Pete Thomas Outdoors

Large shark creates tense moments for divers at Tiger Beach

 

A large tiger shark created a tense situation for divers during a recent expedition to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas.

Check out the footage, uploaded Thursday by Italy's Giovanni Rossi Filangieri. It begins with a large and curious tiger shark backing up a photographer, and includes yelling from the dive leader, who was trying to control the situation by positioning the divers in a safer line.

Clearly, there were some tense moments.

The dive spot is famous for close encounters with tiger sharks, which are lured in with chum and sometimes hand-fed.

Last spring a diver pulled his foot from the mouth of a large tiger shark and was fortunate the shark didn't actually bite. (See 40-second mark of that clip.)

The sharks, of course, are just looking for food, and it's fortunate that they do not typically attack items they do not regard as prey (such as humans).

But even sharks make mistakes. Thankfully, they are few and far between.

Hong Kong rooftop reveals staggering number of shark fins

Hong Kong tourists searching for a real eye-opener might consider a visit to the Kwong Ga Factory Building, 64 Victoria Road, Kennedy Town.

What you probably will see, if you can attain a view of the rooftop, are thousands of drying fins that once belonged to living sharks, which play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.

Photojournalist Alex Hofford captured incredible footage at the Kennedy Town building, and posted striking images on his website, revealing what presumably is only a partial extent of the fin-drying business in Hong Kong.

(Note: Photo posted above is courtesy of Alex Hofford and protected by copyright law. See Hofford's video posted below.)

They are impressive visuals, but undoubtedly disturbing to conservation-minded people who care about healthy oceans, and about live sharks versus those slaughtered so people in China can enjoy a delicacy for the affluent: shark-fin soup.

An estimated 70 million sharks are killed annually just for their fins. Hong Kong is a hub through which many of those fins pass. Hofford, if nothing else, has raised lots of awareness as his work is being widely shared this week in cyberspace. It was a job well done but one, he stated,  that left him feeling "disgusted with humanity."

 

 

Models jump in with whale sharks for bizarre fashion shoot

An underwater fashion shoot involving the world's largest sharks? An intriguing concept, to be sure, and an assignment that might seem perilous for the models.

But given that the recent photo shoot in the Philippines involved docile whale sharks, the result was merely a series of stunning images designed to inspire awareness regarding the plight of these amazing plankton-eating creatures.

(Note: This is a reprint from a Pete Thomas story posted Tuesday on the GrindTv.com Outdoor channel.)

Shawn Heinrichs teamed with Kristian Schmidt for the unique project, believed to be the world's first whale shark fashion shoot.

Also involved were models Roberta Mancino (a renowned sky-diver and wingsuit flier), Hannah Fraser, Fazili Krasniqi, and Taro Smith, and an underwater lighting specialist.

(Heinrichs and Schmidt allowed the one-time use of these images for this post. They are protected by copyright laws.)

The goal of the project off the remote village of Oslob, Heinrichs said via email, is "to highlight the magnificence of these creatures and bring their beauty to a global audience."

The challenge, the photographer added, was "to turn models into mermaids and create mesmerizing imagery that captured the unique connection between humans and the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark."

Whale sharks can measure to about 40 feet and weigh as much as 20 tons. They're considered a vulnerable species and although they support scuba diving tourism businesses in many parts of the world, they're still hunted in some regions, including the Philippines.

It was at Oslob, a year ago, that Heinrichs captured what he said were the first images revealing the close relationship that had developed between local fisherman and whale sharks. The fishermen had befriended the gentle giant by hand-feeding them scoops of tiny shrimp.

Of the recent fashion shoot Heinrichs said: "After a week of intense shooting, overcoming the elements, technical obstacle and fatigue, the team returned home with some of the most innovative and inspiring marine life interaction imagery ever captured."

As far as whale shark photography is concerned, that claim is difficult to dispute.

--Pete Thomas

Pregnant great white shark caught off Taiwan, sold for $6,374

A 2,000-pound great white shark carrying six pups was caught by a fisherman off Taiwan's east coast, and later sold at a local fish market for $6,374.

Focus Taiwan, which did not post a photo with its story (the shark image with this post is generic), reported that the capture of the 13-foot predator occurred Wednesday about 1,000 feet off a beach in Taitung County.

A major surfing competition begins Thursday in the same general area.

