Pete Thomas Outdoors

Scuba diver struck from behind by massive great white shark (video)

By Pete Thomas

Incredible footage has surfaced showing a massive great white shark clipping a scuba diver in the back of the head – with its mouth slightly agape – as the diver, who is on the seafloor, looks in the opposite direction.

Dennis Dempsey, who first shared the footage to YouTube on Saturday (video since deleted), does not identify the salvage diver or reveal the South African location. Dempsey could not be reached for comment.

As viewers can see, the water is green and murky. It’ not clear if the diver is aware of the shark’s presence until the shark makes him aware with a snout-bump to the back go the head.

Drew Scerbo, scientific advisor for the White Shark Interest and White Shark Advocacy groups, told me he could see no reason to believe the footage is fake or had been manipulated, and that it looks as though the shark tore a piece of rubber on the diver's hood.

"Looks like the diver reaches up and pulls off a piece of his hood," Scerbo said. "Thank goodness for a 7-9 mm piece of neoprene, eh?"

A Facebook commenter on the Marine Conservation Science Institute page observed:  “I just wonder how long that shark was checking them out without them knowing it, before coming in for a closer look. As soon as the guy was looking the other way he just dropped in like he was waiting for that, just out of sight range.”

This appears to have been a territorial or investigative strike – not a serious ambush attack – but it still could have resulted in more serious consequences.

Writes another commenter on the MCSC page: “Dude definitely had to change his shorts after that close encounter."

The video was posted to the SA Spearfishing Facebook page early Sunday, and after 11 hours it had been shared more than 20,000 times.

–Image is a video screen grab

Surfer in Australia rides over a large shark, tries in vain to warn dad; video

Video screen shot shows the shark beneath Mitch Hargreaves' sufboard

By Pete Thomas

An Australian surfer thought he had been approaching a clump of kelp, but when it developed into the shape of a shark, and began shark-like movements, he knew he was surfing directly over a fairly large shark.

Mitch Hargreaves, 19, also thought he had better warn his father, who was surfing nearby. “I tried yelling ‘shark’ through my [GoPro] mouthpiece to warn my dad and the others behind me,” Hargreaves told the Daily Telegraph. “But no one heard."

The encounter occurred last weekend at Cellito Beach in New South Wales. Hargreaves was told by locals that bull sharks had been spotted recently in the area. (Bull sharks have been implicated in dozens of attacks on humans over the years.)

Hargreaves surfed the wave to the beach, then continued to try to warn the other surfers.

“I was waving from the shore, and when they eventually came in the didn’t believe me,” he said. “Until the saw the video.”

Hargreaves’ father surfed the same spot the next day.

 

Great white shark tagger on hook-removal process: ‘Your first mistake is your last’

Large hook looks tiny inside the gaping jaws of a great white shark. Photo: ©Keith Poe

By Pete Thomas

A photo shared recently on Facebook shows a prominent shark tagger reaching into the gaping jaws of a large great white shark to remove a hook used to reel the shark close to the boat.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” Keith Poe, who tags sharks for the Marine Conservation Science Institute, said. “Your first mistake is your last.”

The shark was baited off Point Conception, a newly recognized great white shark “hot spot,” Poe said.

Keith Poe reaches into the mouth of a great white shark to extract a fishing hook. Photo: ©Keith Poe

The image reveals some of the danger associated tagging sharks so their movements can be tracked, and more can be learned about the mysterious predators. “I try and keep my hand outside of its mouth,” Poe explained. “I also watch them very closely and can usually tell if they’re going to try to move on me.”

Poe sent me another image showing the gaping jaws of a different, extraordinarily large white shark, along with the remark, “Notice how small the big hook looks inside this shark’s mouth.”

Undoubtedly, Poe keeps at ready disposal a sturdy, long-handled pair of pliers.

13-foot hammerhead shark opens wide as diver extracts teeth from infected gum (photos)

Joe Romeiro poses with 13-foot great hammerhead shark. Photo: ©Bill Fisher/333 Productions

By Pete Thomas

Sharks don't typically seek the services of a dentist – if they lose a tooth, another one takes its place in as little as one day.

But consider the images shared last week via Instagram by filmmaker Joe Romeiro, co-founder of 333 Productions. They show Romeiro, shark advocate and conservationist, carefully extracting two broken teeth from the infected gum of a 13-foot great hammerhead shark. 

“I wouldn’t advise anyone to try this,” Romeiro advises in his Instagram post. Of the shark he half-joked, “With some trust I guess even a shark can use a dentist from time to time.”

 

Part of this Great Hammerhead's gum seemed to be infected, raw and irritated with these to two broken and damaged teeth that were falling out. With some trust I guess even a shark can use a dentist from time to time. I wouldn't advise anyone to try this. Thanks @billfisher333 for the #water #green #blue #abyss #trust #shark #sharks #hai #ocean #sea #water #requin #requins #joeromeiro #akula #tiburon #tubarao @xcelwetsuits @nauticamhousings @sharksdaily @discoverocean @nakaweproject @reddigitalcinema #鲨鱼摄影 #鲨鱼 @sharks_are_awesome1 #camera #underwaterfilm #underwaterphotography

A post shared by Joe Romeiro (@joeromeiro333) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:06am PST

The filmmaker, who was with 333 Productions partner Bill Fisher, said the extraordinary encounter occurred in 2015, but that the images were not published until last week.

