Posted on 06/08/2005 12:33:47 PM PDT by Capt. Tom
Today: at 11:51:37 PDT
Surfer May Have Been Bitten by Shark
SURF CITY, N.J. (AP) - A teenage surfer was bitten in an apparent shark attack off the New Jersey coast, and experts believe a small great white may be responsible.
It would be the first recorded shark attack in the state's waters in 30 years.
Ryan Horton, 17, said he never saw what bit him when he felt a stabbing pain in his ankle Sunday afternoon.
"I was swimming up and it just felt like somebody hit me in the foot with a baseball bat," Horton said. He paddled to shore, where his brother helped him to a hospital. Horton received more than 50 stitches on his lower leg.
Based on the tooth marks, the season and the location, the shark was likely either a small great white or a sandbar shark, said George Burgess, a Florida expert who is curator of the International Shark Attack File. He had examined an e-mailed photo of Horton's injury.
Two local experts said they think it was a great white shark.
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
Excerpt AP-
Burgess, who also is curator of the International Shark Attack File, said the state has had 16 shark attacks in its history, five of them fatal.
Four of the fatalities occurred during a 12-day period in 1916 when a great white shark is believed to have killed two people along the shore and another two in Matawan Creek. The movie "Jaws" was based loosely on the 1916 deaths.
Thank you sir.
Can't scare off visitors to the Jersey Shore at the height of the season now, can we?
Yes.
Right! Bitten by a red snapper, then. And them's good eating!
Jumping the shark has jumped the shark.
So, why do White Sharks occasionally attack humans? Some White Shark attacks on humans may be due to mistaken identity, that the large predator simply failed to distinguish our form from that of its usual prey. But, given the White Shark's sensory acuity, such misidentifications seem likely to occur only very rarely. A few White Shark attacks on humans may be motivated by feeding, pure and simple. The shark was there and hungry, a hapless human blundered by – appearing awkward and easy-to-catch – and the outcome is usually overwhelmingly one-sided. But, given that in so many cases their nature is remarkably gentle, I would suggest that many – perhaps most – White Shark attacks on humans are motivated by investigation rather than predation. I find this idea to be far more interesting than attributing White Shark attacks to either mistaken identity or feeding. Any one – or any fish – can make a mistake. And all animals, including ourselves, need to eat. But to be investigated by an alien intelligence in an environment where it has every advantage over us is a chilling and altogether humbling possibility.
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/mistaken_identity.htm
Last time I was on a Jersey Beach was 96 Point Pleasant
has it really gotten bad.
"small great white shark"--what a description!
Nah, LBI is rather clean. Cape May isn't too bad either so I'm told. But if I had a choice, I would either head to Ocean City, MD or for day trips go to Island Beach State Park.
AC's beach is horrendous IMO, just going to play some poker is tough until you get inside the casino.
Atlantic City was always gross,BTW I lived in Northern NJ for 35 years.
I've lived in Levittown, PA for all my 29 years :(
Well... there ya are. We're back to shark attacks. Bring on the car chases!
Right now in Northern Virginia, but moving to the Poconos by the end of the year.
What a concept.. If you jumped the shark in a confluence of mirrors..
An infinite jumping might be obtained..
Adjacent to the Sisiphus story.. or the life of the Dung Beetle..
FYI.....be careful when going in the water!
Hmmm, I'd bet that it wasn't a 'small Great White' but rather an 'adult Bull shark.' Most Great White attacks are misdiagnosed Bull shark attacks.
In this case they haved a wound to look at.
Bulls teeth are close together like ours.
A white has gaps between its teeth, as do shortfin makos, porbeagles, salmon sharks,and longfin makos.
When you see the gaps in the wound it more than likely a white.
I am sure we will hear more on the wound. - Tom
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