Search Results for \"great white shark\" attack
Confirmed, Unprovoked Shark Attacks
And speaking of Shark Week, Discovery has posted an interactive world map spotlighting “confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks” between 2000 and 2004. The map includes regional information for the total number of attacks, the number of fatal attacks, and the most recent fatal attack. Scrolling through the information feels a little gruesome, to be sure, but it’s intriguing, nonetheless. I wish the list indicated the kind of shark invloved, and whether the victim had been diving, swimming, spearfishing, etc.
From looking at the chart, the list has not been updated in the past few weeks, since the last fatal attack in Florida was on June 25th of this year, and the list indicates the last fatal Florida attack was in 2001. Nevertheless, it’s a handy guide to browse if you’re into shark attacks. And if you’re into shark attacks (you sicko), I thought I’d make it easy for you:
Florida Shark Attack
Another Florida Shark Attack
Florida Shark Attack #3
Another Shark ...
Diver Survives Great White Attack
Less than a week ago, you may recall that a group of bull sharks allegedly attacked and killed Sarah Kate Whiley as she was swimming near
Australia’s North Stradbroke Island. This morning, Australian media is reporting another shark attack. It seems
that Brian Williams was diving with a small group about two miles off Perth. Apparently, Williams was separated from
the other divers in his group, when he was attacked from behind by what is believed to be a 10-foot-long white pointer, (otherwise known as a Great
White). Evidently, Williams survived the attack by “hitting it with a spear gun,” although other
reports are suggesting that a shark shield worn by a fellow diver may
have frightened away the animal. Fortunately, Williams’ injuries – a bite to the left elbow – are not
life-threatening.
Of course, we know that sharks do not typically attack divers. The fact that Williams was carrying a speargun
suggests that he was fishing, which may have attracted the shark to the ...
Kill All the Great Whites?
I’m sure IOL posted this piece in response to the recent attack on diver/spearfisherman Henri Murray by a Great White. It’s an interesting point/counter-point asking, “Should people hunt and destroy man-eating sharks?”
Some people argue we shouldn’t hunt them -- including Murray’s dad, who suggests that perhaps only one certain shark should be slaughtered -- because we’re invading their territory. Other people think it’s time to declare war on Great Whites. What do you think? Should we kill all Great Whites to safeguard our coasts, or should we be the ones to adjust our habits? (Everyone who reads this post should have an opinion and leave a comment.)
As a disturbing add-on to Murray’s attack, I found a report indicating the shark tried to take Murray twice before making a successful catch on its third attempt. I think this would be the most absolutely frightening way to die. Bar none. ...
Fallows' Photos (of Great Whites)
I don’t know how I waited this long to link to this great amazing site.
Chris Fallows is a South African photographer specializing in images of Great White Sharks. Fallows is always one of the human stars/experts during Discovery’s Shark Weeks – the new Shark Week is coming in July! – and if you’ve ever seen a dynamic image of a shark breaching, leaping, attacking, or just being downright scary, there’s a good chance Fallows snapped the shutter. The guy may have the world’s greatest job: he rides around on a boat with his wife; regularly scuba dives; snaps pictures of sharks; and lives in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Sigh.
Anyway, after I completed my cage dive, I immediately ran out and bought one of Fallows’ prints of a Great White breaching, which currently hangs above my aquarium. The picture is truly terrifying. Seriously, you gotta check out Fallows’ photos of sharks and other marine life and bow before him. For he is ...
Another Great White Attack?
What’s going on with Great White attacks? I don’t want to freak people out, but today I read that 17-year-old New Jersey resident Ryan Horton was surfing at Surf City (NJ) early on Sunday afternoon when he felt a pain in his ankle. After paddling 25 feet to shore, he went to a hospital. Bob Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, claimed the wound could only have been made by a Great White. Incidentally, the last recorded shark attack in New Jersey was in 1975 -- the same year Jaws was released. Creepy.
To me, the craziest thing is that Horton was only 25 feet from shore when the shark bit him. My wife and I frequently float in the ocean on our noodle chairs about that “far” from shore, and our dog regularly swims out to us. I would die if a shark got him! Well. . . or us, for that matter. ...
Rethinking Culling Great Whites
After the recent attacks by great white on scuba diving researcher Jarrod Stehbens and surfer Jake Heron, there seems to be a mounting cry from the Australian public concerning hunting and killing great whites. Although people like Heron and scuba diving industry association director David Oliver claim the predators should be culled, Stehbens’ parents and others argue that no good will come from it.
If you’re having problems making up your mind about whether humans should hunt and kill sharks, Reuters has a nice piece explaining why some people are pushing for it (think: safety for “the children”), while others are opposed to it (it’s pointless, since sharks are wanderers).
[Thanks, Drew!] ...
Aussies Freaked Out By Shark Attack
The horrible shark attack that I posted about recently, where a snorkeler got literally bitten in half by a Great White shark has got Aussies all freaked out. And why wouldn't it? The witnesses of the attack on the skipper of their
tourist boat off the Western Australian coast have come back and several are traumatized by what they saw. The attack was on Geoffrey Brazier, 26, from Perth who was savagely attacked by a 20-footer. Here's a story about him, and a follow up story about how they've called off the search for the shark. ...
Number of Shark Attacks Down in 2005
Despite the media coverage shark attacks garnered in 2005, the year-end tally actually
decreased over the prior year, continuing a five-year downward trend. Apparently, assertive and even aggressive human
behavior – not to mention greater safety precautions – helps to explain why shark attacks have dropped. Of course, there’s also some
debate as to whether there are simply fewer sharks in the water today than a few years ago, thanks largely to
overfishing, or if an unusually active hurricane season kept people out of the water.