The shark had been swimming in shallow water at a spot where intimately close and encounters between sharks and divers are fairly common.

Romero and Fisher spent about three hours with the shark, during repeated dives, and had noticed the raw gum area. At one point, Romeiro began to caress the shark’s snout and the predator remained still enough – like a trusting patient – to allow the filmmaker to remove its broken teeth.

“She eventually just let me do it, and she was really active afterwards,” Romeiro said. “I can only describe it as it seemed that she was relieved that it wasn’t impacted anymore.”

Of course, this isn’t something a casual diver visiting the Bahamas would even dare attempt. Romeiro and Fisher have been diving with sharks since they were very young, and their footage has been featured widely on TV and in print.

Reads part of their company bio: “Joe and Bill portray sharks the way they see them, as beautiful and awe-inspiring creatures that are an important and critical element of our oceans’ ecosystems.”

Great hammerhead sharks, which can reach lengths of about 20 feet, inhabit tropical and subtropical seas and prey largely on fish, rays, and smaller sharks. They’re not considered an especially dangerous shark, but have been implicated in sporadic attacks on humans. The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Stunning aerial footage shows orcas catching (and sharing) stingrays

Two orcas share a stingray meal in this video screen grab

By Pete Thomas

An amateur photographer has captured stunning aerial footage showing two orcas chasing and catching stingrays in shallow water off Te Horo Beach in New Zealand.

Jayven Moore, a tile worker, was visiting Te Horo with a friend and launched his drone-cam after they had spotted large dorsal fins from the beach.

“I almost wasn’t going to bother, but I’m glad I did,” Moore told Stuff New Zealand. “It was pretty amazing.”

Orca researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger told me that the killer whales in the footage are likely a mother and calf.

They’re participating in a behavior called prey sharing and, as viewers can see toward the end of the video, this doesn’t end well for a stingray being torn in half as the orcas separate.

 

Enormous deep-sea sharks ram submersible manned by BBC Earth crew (video)

By Pete Thomas

A BBC Earth crew inspecting a whale carcass on the seafloor endured a surreal encounter with enormous sixgill sharks that rammed its submersible, causing crew members to fear for their lives. (The first shark appears 35 seconds into the video.) 

The crew, capturing footage for Blue Planet II, was exploring a depth of about 2,300 feet near the Azores in the Atlantic when it discovered the sperm whale carcass.

The sharks, measuring to nearly 20 feet, were feasting on the carcass and became territorial when the sub arrived. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” a female crew member marvels.

The sharks, with extraordinarily large eyes, were ripping hunks from the whale carcass. But as the sub approached, they became territorial and occasionally rammed and shoved the vessel.

“He’s pushing us!” a crewman relays to a team at the surface. “I went backwards and he was pushing us to the front.”

Another adds: “The submarine is so strong, but they’re so big and strong that I’m a little bit afraid.”

The sharks eventually abandoned the vessel and continued their feast, and the crew surfaced with striking footage that'll be featured as Blue Planet II debuts in various regions. (The series will air in the U.S. in 2018.)

Will Ridgeon, one of the producers who was part of the expedition, was interviewed by The Sun. “It was shocking to see the amount of flesh they can rip out with one bite,” Ridgeon said. “There was so much blood and flesh in the water it was like a horror movie. “More sharks kept arriving. At one point there were seven the size of great whites.”

Sixgill sharks are rarely encountered because they typically exist between 600 and 3,000-plus feet. The sharks are so-named because they possess six gill slits on each side of their heads, versus five for most other shark species.

–Image is a video screen grab

Great white shark ambushes fur seal amid cheers from boat (graphic video)

South Africa’s Mosell Bay is one of the world’s premier destinations for cage diving with great white sharks.

But sometimes the most dramatic events occur on the surface and are witnessed from the decks of boats. 

 That was the case recently, anyway, for passengers aboard a dive boat operated by White Shark Africa. 

One of the clients, Kamille Nielsen, captured footage of a white shark ambushing a cape fur seal – and the cheers from those aboard the boat after the attack.

It’s hardly a rare event – South Africa’s white sharks prey almost exclusively on seals during certain times of the year – but it is rare to capture one of these ambush attacks on video.

Mosell Bay, about halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, is known for its seasonal abundance of seals and sharks. 

But it’s also part of a whale migration route and a calving grounds for southern right whales. Humpback whales, Bryde’s whales and orcas are among other large marine mammals spotted in the sprawling bay. 

