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Subscribe to RSSAuthorities are searching for the large shark after it killed a surfer on Saturday off the Australia coast. The shark was believed to be at least 13 feet long. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports.
An Australian surfer is presumed to have been killed by a shark off the coast of Western Australia, local media reported Saturday.
The man, who has not been identified because authorities have not notified his family, was waiting to catch a wave with a friend off Wedge Island, around 100 miles north of Perth, at 9 a.m. Saturday (7 p.m. ET Friday) when he was mauled by the shark, police said.
"It's reported to be a fatal attack," a police spokesman said according to The Australian newspaper. The AFP news agency, meanwhile, said beach patrol officials had confirmed that the man, believed to be in his twenties, had died.
However authorities were still searching for his remains — and for the shark responsible for the attack.
It would be the fifth fatal shark attack off the coast of Western Australia since September.
According to witnesses, the surfers were around 45-55 yards offshore when the incident occurred.
"I was towing my mate on the back of the jet-ski and just in front of us saw a guy get attacked by a shark," witness Matt Holmes told Australian TV channel ABC.
"And I just took my mate to the shore and went straight out and there was just blood everywhere and a massive, massive white shark circling the body ... And I reached to grab the body and the shark came at me on the jet-ski and tried to knock me off," Holmes said.
He added that he circled back again to try to recover the body but saw the shark swim away with the remains. Holmes described the shark as being 4-5 meters (13-16 feet) long.
Tony Cappelluti, from Australia's department of fisheries, told WA Today that the attack, believed to have been by a great white shark, took place off a remote part of the beach.
All beaches near Wedge Island have been closed until further notice, authorities said.
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Jaws got another
Being out in the water especially in California and Australia = dinner bell for Great Whites. Swim/play at your own risk.
Anyway, "Here's to swimming with bow-legged women" - Quint (Jaws 1975)
I am so tired of hearing scientists and lay people repeat " they are not interested in humans, they mistook you for a seal, they will just take a bite and then leave you alone, blah, blah, blah...." Bottom line : Great whites will willfully attack and consume humans, and no human is safe where they are swimming.
As for banning surfing in OZ ? Might as well try banning soccer in England.
Surfing is a unnecessary activity w the risk of getting your legs torn off or eaten by a big efffing carnivore. Soccer/Football doesn't have that sort of risk aside the drunken hooligans!!! Big effing difference! Now if you choose to play ball w a few lions or tigers roaming the field, then maybe they would be considered "similar"! Surfers are meals on boards, I hope more end up as chum for the sharks, effing nitwits!!
@youwish : What an idiotic response ! I was merely responding to a comment that said no surfing should be allowed in australia. I compared it to soccer because it's such a popular sport down there. Obviously that went right past you.
As for calling surfers effing nitwits and hoping they get attacked more, you are pathetic...
scientist never said the shark weren't interested...what they keep saying is humans aren't a sharks natural food source....that said the gentleman who went back out to grab the body id brave
What a jerk off @youwish I have been surfing for over 40 years and never even seen a shark in the water. The incredible thrill and excitement in riding waves is unique and extremely safe compared to most other sports.
you dont see sharks most times until they dive up and attack you!.. shark are there you just never noticed them... your in there ocean and you risk your life so be it. dont blame them when your in there waters..
Tastes like "Chicken of the Sea"
Lets see.....Out surfing in shark infested waters...check. Wearing a wetsuit which makes you look like a seal to a shark...check. Seals being a sharks' favorite food Makes this kind of a no-brainer. Still,more people are killed each year by being hit by lightining,so go figure...Here in SanDiego the waves might be smaller, but folks don't often get eaten for their troubles.
My sympathies to the families.
What do the Aussies want the sharks to eat? The Japanese are getting all the fish in their giant nets.
Oh, hell, let's just make the ocean a desert.
Mmmmm din-din!
This is not a boat accident, and it wasn't any propeller, and it wasn't any coral reef, and it wasn't Jack the Ripper, it was a shark.