There have been a handful of white shark sightings recently off Taiwan, which may be an indication that the long-polluted marine ecology has improved.

White sharks are supposedly protected in Taiwanese waters, and fishermen are required to report any captures.
 

Great white sharks videotaped from outside the cage

This website recently featured a sampling of Daniel Botelho's stunning great white shark images, captured during an out-of-cage diving expedition to remote Guadalupe Island, west of Baja California.  More recently, Botelho has released video footage from his experience, and it provides viewers with an even better idea of what it's like to swim with these amazing predators.
 

Botelho's objective, in part, was to dispel the myth that great whites are man-eaters that will attack anyone who enters their realm.

That certainly was not the case for Botelho, who logged an incredible 24 hours in the water without cage protection, during his nearly two-week stay aboard a live-aboard charter vessel. Or for the others who can be seen in the video, photographing adult white sharks.

This practice, however, is controversial. And this type of experience, understandably, is not for everyone.

Said Botelho, who served as a safety diver on this excursion: "The sharks are like dogs; you need to keep them calm. As [with] dogs, they can get excited with wrong moves and unstable attitudes, so the trick is to keep the right attitude, transmitting tranquility and peace to the animal, so it can come really close but not try to touch the diver."

Botelho's images have been shared thousands of times on his Facebook page.

Two great white sharks battled from Manhattan Beach Pier

A fisherman on Manhattan Beach Pier hooked two great white sharks Tuesday, one estimated to measure 5-6 feet and the other 7-8 feet.

Both sharks were cut loose after being reeled to the surface and both catches were witnessed by Eric Martin, director of the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium at the end of the pier.

White sharks are protected off California and landing them is illegal.

While the unnamed angler released both specimens, and may not have broken any laws, he might be perceived by some to be walking a fine line.

"He has steel leaders, and I looked in his bucket and saw that he's using large dead mackerel for bait, so he seems to be fishing for this stuff," Martin said.

These were the fifth and six white shark battles Martin has witnessed from the pier since mid-July. The first incident became tense because the angler was insistent on gaffing and hauling his catch onto the pier. He consented to let Martin cut the line only after a heated argument and a threat to call the police.

There has been a large abundance of market-sized squid in South Bay  waters in recent weeks. This could be attracting rays, small sharks and and other prey items preferred by juvenile white sharks.

"It's so weird because I've also seen two swim-bys recently, including one that involved about a 7-footer that ended up about 20 feet from a surfer," Martin said. "The surfer had no idea."

--Image showing second of two white sharks hooked Tuesday on Manhattan Beach Pier is courtesy of Eric Martin

Another great white shark hooked on Manhattan Beach Pier

A great white shark measuring 5-6 feet was hooked and released Tuesday morning off Manhattan Beach Pier, marking at least the fifth such incident since mid-July.

Eric Martin, director of the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium at the end of the pier, said an abundance of market-sized squid in the area might be attracting juvenile white sharks.

Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, said juvenile white sharks typically eat bottom fishes, rays and other small sharks, which could be attracted by the squid.

"It's so weird because I've also seen two swim-bys recently, including one that involved about a 7-foot shark that ended up about 20 feet from a surfer," Martin said. "The surfer had no idea, but the shark just turned when it got close and swam away."

The fisherman who hooked the shark Tuesday was aware that white sharks are protected off California, Martin said, and that landing them is illegal. Martin cut the line moments after snapping the accompanying photo with a small, portable camera.

The unnamed fisherman had been involved in two of the four previous white shark captures, Martin added, and his fishing method, though legal, suggests he was after fairly big game. He was using a  mackerel for bait, and a sliding rig that lets the bait slide freely up and down the line.

In July, a different angler was insistent on gaffing and hauling the shark he had hooked onto the pier. Martin was able to convince him to cut the line only after a heated argument and a threat to call the police.

-- Pete Thomas

Teeth marks suggest fatal shark attack at Surf Beach involved great white measuring 15-16 feet

The shark that killed a 39-year-old surfer Tuesday at Surf Beach, within Vandenberg Air Force Base at Lompoc, Calif.,  was most likely a great white measuring 15-16 feet.

Ralph S. Collier of the Shark Research Committee based that estimate on teeth marks on the body of Francisco Javier Solorio, and on his surfboard.

Collier, after conducting interviews, states that the attack occurred at 11:50 a.m., by a large shark that pulled Solorio from his board and dragged him underwater.

