Shark ID

I know GWS encounters are kind of a sensitive topic at the moment, so sorry for adding fuel to the fire.

Early this morning I saw some sort of fish breach the water, get about 2' of air. It looked to be over 10' long. It launched out of the water straight up then landed on it's side. It was very sudden so I didn't get a close look at the details.

After a lot of research online I've ruled out the two dolphins I'm aware of in this area. It very clearly was not a whale. It was white/grayish on the bottom, I think it was white just that it was early in the morning so kind of cast grey.

The only two defining features I immediately noticed were the front fins. They looked just like the shark in my avatar, but it did not have the thresher tail.

I could not see the top fin as I only saw the underside of this fish.

So... 10' plus, probably white on the bottom, with front fins just like my avatar, and no thresher tail. Can anyone think of anything other than a GWS? It was an amazing sight, but gotta admit it had me and my brother get chills. It'd be reassuring, even though nothing happened, to know of another fish that would resemble my description.

Risso dolphin is ruled out, the other dolphin with the little bump for a back fin is ruled out. Thresher is ruled out.

Thanks!

could have been a salmon shark. similar in appearance to GWS, but not quite as big.

You said you didn't get a close look at the details ... are you sure it didn't have a tail like a thresher?  That sounds like typical thresher behavior to me, straight up and landing on their side.  And I've seen that a number of times out of Santa Cruz.

-Allen

I thought about salmon shark, but according to wiki an 8' salmon shark would be really big. This was really visibly much larger than 8', I was being conservative with my 10' estimate.

I mean it's entirely possible that it could be a thresher shark, but my 10' estimate was based on snout to the start of the tail. I'd think that on a thresher that big, the tail would really stand out since that'd add an extra 6 feet or so? That being said I didn't see the upper tip of the tail since it launched up with it's belly facing me and landed on it's right side, so the tail was behind it the whole time and not visible.

I could easily be wrong on what the typical sizes of those two are. I also didn't see the mouth, which I think would be more visible on a GWS? I don't know though.

Either way it scared the crap out of me haha. It was really.... really... really big haha. And the amount of air it got was incredible. This was in about 100' FOW about 1/2 mile in front of MBK.

I think there's a very decent chance it was a GWS.  Don't forget, the Salinas Crew saw one there about a month ago.

Typically, a GWS wouldn't breech like that unless it was striking at a food source.  My initial thought was Thresher & possibly the tail was on the opposite side of the body from your view?  My second guess was Salmon shark as well.

      ........... or it was just a really big Grunion

Typically, a GWS wouldn't breech like that unless it was striking at a food source.  My initial thought was Thresher & possibly the tail was on the opposite side of the body from your view?  My second guess was Salmon shark as well.

There was a lot of seals around, but yeah that's also what I thought. I'd probably have noticed a seal in it's mouth. I am *pretty* sure this was a closed mouth jump. I can't say with absolute certainty though. And I agree it's possible the thresher tail was on the opposite side, but that'd make it an 16'+ thresher from  snout to tip of tail... massive for sure haha.

the shark was probably just trying to escape an orca

I believe salmon shark to be highly unlikely.  They are not known to inhabit our nearshore waters.  They do migrate and give birth in our offshore waters, and yes, we do see dead pups washing up on our shores every now, but it's just such a rare occurrence to encounter an adult one nearshore (does anyone know of a verified sighting nearshore? I don't).

A thresher's tail is pretty thick.  In a flash, I wouldn't rule out that you may have mistaken the tail for part of the body.

-Allen

I did not see it so I wont try to convince you but just for what its worth..I fish where you were a LOT...and I see really big Rissos...not alone that much ...2-3 or 10-100...not solo too much.....but they are like 11' some of them and they are white an-some of them---and they get air and come down on their side-sometimes----the biggest number of mamal/wildlife where you were is sea lions tossing molas this time of year...followed 2nd by risso's...daily to a few times day as they loop the bay...whales and then sharks...in that order..

there are sharks there and there Is a FB post from our local shark biologist with a above view of marina showing a shark following dolphins along the surf  this weekend...let me see if I can find it and post it...


real clsoe to where you guys were too...also thats where I got followed by a GWS dec 21st last year

Hm, narrows it down to either GWS or big thresher. Looking at the pic of the thresher in my avatar (I caught that guy earlier this year) I see there's no clear change from body to tail during that jump.

Thinking back I also didn't notice the bottom tail tip of the shark. The bottom tail tip of threshers  are less likely to be noticed than the GWS's in that situation.

I think you may be right that this is a thresher, now that I think more on it. Huge thresher for sure, but definitely better than a GWS haha.

Thanks for the input!

(And I really want a GoPro....)

still trying to see how link a FB video clip...btw if you have Fb like this page for local shark info

Pelagic Shark Research Foundation

 
the Sharktober Report: (Monterey Bay Update)
the Sharktober Report: (Monterey Bay Update)
Sunday, 10/5/2014, 245pm.
________________________________
White Shark, approximately 5.5 meters TL. Cruising thru the luxuriously warm water off of Fort Ord Beach and Marina, shadowing a pod of dolphins and orbiting within less that 100 feet of shore. Same shark observed on 3 of our flights today from Watsonville Airport (Specialized Aviation) to Big Sur coastline and back. No drama. We haven't seen a lot of sharks this year compared to last season or previous seasons, but we did find a big one day.
Life Guards are on it and watching over the beaches in their truck and we are keeping them updated with reports.

see if this works

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152337485597411&set=vb.167200017410&type=2&theater

this same copter went over our group off upper big sur sunday a few times going south to north and back along the coast all day

big ol GWS very near your fishing area yesterday 

maybe he came over to say Hi and show off

lets go surfin now everybodys learnin how
c'm on a safari with me!!!!