hunter almost become hunted (bull shark encounter)...

[getawayFK]

Hello everyone;

So in the previous two days, I went on to camp to my favorite spot here in Qatar.

We were free-diving and spear-fishing (me and threeother mates) on both 8/12 and 9/12 and everything seemed perfect till the last minute....

So on the first day (8/12), we arrived bit late to our camping site (by mid afternoon), and we only had around one and half hour of free-diving before the current picks up and get too strong. Eventually, we managed to catch plenty of fish to feed everyone at the camp (around 12ppl)...

On the next day, we planned our hardcore dive... That's starting our dive by early sunrise (that's around 6.20am) and until 2pm as after that, currents would get too strong for us to swim, and bearing in mind that our free-diving spots are located by around 3-5km from shore in a fantastic natural reserve area here, so boat isn't an option !

Anyway, everything seemed alright with the beautiful sunrise, and we managed to gather the courage in the early cold morning (13C) to put on our already wet wetsuits (from the previous dive) and hit the water... By 8am, we already had started swimming to our destination.... By the time we were around 50m from shore, my diving mate managed to shoot a king mackerel... and just few minutes after that, I shot and landed a nice cobia that went crazy and rammed my friend straight in his face! What a nice starting for the day!!!!.... we continued our long swim and few minutes after that, I spotted a beautiful green turtle swimming in mid water and start filming to just notice something swimming by the bottom... Initially I felt excited that this is a another cobia to get on the line... but as I dived deeper to get a better aim I noticed the dorsal fin shape and silhouette being that of a shark and not a cobia!!! I estimated the size to be around 1-1.2m but I couldn't tell the species as it was still dark and visibility wasn't great as well (my guess would be that of a juvenile bull shark?!?)

At this point, two other mates (out of a total of 4 who were swimming) got cold (that what they told me :blackeye) and decided to swim back to shore (by this time we had already swam around 1km in the sea)... After around another hour of swim, we reached our final destination (that was around 10am), and we tied up our float to one reef and started spearing:martial

There were fish everywhere! Just to shot at! By less than one hour, we filled more than 3 stringers with plenty type of fish: groupers, trevallies, snappers, seabreams etc... So after that, I told my partner that I'd go around to search for some big groupers in the area among other reefs... so by around 200m from where I left everything (the float, camera, other speargun, and where my partner was spearing, I spotted and shot a decent sized grouper and decided to swim back to the float to string him up. I don't know why I had my gut feelings telling me not to put the grouper on a stringer that I already had around my belt, as Im very comfortable and know the area very well... So i swam back and reached where my partner was still spearing and were we had our float... I looked around and saw him like at 25m from me on the surface still spearing around, and everything seemed beautiful and peaceful except for the two of us here :blackeye ....

So i dropped one gun on ground, where I had left my camera as well and was holding the grouper with my hand in his gills and was getting ready to open the stringer and get him in... And just like 5seconds before that, I had just looked around and told my partner that Im back and that i shot a good-sized grouper....

I don't know what got me, but in the last second, I just turned to look behind me just to see that huge grey bull shark swimming in my direction and to open his mouth in the last meter of distance separating me and him (and to see his black eyes and triangular serrated teeth.... not a pleasant feeling :rcard)... I instantly dropped the fish to the ground and went on to grab my other gun (that I charged before and left it on the ground and grab the camera as well)... By this time, the grouper was already history and i couldnt even get my head out of the water to scream at my partner to come as i didnt want to leave the shark out of sight since he was too close... the shark then got to the float and got ready to like have a taste of our catch... that's when I extended my full arm in his direction very quickly (while holding the charged speargun) and he moved away in a jerking manner and got like 5-6m distance away swimming in semicircular way and then came again and attempted to nibble at the float again and this time I was in my head: either you move away or Im shotting you straight in the face (knowing that I might lose the gun or worse get charged by him and not having my diving mate around or another gun to defend myself, i was bit reluctant to shoot and decided to only use my charged speargun as the last resort !!)... So I went straight toward him getting ready to poke him hard or shoot if necessarily (after that I screamed at my partner who started swimming aggressively as well toward me)... That's when he started swimming away and I tried to follow him but then in a sudden jerk movement he just disappeared away!!!!

That's when we decided that this is it! WE LEAVING IMMEDIATELY! Swimming back wasn't very pleasant as well :blackeye :blackeye :blackeye... Especially knowing that we have to be finning thus thrashing all the way back with our catch behind... just the ultimate recipe ! Eventually my partner was dragging the float and I was holding two charged spearguns:martialand having the float just at the edge of visibility and keeping an eye on our precious catch

It all happened extremly quickly... In less than 15seconds!! But to observe such behavior is unbelievable.... I wouldn't consider this as either a provoked or unprovoked behavior... I believe this shark was simply acting naturally and that was us who intruded his territory... I had dived in that spot for more than 20times and was very comfortable with the area and never had any issue with any life creature there !, and I only came across sharks there couple of time (and everytime that would be in the early morning with the shark just cruising by and swimming away), so I was already careful and mindful of my behavior in the water.... In term of water condition, depth of were I had the encounter was around 4m and visibility around 7-8m, and water temperature 21C. Sea was completly flat and there was no current at all. I am also very glad I didnt lose it and shoot at the shark, as the adrenaline was pretty high at that moment...