When I read of an extreme skier fatally caught in avalanche, or a mountain climber killed in a fall, I feel that, tragic as these deaths may be, at least the victims were killed doing something they loved.
But when I hear of a fatal shark attack, or of a man being eaten by a kodiak bear, I just shudder and say, " I'm glad that's not me!".
That is just too horrible.
I hope this surfer died quickly.
This is not comparale to being hit by lightining. There are 6 billion people under the skies and some get hit. There are few surfers in the seas and some get eaten. The probability of shark attack seems to be higher than lightning.
Why can't we deploy nets made of nylon or stainless steel at swimmer and surfer beaches, anchored and buoyed that are inspected.
Or a sonar system, but I think nets would be more feasible in the department of money. Wouldn't that money be worth a few lives?
Fu$% Sharks!!! They're good for nothing, I got no use for them. All they do is kill innocent bystanders. I couldn't care less about all the crazies out there who love these predators, monsters, killers. They should be wipe out of existence; we should keep a few hundred of them in aquariums around the world. We managed to exterminate noble, non harmful species, while the freaking sharks keep on doing what they do best... Kill for sport, for the blood, that's all they do. Wipe e'm all out!!!!
Now, tell us how you really feel. Love your avatar, coming on the heels of your post, it explains a lot.
They do use nets. problem with the nets is that they destroy lots of animals like sea turtles and porpoises. This attack was unusual in that the shark didn't just bite and run, but rather, took the victim completely. Animals do learn and they learn from experience. What is easier to catch, a lively seal or a rather clumsy surfer? As to the notion that sharks don't like human flesh, sharks will eat whatever fills their belly. Tiger sharks have been found with rocking chair parts and license plates in thier gut. They follow ships to eat the garbage tossed overboard.
Great Whites have been in the area for many, many years. What is different is that now more people are in the water. Take a gander at some beaches, thousand of people and if you were a shark with so much temptation, it would be odd if you didn't take a meal or two.
Having said all that, I am horrified at such a shocking way to go. I hope it was quick, that the man didn't suffer too greatly and am deeply saddened for his family and friends.
@dman-353357 ALL of those things that you mentioned are situations where the victim died "doing something he loved to do". The difference, though, is that when you die in an avalanche or in a fall, you pretty much die an instantaneous, painless death, whereas when you are killed by a shark or a bear it is anything but instant or painless. Why can't you see that?
@Thou Shall Not Teabag Sharks are beautiful, magnificent creatures. I know this is cruel of me to say, but I feel that sharks serve far more purpose in the deeps (and shallows) of oceans than you do, running around with a political moniker trying to sound cool and intelligent. What you fail to understand is that the ocean is the sharks' world, land is ours'. Basic biology (help me out scientists, I know I'm not using the correct word here).
You are too much, thevaliantx123. I understand very well that being eaten by a bear or a shark is quite different than dying in an avalanche. That is why I described such deaths as too horrible to contemplate.
BTW: If you actually knew anything about these types of mishaps, you'd know that skiers caught in avalanches and mountain climbers who suffer falls do not always die a "pretty much instantaneous death". People caught in snow avalanches are often not killed by the initial impact of the falling snow and ice. Instead they can be encased, still living, in a layer of settling of snow, which will quickly cool and harden like concrete. They die of cold and suffocation. Mountain climbers too, sometimes survive the initial fall, and then die slowly, of exposure or their injuries.
Why can't you see that?
Condolences to his loved ones....
You people r IDIOTS. Kill all the sharks,why,so a couple people can roam the seas at will,then they will end up drowning cause they drink too much. Should we ban alcohol next?Sharks are needed to complete the food chain in the ocean. And try doing a little reading before you say they have no use. I love surfing,but as they say ,surf at your own risk.
He sleeps beneath the blue lone sea, he lies where pearls lie deep;
He was the loved of all, yet none o'er his low bed may weep
RIP
Evening Alex....thank you from across the Pacific....
why is the sharks fault . people go in the ocean swimming knowing there is sharks .i feel bad the person died . but its the sharks fault . i dont see sharks coming on land and kill people .
