2008 Great White Shark Attacks Report

[wwswimming]

http://www.surfline.com/surf-n...a-a-toothy-year_21623/

from Surfline

There were five unprovoked shark attacks confirmed from the Pacific Coast of North America during 2008, which is slightly more than half of the total number of authenticated shark attacks reported during 2007. The victims were engaged in surfing (2), kayaking (2), and swimming (1). The fatal attack on swimmer David Martin at Solana Beach in April was the third fatality confirmed for the 21st Century with the prior two occurring in the month of August in 2003 and 2004.

The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, was positively identified as the causal species in all five of the attacks verified in 2008. This brings the total number of authenticated shark attacks along the West Coast during the first 8 years of the 21st Century to 42, 'more than five times' the Twentieth Century annual average.

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http://images.google.com/image...eat+white+shark+attack

the 13th image is classic, gory but not super gory. warning, human anatomy lesson ahead. i think that was the attack in Santa Maria in 2003-2004.

 

[alien42]

uhhhh, there are a lot more people in the water nowadays?

 

[wwswimming]

Originally posted by: alien42
uhhhh, there are a lot more people in the water nowadays?

what i would like to see is more statistics about the number of
shark attacks per swimmer hours.

yes, i think there are a lot more human appetizers swimming around
for the sharks to see and sometimes take a bite at.

one of the classics from the 20th century is John Forse's attack in
Oregon. it was more of a test bite, without the sideways slashing
motion which is evident in the picture linked to.

Forse was attacked about 10 years ago, and made some name for
himself by pestering the medical staff to take lots of pictures, while
they're trying to staunch his bleeding. The pictures show a pattern
of 6 inch deep gashes in his butt & thigh.

He then paddled out at the same spot to re-enact the attack with a
video camera and his poor German Shepherd, who fortunately survived.

He was then sued by PETA.

(just kidding).

Then John F. started the Nelscott Reef Tow-in Classic

http://www.nelscottreef.com/Ne...ottReefSplashPage.html

 

[spidey07]

That's still surprisingly low considering how many are hunting in those waters at any hour of the day. I caught a large 6 foot bull shark in 5 feet of water in december but that was eastern waters.

 

[OCGuy]

Crikey! Thats a mighty large sting ra-----arrrghghghg

 

[Red Dawn]

Probably has to do with the obesity problem in America today and how the average American Swimmer looks like a baby Elephant Seal in his/her bathing suit which happens to be the Great Whites favorite prey in that area of Northern CA.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Probably has to do with the obesity problem in America today and how the average American Swimmer looks like a baby Elephant Seal in his/her bathing suit which happens to be the Great Whites favorite prey in that area of Northern CA.

If this is the case I think I know how to solve to obesity problem......



Ocean swim-up Mcdonalds!

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Probably has to do with the obesity problem in America today and how the average American Swimmer looks like a baby Elephant Seal in his/her bathing suit which happens to be the Great Whites favorite prey in that area of Northern CA.

If this is the case I think I know how to solve to obesity problem......



Ocean swim-up Mcdonalds!

Good thing there's no Great Whites in Texas.

 

[Lemon law]

Well I like fishing as much as the next fellow, but when you wonder off into ocean waters, sometimes the fish wins and the prey v predictor roles are reversed.

Come step into my parlor said the spider to the fly.

 

[Lemon law]

Red Dawn sez, "Good thing there's no Great Whites in Texas." And suddenly I start rooting for a mutant strain of very large walking catfish all converged on Crawford Texas by 1/21/2009. Woody Allen film plot coming by the 11: oclock news. Move over all them jaws remakes, a new star is born.

 

[ZzZGuy]

I would like to see the numbers after you remove idiot surfers and spearfishing divers who go into prime shark habitat.

"Dude, narly waves dude, dude, look at all the seals dude, dude!"

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: wwswimming
The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, was positively identified as the causal species in all five of the attacks verified in 2008. This brings the total number of authenticated shark attacks along the West Coast during the first 8 years of the 21st Century to 42, 'more than five times' the Twentieth Century annual average.

Bolded for stupidity. The total number for 8 years is more than five times the annual average for the last century? Wow, you don't say... Of course, if it were less than eight times the annual average for the last century, then shark attacks have actually lessened, so that's a plus.

 

[Drift3r]

Originally posted by: spidey07
That's still surprisingly low considering how many are hunting in those waters at any hour of the day. I caught a large 6 foot bull shark in 5 feet of water in december but that was eastern waters.

From what I've heard bullsharks are the more aggressive of the two species. I might be wrong though. I saw video of a bullshark attack on the Discovery channel once. A guy was standing in shallow water with several bullsharks and one decided to take a bite out of his right leg and it was not pretty. The skin was hanging off and it looked like it was shredded. You could also see torn muscle and a bit of bone.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Drift3r

Originally posted by: spidey07
That's still surprisingly low considering how many are hunting in those waters at any hour of the day. I caught a large 6 foot bull shark in 5 feet of water in december but that was eastern waters.

From what I've heard bullsharks are the more aggressive of the two species. I might be wrong though. I saw video of a bullshark attack on the Discovery channel once. A guy was standing in shallow water with several bullsharks and one decided to take a bite out of his right leg and it was not pretty. The skin was hanging off and it looked like it was shredded. You could also see torn muscle and a bit of bone.

They aren't called a bull shark for nothing. Nasty temperament they have. He saw a good sized fish I was reeling in and just took it, but I hooked his ass and brought him in.

No surprise, he was were the food was. If you are where the food is that's not a good place to be for a swimmer/surfer.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: wwswimming
The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, was positively identified as the causal species in all five of the attacks verified in 2008. This brings the total number of authenticated shark attacks along the West Coast during the first 8 years of the 21st Century to 42, 'more than five times' the Twentieth Century annual average.

Bolded for stupidity. The total number for 8 years is more than five times the annual average for the last century? Wow, you don't say... Of course, if it were less than eight times the annual average for the last century, then shark attacks have actually lessened, so that's a plus.

Uh, it's probably save to assume that they factored that in.

First 8 yrs of this century annual average = 5.2
Annual average of last century is probably ~ 1

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: silverpig
Uh, it's probably save to assume that they factored that in.

First 8 yrs of this century annual average = 5.2
Annual average of last century is probably ~ 1

Not really. Seems like a scare piece that isn't factually accurate. Especially when you consider the source and how surfing didn't exist for what...55% of the 20th century?

I'm all for raising the awareness of sharks, but we're prey out there.