Pete Thomas Outdoors

Three shark attacks–none fatal–at Vandenberg Air Force Base

Generic white shark image is courtesy of Martin Graf/Shark Diver

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

A surfer and two kayak fishermen were attacked by sharks–or perhaps one shark–on Thursday and Friday at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, north of Santa Barbara.

The attack on the surfer occurred Thursday, prompting the closure of beaches at the north end of the military base through the weekend. On Friday, kayak anglers were attacked in separate instances at the south end of the base.

During the second attack a large shark breached and was identified by a witness as a great white shark. It remains unclear whether all three attacks were by different sharks, or the same shark.

Stated white shark expert Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach: "In general these sorts of annual events at the same location have also occurred in Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Australia.  This has led people to speculate that they are caused by the same sharks, but there has never been any scientific evidence to support that supposition."  

Shark bite to Ryan Howell's kayak; video screen grab

As of the time of this post, Vandenberg acknowledged only Thursday's attack on the surfer. It posted the news on its website homepage.

The kayakers, however, shared their news privately and vaa social media.

However, Vince Culliver, a fireman at Vandenberg and one of the kayak-fishing group, told GrindTv that he was about 10 feet away when his friend, Ryan Howell, was launched out of his 12-foot kayak, by a great white shark that measured nearly 20 feet.
The shark grabbed the stern of Howell's kayak as it breached during the ambush assault, lifting the vessel's tail end and spilling Howell into the water. Culliver tried maneuvering his pedal-powered kayak to reach Howell, but wakes caused by the thrashing shark temporarily impeded his progress.

"I was waiting for Ryan to pop up," Culliver said. "And the shark still had his kayak in its mouth."

This was the second of two attacks on Friday. They occurred between noon and 2 p.m., about 200 yards offshore.

Culliver eventually reached Howell and helped him onto his kayak.

Earlier in the day, another kayaker, whose name Culliver could not recall, was knocked out of his kayak by a shark. The man was a novice paddling out with his son to meet the group. Other kayakers hurried to his assistance, said Culliver, who is president of Jurassic Sportfishing, a group of mostly area kayak anglers.

Nearby boaters were summoned via radio to assist both kayakers, whose vessels had been badly damaged.  It was not until after the second attack, though, that the group decided to stop fishing and hurry to shore.

Details about the first incident are scant, but a statement posted Friday on the Vandenberg Air Force Base website states that the attack on the surfer, which occurred a quarter-mile north of Wall Beach, was not fatal.

It's worth noting that these mark the fifth October attacks on Vandenberg Air Force Base beaches since 2010. (The public is allowed on VAFB beaches.)

A 2010 attack occurred on October 22 and claimed the life of Lucas McKain Ransom, 19, a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Ransom was bodyboarding with a friend at Surf Beach when he was bitten on the leg by a great white shark estimated to measure 14-plus feet.

The 2012 attack occurred on October 23 and claimed the life of Francisco Javier Solorio, 39, who was surfing with friends when he was bitten.

Solorio was helped ashore and attempts were made to revive the surfer, but paramedics arrived to find him dead at the scene.

Vandenberg Air Force Base is located in Santa Barbara County, about 130 miles north of Los Angeles.

On Friday the base posted this statement on its website homepage:

10/3/2014 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Surf, Wall, and Minuteman beaches are closed until Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. due to a confirmed shark attack one-quarter mile North of Wall Beach. The attack wasn't fatal. Officials at Vandenberg Air Force Base are requesting the public avoid VAFB beaches due to safety considerations until 4 p.m. Oct. 5.

It’s unclear why October seems to be a particularly dangerous month along the stretch of coast on Vandenberg property.

However, this is the time of year that adult great white sharks begin arriving along the coast after spending months offshore.

White sharks typically feed on seals and sea lions, and scientists believe that surfers who are attacked by the ambush predators are mistaken as pinnipeds.

Most attacks on surfers involve only a single bite, helping to support this theory.

Surfer attacked by shark at Vandenberg Air Force Base; third October attack since 2010

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

A surfer was attacked Thursday at Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Santa Barbara, prompting the closure of three beaches on the military base until Sunday evening.

Details are scant but a statement posted Friday on the Vandenberg Air Force Base website states that the attack occurred a quarter-mile north of Wall Beach. It was not fatal, according to Vendenberg.