According to George Burgess,
director of the International Shark Attack File, the
total number of attacks fell from 65 in 2004 to 58 in 2005; fatalities dropped from 7 to 4. In contrast, there were 78
shark attacks — 11 of them fatal — in 2000, the all-time high record year for attacks since statistics were
kept.
Interestingly – and probably not all that surprisingly – surfers were the most frequent victims of
shark attacks in 2005, ...
Sharks on 60 Minutes
I just watched a superb 60 Minutes segment on Great White sharks and shark diving in South Africa. The piece, anchored by Ed Bradley, took viewers to "Shark Central" where the Great Whites leap out of the water to nail seals, hurling their 2-ton bodies into the air. This is a place that people go to dive with sharks, and the essence of the story is that this is a dangerous activity (duh) and that more and more people are doing it. The result, says the story, is that more people are being attacked, and sharks are becoming more dangerous. It's a fascinating piece. Check it out. ...
Great White Attacks South African Diver
On Saturday, 22-year-old Henri Murray was scuba diving and spearfishing with his friend Piet van Niekerk in South Africa’s False Bay, outside Cape Town. In the middle of the afternoon, a Great White shark reportedly attacked Murray. To date, Murray’s body has not been recovered.
Rescue services found a spear gun, a fin, a mask, a snorkel and parts of a weight belt belonging to Murray. Although van Niekerk claims he shot at the Great White with his spear gun, it evidently wasn’t enough to thwart the attack. Interestingly, False Bay plays host to a few Great White cage-diving operations. I’m not suggesting there’s a causal connection; I’m just pointing out an interesting, related fact. Do you think there might be a causal connection? ...
Shark Tourism in South Africa on the Rise
Here’s an interesting piece from Bloomberg News. According to the report, Henri Murray’s recent attack by a Great White has actually increased shark tourism in South Africa’s Shark Alley! Some people watch NASCAR races hoping for a wreck; I wonder if some tourists pay to dive with sharks in the sick, morbid hope that they’ll see an attack.
The article explains that cage dive operators chum the water to attract sharks. Chumming the waters implies throwing fish-bits into the water for the sharks to collect. In my experience, that isn’t what happens. The operators drag through the water fish-bits tethered to lines, but they never let the sharks actually take the food. (Is it better or worse not to let the sharks eat the food?) Regardless, this is an interesting piece that explores both perspectives of the cage diving industry.
A question for you: If you went on a shark cage dive, would you think you received greater value if you saw a real-live attack? Personally, I think it ...
Bull Shark Comes to Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific
Not to be outdone by a Great White shark up north, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is proud to announce the arrival of its newest member in the Shark Lagoon exhibit: a Bull shark. The only one of its kind on the West Coast, the two-year-old measures four feet long and weighs in at 45 pounds. Adults can grow to eight feet in length and a beefy 300 pounds. Bull sharks are considered more deadly than great whites (you watched Shark Week didn't you?) because they attack at will and troll shallow waters where humans play. Adapted for salt and freshwater environments, they can be found in river systems such as the Mississippi and even lakes. The Shark Lagoon exhibit is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific's web site for ticket information and directions. ...
Shark Week, Day 2: Shark Attack Survivors (and How To Avoid A Shark Attack)
I love Shark Week. I really do. But after 19 years, you kinda get the feeling that they're beginning to recycle the material. For example, last night, Shark Attack Survivors was the centerpiece of the evening's festivities. I mean, it was good. It was informative. The stories were interesting. But -- and not to take anything away from the victims -- we were treading familiar water here. My suggestion? Next year, get the crew that makes I Shouldn't Be Alive -- one of the most frightening and heart-pounding shows on TV -- and have them recreate the shark attacks.
Until they recruit me as a producer, however, I'll stick with reviews. Last night's show featured the stories of several survivors, including:
Chuck Anderson, who was attacked by a 7-foot bull shark in Gulf Shores, Alabama, while swimming at the surface. After 4 investigative bumps, the shark pulled him under by his right arm, thrashed around, and finally let go of him. Shark expert Dr. Jefferey Graham believes Anderson was attacked because he ...
"Shark Lady" Designs Invisible Cage for Viewing Great Whites
Great white shark cage diving is a topic we’ve discussed a lot, because great whites are fascinating, and cage diving is, well, diving. I did a shark cage dive in Gansbaii in 2001, and it was really thrilling. What surprised me the most was how sloooooow moving the sharks were. During the dive, I was in a phone-booth-sized cage suspended off the side of a boat. The steel cage had a lattice construction, meaning you could put your arm outside the cage easily (which my cage-mate did; she even touched the shark!) but still be protected from those massive jaws. The bars on the cage were a double-edged sword, however: I felt safe behind them, but I also felt very separated from the animals.
Evidently, South African Kim “The Shark Lady” Maclean felt the same way. To that end, she’s designed a totally safe, virtually invisible cage capable of withstanding an attack by a great white traveling at up to 25 miles per hour. Amusingly, Maclean – who helped design the traditional shark cage ...
Shark Week, Day 2
I watched the second day of Discovery’s Shark Week last night. Sadly, it was only 1 hour of shark stuff, but it was a good hour. First, the Mythbusters guys explored the myth that sharks are more likely to attack yellow objects. When they wondered if this could be true, I said out loud: “No way do sharks prefer yellow.” Before they confirmed or denied the truth of the myth, though, we watched the main event…
Sharkbite: Surviving Great Whites focused on 4 shark attack victims who survived their encounters. Three of the victims were South Africans, and 2 of them were surfers. The fourth guy was a sea urchin diver in California. To hear the victims tell their stories was simultaneously frightening, exciting, sobering, and thrilling. The pictures of their wounds and the descriptions of their ordeals really disturbed me (in a good way). It was a great show. If you missed it, it plays again in primetime on Saturday, but they’ll re-run it several times throughout the week, according ...