Haven't you heard of the "land shark"?
I can't beleive no one has commented thus far on the outstanding courage/stupidity of the guy on the Jet Ski. He didn't just run away he tried to get the body twice. Man thats incredible! What a MAN!
How about the "Mud Shark" With great thanks to Frank Zappa.
"The government is the entertainment department of the United States Military Industrial Complex." Frank Zappa
Alex, that's for drowning. Hard to find a low bed for this guy. More like:
"He is scattered far and wide,
'Cept for bits in the sharks' inside."
Like hiking grizzly country: at your own risk.
Mo--Aussies are pretty damn manly.
too many attacks going on in Australia...no surfing allowed!
Man may be at the top of the food chain, but dwindling food source from overfishing and mass die-offs from increasing dead zones are making humans rise to the top of the menu.
Evening Don. No it is more a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We do not have over fishing or dead zones here..yet. Simply it is the domain of the Great White and we need to be reminded of that and when we are, it stops you dead in your tracks, literally.
Just as these unfortunate 5 fatalities and the kid in Florida missing most of an arm to a gator found out, us humans are only at the top of the food chain when we are within OUR element. Putting ourselves in harms way by entering into their zones of influence and control takes us quite a few notches lower on the food chain. I am sorry for all the families losses, but you just cannot have 100% sympathy for the humans nor should we be hating the animals that we seem to be happy to continue feeding with our own bodies.
Shona, whether you believe it or not the Great Barrier Reef has been effected by Climate Change. The oceans of the world have all changed slightly in acidity. Whether this has made a difference in shark ethnobiology no one knows yet. Studies take years to be completed.
Putting all that science aside, I am truly sorry for this young man's loved ones. It's a tragic loss whenever a young person dies. My thoughts go out to them, whomever they are.
As for those who go so far as to blame the victim for his death, if you wouldn't say these words to the loved ones, it's equally as rude to write it in a public forum. There are times family and friends read these posts, looking for compassion and understanding. It's too cruel to be such fools to assume they will never read what you've written here in your selfish need to be 'amusing' or 'have your self-righteous opinion written down.'
Don't count on anonymity.
Evening Peridot...The Great Barrier Reef which is in Queensland is stuffed in many parts, mainly due to the cyclones and chemical run off from the land. Climate change "may" play a part in the future but I am yet to be convinced but so far here in our seasons all is much the same. The usual floods, fires and cyclones. These shark attacks are on the other side of the country in Western Australia so I am not sure why the Barrier Reef has anything to do with this...Shark attacks are mainly in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. New South Wales have nets to protect swimmers and it is very rare for a shark attack in Queensland. Sharks will attack in warm water, brackish water, cold water, clean water, dirty water or anything else...if they want something to eat and you just happen to be there...well.....
When is man ever going to learn to kill sharks in large numbers . They are the most common predator in the sea, that is easily destroyed .
Well man kills man in large numbers and we are easy to kill and we are still here!!! Feel free if you think sharks are easily destroyed...I will have my money on the shark....
This is really no differnt than grizzly bear attacks in the Western U.S. If you enter their domain, you are part of their food chain. Some people make the choice not to get into that situation and some are comfortable putting themselves out there. I am sure that this man was well aware of the risks and still wanted to be there. That is what makes us human...we get to make our own choices. Humans get to live their lives on the level of danger that THEY choose. Some have the ability to live life to the fullest with no regrets and some of us just wish that we had that ability. Let's just pray for his family without judging his actions.
Bensgpa -
Sharks are apex predators of the sea. Sharks are already killed in great numbers for shark fin soup. Massively reducing an apex predator throws the balance of the ocean off. It makes no sense to destroy species of shark that are simply living in their own environment, doing what they were created to do. If you are afraid of sharks (like me), stay out of the ocean. In the meantime just try to keep the surfers out of the ocean. Obviously Bethanny Hamilton did not let one shark attack keep her out of the water.
Amusing to read some of these comments. Factually, fatal shark attacks are remarkably rare but when they occur, they are sensationalized by a media that attempts to pander to our fears.
