Times have changed, and not just for the worse

[Griff]

yesterday i was watching an old underwater documentary called "the last frontier". as is with all marine related stuff, i was glued to the TV. this scuba crew were diving old warships off the coast of japan. the action got started when they spotted a few sharks. DU DU DUUUU. Scary music and drama etc. the sharks were a few blacktips and grey reef sharks. from the footage i saw, they looked completely chilled. pectorals staight out, just cruising around. out of the water, the crew leader was "contemplating the situation regarding the presence of sharks". the next dive, the situation was said to be getting worse, as the sharks were now in "feeding mode". they were feeding on what appearded to be chunks of fish brought down by the crew, unless the camera-man just happened to chance accross a big piece of dead fish.
i can imagine that an experienced crew like that were as seriously worried about the sharks as they made it seem, and it was all dramatised for the viewing audience. it was a big difference when compared to contemporary shark docu's, when the main message always seems to be one of accepting sharks, understanding and respecting them, but not fearing them to that extent.

and for a change, I found myself thinking, if this was the good ol days, man am i glad things have changed.

safe diving
Mark
(getting off the soap-box)

[unirdna]

Yeah Griff,

It seems that the media today does give sharks a fair shake. What sucks is that the key players always knew the real story, but they waited until the time was right to play that card. Here's the evolution: 1. The dramatic 'propaganda' sells like hotcakes; everyone is scared to death and glued to the screen - paranoia creates profit. 2. Because of the image the media created, it is now open season on sharks, and the public isn't about to cry out for these 'killers'. 3. The killing [of the sharks] has taken its toll, and the ecosystem starts to suffer - the facts are unavoidable. 4. Time to play the new card - enter the media, now waving the flag of reason - yet taking NO responsibility for what their predecessors [knowingly!] caused. They are now fixing (profitting from) the problems they have created (not unlike most lawyers). I'm glad that the madness has stopped, but it still makes me sick to my stomach to watch the telecommunicative juggernauts shoot mother nature in the back, and then wish to be regarded as the hero, when they sit by her bedside, 'aiding' her convalescence.

....The "tell it like we want you to see it, not like it is" reporting will always run strong, so long as 'what they want you to believe' also happens to be what you, yourself want to believe (know of any other institutions guilty of this? ). So long as there is money to be made, this practice is alive and well.

Sorry to start out your thread on such a rant, Griff. This topic just really gets me wound up .

....yes, things are better. But it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ted

[Shadowkiller]

Must have a been a weekend for Shark Docos...

There was a program called "Shark Gordon" on aussie TV on the weekend. Some clown was going around feeding sharks by hand and grabbing them, while talking about how they "accepted me" and other nonsense.

He was feeding a little Mako with some serious wounds when he grabbed it by the tail, thus preventing it from swimming and getting water through its gills. He made it seem like he was trying to help it in some way...

arrghhh... in terms of hypocrisy Ron and Valerie Taylor take the cake IMO.

A couple of days ago a shark had a grab at a swimmer (wader really) in about 2ft of water. Instant media frenzy as they told people about the vicous attack and the horrendous injuries suffered. Turns out the shark had a grab, then let go. The guy had some minor cuts, and is more embarrased than anything else...

[jeadiver]

It was bad for us last year, we had a kid killed off of Virginia and a a few days later a man was killed and his girlfriend seriously wounded in North Carolina. The Virginia kid was with his father surfing at sunset, the couple was swimming at sunset, both attacked by bull sharks. The media pulled some really lame stuff, but as tragic as it was at least we had a couple of folks saying the the sharks were just "doing what sharks do". Of course it was big news for awhile and eventually died off, but we still hear folks talking as if the sharks are just waiting for some innocent soul to step into the water as an appetizer. As a sign of improvement, we also have s few folks trying to get the truth out there.

[Adrian]

Right, at "sunset". That's a dangerous time. Didn't they know that that's precisely when sharks like to start feeding? I lived in the Caribean (Dominican Rep, lots of sharks) and one of the golden rules there was no swimming after around 5 pm.

