Pacific Grove is becoming a tough neighborhood

BEST WAY TO TELL IF THERES A GWS AROUND IS STICK YOUR FINGER IN THE WATER. IF ITS SALTY THERES A SHARK AROUND.

where else do you stick that finger of yours?

Next time we meet up ill show you .

BEST WAY TO TELL IF THERES A GWS AROUND IS STICK YOUR FINGER IN THE WATER. IF ITS SALTY THERES A SHARK AROUND.

where else do you stick that finger of yours?

Next time we meet up ill show you .

ROTFL 

I've only been kayaking in the ocean for a couple of years now (and I love it)... but I'm curious if it's genuinely a bad idea to fish the MBK area so soon after a reported attack like that? My more rational side thinks despite how scary these reports can be, there's still only a small handful of actual injury-level attacks every year out of countless thousands of kayak launches and surfers/paddleboarders that hit the waves (I'm guessing the drive down is probably more dangerous).

But again I'm relatively inexperienced, so maybe it's a dumb idea to go lol

To help put your mind at ease, lovers pt. is far away from MBK unless your heading that direction from MBK (say to the red buoy).  There are hundreds of people learning scuba diving every weekend at the Coastguard Pier.  I'd just fish the shallow areas which are good for rockfish and halibut to the right of MBK, where lots of people also dive.  Post a hookup, see if you can get someone to join you with a shark shield and tag along with them.

Thanks for the perspective! I didn't end up going... not because of the shark thing, but because I didn't get to bed early enough and have been running myself ragged at work so wasn't really prepped to hit the water early in the AM. May go tomorrow instead.

A managed cull of sea lions and white sharks along the coast seems reasonable at this point ...

Shouldn’t have to cull GWS. Their population is artificially inflated due to artificially inflating their food supply, e.g. seals protected by the Marine Mammal Protection boondoggle. Take away their food (seals), the GWS population shrinks to its natural level.

We need to open seals to hunting, again.

For those who still don’t know, sea lions are actually seals, not lions.

Not in love with the "multiple times" nature of the attack.

That shark must like the taste of paddleboard…

Its bullshit, there was not multiple attacks. A young shark was curious about the paddleboard and did a shark version of touching it to see what it was. Now that it knows a paddleboard is not edible it is unlikely to bite another one.

Not in love with the "multiple times" nature of the attack.

That shark must like the taste of paddleboard…

Its bullshit, there was not multiple attacks. A young shark was curious about the paddleboard and did a shark version of touching it to see what it was. Now that it knows a paddleboard is not edible it is unlikely to bite another one.

That's a strong claim that should be backed up by strong evidence. Sure the paddleboard is a would-be constant in the multiple-attack scenario, but what about other factors like visibility, board color, speed, chop, etc. going into play?

Not in love with the "multiple times" nature of the attack.

That shark must like the taste of paddleboard…

Its bullshit, there was not multiple attacks. A young shark was curious about the paddleboard and did a shark version of touching it to see what it was. Now that it knows a paddleboard is not edible it is unlikely to bite another one.

Calm down! It's a joke, not necessarily a funny joke, but a joke nonetheless.

All I was referring to is that in the article it said that the shark in the most recent attack bit multiple times. I assume that in the first bite, it just got a mouthful of plastic. Since it bit again, it must like the taste of plastic. Of course, now it's even less funny since I had to explain it...

Ah, we need something to argue about as Covid is old news!   

(this is a joke too)

Still thought it was funny 

Still thought it was funny 

Because it was

For those who still don’t know, sea lions are actually seals, not lions.

Actually, each are pinnipeds from different 'families.' Seals and sea lions are distinctly separate. "Fur seals" are actually more closely related to the sea lion with external ears.


From some source online-
Are seals and sea lions the same animal? Technically, they are in the same taxonomical suborder of pinnipeds (Pinnipedia), which comprises seals, sea lions, and walruses. But seals and sea lions are in different taxonomical families owing to some key anatomical differences. The most notable anatomical differences are the ears and the flippers. Also, sea lions are just plain noisy, whereas seals are a bit quieter.

