Author Topic: Nocturnal shark attacks?  (Read 15253 times)

jsb

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Nocturnal shark attacks?
« on: September 09, 2017, 02:04:41 PM »
I often body-surf for awhile after a standup session, just to work some of the kinks out of my body from standing & paddling asymmetrically.  If it’s been an evening session, this means that I’m often body-surfing well after dark.

I’ve heard people say that shark attacks are more likely after dark, but it’s hard to find any definitive data on this subject.  Given the number of seal (and surfboard!) attacks that have occurred in broad daylight this summer, it’s clear that great whites are not exclusively diurnal predators.  But are attacks more likely after dark?

I’m generally in NH or northern MA (not Cape Cod), but if folks from elsewhere have any knowledge on this topic, it might still be relevant to this area.

PDLSFR

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2017, 03:50:27 PM »
From what I was told, sharks eat at all opportunities so dawn dusk day night, if they can attack and eat, they will.
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JoniSUP

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2019, 08:31:31 PM »
Don't think there will be definitive proof of that.

stoneaxe

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2019, 11:09:48 PM »
I think I'm done with boogie boarding and body surfing. Def won't have my grandkids doing it. Arthurs death kind of did it for me. Just too similar to a seal except far more splashing. Plymouth now has a large seal population and rapidly growing GW population.

I think the only reason a shark attack might be more likely after dark is that they can't see as well not because they eat more at that time. Opportunistic feeder plus poor lighting makes for more mistaken identity.
Bob

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toolate

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2019, 11:22:58 PM »
yeah, i dont let me kids cross the street either. Too dangerous.

Badger

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2019, 01:24:35 AM »
Please correct me if I'm wrong. I believe one advantage we have in NH/Northern Mass is our much colder water temps. Great White sightings and trackings significantly diminish north of Cape Cod due to the influence of the Gulf Stream.
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eastbound

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2019, 05:41:29 AM »
i gather some think we are overprotective of kids these days, but here in nyc there are some streets youd be a fool let kids cross

and cape cod waters? where it's verified there are feeding GW's present?

seems dumb to fault parents or grandparents who arrange for their kids to swim elsewhere

and ive always been warned re sharks at dawn and dusk---not bc they feed more then, but bc they are more likely to mistake a human as normal prey, in low light conditions--like stones said

of course i surf before first light and after dusk often--but ive never surfed in CC, and would certainly hesitate when GW's are known to be around

but not on CC--where im not sure sure id want to


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Night Wing

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2019, 09:15:54 AM »
Off the upper Texas coast where I sup surf, no one ventures into the surf in the dark of night. The reason being, the big pelagic sharks which stay far offshore during the day, they come inshore at night to feed.

If one swims off the beach at night, even in waist deep water, they can run into some big predator sharks such as: bull, lemon, tiger, hammerhead, blacktip and mako.

Of the group listed above, there a lot of bull sharks off our beaches at night and the chance encounter of running into a bull shark in feeding mode at night is 50/50. This is why no one swims in the surf at night and no one surfs, prone or sup.
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Bean

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2019, 09:22:00 AM »
Good stuff NW!  Have you also noticed more inshore shark activity in your area when you have on-shore winds?

Badger

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2019, 09:43:45 AM »
One of our beaches in NH has a well lit parking lot that lights up the water enough to surf and swim when the waves are small and close to shore. Sometimes on hot nights there might be 50 - 100 people in the water. It's easy to imagine sharks being attracted by the lights and coming in close but the odds of that happening are probably extremely low.

We do have big electric rays up here called Torpedo Rays. They can get over five feet long and can zap you with 200 volts if you come in contact with them. I saw a big one in five feet of water from my boat when I was up in Maine one time.

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« Last Edit: May 07, 2019, 09:47:07 AM by Badger »
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Night Wing

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2019, 10:09:41 AM »
Good stuff NW!  Have you also noticed more inshore shark activity in your area when you have on-shore winds?

On shore winds do not increase to decrease our "big shark" activity. The big pelagic sharks, as the sun starts to set for the night, they start to come inshore. This is common knowledge where I live.

Our resident shark population like bonnetheads, spinner, small blacktips, small bull sharks; they are always in the surf zone chasing fish or whatever they can find to eat. These sharks pay no attention to the offshore or inshore winds since they live in the shallow water all their lives.

Below is a short video showing what one can find unexpectedly when someone is fishing in the canals off their deck where they live. And predator fish don't mind rainy weather either.  ;) Look at it in full screen mode to get the "effect".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcuYjDR2tSg
« Last Edit: May 07, 2019, 10:11:16 AM by Night Wing »
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OkiWild

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2019, 06:21:02 PM »
The big pelagic sharks, as the sun starts to set for the night, they start to come inshore. This is common knowledge where I live.

I've been spearfishing the sub-tropics for most of my life, quite a bit on structure like deeper water piers, etc. Dusk and dawn is when the big predators are present. They disappear shortly after sunrise, and come in with the setting sun. I see Black-tip reef sharks all the time, the occasional Tiger, and very rarely a Bull. Last spring I saw my first GW, and it was while on a SUP. Morning session on an offshore reef. Only about 3 meters long, and cruising along in the deeper water, just off the reef drop off. Followed it for a minute (staying on top of the reef), and was way less spooked than i thought I'd be. Was an incredible experience.

No reported attacks here, other than a surfer being "nipped" on the foot a few years back. Still pretty spooky in the water at twilight.     

eastbound

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2019, 11:13:54 AM »
interesting....i thought the big ones came and went somewhat randomly, and that dusk and dawn were more about visibility, and not inshore offshore
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toolate

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2019, 06:53:18 PM »
sorry for the snark East.
I dont think anyone should take risks that are silly with their kids.
That would include going out when GWs are around.
But still, the statistics are in your favor here. kids ie all the time driving to non essential activities. THat is where the real risk is for them. Not surfing.


stoneaxe

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Re: Nocturnal shark attacks?
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2019, 08:08:08 PM »
I understand the sentiment and statistics. I'm not about to stop surfing and paddling myself nor stop taking them with me on SUPs.  But having to live with myself and explaining to my daughter why I would have them in the water on a boogie board splashing when seals and GW's are around. I had a 9 or 10'er swim under my board last year not 200 yards from where I've had them on boogies. They'll still go in the shallows on flat beach breaks but boogies on the bank...I don't think so. And on the Cape....nope. I was talking to the Mass state marine biologist and shark specialist just yesterday while we were watching right whales off Manomet point and asked his opinion on the subject....he said no way....there are just too many searching for a meal. He's very concerned there will be more attacks....the population is growing fast.
Bob

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