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Saw a Whale Shark last week

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Well there's a first for everything

I guess.

It is most certainly as dangerous as the Great white, size for size of course, but it is not an 'overtly' aggressive shark.

BUT:

You mess with it, it'll mess right back with you.

Back to the point, however, is that in laymen's terms docile sharks would be anything but Great Whites and Hammerheads. This is for the pure and simple reason that those are the sharks most people know of / hear of.

I'd much rather prefer to share the water with a Zambezi than with a Tiger. But that's me ! :duh

Respect,
Riaan C
 
Tiger Vs. Bull

SASpero,

My sentiments exactly! These guys say they fear the bull more than the tiger. Personally, I've never been in the water with a tiger but if given the choice, I'll stick with the bulls!
 
wow!

is that a trevally?

i see the gashs... jeez...

luv the basking shark photo... would love to see more! got any other sharky pics?
may i use them in my student presentation?
 
sorry... just saw the article and pics..

great stuff.. hey scott t... jacques cousteau reckoned that the oceanic white tip could possibly the most dangerous and aggressive of all sharks...

what do you think? they will definitely always approach a diver and are fearless..
 
Jip.

Although we in SA know it as a Kingfish, it's known worldwide as a Giant Travally (Ignoblis genus)

For copyright info you will have to chat to the guys at www.iol.co.za , but they are very forthcoming when it gets to students / training or general information. As long as you credit the right people for the photos. Go to the site, and search for sharks in stories / news and also check out the photo gallery.

There's a lot of info on sharks at www.shark.co.za , the website of the Natal Sharks Board. I've got a couple of pictures that I've been trying to scan unsucessfully for some time now, I think a couple of people might just freak out when they see them. (ie freediver and 5.5m GW :D )

I'll see what else I can rustle up for you in the meantime ....
 
Oceanic Whitetips

Island_sands,

I've never encountered an oceanic whitetip, we don't have them here. But I have heard they are aggressive and as you said fearless. I can't remember if I saw it on a Disscovery Channel special or one of Rob Torrelli's spearfishing videos, but I remember someone saying that if a mako or oceanic shows up they quickly get out of the water and move to another area.

Scott Turgeon
 
sharks..

the oceanic whitetips are considered the pelagic scavengers. their bodies weren't built for speed so they're opportunistic feeders. they're also omnivorous. they've been seen eating garbage. yes, they're very unpredictable, which labels them dangerous, but many divers have had great experiences swimming w/ them. (probably when they had full bellies ;) ) they're the ones that are known for feeding on the 'overboarders'. :(

my experience w/ bull sharks hasn't been too good. 3 times we've encountered them, and 3 times they didn't just swim off. bulls and struggling fish don't mix. it's like a guy on steroids who thinks everyone's staring at his girl. yeah, not a pretty site. freakin crazy creatures, i tell ya. i think they'd be ok if the water didn't have any blood/fish lingering in it.

great hammerheads are my favorite. yeah, they're intimidating as can be, but they're beautiful creatures. aquiles and i have been w/ quite a few and everytime it's been a great experience.

i've only seen one tiger, and it didn't bother hanging around. just took a peek and went on its way.

well, that's my experience, anyways.

anderson
 
tigers and oceanics

Hi guys,
I hope you don't mind if I jump in here. To begin with, I have had the pleasure of coming into contact with: grey reefs, galapagos, white tip reefs, black tip reefs, silver tips, hammerheads, tigers, one whale shark, and two makos (one 2ft long and another 12ft long). I fish a lot here on Kauai (both trolling and spearing). In all this time I have come to a few conclusions about most of these sharks. Keep in mind that all my experiences have occured in very clear water (90ft +)

1) sharks aren't "mean", they are a product of their environment.
bad fishing for them translates to more bit first mentality. I have found that all the above sharks exhibited a curiousness that I feel show intelligence. (can't speak for whites)

2) Tiger sharks have harrassed me less than any other shark (except whale :) What is dangerous about them is that they like to sneak up on you from behind but will usually just go for you stringer/bag (that's why my float line is 100' long) and if confronted back off.

3) Although an attack by a tiger is bad it's not very common. What I would fear more in tropical water is a grey reef. These are very teritorial and can/will turn nasty without provocation. And without concern for its own safety. When spearing here in Hawaii and there is a grey around, I leave.. period. Although very rarely are attacks by greys deadly they can relieve you of a hand arm etc.

4)Hammerheads get a really bad rap. I have had the most enjoyable experiences with hammerheads (they come in every spring). At no time have I felt threatened by them.

5) Oceanic white tips are the most aggressive shark I have ever come across (never have swam with them yet). Some of them use the FAD bouys to pin fish into them as they feed, often hitting the bouys with great force.

That being said, I never trust any predator (shark, seal, or dolphin) while I am spearing. They can/will take your fish and sometimes get angry when you can't or won't provide them with more.

I fear i've written a novel here, but I have an utmost respect and love for sharks. They impress me more than any other animal I have seen in the ocean (or out). In one animal is a definition of the ocean, power, grace, etc etc....