Finally, I will leave you with the clip I just compiled from this trip using my new underwater camera (not great quality, but this is the first time i start filming underwater as well as video-editting). You can see the shark at the end of the video... I know the video isn't very clear, but can anyone confirm the species?

Best all and dive safely !

Finally, here is the video:

​

 

[Lazuli]

Glad to hear you guys got out ok. I think you are completely right about the shark acting naturally. It is easy for us aquatic apes to misinterpret shark predation for aggression. The fact is the two are very different. The shark is an opportunistic hunter by nature. Nice video.

 

[mishu1984]

haha nice. well i guess its good that both me and Lars got cold rofl

 

[armandozx]

wow man great story! I can't believe how close he was to you and how quickly he managed to veer in the other direction I saw the video, but like you stated on your post "it all happened to quickly". Good fishing and dive safe!

 

[getawayFK]

I think you are completely right about the shark acting naturally. It is easy for us aquatic apes to misinterpret shark predation for aggression. The fact is the two are very different. The shark is an opportunistic hunter by nature. Nice video.

Thanks for the drop by.

Actually I quite agree with your statement... This is the 3rd time I get to have a frank experience with sharks (apart of the many other sights)... The 1st one was with around 5-6 blacktips going into a feeding frenzy in a trevally I shot, the second was with a monster tiger shark also taking out a speared giant cobia in half, and that bull incident was the 3rd (all in less than 1year)... So throughout by swim with them, I also came to realize that "jaw-like behavior" as depicted in that movie is virtually non-existent".... They will slowly come investigate you or mind their own business, and it all depends on your body language at the end.... Apart of the tigers or great whites, with the other sharks, I believe you just have to show them courage and stay confident and I believe things should generally be alright... In addition, Im not worried about sharks I see, but those that I don't see... That got my realizing, how many sharks had been already cruising behind me all that time that I've been diving?!? (3 times or more a week since years....)

haha nice. well i guess its good that both me and Lars got cold rofl

Yeah yeah lame excuse :blackeye !!!! Im planning a trip there again in like 10days so unless you have an reasonable excuse, you must come (and be my diving buddy!!! Im not diving there alone anymore!)

wow man great story! I can't believe how close he was to you and how quickly he managed to veer in the other direction I saw the video, but like you stated on your post "it all happened to quickly". Good fishing and dive safe!

Thanks for the drop by! yes indeed! Everything in less than 15sec yet it seemed as hours: showed up behind me, ripped the grouper apart in the ground and stirred up the sand, circled the float, then I grabbed my gun and cam, jerked my gun in his direction, turn my cam on, and follow him, and he disappears in the same mystical way he showed up !!!!

 

[Marwan]

Glad you guys are safe Bro and that it ended happily, but if i were you i would not let this experience go without some value added/ future consideration
I hope you take this from me in a good way as i only write it in good intention, no lecturing intended by any means, you seem to be a very capable diver/hunter and have a very positive attitude about the sea, but if you allow me, i always read your cool reports and think of these same things, so i would recommend the following:
1 - You swim too far out, a current can come without warning, not only do you end up in the wrong spot, but you or your mates can end up with a muscle cramp and might have to deal with while you have all that gear and fish trailing with you (NOT FUN ), especially towards the end of the day when youre more tired and a bit dehydratedand now loaded with more fish...if boats cant go to the area, why not consider a kayak for example,..it does allow for a better safety factor, you could be high and dry, carry water and food, fish etc.. without dragging stuff behind you on the way back...you metioned tigers and bulls before, so could be worth considering, it may lower the risk factor
2- The amount of fish, you hunt, im not judging by any means, but maybe 3 full stringers is more then you need, so would add the weight, increase the shark factor etc....if you could do with less maybe that would have its perks..
again i have only good intnet writing these recommendations , so hope you consider them in your next trip..also if i do come out there one day, i dont want to swim 3-5km
all the best, safe fishing

 

[getawayFK]

1 - You swim too far out, a current can come without warning, not only do you end up in the wrong spot, but you or your mates can end up with a muscle cramp and might have to deal with while you have all that gear and fish trailing with you (NOT FUN ), especially towards the end of the day when youre more tired and a bit dehydratedand now loaded with more fish...if boats cant go to the area, why not consider a kayak for example,.