 

 

 

 

Anglers in disbelief as mako shark leaps onto boat; video

By Pete Thomas

Mako sharks are known for their acrobatics on the hook, but sadly for a shark that leaped recently off Long Island, N.Y., the landing area was the anglers'  boat.

“He jumped on the boat! Oh... my gosh!," a woman says, almost hysterically, in graphic footage that shows the shark bleeding from its mouth after becoming stuck between the deck and bow railing. 

The anglers seem unsure how to handle the situation, while displaying a mixture of giddiness and fright, but ultimately lasso the shark and set it free.

RELATED: Florida anglers tow large shark at high speed, viral video sparks outrage

Fox 26 reports that Capt. Don Law was at the helm when this bizarre incident occurred on July 6, and that the shark was estimated to weigh about 180 pounds.

Earlier this week, veteran angler Al Quattrocchi posted a Facebook photo showing a larger mako shark launching high into the air after it had been hooked.

Sharks and billfish rarely land in boats, but it happens occasionally, and typically generates considerable chaos.

–Image atop this post is a video screen grab

Florida anglers tow large shark at high speed; viral video prompts investigation

*Story updated Wednesday morning to include updated statement by the FWC

By Pete Thomas

What appears to have been a cruel post-catch ritual – towing a large shark at high speed – could land three Florida anglers in hot water.

The video was first posted to the Shark Fishing Worldwide Facebook page on Monday, beneath the caption: “Bull Buster is so tough you can drag a shark at 30 knots with it.”

The graphic footage shows three men on the boat seemingly enjoying the sight of a 5- or 6-foot shark skipping violently across the water.

Brice Walker, who posted the video, told me that he wasn’t on the boat. Walker identified the captain as Michael Wenzel, but this could not be confirmed. (Wenzel did not respond to a Facebook message sent Monday night.)

According to Fox 13 in Tampa, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has launched an investigation. The FWC did not release the anglers' names.

Rob Klepper, Public Information Coordinator for the FWC, said in a statement issued Tuesday, “The FWC has been alerted to a video circulating on multiple social media sites showing a group of individuals traveling at high speed on the water dragging a shark behind the vessel.
 
“The FWC takes this very seriously and is currently investigating this incident. We are also attempting to identify the individuals in the video and where it took place.”

Klepper added, “It’s too early to speculate as to what, if any, violations took place in this incident. However, the FWC would like to state that that the lack of respect shown in this video for our precious natural resources is disheartening and disturbing, and is not representative of conservation-minded anglers around the world."

Reactions were were mixed on the Shark Fishing Worldwide comments thread, but predominantly negative on other pages.

“Why would someone do this? one person commented. “Is it supposed to be funny? I would love to drag his dumb ass the same way! I love to shark fish, but everything I catch is released.”

It’s not clear whether the shark was alive before it was roped and towed, but Walker said, “I’m pretty sure it was alive. They put a tail rope on them then drag them to kill them. That's a standard method in tournaments. I have seen guys do it at high speed before, but these guys were dumb to film it. [They] didn't realize it would spread as fast as it did.”

Klepper said that anyone with information pertaining to this incident “is urged to contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or [email protected]. Individuals can remain anonymous.”

–Follow Pete Thomas Outdoors on Facebook
 

Mysterious sharks greet scientists probing shadowy depths off California; video

By Pete Thomas

One of the planet’s largest shark species is rarely encountered because it roams the shadowy depths between 600 and 3,000-plus feet. The sixgill shark, which can measure to about 18 feet, is therefore mysterious and alluring.

That’s why scientists aboard the EV Nautilus were excited to document the presence of two sixgill sharks last week while using an ROV to probe the depths around California’s Channel Islands.

 

Appearing out of the darkness 200m deep in @NOAA_CINMS, a bluntnose sixgill shark cruised by us last night! Species max length: over 16ft! pic.twitter.com/NbTWphijX5

— E/V Nautilus (@EVNautilus) July 11, 2017

Both encounters, although brief, were caught on video as the sharks entered the ROV’s lights. (Videos accompany this post.)

“That could be a sixgill shark,” one of the crew says in the first minute-long clip, posted to Twitter on July 11.

Moments later the robust shark is fully in view, prompting a scientist to marvel, “Wow… check this out,” as the shark swims slowly through artificial light.

 

The next day a different sixgill shark provided a longer and closer look, inspiring this remark, “He’s giving us a little show.”

During the second encounter, a crab briefly stole the spotlight as it crawled across the ocean floor, and into the ROV’s lights, toting another crab in its claws. (In the YouTube video at 1:07.)

“Is that a taxicrab?” a scientist wondered aloud, prompting another scientist to answer, “It’s an Uber crab.”

The researchers did not identify the crab species, but there was no mistaking the shark species.

Sixgill sharks are so-named because they possess six gill slits on each side of their heads, versus five for most other shark species.

The peculiar-looking sharks, which prey largely on seals, fish, squid, crabs and smaller sharks, are most closely related to fossil species dating back 200 million years to the Triassic period of the Mesozoic Era.