Solorio's friend was sitting nearby on his board and witnessed the attack from the corner of his eye. As the friend paddled over to try to offer assistance, he saw Solorio surface and grab his surfboard with both hands.

Solorio pleaded for help before losing consciousness. He had sustained a large bite from his mid-torso to his thigh.

Paramedics were unsuccessful in reviving Solorio after he had been assisted to shore. The attack occurred almost two years to the day after a fatal shark attack at the same beach.

Collier said tooth impressions on the surfboard and victim were "consistent with the dental pattern of a great white shark [measuring] 15 or 16 feet."

According to the Department of Fish and Game, there have been 13 fatal shark attacks off California since 1952.

Surfer killed by a shark off Vandenberg Air Force Base

A surfer was killed by a shark Tuesday morning off Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif. The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. off Surf Beach, the same remote location of a fatal shark attack in 2010.

Th victim of Tuesday's attack was Francisco Javier Solorio Jr., 39, of Orcutt. He was not affiliated with the Air Force base.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office posted a statement on its website stating that a friend of the victim witnessed the attack, swam over and pulled the victim to the beach, and attempted to administer first aid before dialing 911.

The Vandenberg Air Force Base Fire Department arrived. The victim, however, was pronounced dead on the scene.

The species of shark has not been identified but great white sharks are believed to have been responsible for most fatal shark attacks off the West Coast.

In October of 2010, a 19-year-old bodyboarder was killed by what was presumed to have been a white shark at Surf Beach. (Surf Beach is open to non-military personnel.)

There have been several white shark sightings in recent months to the south, off Santa Barbara, and to the north off Central California.

Counting Tuesday's incident, there have been 13th fatal shark attack off California since 1952, according to the state Department of Fish and Game.

Diver's out-of-cage great white shark encounter is photo opportunity of a lifetime

When one of Daniel Botelho's images last appeared on this website it was a spectacular depiction of a giant mola mola, captured while searching for blue whales off San Diego.

(Editor's note: This is a reprint of a Pete Thomas post on the GrindTv Outdoor blog. All images are protected by copyright laws.)

More recently the photographer traveled to a remote island off Mexico to photograph great white sharks without cage protection, and returned with a series of captivating images he hopes will help dispel perceptions of white sharks as blood-thirsty killers.

Botelho was on an assignment for Disney but also served as safety diver during an odyssey to Guadalupe Island, during which passengers--only one at a time--were allowed to venture out of submerged cages and swim freely with full-grown white sharks.

"White sharks are like the Lion King," the photographer states on his Facebook page. "Predators, yes, but not psychopathic man killers."

Asked to provide more details, Botelho messaged back to say that he has been diving with white sharks since 2006, but this was his first time in the gin-clear waters of Guadalupe Island, which is located 165 miles west of Baja California.

Of his role as safety diver he said: "The safety diver is the guy that takes care of everybody in the water, a bodyguard of the guests, and that doesn't mean to be brave; not at all, it is much more about keeping a relaxed and peaceful interaction with the animals."

Three divers were outside of the cage at a time. Botelho, the expedition leader, and one guest. Botelho said he logged nearly 24 hours outside the cage during a two-week trip. He experienced no close calls with predators that can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and bite an elephant seal in half.

"The sharks are like dogs; you need to keep them calm," he said. "As dogs, they can get excited with wrong moves and unstable attitudes, so the trick is to keep the right attitude, transmitting tranquility and peace to the animal, so it can come really close but not try to touch the diver.

"This is the definitive proof that great white sharks are not man-eaters; people can live and interact with great white sharks, as long as they have the understanding of how the animal reacts and how to build a positive interaction with this magnificent creature!"

White sharks are specialized feeders and do not regard humans as prey, and most attacks on humans occur at the surface and are believed to have been cases of mistaken identity.

Still, they're wild and extremely powerful creatures, which is reason for pause when considering an out-of-cage experience.

Botelho said the divers sometimes had as many as six great whites around them at a time, all making close approaches, as if curious about the intruders.

"It was one of the best dives of my life and the experience as safety diver out of the cage was incredible," Botelho said. "It is much more than just taking photos; I learned so much more about how to 'read' and interact with those apex predators."

He labeled the 24 hours he logged outside of the cage during the final seven days of this odyssey as his own personal "Shark Week" and from now on for the photographer, the TV version will never quite compare.

--Pete Thomas