The article goes on to say that the authorities are searching for the shark as well as any remains. If they discover a shark of similar size and species, they will surely kill it for no good reason.
These animals are instinct driven and there is no chance at all that there is some kind of "mmmm, human meat good, from now on I eat only humans" behavior modification. Hence, killing the shark serves no purpose.
Couldn't agree more.
Too many murders in Arizona: no humans allowed.
I would have to agree with many of the posts. As terrible and tragic as this death is, when you enter the territory of a predator you have to be aware of the potential consequences. I feel horrible for the family, I couldn't even imagine the last moments of fear and pain he must have had, but if you want to play in the 'wild' you take that risk. They have every right to be in their element and hunt there.
Wow, i cant believe it great posts guy and gals very informative, and even with difference of opinion no slandering and no politics (standing up and applauding) see intelligent people can blog with a difference of opinion........I do agree shark attacks are rare but are sensationalized by the media......my condolences to the family of the desist surfer......
He deserves it if he knew sharks were out there. It's like people going to 3rd world countries and wondering why they're getting their heads cut off.
That was morbid to say. He didn't deserve it.
If you were killed in a car accident, would it make sense if I posted "He deserved it if he "knew" cars were out there". Give me a break man. Pffft.....
Howmanyfingers? Just one. Read between the lines.............
Howmany..Spoken like a true Septic...He deserves it???..What a feral thing to say. No one deserves to be taken by a shark here or anywhere else. We are well aware here of the dangers and risks in the water around Australia and we accept them. He did and I do when I am in the sea. You keep your wits about you and watch what you are doing. Unfortunately, people are taken but that is the nature of the beast and the law of the sea. That is life. We have a jelly fish here a centimetre long that can kill you in 2 minutes. So do you deserve to die standing in 6 centimetres of water?? You really need to get out more. So "How many fingers"?? try one and up yours with it...
Evening Creek dog...Thank you and very well said...Geez some people and their way of thinking...makes you wonder what planet they are on. Have a good day over there....
Howmanyfingers, He doesnt deserve to killed by a shark but by doing something like he did he doesnt deserve my pity.
He doesn't want or need it, and you're incapable of feeling pity anyway. Single finger salute to you, pal.
shona1,sorry for all the crass and obviously dimwitted remarks from my country although I love my country as you love yours some times the people make me want to ask them why they are so mean spirited about the death of another person ,sorry for the lose of this young man.
Evening Jersey...No worries..."you always get one in every crowd". I guess it is human nature to a certain extent, death scares the crap out of a lot of people. So they come up with feral comments and I guess if that gives them comfort in their world, then so be it. But over all the good people in this world far out number the ferals. Funny how quick they forget though when a fellow American was attacked and eaten by a shark in Western Australia just last year in Oct....As I recall there were how do you say it "dumb arse" comments about him to. So no they don't have a great deal of sympathy for a fellow human regardless of how they perished. Have a great day where ever you are in the States....
Howmanyfingers, If it's salt water, it has sharks in it. Even fresh water, not to mention brackish can have sharks. There is even a fresh water lake in South America with sharks that are derived from those trapped there many years ago. To say the victim deserved what happened says far more about you than it does him.
How old are you? 14? 17? Any idiot with a computer and an internet connection...
Families of these people go online to read these comments. Were you dead (oh, ungranted wish) and anyone who loved your sorry ass to come online to read what people were writing about your loss, would you want them to have their hearts broken by such stupid and half-witted comments?
That posits there is someone who loves you enough to care about your end, of course. Presumably you have parents, you git.
Here's some logic for you: more than 60,000 people are killed every year in car accidents in the US. More are injured in dreadful ways, some never to recover. Have humans in the US given up driving? Cars? Should we?
More people every year around the world are killed by falling coconuts than by shark incident. Fifty people, on average, every year die from falling coconuts slamming into their heads as they loll about beneath the tree. Should we eradicate coconut trees?
