Great White Shark Encounter

[North Star]

COOS BAY, Ore. October 4, 2010 (AP)

An Oregon man says a great white shark knocked him off his surfboard near Winchester Bay.

The World newspaper in Coos Bay reported that 29-year-old David Lowden was paddling his board near the south jetty of the Umpqua River last week when a shark he estimated at nearly 14 feet broke the surface behind him and sent him flying.

Lowden said the shark emerged halfway from the water, broke the fins from his surfboard, and then thrashed around before it disappeared.

Lowden and another man surfed to the beach while a third surfer clambered onto the jetty and ditched his board. Lowden was not injured but filled out a report.

Oregon Institute of Marine Biology professor Alan Shanks said the encounter was typical behavior for great white sharks.

[North Star]

I found this statement on the Internet regarding Great whites from the Marine Science Center:
DR. RASMUSSEN: "Shark incidents are extremely rare. Since scientists started keeping records, there have been no fatalities off the Oregon coast, and only ten shark incidents in more than 40 years. All of those involved surfers, and they were usually near marine mammal sites, like sea lion rookeries."

Elsewhere it was stated that the chances of dying in an auto accident while driving to the coast was over 100 times greater than dying from a shark attack. The threat must be kept in perspective - it is very tiny, but nevertheless real.

Although I did see a GWS off of Newport once while diving, we have dived around seals and sea lions several times in the past and have not seen sharks, but if we do see sea lions or seals in the area, it calls for extra awareness, or perhaps moving to a different location.

Surfers are attacked far more often than divers because the combination of a board with feet and legs hanging off of it looks like a sea lion from underneath. Divers do not look like sea lions.

The other factor to consider is that of all shark attacks that do occur, only about 10% are fatal. Usually it is just bite and release when they realize that you are not a seal or sea lion, and 90% survive and swim back to the shore or boat.

[steepNdeep]

Elsewhere it was stated that the chances of dying in an auto accident while driving to the coast was over 100 times greater than dying from a shark attack. The threat must be kept in perspective - it is very tiny, but nevertheless real.

Good info Northstar! However, I think those stat's are skewed. Everyone drives, but only 5%(???) of the population surf or dive...

There are similar stat's for bear attacks, but with the amount of time that I spend in the mountains I have always fully expected to have a close encounter... my prediction came true on Sunday night...

The story: The sign wasn’t very fresh, but on my third setup, I found a sweet lookin’ spot on a bench with relatively open timber that I could see ~50 yards in spots. I gave some estrous whines followed after a while by a chuckle and then a few mews. I heard a snap ~80 yards up after the first set. A few minutes later I chirped and heard a rustle and another snap after. I was psyched at my luck to have a bull comin’ in so quickly! I got the rifle up, safety off but could barely see through my Leupold it was already getting dark in the thick timber.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5050219518_95d3027476_z.jpg

I chirped again and immediately saw movement about 50 yards out BUT WTF?!? - it was low to the ground and stalking through yellow bush… I immediately sensed it was a predator… cougar??? It cleared the bush and saw the unmistakeable blonde hump of a grizzly! :shock: NNOOOOOOOOOOO! (What a buzzkill! :evil: ) Just as it registered in my mind, the grizz stopped behind another small bush at ~35 yards. I already had the gun shouldered and tried to get a lock on it in the scope but it was tough with the twilight. Adrenaline was now pumpin’ full blast and I yelled “HEYYYY…. BEAR… F*#@ OFF!!! I DON’T WANT TO SHOOT YOU!” It immediately bolted uphill and I felt a sense of relief for a milisecond until I saw two cubs following her. SHIT (this could now turn from predatory to cub defense behaviour) I quickly backed up ~20 m to the edge of the edge of the timber.

Just as I was starting to feel better I heard a woofing growl as it crashed through the bush towards me at 20 yards. I picked a big tree and fired into it’s base just in front of the sound and instantly reloaded as my eyes adjusted from the orange flash of the muzzleblast! It stopped the charge and I heard it turn uphill as I backed up onto a rocky outcrop that gave me an elevated view of the regen between us. Fully pumped, I laughed as I humped it back to the truck… It was an exciting end to an epic weekend! Glad I didn't have to shoot it... :cool:

Here's one that my partner shot from our camp...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4538766145_94319e3e3e.jpg

I’ve spent a lot of time around bears, watching literally hundreds of blackies over a the years bowhunting them & have been charged several times. I know where ~10 grizzers live around here & I’ve seen ~dozen but none that planned to chew on me... I knew eventually my time would definitely come... I’m just glad I wasn’t bow hunting or in my tent at the time (like my friend last year)! :biggrin:

If I dove on ~Norcal I'd expect to see a GW eventually, too... ;)

[Samson]

Good info Northstar! However, I think those stat's are skewed. Everyone drives, but only 5%(???) of the population surf or dive...

