Responding to Sharks

[Spear One]

Young grasshoppers... have you ever heard of a "feeding frenzy"?

The last thing you want to do is get that shark eating. Just because you only see one shark doesn't mean there isn't 8 or 10 more very close by. Drop him that stringer and start a feed, and you may really find out what terror is. Once those sharks associate you with having produced food for them, you are in serious danger.

I had a school of Barracuda's go into a frenzy on a wreck I was diving after hurricane Elena and I honestly thought I was done for. I shot a small jack and it tore off and every cuda on that wreck attacked it. I will never forget that sound. I sounded just like a big swarm of bees but louder. I had a few other jacks on my stringer attached to my waist and for a moment I thought I would have a better chance of survival if I got those fish away from me.

Then I realized that more dead fish would probable create an even bigger and more competetive frenzy so I pulled them up tight to my body. After the jack had been devoured the bigger cuda's in the school started inching closer and closer as I began my ascent.

I waited for the biggest one in the school to get close and I shot him near the base of the tail so he would really feel the shot, but it was soft enough that the shaft would pull out as soon as he bolted. That big cuda dragged me about 30ft before the shaft pulled out and the whole school scattered. They never came close during the rest of my ascent.

I believe sharks should be treated the same way. Don't get them started, especially by surrendering your catch. Sometimes you can't avoid them getting a wounded fish, but never intentionally feed them.

You must establish dominance immediatly after you see a shark, especially a big shark. Stick a shark in the gills with a double banded freeshaft and I guarantee you won't be having any more problems with that shark. His buddies aren't gonna want to mess with you either.

GET AGGRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steel Shootin']

Kevin,

Apart from shooting the shark if necessary, how do you establish dominance? Is swimming fearlessly towards them such an act?

And, should you see a bull shark, do you just continue your dive and keep hunting? That's what I did yesterday, but only because the shark seemed intimidated and left.

Funny thing is, two other divers down there, and no one else saw him. Makes you wonder, how many times have you had a bull or hammer near you on a dive, without even realizing it?

Scott

[Reef Raider]

This would make a good topic for a new thead.....

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by Reef Raider
This would make a good topic for a new thead.....


Good idea.

[richhermes]

I haven't had much problems with sharks diving (I've been bit in the foot surfing), but I also try avoid them as much as possible.

Cudas in large numbers freak me out a bit. A month ago, I stoned a large mango on a wreck in 80', by the time he was on the stringer, the frenzy had started. I took the stringer and put it in my lobster bag and terminated the dive. Those cudas were acting really really freaky, and 8 cudas grew to about 50 in a matter of SECONDS.

I agree, I would have no problem sacrificing a $50 shaft to a shark that got too aggressive. or better yet POWERHEADS!!!


__________________
...its better to burn out, than to fade away...
-Neil Young

[Reef Raider]

I gave a 12ft hammer head 2 fish once and I would do it over givin it was the same as it was that day . But in open water no way would I give up a fish. I have never had to kill a shark but have been ****ed with by them my share. One thing I have learned from it is to kill all fish on your stringer I feel that the ones that are just alive are the ones that sharks and cudas love the most. I have had shark come in so fast that they were as close as the tip of my gun when they came in to my view. This has not happen in a while since I look out much more now I give them a bump or a poke they know its no free meals . most of the time now they keep away . fast movements ,loud noises, I must get like a rabid dog!!

[f94gator]

I was wondering, if I dropped a big stinky brown log in the water, would that serve to repulse the shark? I mean, if it gets remotely aggressive, it's probably going to happen anyway, it'd be nice if it helped! :D

[Reef Raider]

Maybe if its not a flowterd, its got to be a sink terd.

[Spear One]

Scott, yes. Advancing on a shark once he has exposed himself, is one of the best ways to put a shark on "defense mode". Sharks are naturally curious because they are foragers. They cover vast areas every day seeking dead or dying prey.

The vast majority of shark species do not actually kill live prey. I believe the only shark species common to this area that will actually snatch a free swimming healthy fish, bird, or mammal out of the water column are... Great white, Mako, Sand Tiger and Tiger Shark. Tiger Sharks usually grab birds off the surface, they usually don't target healthy fish.

I beleive most sharks, including Great Whites, are very unlikely to openly attack something as large and noisy as a scuba diver. If you watch those Discovery channel shows that show all the shark feeding encounters you will see that they usually have to heavily chum them and offer them fresh, tempting prey in order to get them to eat.

Have you noticed that the only sharks they seem to get to behave in this way are Great Whites? Where are the Bulls, Duskys, Lemons, Sand Tigers, Tigers, Mako's, and Hammerheads?

I believe that foraging sharks seldom risk injury by attacking live, healthy prey. Sharks have been around for a long time for a reason. Sharks learned a long time ago that an injured shark is as good as a dead shark. Especially an injury to their eyes! That is why the vast majority of shark species have evolved to be foragers instead of ambush type predators like Great Whites.

I am not suggesting that these forager shark species are not dangerous. Most sharks under 5 or 6 feet don't pose much of a risk to humans. However, large sharks like a 9 or 10 ft Bull shark, or a 12 to 14 ft Dusky or Tiger will get 100% of my attention. Size is everything in the ocean! A 12 to 14ft Dusky or Tiger can weigh 700 to 1000 pounds. A puny 180lb human would become a minor nuisance to a shark this size during an intense feeding frenzy.

I believe that when you take a predatory or aggressive action against a shark which has not gone into attack mode yet, his natural defense is to avoid confrontation. Take advantage of this!
However, the bigger the shark, or depending on how aggressive a shark has become, the more intense your response may have to be.

I have only had to shoot 2 sharks ( on two different occasions) during my diving career. I shot them because I was up in the water column with a big load of fish and they were behaving aggressively. I shot them with a double banded freeshaft and they got out of there so quick I knew they were not coming back. They swam away violently shaking their heads trying to shake that shaft and bleeding profusely. There is no way they survived.

Jab small sharks with you gun like Reef Raider said if they come too close out of curiousity. Bounce a freeshaft off their dorsal fin from about 20 ft or so to really scare them cause they don't like being touched. If that don't work "give em the steel". Especially the big ones. I don't give those big ones much lattitude at all.

My motto is... GET AGGRESSIVE and ESTABLISH DOMINANCE!

[f94gator]

What was your most intense encounter with a shark?

[Steel Shootin']

Spear One,

Thanks for that detailed response. It certainly has caused me to rethink my approach to sharks. It also is yet another reason to have one of your powerful double banded commercial guns. I wouldn't want to be down there with a pea shooter trying to shoot a shark from 15 feet away.

Shark encounters seem to be more and more common. I see sharks now on about 50% of my dives, although most are just nurse sharks laying around dormant. During a seals event a couple of weeks ago, a diver saw a tiger and hammerhead on the same dive.

One of the only times I feel vulnerable to an attack is when I am stuck in the middle of a large bait school. That happened yesterday a couple of times. The bait was thick as fleas. I can just see a cuda, shark, or even a kingfish ripping through that bait. There is no way they would see me. I usually try to descend out of the bottom of the bait when that happens.

[dlock]

Thanx for the info SpearOne, looking forward to the seminar. This forum absolutely kicks ass:D

[Divin' fool]

I got to agree..never give up your fish! Was with some guys in the islands and they dropped their ring because of a bunch of Bulls. i was'nt in the water but, they said that the sharks tore the fish apart in seconds and then came to the divers for more. Major shit stains. Only had one instance when a Cuda tried to grab a bug from me. I carry a big thin bag in my BC...if I feel uncomfortable about cudas or sharks, I ring them and bag em'.

Out of sight- out of mind. Just a theory.

[dlock]

not a bad theory at all. I've been thinking about going to some type of bag(nylon)for shallow water hunting instead of the stringer (except for a really large fish).

[Spear One]

I'm not saying that my way is the only way, but based on over 5000 spearfishing dives, this is the best way I have found to deal with sharks.

Sharks are considered the "Apex Predator" of the oceans. However when a human enters the water he becomes the "Apex Predator" due to his superior intellect.

But the superior intelligence of a human offers an advantage only if you fully understand sharks natural behavior and learn to counter it with the proper actions. Body language is a powerful thing in the water!

[Stone]

My wife and I have "Hammerhead" UW signaling devices. I have noticed that if I have not shot any fish yet, the Hammerhead will scare the shark. If I have a fish on a pole or stringer, the shark becomes focused on the dying fish and is oblivious to the sound of the Hammerhead.

[Divin' fool]

I'd be in trouble if I was depending on MY intellect ..... I AM smart enough to use a POWERHEAD!:D

[Spear One]

Upon further examination of this topic I thought of another good reason not to surrender your fish.

If you are shooting with a couple buddies and you surrender you catch to a bunch of sharks in order to save yourself, you are actually putting your buddies in greater danger of attack.

We usually separate from our buddies while shooting. If you ditch your fish and ascend your buddies don't have any way of knowing you fed the sharks. The now very excited sharks move to your buddies, and because the sharks have gone into "feed mode" your buds are now left dealing with a very dangerous situation.

All they know is they have some very pissed off sharks buzzing them and they are now very likely to be subject to attack because the sharks now associate the divers with food.

The only way I would ever surrender my stringer to a shark is if he has grabbed hold of the stringer and I couldn't get him to let go. If I did give him the stringer I would Immediatly shoot him and try to get the stringer back.

I think the advantages of not surrendering your catch are far better than the disadvantages.

[Reef Raider]

Would you like to do the G grouper , J-fish, what ever here or start a new thead on them?These big boys do not scare so easy.

[Spear One]

I have had many more attacks involving Jew Fish than Sharks. How about you guys?

[201proguide]

i have seen if you shove your weight around with fish (no matter what it is) you will be left alone. once they find what you and a speargun are capable of, they wont even dream to tuch you.

[Spear One]

Rogers on that!

[Reef Raider]

I had a jew fish come in and take a gag I just shot. The shaft went right out the other side of the gag stoned him and before I got to it the JF eat it and bolted away never to be seen the rest of the dive . I never knew that a fish that size could move that FAST! But the thing about JF that realy gets to me is when I just shot a fish and I'll be putting it on the stinger then I hear BANG BANG but do not see the JF . At this point I just leave the area . A JF will defend his home to a point. I have had them start to follow me when I have fish on the stringer. I give them a jamb
and sometimes they will turn as if to say "you got a ****ing problem " at this point I will assend a little to give them room to move they allways go back to what it was they were doing before I came alone .
Know when to hold and know when to fold

[Steel Shootin']

I haven't had a lot of problems with JF yet. I had a couple of fish strung up and saw something big under the ledge. I thought maybe it was a shot at a trophy true black, so I look under there, and this 150# jewfish came out like he was going to head butt me. I just back off, and he was fine after that.

[Spear One]

Hey Scott,
I'll take you to a barge I have way up north and let you see first hand what it is like to get attacked by one. It will scare the living hell out of you!

Every time we dive that barge we have to fend one or two of them off. For some reason they are unbelievably aggressive on that spot! As soon as you shoot a fish they will start following you around and wait for just the right opportunity to ambush your catch.

Maybe after you get attacked by one of these Jewfish you will change your mind about the sharks and feeding them your catch. Time to bust your cherry! Lets go.

[Steel Shootin']

I'll go. You know, I got the wheels to get there, just give the word! I can handle a little x-games style shootin. :D

[Reef Raider]

That should be a good report !!

[f94gator]

All Scott needs is some mf'in malt lickety - a triple deuce to be exact, and he'll be making that wussy JF his BEEATCH.

Or at least, we'll have a really funny story.