Ten people every year die from shark encounters. More than ten people will be idiotic enough to make remarks like yours on this thread. I much prefer the shark. It acted from honest instinct rather than malice and hormones.
Go to the library and read some books this summer. Here's an idea: Learn something about sharks. You're ignorant but that needn't remain permanent. Sharks are a fascinating subject. Do something useful with all that teenage angst and bitterness.
You may be thinking of Lake Nicaragua in Central America. They used to think this was separate species of shark but now they just know they are just bull sharks that navigate the river. They are not cut off from the sea.
@ howmanyfingers : what a stupid comment !
Howmanyfingers
May you end up as sharkbait ya waste of flesh.
howmanyfingers.....Karma is a nasty thing ! Goodluck with that attitude of yours.
What?
"Johnny is dead...let's check Newsvine and see what total strangers have to say about him".
Get real.
I think you're going to need a bigger boat.
Stupid is as stupid does. Australia is notorious for their 'great white' shark attacks. Even if he had lived and bitten off both arms and legs, the guy would say 'it won't keep me from surfing here'. Whatever!
America is notorious for its horrific fatal car crashes, even after being severely crippled with bodies broken people still get back in cars. I surfed in austrailia and never encountered any aggressive sharks- can't say the same for cars, and this is with humans operating them.
What does a car accident have to do with a shark attack? You are really reaching.
Not to be crass at a time like this but I can't help it "....the shark came at me on the jet-ski...". A shark on a jek-ski. Now that would be something to see!
Crass nevertheless.
The guy on the jet ski deserves some credit. I takes alot to try to help someone being attacked by a shark. But there are idiots like orlando45 whom make idiotic comments. I would bet if in the same situation, he wouldn't be able to get out of the water quick enough, nevermind try to help.
Stuff it Biff. If you can't see the humor in the man's comment you should probably take a laxative. Yes, the man was incredibly brave, of that there is no doubt. As far as being in the same situation, I'm not stupid enough to surf in an area where I could become lunch. But you go right ahead. I'll look for the shark on the jet-ski and alert you when it arrives.
Yeah, because this was meant to be a humorous article. Moron. I guess we shouldn't be stupid enough to go camping where there are bears, or hike where there are poisonous snakes. Moron.
Lmao ..that is a true statement stepasidesue ...just get right back out there...
Tempting fate. Sooner or later, you lose.
Evening Carl..Some do and some don't...just depends if your number is up...Unfortunately his was up but the guy that was next to him, his wasn't...we accept it and have the greatest of sympathy for his family and friends. It is no different to when natural disasters hit here bushfires, cyclones, floods etc...that is the land I live in, no different to yours and I would not swap it for the world....shark attacks and all....
12 people were killed by sharks over the last year on this planet. Even for an Australian surfer the odds are pretty damn good that they will never be killed by a shark even if they surf every day. It's far more likely that they would die by drowning or in a car accident on their way to the beach or even by a lightning strike.
I think the odds have to be calculated differently. You need to look at the number of people entering the ocean at the locations of the attacks and calculate the probability based of that.
The problem with the kill numbers as far as sharks are concerned, is that the numbers used are skewed. 12 deaths from shark attacks was reported last year. Billions of people on this planet make a living fishing our oceans. Many thousands die every year following that profession. Do you really think anyone keeps count on how many Cubans are eaten every year by sharks in the Florida Straits? Or how many Indians or Chinese fisherman, get eaten in the Indian Ocean? Basically what is usually said is "The sea took them" They lived by the sea they died by the sea. Those 12 deaths are rich surfers or swimmers out for a little bit of recreation. It does not count Raul and his family, who were taken one by one of his makeshift raft as he tried to take them to freedom in the USA. It does not count the African trawler that ran aground of the east coast of Africa, and all hands were lost. Keep that in mind when you hear someone say only "12" people were lost to sharks in the whole wide world last year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_%28CA-35%29
It just takes one bad year.
