Passengers aboard the Ocean Explorer on Tuesday were scouting for whales when they encountered a baby great white shark less than a mile off Newport Beach.
"I almost damn-near ran the thing over," said Capt. Larry Hartman, who relinquished the helm to Capt. Kyle Brown so he could videotape the shark.
The Ocean Explorer runs from Newport Landing and the rare sighting was made during the 3:30 p.m. run a mile to the south, about three-quarters of a mile offshore.
The shark measured 5-6 feet, baby-size, and Hartman said a 15-foot white shark was spotted the previous day in the same general area, by the captain of a fishing boat.
Hartman said the white shark seemed curious about the boat, and even rode in the vessel's bow wake. "It hung out with us for about 20 minutes," Hartman said. "The passengers were freaking out."
Though young white sharks utilize Southern California coastal waters as a nursery, feeding on small fishes, rays and smaller sharks, very few are spotted.
"I've only seen one other great white in my life," Hartman said.
This is not a white shark. It's a mako.
Posted by: Jumer | Sep 02, 2012 at 09:11 AM
Imagine that ... "The passengers were freaking out."
It's the same story the world over. Sharks (live ones) are an amazing tourist draw, each animal being worth millions over its (long) lifetime. Once they're hauled out of their realm and killed for finning or "sport" fishing, it's all over. But then, this little white has time on its side where "sport" fishing is concerned, because they only want to take the big, mature, breeding animals, the ones who could help to rescue the species. They winch them up, grin stupidly at the camera, get their name in the paper (or here), then walk away, oblivious to the fact that they've driven another nail into the specie's coffin.
Posted by: Bruce Williams | Sep 02, 2012 at 06:50 AM
D'awwww
Posted by: Patric Douglas | Aug 29, 2012 at 11:43 AM