Hi All Spearo's, Jonathan here, i wanted to post my experience i had last week about Bull sharks as it gave me quite a reality check!
I have only been spearing for 2 years now, and i was developing a false sense of superiority in the water, like i am some big bad hunter with a spear gun, and seeing many tiger sharks, white tips and black tips, all without incident. Well that all changed last week for me. I was hunting with my daughter (11 years old) about 100 meters pass the break in front of our home in the South Pacific. It was very calm and we went further east than we had done before. My daughter spotted a Treveli and i dove and shot it, and was pulling it up and it teared off my flopper (crappy small flopper at tip of spear (my other spear gun with better spear was not working). My daughter saw this and dove down and missed the shot. We both were surfaced and seems like the 11 year old has A LOT more common sense than me, as she said dad there's lots of blood in the water let's go back, i said no lets press a bit further and we did. Well about 5 minutes later with no fish on us, we both spotted a Shark (later found out it was a Bull) about 70 meters from us, suddenly on a dime the bull headed straight for us full speed ahead. My daughter got behind me and with no time to be scared i readied myself with my spear gun in my right hand half cocked and my left hand empty to maybe push the shark away (didnt have time to grab my knife) Well within 3 or 4 seconds i felt my arm jerk back violently and couldnt see a thing but knew this bastard was inches in front of my chest. I heard my daughter screaming as she thought i was being eaten alive. When i heard her scream i twisted around and didnt see any shark on her, meanwhile this shark dissappered, and she started to freak out thinking i am all chewed up, and splashing around to leave the area. I grabbed her and told her i am OK, and told her not to move as i wanted to see where this Bull shark was. I didnt see him, so we both swam eagerly but not crazy to our spot where we can go thru the break. It is by the GRACE OF GOD, that nothing more than mental trauma happened to us both. I am grateful we pray together every time we go out. So now the new protocol is Shark Sheilds on every time we go out of the reef. I have been about 4 times already but it is not the same. I am very twitchy, and when spearing fish i see i am almost in a panick mode to get the fish to me, and reload and see what is in my immediate area. i am hoping this changes but i was wondering if other Separo's have had these type of encounters.....
I have only been spearing for 2 years now, and i was developing a false sense of superiority in the water, like i am some big bad hunter with a spear gun, and seeing many tiger sharks, white tips and black tips, all without incident. Well that all changed last week for me. I was hunting with my daughter (11 years old) about 100 meters pass the break in front of our home in the South Pacific. It was very calm and we went further east than we had done before. My daughter spotted a Treveli and i dove and shot it, and was pulling it up and it teared off my flopper (crappy small flopper at tip of spear (my other spear gun with better spear was not working). My daughter saw this and dove down and missed the shot. We both were surfaced and seems like the 11 year old has A LOT more common sense than me, as she said dad there's lots of blood in the water let's go back, i said no lets press a bit further and we did. Well about 5 minutes later with no fish on us, we both spotted a Shark (later found out it was a Bull) about 70 meters from us, suddenly on a dime the bull headed straight for us full speed ahead. My daughter got behind me and with no time to be scared i readied myself with my spear gun in my right hand half cocked and my left hand empty to maybe push the shark away (didnt have time to grab my knife) Well within 3 or 4 seconds i felt my arm jerk back violently and couldnt see a thing but knew this bastard was inches in front of my chest. I heard my daughter screaming as she thought i was being eaten alive. When i heard her scream i twisted around and didnt see any shark on her, meanwhile this shark dissappered, and she started to freak out thinking i am all chewed up, and splashing around to leave the area. I grabbed her and told her i am OK, and told her not to move as i wanted to see where this Bull shark was. I didnt see him, so we both swam eagerly but not crazy to our spot where we can go thru the break. It is by the GRACE OF GOD, that nothing more than mental trauma happened to us both. I am grateful we pray together every time we go out. So now the new protocol is Shark Sheilds on every time we go out of the reef. I have been about 4 times already but it is not the same. I am very twitchy, and when spearing fish i see i am almost in a panick mode to get the fish to me, and reload and see what is in my immediate area. i am hoping this changes but i was wondering if other Separo's have had these type of encounters.....