The pinnipeds are a group of 33 species of aquatic fin-footed mammals composing three families: the true seals (family Phocidae), the fur seals and sea lions (family Otariidae), and the walrus (family Odobenidae).

I saw the photo of teeth marks on that paddleboard and think the 'arc' looked kinda small. I'm often the first to object when every shark interaction is labeled an 'attack.'  It's simply not true. Nevertheless that PG swimmer who got bit a couple weeks ago was seriously injured from upper abdomen to thighs and would have died probably if not for immediate professional response being available (Lifeguards on the retrieval, RNs and Dr on the beach, waiting thank god) Bite marks on the paddleboard don't seem to match the larger arc from swimmer's injuries.  Swimmer said the shark grabbed him up, took him down, then "spit him out."

Juvenile white sharks eat fish rather than mammals, and transition to eating warm-blooded caloric rich mammals as they get to adolescent or pre-adult age and size. Adults will often reject otters as food even after taking that first 'bleed 'em out' bite.  Same with humans.  Not enough fat/calories in our blood.  But they gotta take that bite before they can ascertain.

They are curious and like Otis says will explore floating objects with their mouth. Unfortunately for tender fleshed lads such as I, that mouth is full of hundreds of saw-tooth razors. I have seen GWS gently exlpore the 4X8 Sea Lion decoy PSRF would troll near Ano for tagging research project. Even seen them nose the decoy with no bite at all, then swim away.  Also have seen them appear out of nowhere from under the decoy and blast it 10 feet in the air, breaking thte 3/4 plywood surface lure in half.  Or rush in from the side and take a big hunk out of the decoy, like smash and splinter.

So ya never know. 

I firmly believe there are more adults and transitioning adolescents present these days in our local waters, and they are here for longer periods of time through the calendar year.  I went 50 some odd years without seeing a GWS in the water from surfboard or kayak.  Now I've seen two, up close, in the past couple years.  One didn't care less about me, and one wouldn't leave me alone... For the first one, we kept on fishing  a few hours.  For the second, I tapped out and called for help. At least I never got 'tasted."

PS yes I have a S Shield now using for 1st time tomorrow.  Hope my client doesn't read this post lol.

Bushy

To the first European sailors that came to the new world, sea lions were a new and diffreent species.  there are seals in Europe and beyond, but the sea lions ar a new world species. Becuase the roared, and had visible ear's, these adventurers referred to them as "Sea Lions." I believe is was Juan de Fuca who noted this on his first trip through the straights of Magellan.

Bouché

Calm down! It's a joke, not necessarily a funny joke, but a joke nonetheless.

That doesnt work, I tell my wife that multiple times.  Now she knows its coming before I open my mouth and automatic minus a million point for every alphabet.  Giving her flowers doesnt even cover the point deficit now 

there are really only 4 responses that Whites have.
1. scope out. You may see the shark as it eyeballs you, and it may even follow you a bit as you paddle away. My SS experience taught me that once they come close enough to get a taste of the zap, they will split in haste.
2. The spooked result bite test. Sharks don't have hands, so they are prone to a nibble to see WTF this thing in the water is. SS should deter this as well, but the kayak may get holes and you may end up in the water. Usually this results in a spooked shark.
3. The pissed off response to the bite test. For whatever reason, sometimes rather than a "flee" fear response the fish get's angry that it got scared by this unknown plastic thing. Then it can behave badly. Again, a working SS should deter this.
lastly,
4. the dreaded pedal to the metal, full commitment interaction. This is the fish deciding that it is aiming at a food item and is going for it. There's no preparing for this. History tells us that most often the fish will beat the F out of the kayak, and then leave but the chance of injury here is real.

glad you got out and had a good time Bushy  . PTSD is real. All we can do is have situational awareness and react accordingly. I know I have progressed with my own shark related therapy.
At least until the next time, which I figure could be any day as the really big halis move inshore this fall  .....then it all starts over, but at least we have a chance to learn from exposure which should shorten the recovery phase.