Every time I read a story like this, reminds me the battle my favorite sport MMA had to fight to go legitimate. Even today it is called and considered to be a blood sport and banned in many states in the US. Yet, in the close to 20 yrs history of the sport, not one single death occured in the ring or cage, whatever the case may be. At the same 20 yrs. period, countless people have died or permanently injured in mountain climbing, motor sports, surfing (mauled by sharks), boating sports, air shows (plane crashes), parachute accidents and who knows what other activities. In many of these cases people try to fight or challenge the elements of nature which is much more dangerous than fight with another man with a referee and doctors present.
Absolutely and completely off topic, Gabe. Absent the issue of TBI which you side-stepped completely, no one cares about this issue here.
Sorry.
Nice way to turn a shark attack/ fatality into a discussion on the history of MMA. I highly doubt that people watch MMA due to its untarnished safety record and lack of fatalities.
Use a vintage plane from an air show, to drop in two MMA fighters with boards tethered to themselves, letting them go at it while they parachute into shark infested waters, with mountain climbing or motocross gear on.... Then the boaters could go pick up the pieces...... Now THAT I would pay good money to see.
I feel sorry for his family and friends. You will never catch me out on a surf board in the waters around Australia. Yet I ride my bicycle every day next to auto traffic that one drunk driver could turn me into dead meat like that poor surfer. I hope my number never comes up the way that poor surfer's did. I feel safe on my bike much the way that surfer felt safe on his board. And the numbers being in our favor doesn't mean disaster can't happen.
You take your life in your hands every single day you ride your bike, ICan'tbelieveit. Feeling safe on your bike is a denial and a coping mechanism. I sincerely hope you will always be safe next to traffic but you're statistically in much greater danger than this surfer ever was.
Feelings are not facts.
Not to be off topic but there is no way I'd ride a bike in my town to many idiot drivers.
RIP surfer at least he was doing what he loved.
A horrible way to go.
It certainly is, and while it's hard to imagine a worse way, there are many. Still horrible, though.
Very sad. For many, surfing is an passion as real as addiction. It's terribly sad that something that gives people so much pleasure, especially in troubling times, has become so hazardous.
My condolences to the family, friends, and all surfers who are now putting their lives at risk for a sport that has for so many years supported well-being. May our collective goodwill create a shield of protection for all surfers. We can only hope.
Seems the shark was actually interested in finishing this particular meal. Perhaps, the jetski approaching the wounded swimmer triggered a defense mechanism in the shark to protect its kill, so it went in again and took the body away?
Odd that the shark didn't realize the man was not a seal by then.
Something is not looking good for the usual "sharks just sample us then leave us alone when the shark realizes we are not really on their preferred menu". Maybe we are starting to be on the menu? Or, the approaching jetski caused the shark to want to drag its "kill" out of the area?
White sharks are protective of their kill. This has been demonstrated with attacks on humans. The Great White attack on Heather Boswell confirmed this. This incident was analysed by Dr Erich Ritter and he determined the shark acted in a protective manner.
If you wish to see video of this incident it's available online. Ms Boswell lost her leg to the shark.
There is nothing "odd". Stop believing the discovery channel crap that once they once they realize you're not a seal, they will let go. There is absolutely no guarantee of this. Many surfers have been attacked and consumed, wetsuit or not. If a great white wants to eat you, it's gonna do just that.
Yeah, well, "odd"ly enough that was my point exactly.
I never really was too sold on that popularly-used "scientific" point of view, and now I can see I might have been right. (and so are you)
They say that killer whales are now hunting and eating sharks and sharks are eating other sharks. Bears are attacking more because their salmon is running our or diverted into concrete water ways by man. Bears are even invading Fairbanks, AK. Seals are starving.
We will find that as the "Natural Food Sources" are being taken away that many of our apex predators will be looking around for a new source. Do they actually plan and hunt man? I don't know. I'd say if they are hungry and a person is in the water, they wouldn't turn away.
I don't say surfers should stop, but I won't stick a toe in the water. I always say, "If you don't go in the water, you won't be eaten by a shark, if you don't go into the forest, you won't be eaten by bears". Nothing in this life is 100% sure, but two of my greatest phobias are easily handled.
my condolences to his family. and i never realized that if you're a surfer, you deserve such a horrid death! interesting 'logic'. some people prove the adage that if one can't say something nice, one should say nothing at all.
