Shark Villa

[PonoBill]

I did a flatwater reverse Maliko today, paddled from Baby Beach to just shy of Maliko and back in the early morning. Nice paddle. I was gonna call Boyum but I just can't call people at 0530  -- just feels wrong.  When the sun angle was right with my polarized glasses it looked like I was paddling over a glass table. Fish everywhere. Lots of Popio, a few big Ulua and surgeonfish, all the usual reef fish, turtles, and a hell of a lot of sharks.

Right off Paia Bay I either saw nine sharks or one shark eight times and a second bigger one later. I think it was nine. The small sharks (about six feet) were all greys, which is kind of unusual around here. I haven't seen many of them except when the dive boats used to illegally (or at least unwisely) chum Molokini crater for night dives. The other shark was much bigger but was at a distance. Maybe a Tiger, maybe something else. Too far to tell, but it was big, like over ten feet.

I figure if the shortboard newbies in Paia Bay knew what was right at the reef line they'd be learning to surf in a wave pool.

[Sparx]

Classic!!!
Not too many sports/passtimes/lifestyle activities where you knowingly place yourself in the food chain. How many people do you reckon would play tennis if everytime you took to the court, you where within one hundred metres of a potentialy hungry lion, puma, crock or bear!!!
It is what it is
Cheers
Sparx

[JimK]

Hey Don't pick on wavepools I use to design them back in the mid 80's had tons of fun sessions (not on SUP's but still fun)

I watch a special on SA Sharks on Planet Earth program...I'm glad I'm on the EC can't see those guys in the murky Jersey waters... outta sight is Outta mind

JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

[Easy Rider]

As Jim said - nothing wrong with wave pools.

It's -38c here with the wind chill - and we are having a surf session this Sunday! 

Can't wait to try my new Starboard 9'5" 
Live thousands of kilometers from the ocean and I am buying (and selling) 9'5" surf sup's - who'd a thunk?

[bean]

I watch a special on SA Sharks on Planet Earth program...I'm glad I'm on the EC can't see those guys in the murky Jersey waters... outta sight is Outta mind
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

Maybe out of sight, but not out of mind, 1916 was not so long ago in Great White years.  I still scare the crap out of myself sometimes on my early dawn paddles.  

[Menlo SUPr]

My wife spotted a pair of fins near us when we were paddling near Stern's wharf in Santa Barbara this last weekend. It was a pair of dolphins playing around. Now that I'm back home in the Bay Area, the fins I'm more likely to see down in Santa Cruz aren't dolphins. 

[supthecreek]

PonoBill, your brother lives "Somewhere on Cape Cod Bay" so you must be aware of the rapidly expanding population of Great White's out here... there is even a "Great White" report now coming out of Chatham... they tag them and post really clear pics of them lingering at the surf line... sheesh, I'm glad I ride a SUP now... no more legs hanging in the water. Surfing my SUP, I don't think much about them, but when I am on a desolate paddle near inlets, I get sketched out sometimes, like when a big ole' bull seal glides by... just under the surface...

[Waterline]

PonoBill, your brother lives "Somewhere on Cape Cod Bay" so you must be aware of the rapidly expanding population of Great White's out here... there is even a "Great White" report now coming out of Chatham... they tag them and post really clear pics of them lingering at the surf line... sheesh, I'm glad I ride a SUP now... no more legs hanging in the water. Surfing my SUP, I don't think much about them, but when I am on a desolate paddle near inlets, I get sketched out sometimes, like when a big ole' bull seal glides by... just under the surface...

Was living on Cape Cod in 09-10. Lot more seals than there used to be. At one of my favorite isolated breaks, it would often be just me and half a dozen seals. A great white's favorite meal. Nice to be on top of the water rather than semi submerged.

[Surfershane]

I spotted a solid looking 6-8 footer swimming along behind the break at Newcastle Beach NSW Australia yesterday while out surfing.  I watched the thing swimming toward me confidently for a minute or so before pointing it out to a guy who was sitting a bit closer to it's path.  When I said "Hey mate" to the guy in a serious tone I bet he thought he was in for an ear-bashing for hassling.  Nonetheless, he was pretty stroked when I identified the black shape near him as a "Yakka".   I also told the lifeguards about it and they sounded the shark alarm and closed the beach.  I felt a bit funny about ruining everyone's day, but assured myself it was the responsible thing to do.  The lifeguard got the jetiski out to chase the thing away.

After the sighting I was expecting the arvo session to be a little less crowded, but was even more amazed when there was nearly no one out.  Then another surfer told me about the attack a few beaches south,

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/surfer-attacked-by-shark-off-redhead-beach/2424792.aspx

[PonoBill]

looked up Greys, turns out they do sometimes school like that:

The grey reef shark is limited to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In the Indo-Pacific, it is found in the waters off Madagascar and in the Mauritius-Seychelles region. In the western Pacific Ocean, this shark ranges from southern China to northern Australia and the Tuamoto Archipelago. It is one of the most common reef sharks in the Pacific Ocean, along with the blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus). It is also found in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of India to South Africa, including the Red Sea. In this region it is often referred to as Carcharhinus wheeleri.


Habitat

Primarily distributed in shallow tropical and subtropical waters, the grey reef shark is often found near coral atolls and lagoons adjacent to reef habitats. It is often observed swimming along the outer edges of coral reefs. Its depth ranges from 0-920 feet (0-280 m). However, this species has been observed in waters down to 3,280 feet (1,000 m). Although more active during the night, grey reef sharks sometimes form schools during the day. These schools swim close to the bottom, over flat habitats. Grey reef sharks also form loose aggregations that lurk close to reef drop-offs. Lone individuals may be seen over shallow reefs either lying motionless on the bottom of the sea floor for long periods of time or swimming. Tagging studies show that sharks living near ocean reefs are nomadic and travel long distances along the reef habitat each day. Sharks residing in lagoon areas tend to return day after day to the same site.

[PonoBill]

Haven't seen a clearly identifiable Tiger this entire trip. Lat year by this time I'd had at least five sightings, though four were of the same fish methinks.

[paddlenorcal]

Iceman that is so gnarly. I saw that the other day and it blew my mind. I'd pay as well!

[paddlenorcal]

Its never a comfortable feeling to see the man in the grey suits up here in Norcal. Been lucky and haven't run into any on my SUP yet, but a buddy of mine and i were run out of the water by a big  (10ft+) guy about 4 years ago surfing Montara beach by Half Moon Bay. Its no fun when he is between you and the beach and you are on a 6 foot short board!

[PonoBill]

I feel a lot better on a SUP, though a shark could take you off it with no effort. But they don't generally do that, especially the fish sharks.

[covesurfer]

RE: Iceman's first picture: Holy crap that's a big shark! I have felt safer on stand up than crawling and thought I liked that you generally have more and better ability to see into the water but if I saw that, I'd be having to change my board shorts.