White shark encounter spearfishing Florida

    I found this video rather interesting and subsequently sent a link of the video to Dr. Chris Lowe (Professor Dept of Biological Sciences CSULB) since he has done a fair amount of research on GWS and lectures on them on the west coast. He authorized me to share his response:


    On May 14, 2014, at 10:27 PM, Chris Lowe <Chris.Lowe@csulb.edu> wrote:


    Hi Oscar,


    Very interesting video. In my opinion, the behavior isn’t that unexpected. It is not uncommon for a subadult white or tiger shark to exhibit that kind of investigative behavior. Did the spearfisher have a string of dead fish on him/her? That might explain why the shark was coming as close as it was. White sharks do eat other things, not just marine mammals. We know that adults will also eat fish and squid. While this probably isn’t preferred, it must obvious make do.


    Impressively, the diver did all the right things. Keep their eye on the shark, kept the speargun out in front of them and poke at the shark when it came near, and kept their back to the reef. That could be a great training video for teaching divers how to deal with a large shark encounter, where the shark is clearly investigating the situation. If the diver had a stringer of fish with them, it would have been more wise to give it up and head the other way. In Hawaii, we always advise spearfishers to put their fish on a long floating stringer and to keep the fish off their body.


    Chris


    Dr. Christopher Lowe


    Professor


    Dept of Biological Sciences


    California State University Long Beach


    1250 Bellflower Blvd.


    Long Beach, CA 90840


    Ph: 562-985-4918


    Fax: 562-985-8878


    CSULB Sharklab


    Facebook: CSULB Shark Lab


    I agree the diver did a great job. I would like to here the Doctors opinion on shot placement. I dive with a 62" Alexander middy. 4 9/16 bands and an 11/32 shaft w/ slip tip. Watching the video I was thinking a shot in the gills the first time he turned at me.:confused1:

    I was thinking the same thing. I would say this situation is the right one to shoot and lose the gun. And i'd aim for the eye or the liver.

    Quote from ladvr

    I agree the diver did a great job. I would like to here the Doctors opinion on shot placement. I dive with a 62" Alexander middy. 4 9/16 bands and an 11/32 shaft w/ slip tip. Watching the video I was thinking a shot in the gills the first time he turned at me.:confused1:


    Contact him - but my guess is that he would say this situation DID NOT warrant harming the baby GWS.

    Oscar not so sure if I would have been saying it was unwarranted if I was in that situation, because it turned out well doesn't mean it could not have gone differently.

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    That was great oscar. Can't help but think if it was a freediver that they would be dead

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Quote from Dude george

    That was great oscar. Can't help but think if it was a freediver that they would be dead


    Scary sn't it.


    I follow another forum, mostly California freedivers, our own Don Paul is active there, anyway a freedivers spearo had an encounter with a 20 ft GWS last Friday while hunting White Sea Bass. I will ask his permission to post over here. Interesting encounter. Hs first sight was TEETH, then a BIG Eye, and he stroked it as it passed him :nono:


    I'm guessing he needs a new wetsuit. But he moved locations and got into the water same day :thumbsup2:

    That shark in Florida was not in its natural habitat and that was aggression not curiosity. California is different, I miss Don's insight here

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Definitely one of the most beautiful fish you will ever see in the wild. We had two in the water over the weekend. If anyone is in LA and has an interest in seeing a GWS in real life (not Discovery channel) hit me up. :toast:

    Quote from LunkerBuster

    Dude said the shark left for 8 minutes and came back. No free diver would have hung around there if, big if, he made it to the surface at all


    Yeah, imagine being on the bottom…..you're just about ready to surface and "WHOOSH"….that thing passed by. Whoooaaaa. Going up looking in all directions….your head on a swivel and hoping you're only three feet from your boat when you reach. :@

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