Area surfers might note that this marks the third October attack on Vandenberg Air Force Base beaches since 2010. (The public is allowed on VAFB beaches.)

The 2010 attack occurred on October 22 and claimed the life of Lucas McKain Ransom, 19, a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Ransom was bodyboarding with a friend at Surf Beach when he was bitten on the leg by a great white shark estimated to measure 14-plus feet.

The 2012 attack occurred on October 23 and claimed the life of Francisco Javier Solorio, 39, who was surfing with friends when he was bitten.

Solorio was helped ashore and attempts were made to revive the surfer, but paramedics arrived to find him dead at the scene.

Vandenberg Air Force Base is located in Santa Barbara County, about 130 miles north of Los Angeles.

On Friday the base posted this statement on its website homepage:

10/3/2014 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Surf, Wall, and Minuteman beaches are closed until Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. due to a confirmed shark attack one-quarter mile North of Wall Beach. The attack wasn't fatal. Officials at Vandenberg Air Force Base are requesting the public avoid VAFB beaches due to safety considerations until 4 p.m. Oct. 5.

It’s unclear why October seems to be a particularly dangerous month along the stretch of coast on Vandenberg property.

However, this is the time of year that adult great white sharks begin arriving along the coast after spending months offshore.

White sharks typically feed on seals and sea lions, and scientists believe that surfers who are attacked by the ambush predators are mistaken as pinnipeds.

Most attacks on surfers involve only a single bite, helping to support this theory.

Great white shark attacks smaller white shark: rare footage

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

A passenger on a shark-diving expedition off South Australia has captured rare footage of a large great white shark attacking a smaller white shark.

It remains unclear, however, whether that was the larger shark’s intention, at least initially, or whether it had merely been going after the bait when the smaller shark, after making a pass at the bait, got in its way. (See video atop this post.)

The fate of the smaller shark also remains unclear. Adam Malski, 33, was back on the boat at the time of the dramatic clash, which he captured on video.

The rare event also was witnessed by the captain and dive master near Neptune Island, 50 miles at sea.

The bait, presumably a large fish, had been tied to a rope and and set beyond the stern.

Cages are beneath the surface behind the stern, allowing divers to get up-close views of sharks as they're  lured in by the scent of the bait.

Malski told the U.K. Mirror: “The day where the shark attacked the other was surreal. I asked the dive master and skipper of the boat what would happen if a smaller shark got in the way of a larger shark. The skipper responded: ‘The big shark would take the smaller one down.’

“Literally six seconds later, that amazing scene was witnessed by me, the skipper and the dive master. They had never seen anything like it before.”

Images are video screen grabs

The footage was making the rounds Tuesday on Facebook, and shark experts were chiming in.

The Marine Science Conservation Institute, run by Michael Domeier, commented: “Very interesting white shark vs. white shark moment caught on film. We have seen violent aggression between adult white sharks at Guadalupe Island... not so sure this is what's happening in this clip. It looks like both shark were going for the same bait and ended up mouth-to-mouth. Didn't end so well for the little guy!”

Mexico’s Guadalupe Island is one of the world’s premier shark-diving destinations, in part because of the amazing water clarity.

I’ve been on two dives there and observed from topside larger sharks asserting their dominance as they and other sharks maneuver around the stern, investigating the area close to the bait.

Martin Graf of the company Shark Diver added: “From my observations, it is unusual for a much bigger shark to bite a much smaller one. Typically those bites happen between sharks of similar size. Most sharks under about 9ft. at Guadalupe are pretty clean (free of scars). The biggest number of bites (aside from mating bites) are on males from about 11-14 ft. long.”

Passengers on most shark-diving expeditions, wherever the location, typically emerge with an enhanced appreciation of the apex predators, after being able to see them up close and watch how gracefully, yet cautiously, they maneuver through their realm.

Said Malski: “I spent many hours observing them in their territory and up close and saw 18 magnificent creatures in total. All of which were inquisitive but not aggressive. "Even when one bumped my hand and camera when I was 20 meters underwater, there was no aggression–just inquisitiveness.”

Most adult white sharks have unique markings, or scars, and outfitters often give them names.

The large shark that attacked the smaller shark is named Gilbert.