I don't know if this applies to the Carolinas and Virginia. Looking like a succulent turtle at dinnertime is asking for trouble. It's sad what happened, and a little knowledge can go a long way in terms of saving your life. Also for freediving. After reading all that is happening regarding freediving related health incidents just among our DB buddies here, the security and safety angle is surely sinking deep into my mind. Remember the ads selling cigarrettes "a silly millimeter longer" way back when? Here a "silly millimeter longer" can send us to the other side of life. So keep things safe friends, we have lots of things to talk about, and many years to enjoy them.

Wishing tons of safety to all my DB friends,

Adrian

[Griff]

Ted, I completely agree with you. the in my opinion, the biggest reasons for sharks getting such a bad rep is from the media. the whole thing is driven by money, and they are selling what people want to see. from this point of view, my thinking is that the environmental approach is what people now want to see, which is encouraging. I guess we take too much from TV as the golden truth.

it would be interesting to hear from someone who was actively diving in the Pre-Jaws times.

Shadow, why do you think so badly of Ron and Valerie Taylor?

[loopy]

Rona dn Valerie Taylor spent the better part of the last half of the century shooting sharks around Australia because they were 'pests'... now they're two of the leading 'conservationists'

[Shadowkiller]

Sharks weren't pests in those days Loopy...

They were dangerous killers whose only purpose in the world was to lay in wait for inncocent human victims and tear them apart...

The Taylors were doing us all a great service, making sure we could sleep safely at night without sharks attempting to swim through our bedroom windows.

Fast forward to now: They still make a living out of sharks, only now they talk about them being misunderstood and how spearfishermen are evil..

Hypocrites like that have done more damage to image of spearfishing than any other factor in my opinion.

Edit: Well it seems someone didn't like my post but doesnt have the balls to post a reply... Red Karma with 0 points...

[Cuda]

My first near pantwetting experience occurred at Sodwana Bay,about 2 years ago when i was still a newcomer to the spearfishing scene and had a really close encounter with a 5 meter Zambesi(bull)shark just off the bay in about 25 meter water..The tide was in full swing and we"ve been spearing for about 1 hour,we took some yellowtail kingfish of about 8kg+and my brother managed a 15 kg King Mackerrel,wich towed him around the scene for about 10min .He indicated that he"s gonna take the mackerrel back to shore,since it wouldn"t fit in the net bag.The beach was about 150 yds from where we were that day. There was quite a few blacktips around,but they did"nt really bother me,being use to their pressence,and went on looking for a descent size jack.I took a deep breath and desended to a promising cave-like hole in the rocks about 8-9 meters down.I saw 3 good size jacks(king fish ) feeding and took aim at the one i thought to be the chunkiest and struck it right in the head pinning it into the ocean floor at the same time,I went up for air and dove back down to release it,thats when i saw it!BIG,mean,Scary,that s what about sums it up!!A Zambezi of immense proportions right here in front of me,out of nowhere it came,at first i thought i"m dreaming but there it was!!!As real and mean as they come.All i thought to myself was 2 remain calm and face this fear or it will sense my fear and home in on that,the second thought was my brother,and i looked around 2 C if he came back in.I couldn"t see him and started concentrating on getting my ass back 2 the beach in one piece.reaching for my knife ,i cut my rope attached 2 the jack and slowly made my way back to the beach,the sun was setting and the viz was getting worse but i kept the shark in sight all the way back.It kept following me and i think it was smelling the scent of the fish i handled seeping out my gloves. At last isaw the shore and the shark lost interrest in me and dissappeared into the depths.On the beach my brother was busy cleaning the fish unaware of what took place behind his back and he was well freaked out when i told him .Sharks are NOT mercillous man eaters and anyone that enforces that on the public 2 day must be shot!!!They are complex creatures that deserves ALOT of credit and understanding..............................Happy fishing!!!!