I don't think people are saying that surfers deserve to die in this manner. I am saying that the shark should not be punished for being a shark. You take risks in life and if you know the consequences that may arise, you should make peace with that before going into that risky situation.
Lets see I'll just rub some of this Chum Flavored Sun Block on and I won't get skin cancer....dum dee dee de dummmmmmmm..........................
Maybe the shark got tired of all his "brethren" being used for shark fin soup and took a little revenge. Just kidding of course but I have sympathy for the family as they have to deal with the loss of a son, etc.
You rarely hear of a shark actually eating a person (not just taking a bite) and in the rare case when they do, it is because they are lacking food (this is in response to all of the comments above).
I was watching "Wild America" with Marty Stouffer, and he explained shark attacks better than anyone. He showed a camera angle from under water looking up at a seal, and/or seals, and/or a sea lion. Then he switched to looking up at a surfer on a short board. There isn't a whole lot of difference between the lot. Usually once the shark realizes that it isn't a seal after taking a bite (sometimes fatal), they leave.
You just keep telling yourself that mike. Yes, we all know that sharks generally bite and let go during an attack, but more and more these days that's not happening. The shark is either coming back for another hit after the first attack, or in this case, taking the person completely. It is nothing new. In WWII ships were sunk and surviving sailors that jumped over were circled by sharks. Some men disappeared never to be seen again and were witnessed being eaten by their shipmates. Even going back to 1912, there was an outbreak of great white attacks witnessed where the victims were never seen again (those stories were the inspiration for the writer of "Jaws" later made into the movie). In more current times, shark attacks have occurred where the victim was repeatedly hit. In Florida a 12-year old boy had to be rescued by beach bystanders from a 10' bull in just four feet of water. It kept coming back after the boy was unconscious. Those attacks were not "bite and release" shark mistakes of prey. They were intentional and the humans were consumed - or would have been in the boy's case had he been in deeper water and not pulled to shore.
10tacle, that 12-year-old boy had shrimp in his pocket. The bull shark was targeting the scent of the bait the young man was using. It's no big mystery; the shark was hungry and it kept hitting the strongest scent of the shrimp.
If you don't know the details of an incident, look them up. They're always available when the investigation is completed. Spreading this stuff online is silly. Shark ethnobiologists are investigating shark behaviour and following it as they always are. Any changes will be reported as they occur.
BTW, I'm a Marine Biologist and I live in Florida. There's usually a reason for animal behaviour. There is no animal conspiracy.
also the very reason they are called bull sharks is because they have more testosterone than any other shark-than any other man-and it makes them hyper aggressive they will not let go of any item they have bitten-not even a car part- if you come upon a bull shark circling something and it even thinks you might try and take it away the shark will attack the object even if it wasn't going to to begin with and it will also attack you that is BULL SHARK behavior white shark behavior is different tiger shark behavior is different blue shark behavior is different making such blanket statements breeds hate and misunderstanding next thing you know all sharks are dead then you will complain about too much decay in the ocean you see sharks also help clean up the ocean they feed off of dead whales and other such without them the ocean would be much dirtier and bacteria filled
Well if humans are not intended targets that is obviously only because they are unfamiliar prey to most sharks. The debate over whether they are deliberately targeted is utterly irrelevant, unless you are going to tell me that no shark has ever eaten a human. Oh so the boy had shrimp in his pocket eh? Apparently the shark was willing to chew through 100 lbs of boy to get to 1/2 an ounce of shrimp? Stop it, just stop it. Predators are dangerous--they will kill you, they will eat you. You may do everything "right" and still end up being attacked and killed. THAT IS A REALITY CHECK.
REALITY CHECK Beer Mug: Humans are the worst predators on the planet (nothing but our imaginary economy benefits from our destructions). Go to Chicago's South Side or Wall Street, and although you do everything "right" you still might end up being attacked and killed. THAT IS A REALITY CHECK.
