miller - 10-18-2006 at 09:29 AM

Farasha,

The man whom we both admire, Dr. Hans Hass was attacked in an area that I suspect that you dove or that you have visited. Dr Hass's attack occured in1952 in the Suakin harbor in Sudan.

He is/was the first person to actively dive with sharks and concurenly conduct scientific experiments in the 1940s. His exploits have been documented in a number of books, ie Men and Sharks first published in Germany in 1949 as "Menschen und haie" and in the US as "Men and sharks" in 1954 (-icc # 53-7975) by Doubleday & co.

dm

dean miller - 10-20-2006 at 10:17 AM

[quote-Originally posted by bigzaggin

...By the way, central Baja is basically overrun with voracious sharks, especially the Sisters area where upwards of 19 attacks (11 fatal) have been registered in the past 9 months..... I am being totally serious.

Something to consider anyway. quote]

____________________________________________

Bigzaggin,

I was just doing a last moment "good bye" review of this thread when I read your above response.

I must unite and certainly agree with Ken Bondy in asking the question "What is your source of information?"

When a shark attacks and there is a fatality, of a swimmer, a diver or a surfer, it is instant world wide head line news. I and most on this board monitors Baja events via this board, news papers, magazines, TV and word of mouth. I personally have not read seen or heard of the attacks that you mention with such great authority.

I do recall the most recent attack and shark involved fatality in California. There was local, national, and probably international coverage when a swimmer, Deborah Frarman was attacked killed while swimming amoung seals off Avila Beach, in August 2003. Shark phibia ensued! The beaches for miles around were closed- and absolutely no aquatic activity was legally allowed or took place for about a month, then the public forgot about shark attacks and things returned to normal.

I also recall that horrible summer of 1959.

On May 7, Albert Kogler was repeatedly attacked and killed while swimming under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Several weeks later on June 14, Robert "Bob" Pamerin was attacked in in the middle of LaJolla Cove while free diving for abalone in and amoung other divers and beach goers. His body was never recovered.

Both attacks were Great White Sharks

Beaches were closed, all aquatic activity ceased, beaches becane deserted, dive shops closed. I was involved with the LACD at that time a wrote and issued several press releases to calm the fears of the public--But only after the passage of time and dimming of memories did the aquatic world return to normal.

I have told you about California shark attacks that I have been envolved. Therefore, for my own personal edification and that of Ken Bondy we would like to learn about the eleven (11) Baja fatalites with in the past nine (9) months

I<<<<<<nquiring minds want to know!>>>>>>>

I will never ever ever

Sonora Wind - 10-20-2006 at 03:46 PM

SURF THAT SHARK INFESTED HELL HOLE AGAIN. Thanks Bigzaggen for the heads up.

[Edited on 10-20-2006 by Sonora Wind]

Cypress - 10-20-2006 at 03:58 PM

11 people killed by sharks in the past nine months in Baja?

The water must be full of hungry sharks and people with death wishes. :wow:

DanO - 10-20-2006 at 04:00 PM

One down, tens of thousands to go.

:tumble:

ME - 10-21-2006 at 04:57 PM

we found the arm of a pescador by the name of carlos montoya, he worked out of punta baja. we found it about twenty miles to the south of PB near a rock camp. it was bit clean off above the elbow.... this was febuary 06

FARASHA - 10-22-2006 at 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dean miller
Farasha,

The man whom we both admire, Dr. Hans Hass was attacked in an area that I suspect that you dove or that you have visited. Dr Hass's attack occured in1952 in the Suakin harbor in Sudan.

dm

Yes DEAN, been there, dove the area for some weeks (gosh the Umbria is such a beautiful Weck). The Suakin Reefs are a famous place for Sharks on every single dive.And they are absolutely inquisitive. We took plenty of photos of them.
Was before digital UW cameras,so we always ended the films before the tanks. Surfacing just to get the cameras reloaded and went back in.
The ONLY other marinelife the Sharks had respect of,where the Giant Trigger Fish while breeding. That was the best Repellant, to hang around the Giant Triggers (with avoiding to get too close intto their teritory -otherwise you ended up fighting the trigger's).

Cypress - 10-22-2006 at 05:10 AM

Sharks and Triggers, A real toothsome pair. A small shark nearly bit my ear of once.

A Trigger Fish chewed halfway through one of my fingers.

Both instances were my own fault. :tumble:

FARASHA - 10-22-2006 at 05:29 AM

YEAH,Giant Triggers can be even nastier then Sharks.They are good for some exitement, when you get into their teritory. And I really laughed hard UW,when the Triggers chased the Sharks off!! :biggrin:

Always tried to keep my fins between us,that would keep them away,while making my way out of the teritory. Problem was that it was difficult NOT to invade the next Triggers area - they had their nests just some feet apart from each other. Stopped counting the nests after reaching 15.Just took off as far possible. Had luckily only a bitemark on my fin.

CYPRESS - how come the shark tried to chew off your EAR??
BTW we use the expression "he would chew my ear off " when someone is flooding you with lots of Bull***TALKING.

[Edited on 22-10-2006 by FARASHA]

Cypress - 10-22-2006 at 05:44 AM

FARASHA Slipped on a slimey deck while fighting a losing battle with a Cobia. There were several small sharks onboard. Heard an odd noise, it was one of 'em snapping at my ear.

Shark repellant--fish bites

dean miller - 10-24-2006 at 05:41 AM

I was a visitor at Columbus Landing a month or so after it opened which wound make it in the mid 1970s.

At that time the fish were some what aprehensive of divers so we instituted feeding them item from the table.

My diving buddy was happily feeding fish from a small bottle we used to contain the food. He was near the end of his dive so he waved the bottle as if he was spraying with a hose. Of course there was a huge and immmediate gathering of fish of all sizes.

One rather large on, which after reviewing the photgraphs was Ided as a Tiger Grooper, came swimming in looling for a large hunk of the food. The fish evidently noticed the white of the divers ear and rushed in for a bite. With in a micro second took a huge bite out of the white ear.

The diver saved his ear but with out an underwater proprietarty rights battle over the ear. The diver won, but later required several stitches to reattach the ear lobe.

I was happily snapping away never noticing that there was an attack underway..

Yes the fish do have teeth and they can attack and do battle...

Then there is the large haibut that did a chew job on my leg after I speared it and strung it on my belt..

DM

FARASHA - 10-24-2006 at 05:49 AM

Speeking of Groopers,heard a story of a diver who needed a P** urgently. He didn'twant to spoil his wetsuit and opened his frontzipper. Relieved himself of the pressure -a Grooper considered it as "what nice worm" and went for it - the Diver was in agony upon surfacing. And had a LOOOOONG recovery from all the stitches. :wow: