First Recorded Shark Attack in SF Bay

[Saleen411]

For those who ever considered the Alcatraz to Aquatic Park swim.....Theres a close up of the attack at the end

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmEeFGVhMEM

[gamayun]

It's a predation event when you're just grabbing something for dinner But how very cool that it was filmed. There's another video from the group on the land side that has some funny narration by a young boy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFumUdCSgOQ

As far as the news reports saying there is no record of an attack on a human, I had read of one that happened in SF Bay many years ago, maybe even as far back as the 19th century. Researchers have also recorded pings on their salmon shark receivers from tagged white sharks inside the bay. It's a big body of water with ample marine mammals, so I'm kinda surprised there isn't more evidence of them!

[StuM]

The Heading on this thread may be a little misleading:

The last 100 years of shark attacks in the Bay Area mapped - SFGate

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by StuM

The Heading on this thread may be a little misleading:

The last 100 years of shark attacks in the Bay Area mapped - SFGate

I just copied the utube title.

I see what you mean though.....i took "recorded" as meaning filmed or videotaped.

[MermaidMuse]

The Alcatraz Crossing (to Aquatic Park, Saint Francis Beach or Crissy Field) is a beautiful swim! Breathe on your starboard side and see the Golden Gate Bridge in early morning sunlight, perhaps with fog tendrils tickling the towers. Breath to port and see the city skyline against the morning sun.

The coast guard prefers that we complete the swim before the ferries start running so most crossings are morning swims.

I do this swim several times a year and will continue to do so. I also swim along the coast. This video does not deter me. Doubtful it will deter most. Sharks are always present whether we see them or not. They are intelligent and curious and rarely nibble on humans. One is more at risk of being run over by a boat than bitten by a shark.

The map of Bay Area shark attacks that StuM has posted shows that most attacks have occurred concurrently with fishing or fish canning activity. There are thousands of people swimming, surfing, diving, kiteboarding etc in this area on any given day without shark encounters.

The video shows a shark hunting and eating its natural food of seal or sea lion. That is no reason to stop swimming the bay or the coast.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by gamayun

some funny narration by a young boy

A little sadist cheering a shark on while witnessing it literally tear a living sea lion to shreds? You have a strange idea of what constitutes "funny"

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

A little sadist cheering a shark on while witnessing it literally tear a living sea lion to shreds? You have a strange idea of what constitutes "funny"

I'm a biologist. We have a warped sense of humor that mere humanoids would not understand

Besides, it was no different from watching people consume 2K worth of calories in a Thanksgiving sitting

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by MermaidMuse

The Alcatraz Crossing (to Aquatic Park, Saint Francis Beach or Crissy Field) is a beautiful swim! Breathe on your starboard side and see the Golden Gate Bridge in early morning sunlight, perhaps with fog tendrils tickling the towers. Breath to port and see the city skyline against the morning sun.

The coast guard prefers that we complete the swim before the ferries start running so most crossings are morning swims.

I do this swim several times a year and will continue to do so. I also swim along the coast. This video does not deter me. Doubtful it will deter most. Sharks are always present whether we see them or not. They are intelligent and curious and rarely nibble on humans. One is more at risk of being run over by a boat than bitten by a shark.

The map of Bay Area shark attacks that StuM has posted shows that most attacks have occurred concurrently with fishing or fish canning activity. There are thousands of people swimming, surfing, diving, kiteboarding etc in this area on any given day without shark encounters.

The video shows a shark hunting and eating its natural food of seal or sea lion. That is no reason to stop swimming the bay or the coast.

Very well said!!

[s/v Beth]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I'm a biologist. We have a warped sense of humor that mere humanoids would not understand

Besides, it was no different from watching people consume 2K worth of calories in a Thanksgiving sitting

Except that a shark's belly is 'spost to look like that.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Except that a shark's belly is 'spost to look like that.

To really mimic a shark's belly, the humans would have to consume the turkey whole (bones and all, and raw, of course), and then invert their stomach to spew out the undigestibles. Now THAT would make for some interesting YouTube commentary!

[s/v Beth]

Leave it to a biologist to gross everyone out. That's a picture that will remain for a while!

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by gamayun

To really mimic a shark's belly, the humans would have to consume the turkey whole (bones and all, and raw, of course), and then invert their stomach to spew out the undigestibles. Now THAT would make for some interesting YouTube commentary!

Like...thats gross...

[MermaidMuse]

s/v Beth, SaltyMonkey,

Perhaps a shark's gastric eversion would seem less gross if you thought of it as the marine equivalent of an owl or eagle pellet. The whole process happens so quickly that you'll miss it if you aren't watching closely (or slowing the film down).

Note the other fish clustering around the shark to grab a snack when the shark does a gastric eversion in this video: https://vimeo.com/10533641
that's about all you'll see. They are rather tidy about the whole process.

Sharks are vital to the health of the oceans. Many are becoming endangered due to finning (for the human ego that wants to eat shark fin soup) or the misplaced hysteria that resulted from the Benchley/Spielberg "Jaws" production.

I hope the oceanographer/marine biology community will investigate what has been going on in the Indian ocean near Reunion since 2011. That is the one place I would be concerned to swim or surf. The sharks in this area, mostly bull or tiger sharks I think, have learned to view surfers and swimmers as food and show up when the swells come. I understand that surfing and ocean swimming has been banned in most locations on Reunion as a result. This is not natural shark behaviour! Has climate change or human over fishing in the area created a shortage of the sharks regular food sources?

As a species, if we create an imbalance in the ecology, it will come back to bite us......literally in the case of Reunion.