10tacle... if you're going to compare shark attacks you should also note the species of shark relative to the attacks. Bull sharks are notoriously aggresive, and will keep coming back over and over. They have the most testosterone of any living thing on the planet, so they're fiesty to say the least. This is not common for great whites. Also WWII ship victims- most of these were different species of sharks, not the great white, oceanic white tips, which are tenacious and like bloodhounds of the open ocean. Great whites just get the bad rep because they're one of the largest predator fish, and scary looking, and because of their size and teeth, their bites are generally more serious, which is why you hear more about them.
Well Mikey--humans may well be "predators" but they will not tear you apart with their teeth and EAT you. Duh! If you can't understand the difference I'm not going to explain it further.
I was watching "Wild America" with Marty Stouffer, and he explained shark attacks better than anyone. He showed a camera angle from under water looking up at a seal, and/or seals, and/or a sea lion. Then he switched to looking up at a surfer on a short board. There isn't a whole lot of difference between the two and the way they are attacked. Usually once the shark attacks and realizes that he/she isn't a seal, after taking a bite (sometimes fatal), they leave. Shark Attacks are almost always mistakes.
Almost always? Based on what facts? Where's your proof? Oh you saw a nature show and some guy said it? That makes it a fact? bah!
I'm waiting for someone to blame this on Obama, atheists, or gay people.
Don't they have enough to worry about?
Romney's fault.
Thanks Jessica, I agree with you. Obangies fault for sure.
Don't you know? It was a Christian shark. [says me, the Christian]
I knew the political trolls werent far away......and even religion......
The great white is a beautiful animal. Condolences to his family. This is newsworthy because it is rare that these full kill attacks occur. I hope the people reading realize that sharks kill for food, people kill often times for much less. Which do you fear more?
Honestly, I'd rather be facing down the barrel of a gun held by a robber at 2AM in an alley than looking face to face with a 4' wide mouth full of hundreds of four inch razor-sharp teeth alone in the water. But, that's just me. Of course, I'd try to avoid putting myself in either situation to begin with.
Shark, please.
"He came at me and tried to knock me off the jet ski" .... l hate it when people talk as if they knew exactly what it was thinking. Yeah whatever.
White Sharks will aggressively protect their kill. It's not unbelievable that one would bump a Jetski. Read a book about marine biology Hehwood. You might learn a thing or two.
Who said anything about what the shark was "thinking?" I'm pretty sure it's an obvious action when you see it coming at you with your own two eyes.
What's up with Australia, it seems they have all the most deadly snakes, plants, insects, fish and spiders on the planet.
Evening Conservative..Yep that pretty well covers it, but you forgot jellyfish and Croc's...Think this says it all for me...
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me
Shona1: I would like to visit Australia one of these days. It sounds like a fascinating place. G'day mate.
And you would be most welcome...yes we have many bities and crawlies here, but it goes with the territory...you accept it, live with it, but above all you respect it...Be it on land or sea.....On that note I will say good night as in 1.40am Sunday morning and I am dragging the eyeballs...have a great day where ever you are....
I watched a show on the top ten deadliest creatures & 5 out of 10 lived in Assieland.
opps left out the U in Aussie.
Are you sure? You wouldn't want C. Dundee showing up at your door.
i feel sorry for his friends and family! may GOD keep him and cradel him in his arms . I also feel bad for the guy who tried to get the victim as he was attacked by the same shark, he will remember that the rest of his life.
I love to scuba dive but know there are some risks
I was thinking about the guy on the surfboard right next to the victim also. I cannot imagine his terror seeing an approx 16 ft shark swim right under him and attack the other surfer. I wonder if that traumatized surfer will ever get back out there? I [almost] think it is worse to be up close to something that horrible and actually see exactly the damage that was done? The guy being attacked was so involved and probably it was very quick, I think the bystander had a much better idea of how horrible it was. I'd be crying and walking on water and the shore would seem to be miles away. God bless him and God bless the family of the tragic deceased.