This is a Caribbean Reef Shark similar to the type that you see on a shark dive like that described.
Posted on 02/25/2008 11:02:52 AM PST by jazusamo
Edited on 02/25/2008 11:45:58 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Funny, they refer to this incident as “off Fort Lauderdale.” At 50 miles off Fort Lauderdale, you are in the territorial waters of another country, the Bahamas. ‘Course, I guess the Bahamas are “off Fort Lauderdale, but for that matter Africa is also off Fort Lauderdale.
Sad story, though. I’ve sometimes wondered why it hadn’t happened before.
“Correct, it’s only common sense.”
About 10 years ago I got the chance to scuba-dive on the Great Barrier Reef. I’m glad nothing happened as I was a bit naive. (Rent the gear off the boat, no training, etc.)
I must say though it was one of the few things that I have done that was truly amazing and lived up to the hype - it was just like you see in the travel films. Giant clams (the 6’ big variety) and even a large (8-foot?) shark that I tried to swim closer to but it ignored me as it swam away. (Thank goodness)
I’ve been on this type of dive & it’s reasonably safe if you follow instructions (ie. keep your arms folded & hands ‘in’). Mostly you’re diving with nurse sharks & caribbean reef sharks. The ‘shark wranglers’, clad in chain mail suits, handle the bait & feed the sharks out front of the phalanx of paying customers. Imagine kneeling on the bottom, shoulder-to-shoulder, with your backs to a reef wall. A wrangler protects each flank while the 3rd wrangler feeds at a distance.
I don’t know what they would do if a tiger shark or a bull shark would show up. Can’t call ‘time-out’ in open water.
“The company offers shark trips to the Bahamas for enthusiasts and photographers hoping to interact with hammerhead and tiger sharks,”
Morons.
Was an SUV involved?
I did some diving in my young days off So CA. Some of the areas were very beautiful and I’ve seen sharks but none that were real large, of course even 4 or 5 footers can do much damage.
I guess the main difference here is the chumming of the sharks, they are in a feeding mood.
Several years ago when the kid (Jesse Arbogast?) was bitten, Florida banned these kinds of O/W shark dives on the supposition that shark dives 20+ miles off the coast encourage sharks to bite bathers at the beach. Dumb theory; dumber legislation.
Shark dives of the type are still allowed in the Bahamas. The sharks involved are usually reef & nurse sharks that are conditioned to the feeding. These sharks tend to be territorial, so when you dive a certain spot you see the same ones time & again. It’s not totally without risk, but that’s the lure.
As for the website reference to Tiger & Bull Sharks. This diver’s opinion is that only an idiot would mess with those types of sharks. I would bet that the website refers to occaisional ‘sightings’ of the more dangerous sharks & that the reporter is confusing that with the reef sharks that are deliberately being fed. If a man-eater shows up, shark feeding ceases & the bait can gets sealed.
This is a garbled report. No question in my mind. The dive operator’s competitors are doing a little bit of piling-on, and they know it.
Shark Bites Man
Sad but predictable.
Man Bites Shark
Now THERE’S a headline. When will we see that one?
I think you’re probably right about the most common type being nurse and reef sharks, if they were tigers and bulls the attacks would be a weekly occurence.
liberals
Tasty liberals. ;0)
It turns out the victim was 49 and paid to go on the trip. It also turns out it was somewhat of a "canibalistic" attack. The victim was a lawyer from Austria.
A little salsa and couple brews to round out the meal
Exception #1: most shark attacks occur in poor visibility. Caribbean waters are usually clear with visibility ranging from 60 to 100 ft. Not much chance of being bitten.
Exception #2: Scuba divers that 'do' get bitten are usually involved in spear fishing activities. Spear fishermen are warned to suspend their catch at the end of a long leader & NOT clip them to their dive gear where sharks may be encouraged to grab.
This is a Caribbean Reef Shark similar to the type that you see on a shark dive like that described.
I dunno...I have nothing against shark dives either, but going to Abernethy’s website, it appears that the reports are accurate. This guy is taking people out to see hammerheads, bulls and tigers in a chummed environment just like the standard shark dives, except actively seeking the far more dangerous sharks.
This is from his website:
http://www.scuba-adventures.com/bahamas_itineraries.shtml
“Great Hammerhead and Tiger Shark Expeditions in the Bahamas
These unique shark trips are being run exclusively for shark enthusiasts and photographers. The emphasis will be on getting quality in-water time and photo opportunities; space is therefore limited to a maximum of ten people. This is a fantastic opportunity you will find nowhere else, and with over 25 years experience in diving with sharks, Jim Abernethy can assure you the very best up close encounters. We are in our 5th season and the shark action has never been better! We have numerous new locations, and we’re seeing a lot of the same sharks at each site, along with many new sharks every day. We are starting our very own identification catalog and and look forward to sharing our encounters with you!
Our primary goal is to interact with great hammerhead sharks. These spectacular animals are among the most impressive yet rarely observed of oceanic predators. For many years, the great hammerhead has eluded underwater photographers. In 2000, following a hunch, we set off on our first dedicated shark expedition to find and photograph the King Kong of hammerheads, which can grow to a colossal 18 feet in length. The great hammerhead should not to be confused with the smaller and more common scalloped hammerhead, which can be seen schooling in many locations around the world. Encountering the great hammerhead with its spectacular angularity, its Orca-like dorsal fin, and its bristle-toothed mouth is at the very pinnacle of wildlife adventure.
In addition to great hammerheads, we are also in search of the tiger shark.Although the tiger shark tends to be more cautious than the great hammerhead, we regularly encounter tiger sharks from 6-18 feet in length. The giant of the tropical shark world, this awesome predator will sometimes cruise past in bulky silhouette, approaching the baits with fearless purpose, an exhilarating experience!
Our secret locations are often frequented by Caribbean reef sharks, bull sharks, lemon and nurse sharks while occasionally being visited by something more exotic such as a dusky shark or its little cousin, the silky. At the end of a good day, we have had as many as twenty sharks of as many as six different species.
To insure the best results we will be “chumming” the water with fish and fish parts. Consequently, there will be food in the water at the same time as the divers. Please be aware that these are not “cage” dives, they are open water experiences. We will have crew members in the water at all times to insure diver safety. A thorough briefing will be given for each dive site that we visit and each type of shark that you will encounter. We do not move the boat after each dive, unless we are not having much luck at one site, then we may decide to move, but we generally stay in one location overnight and all day.”
IMO, there is a HUGE difference between chumming for reef sharks, and stopping when a hammerhead or tiger shows up, and chumming for the purpose of diving with tigers, hammerheads, bulls, etc.
Seems to me that this really was an “it’s a matter of when” deal based not just on him competitors’ comments, but based on his own website!
Last time I went diving with the wife and kid we came across 7 8 foot nurse sharks beneath a ledge. Kid and I were in scuba wife in snorkle at Pecks Lake just south of the Saint Lucie inlet in South East Florida in 15 feet of water.
Kid swam over and grabbed an 8 footer by the tail and shook it and it turned and was not a happy camper. Wife nearly ran on top of the water back to the boat.
Laughed my rear end off. But then again they weren’t tiger or bulls wither.
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