There are similar stat's for bear attacks, but with the amount of time that I spend in the mountains I have always fully expected to have a close encounter... my prediction came true on Sunday night...

The story: The sign wasn’t very fresh, but on my third setup, I found a sweet lookin’ spot on a bench with relatively open timber that I could see ~50 yards in spots. I gave some estrous whines followed after a while by a chuckle and then a few mews. I heard a snap ~80 yards up after the first set. A few minutes later I chirped and heard a rustle and another snap after. I was psyched at my luck to have a bull comin’ in so quickly! I got the rifle up, safety off but could barely see through my Leupold it was already getting dark in the thick timber.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5050219518_95d3027476_z.jpg

I chirped again and immediately saw movement about 50 yards out BUT WTF?!? - it was low to the ground and stalking through yellow bush… I immediately sensed it was a predator… cougar??? It cleared the bush and saw the unmistakeable blonde hump of a grizzly! :shock: NNOOOOOOOOOOO! (What a buzzkill! :evil: ) Just as it registered in my mind, the grizz stopped behind another small bush at ~35 yards. I already had the gun shouldered and tried to get a lock on it in the scope but it was tough with the twilight. Adrenaline was now pumpin’ full blast and I yelled “HEYYYY…. BEAR… F*#@ OFF!!! I DON’T WANT TO SHOOT YOU!” It immediately bolted uphill and I felt a sense of relief for a milisecond until I saw two cubs following her. SHIT (this could now turn from predatory to cub defense behaviour) I quickly backed up ~20 m to the edge of the edge of the timber.

Just as I was starting to feel better I heard a woofing growl as it crashed through the bush towards me at 20 yards. I picked a big tree and fired into it’s base just in front of the sound and instantly reloaded as my eyes adjusted from the orange flash of the muzzleblast! It stopped the charge and I heard it turn uphill as I backed up onto a rocky outcrop that gave me an elevated view of the regen between us. Fully pumped, I laughed as I humped it back to the truck… It was an exciting end to an epic weekend! Glad I didn't have to shoot it... :cool:

Here's one that my partner shot from our camp...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4538766145_94319e3e3e.jpg

I’ve spent a lot of time around bears, watching literally hundreds of blackies over a the years bowhunting them & have been charged several times. I know where ~10 grizzers live around here & I’ve seen ~dozen but none that planned to chew on me... I knew eventually my time would definitely come... I’m just glad I wasn’t bow hunting or in my tent at the time (like my friend last year)! :biggrin:

If I dove on ~Norcal I'd expect to see a GW eventually, too... ;)

Why the blurred out faces?

[LittleGoat]

That is a pretty close call... both of you (the bear and the shark).

[North Star]

Steep N Deep - WOW!!! What a story! Glad you came out OK! I bet your heart rate was slightly above normal;) Thanks for sharing this story - felt like I was right there!

The stats they gave may have been a bit skewed - what I do not know is if they were normalized for population - But really, as I look at my personal chances of dying from a shark attack verses me dying from driving to the coast to dive - a two hour drive for me - I would put the chances at 100 to 1 - I see crazy drivers all the time and have narrowly avoided accidents on many occasions - and the shark hasn't even had a bite yet. Hope he never does, either!

[steepNdeep]

Why the blurred out faces?

They are not mine and I didn't ask for permission to post them. Why do you ask?

[zeN]

Was the griz taken with gun or bow?

[Samson]

They are not mine and I didn't ask for permission to post them. Why do you ask?

Anytime you see a pic of a person posing with game they have just killed, but wont show thier faces.... has usually just comitted a crime.

[steepNdeep]

Anytime you see a pic of a person posing with game they have just killed, but wont show thier faces.... has usually just comitted a crime.

Hmmm... you think like a criminal. ;)