Official GWS Thread

Thanks Pole. Looks cool. Maybe I can talk the boss into going on the topside observer trip.

Found some incredible videos of the big whitey's.
http://www.arkive.org/great-white-shark/carcharodon-carcharias/video-12.html?offset=0px

Looks like in this one the GWS ripped the head off a seal and has it in it's mouth. GNAR!!


Z

Hey Pole, what the name of the company that took you out there?

http://www.greatwhiteadventures.com/

I called them; their season for this year is over.
Pfffff. Rockfishing boat it is then.

I think it may have been mentioned earlier on this thread or maybe another thread but a good read on the Fall congregation of GWS at the Farallones is in a recent book (2005) called "The Devil's Teeth" by Susan Casey.  Gets into shark biology plus research-management-recreation issues. Very cool shark facts, interesting story, and good overview of management/conservation issues.  Worth a read IMHO.   

Z, thanx for that archive..great footage......

Bluekayak, stop talking about sharks and go answer my darn salmon trolling questions!
I want to know how much line to start with, and what you do after 30 minutes of
not catching anything. If you would stick to the knitting we wouldn't be getting in trouble here!

okay, for the rest of you:

I scared Abking? wow!   

For myself, I intend to fish pretty much every spot except the aNo island itself.
And that's mainly because those pinnipeds stink and those darn pelicans
poop on you.

So Bill, I'll see you out there,  .

But I agree with Mooch. There will be an encounter in the next 5 years. I'll lay
money down on that one. And it's speculation but common sense says there are more sharks.
The number of attacks is definitely on the increase. Bill you make a mistake when you look at
the last 150 years. try looking at just the last two!

I think there are more sharks out there these days due to protection and a more
healthy ecosystem. 20 juvenile (5ft) white sharks were sighted feasting on grunion just
a few years ago. for example.

There are quite a pile ofnewbs paddling out on cute primary colored plastic boats to fish, me
included, and also a few burly outdoorsmen types like abking and bluekayak and scwafish among others.
but we are all on a collision path with the protected and increasing GWS.

Will the enounter be fatal when it happens? I doubt it. If you see the fish first,
then either it's a driveby or maybe you get bumped or the fish nibbles on
the front or back. In that scenario, you are probably okay. In the other case where it
does the polaris missle attack on you because you look like a nice thing to eat,
well hopefully you don't get bit or impacted too bad. The shark probably won't
come back after it figures out it made a mistake and hit a plastic imitation of something
good to eat. Either way you stand a good chance of avoiding direct munchification.

So that's why I'm going fishing. Cause I think I'll live through whatever happens.

But you never know.

(I'd really like to know the details on this kayak death in 1989 in malibu).

Unlike scallen, I feel safer on a 15foot kayak even 3 miles out than I do
on a 6'6" hunk of foam sunk up to my sternum, at least as far as the survivablity goes.

I also don't use a radio, a gps, a pfd, file a float plan and I fish alone at times. hey I
surf, it's no worse than that.  I might get a compass tho.

But I have some limits.

I probably won't ab dive. Randy Fry's head washed up 3 days later. somebody
found it while walking the beach. my head gets bitten off, I want to be in
deep water where they never find it.

I cringe watching a newb or kid head out into danger unawares.

I got two boys and they aren't doing anything too crazy until they are old enough to tell me
to eFF off.

more scary stories:

My parter in my company is 45 and has lived in the area for 45 years, windsurfing a number of
them and even having a windsurfing store in berkely.

he claims the distinct pleasure of seeing 3 GWS up close and personal:

1. davenport. small, 12 foot. while windsurfing.

2. natural bridges. huge. bus-like. while windsurfing,
went directly over it. he windsurfs less now.

3. new brighton. surfaced right near shore and scared
the bejeezus out of people for miles. this was about 30 years ago.

How many degress of Kevin Bacon do you have to go to get to a GWS witness?
 

I have a rule I try to live by: Never step down the food chain... unless properly armed!

According to the e-mail I got this from, it's a real photo from where else, South Africa where The Brittish Navy was doing a little training, unknown if the GWS went hungry...

Surf report.....

The copter photo's a fake, and the shadow in the wave by the surfer is a dolphin.

The copter photo's a fake, and the shadow in the wave by the surfer is a dolphin.

Maybe, I was just going by the caption, it sure looks a bit strange...

and I think your also right about the shape in the wave, sure is large though....

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/surfer.asp

They also have a deal on the fake copter pic.

Easy way to spot the scary kind of fin is the jagged trailing edge.

They also have a deal on the fake copter pic.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/shark.asp

Thanks Guys....

 Wanted to put it up to our own MythBusters...

  " Busted!!!! '

 Hey Zee, are you making it down this way soon?

According to the e-mail I got this from, it's a real photo from where else, South Africa where The Brittish Navy was doing a little training, unknown if the GWS went hungry...

That phoney picture has been out for years , South Africa ? Only if the Golden Gate Bridge is in S. Africa ! Thats the north end of the GG , just off of Ft. Baker Pier .

Thanks Guys....

 Wanted to put it up to our own MythBusters...

  " Busted!!!! '

 Hey Zee, are you making it down this way soon?

Yep, busted! I'll be down that way, Fri-Sun, for the ISE show in San Mateo. Thanks for the help w/ the WheelEz!!!

Z

South Africa ? Only if the Golden Gate Bridge is in S. Africa

 That was my first thought when I saw it, but I've never been to south Africa, I'm heavily medicated at the moment so it all sounds good to me


 

I'll be down that way, Fri-Sun, for the ISE show in San Mateo. Thanks for the help w/ the WheelEz!!!

 Right on Zee!!! I will get you and your wheels together, don't worry about the bad set, we'll let wheelezz eat those....