2- The amount of fish, you hunt, im not judging by any means, but maybe 3 full stringers is more then you need, so would add the weight, increase the shark factor etc....if you could do with less maybe that would have its perks..

again i have only good intnet writing these recommendations , so hope you consider them in your next trip..also if i do come out there one day, i dont want to swim 3-5km
all the best, safe fishing

Hello Marwan and thanks for the drop by :t. Of course I won't take any comments of criticism here personally

So in answer to your point:

1- The reason why we go to those far spots is that those are quite isolated, and thus no one ever dive there but us, thus we guarantee that everytime we go there we get back with good catch... In addition, we give the area good time to recover btw dives (e.g: if we go for one spot, then we won't go again to the exact spot unless 2-3months elapse....). As for a boat or kayak, I mentionned that the area where we spearfishing is a protected natural reserve, thus boats (small, tiny, or of any size), inflattable boats, kayaks, large buoys etc... are strictly forbidden... Also commercial fishing is not allowed as well.... So before going to such far spots, where a swim is a must, we very carefully study the tides (from 2-3 different sources) and accordingly time and plan the dive... We never had any major issue with currents....

2- Amount of fish: True, we sometime get 3-4 stringers full of fish, but we also only target big sized groupers, and other large fish... I believe some groupers that we target are over 8 years old, and do not reproduce anymore, therefore are more detrimental to the reef around, since they only do consume other smaller fish and don't have any natural predator around (in such area full of reefs and caves; and groupers fast as lightening speed; no shark could ever get them!). Also don't forget that although we were 2 people spearfishing, but we also had around 12 people with us in the same camp... So if every1 takes one fish then that's it...

As for shark, it is not very common to see sharks in Qatar. I knew that the chance of seeing a shark is once in every 50-60 dives... But recently that has been much more common (this is the second time in a row that I see a large bull shark and in the same spot), and also the first time I see two different sharks in the same day... I guess water temperature has to do a lot with it (Temp of 19-22C ?!?) since I've never seen a shark in that area during summer months (when water temperature is around 30-34C) Hence, we will be more careful in our next dive to that area and be more tight on the buddy system:
E.g: Instead of being like 15-25m from each other while spearing, someone is down and other mate is keeping an eye on him (bearing in consideration that the area is also shallow 5-12m).

3- You are welcome bro, and if you ever come to Qatar, drop me a line, and I will be more than happy to take you to some spots here

Best !

 

[Marwan]

alright, wishing you happy and safe hunting bro

 

[whucash]

Glad you make it..honestly for me all the stories are almost like a nightmare..how can you stay still when a shark comes with an open mouth..
Its a question from the colder part of Europe from people who see a shrk only watching documental movies..orrr the Jaws

 

[Lazuli]

Bull Shark Attacks

 

[getawayFK]

Well I've been trying to convince myself that it was a large fat blacktip... but no it won't work; After comparing pix, and videos of both blacktip and bulls, Im now 100% sure that i was fortunate (or unfortunate?) to be with a bull !

 

[kmo]

Sounds like a cool experience, unfortunately I can't view youtube here at work.

8 years old and do not reproduce anymore, therefore are more detrimental to the reef around, since they only do consume other smaller fish and don't have any natural predator around

getawayFK, are you sure that the older fish don't breed any more? I've never heard that before and we usually refer to the larger, older fish here as breedstock as there is an exponential increase in breeding capacity with size.

 

[getawayFK]

are you sure that the older fish don't breed any more? I've never heard that before and we usually refer to the larger, older fish here as breedstock as there is an exponential increase in breeding capacity with size.

I was referring to the large groupers that we shot at here (E.malabaricus and E.coioides) and not all fish. I read that before that they are protogenous hermaphrodites; that they are initially female, and then as they grow up, they turn to become males, and until a certain age where they then stop reproducing.... I will try to get you a resource for that.

best

 

[kmo]

Thanks, I'd be interested to see that.

 

[hudasmt]

I was referring to the large groupers that we shot at here (E.malabaricus and E.coioides) and not all fish. I read that before that they are protogenous hermaphrodites; that they are initially female, and then as they grow up, they turn to become males, and until a certain age where they then stop reproducing.... I will try to get you a resource for that.

best

Whatever happen to you look very delicious on my plate?rofl
Those scientific names really are confusing but really proves the amount of knowledge you put in a very adrenalin pumping sports. Real pro stuff. Any website for gulf for identifying fish? All the books here are sold out.

 

[mishu1984]

go to fishbase.org
it has everything you could ever want. search for hamour, jash, sakan, chanaad, etc. or you can go for a country by country breakdown of species

 

[hudasmt]

go to fishbase.org
it has everything you could ever want. search for hamour, jash, sakan, chanaad, etc. or you can go for a country by country breakdown of species

Thanks mate,i'll start doing my readings.

Cheers:friday

 

[Qatar_hunter]

Nice story and glad that u made it on one pice.....Always be carefull as we locally say the sea i a big trader...

ciao bro

 

[fcallagy]

nice if scary report love the vid well done

 

[Amphibious]

those that enter the foodchain should fully expect to eventually become part of it