I too feel that shark feeding, dolphin feeding, AND as a tour operator I've seen first hand the damage that can occur by fish feeding.

It's good to know that other people in this world are sharing the idea that we need to start leaving things be and take what you need and leave out the greed.

Aloha Chris
 
Re: Jip.

Originally posted by SASpearo
I've got a couple of pictures that I've been trying to scan unsucessfully for some time now, I think a couple of people might just freak out when they see them. (ie freediver and 5.5m GW :D )

Time to Freak out. Found on South Sea Safari's website
 

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I am glad to read all these positive comments about sharks.
I work as a pearl diver, last year, 120naut. miles from land i had a very scary experience with a 3m tiger and 3X 1_1.5m greytips. If it was not for the 1/1000 chance that another boat happened to cruise by within earshot I would not be writing this. The bruises have gone but the emotional scares will last a bit longer. I was always blasé about sharks....seen plenty before, no problem!!
never underestimate these creatures...if they want, you are dead.
 
i've heard that if a tiger looks at you more than once, he's more than interested. what kinda contact did you have, if you don't mind sharing. :confused:
 
An operator started a shark cage dive experience here in NZ (one of a few) but didn't last too long. Too expensive or just not enough pax I don't know. What I do know is that you don't need to be in a cage to see sharks where I dive. We have a large school of resident sharks ranging in size from 1.5m to 3m free swimming over a temperate reef system. No feeding is required to see these majestic animals, it's just you, your buddy and anything up to 50 odd sharks. These guys are inquisative and come close to give you a real good look at them. Divers don't need to feed sharks to see them, they are everywhere, just do some research and and some local will let you know of their whereabouts. Its alot more rewarding being truelly in their world, if only for a short time.

Take Care.
 
i´ve recently read an article which said that in malysia fishermen are now starting to go for whale sharks to sell the meat as tofu to taiwan.
the article was written by a diveoperator doing tours in thailand, andaman sea.

has anyone else ever heard of such a thing??

since those shark are migrating and cruise rather slowly close to the surface that sounds very much like butchering to me.

it´s a report that pisses me off since iwant to spend some time in those areas next winter.

hope it´s just a story

roland


p.s. and a question to those who enjoy the presence of a 5 meter great white or tiger or whatever else that size : how long does the adrenaline last ???
;)
 
oceanic whitetips, grey reef sharks

Hi, I was dismasted at sea between the Galapagos and Cocos
Island.
I wanted to dismantle the mast in the water prior to retrieving it.
I changed my mind when a 7-8ft oceanic whitetip took up station
under 'Tehani' and just hung out, ocasionally swimming around lazily.
I knew about their rep and decided to cut away my rig.
OWTs are supposedly responsible for the majority
of the several hundred sailors killed after the sinking of the crusier
'Indianapolis'
(in August 1945 after delivering the A-bombs that were dropped on Japan)

I came across very aggressive grey reef sharks on Helen Reef.
you don't wat to spear around them!
(Palau) and less aggressive ones
on Cocos Keeling Atoll west of Oz.

Grey reefs are supposedly the sharks
with the most bites
but the fewest fatalities per bite
worldwide
- they just want to get you out of their territory
by the most effective means at their disposal....,
 
Hi Roland , unfortunately I can confirm your suspicions . Koh Tao used to have lots of sightings of whale sharks ; this year almost none . Ours are young sharks ; 4 to 6 m. , easy to catch .
Peterk , grey reef sharks can be quite pesky , specially when you have speared fish with you . We find that diving straight at them and jabbing them with spears will get rid of them temporarily .
The @#$% things keep returning though ...:D
 
Oh , BTW ; the oceanic whitetip is my "favourite" shark .:king
Have only seen a few , they are truly majestic creatures . Am rather circumspect around them ...:eek: ; but IMHO their rep. for playing "bobbing for apples" with floating sailors exaggerates their risk for us as freedivers .
 
hammerheads

'bobbing for apples' Abri ? -
- you are one sick puppy,hehe......

On Cocos Keeling once I speared a roughly 60 cm jack that got
off the spear and
slowly hobbled off downward.
Out of nowhere these two grey reefs came racing each other for the fish.
The bigger one, about 2,20m overshot by a hair so the
smaller one, about 1,80m got first go and most of the fish.

for sharks these were not that big, but POWERFUL fish.
and the strike happened
less than 3 meter below me,

awesome!

I did most of my shark diving on the other
Cocos Island,
between the Galapagos and Costa Rica.

I spent three months straight out there.
in 1990, (not possible anymore
unless you do scientific work)

There are lots of hammerheads there,
up to 4 meters long , and bigger around than a cow.
with an outsized dorsal fin.
At first you freak
but then you realize
they are just like big dogs, mostly curious,
- fortunately they don't nip at you playfully!
most I ever saw at the same time were 46.

When they swim slowly in groups they are serenely
beautiful!

Singly they are said to be dangerous...
I was in the water freediving minimum
3 times/day
- paradise...

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel
 
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