New great white shark haunt to be revealed with conservation in mind

Check out the white shark video to try to determine the location: (a) Guadalupe Island; (b) South Africa; (c) South Australia; (d) Farallon Islands; or (e) none of the above?

The answer is "e."

It's a newly discovered white shark aggregation site and news of its existence is sure to pique the interest of scientists and documentary teams.

An announcement regarding the site will be made this weekend by Shark Divers, a company that used to be in the commercial cage-diving business but now specializes in working with film and television crews.

For now, its code name is Oceana and Shark Divers CEO Patric Douglas, who labels it the most exciting white shark site discovery since Mexico's Guadalupe Island in 2001, would only confirm that it's a very remote island in the Southern Ocean.

Douglas said a limited number of crews will begin visiting the location early next year and that it remains unclear whether a commercial cage-diving operation will be established.

Cage-diving operations are beneficial in that they allow the general public to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the embattled apex predators. But they can also be harmful to sharks--especially those that accidentally get caught between cage bars--and some charge that chumming habituates the sharks.

Because aggregation sites are so few, they do need to be protected and diving operations need to be regulated. "These sites need to be protected with everything we've got," Douglas said. "Now that the site is known, we've  got to get the public behind it so the local government can say 'Yes, we need to turn this into a special place.' "

--Pete Thomas

Video courtesy of Shark Divers

Australia's spate of shark attacks takes center stage in and around Sydney

At a time when alleged shark sightings are on the rise off Southern California -- it happens every spring -- swimmers and surfers appear to have far more reason to be concerned in Australia and particularly off New South Wales, which includes Sydney.

There have been 52 reported attacks on humans since 2000. Eight occurred in waters off Sydney or nearby, creating a mini-"Jaws"-like scenario but doing little to keep surfers out of the water, especially during the Australian summer.

A story in Friday's edition of the Daily Telegraph cited figures released last week by state officials reviewing a beach netting program designed to keep sharks at bay. Thankfully, rather than fueling hysteria, the panel concluded that the increased number of attacks -- they've soared 28% since the 1970s -- was simply because more people were venturing into the water.

(Since 1791, there have been 222 shark attacks logged in New South Wales waters, about one-third resulting in fatalities.)

The panel lacked data to calculate a possible increase in the actual threat of an attack.

But NSW faces a dilemma nonetheless. There has been a long-standing campaign against coastal nets because they imperil not only sharks but whales, dolphins and sea birds. Unfortunately for sharks, the state will consider using baited hooks beneath floating drums to try to minimize the threat of shark attacks. This is done in Queensland and South Africa.

Fortunately, off Southern California, where, according to the Shark Research Committee, there have been 13 shark attacks since 2000 (including the lone fatal assault on a swimmer last April off Solana Beach), there is no netting program and no talk of baited hooks.

As should be the case everywhere, swimmers and surfers must assume risk whenever and wherever they enter the sharks' realm.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: David Fleetham / Discovery Channel

Great white sharks: Are they becoming a scary nuisance off Southern California?

If a lot of angry citizens knew what I know, they might suggest an appropriate retreat for AIG executives exacting million-dollar bonuses from bailout money: a long-distance swimming race with no lifelines, originating two miles off Newport Beach.

Here's what I know: This is the season for increased shark sightings off Southern California. More people are venturing into the ocean and juvenile white sharks -- before they become great white sharks -- utilize local waters as a nursery area during the spring.

The fatal attack on a swimmer off Solana Beach last April remains fresh in the minds of some. And two fishermen last week saw what they estimated to be an 18-foot shark, five feet wide, swimming with the confidence of an apex predator two miles beyond Newport Beach.

Steven Lockhart and Aaron Hix reported the sighting to Ralph S. Collier, who runs the Shark Research Committee, which keeps track of attacks and witness accounts off the Pacific Coast of North America.

There's more:

Shark attacks off Sydney, Australia, not much of a deterrent for surfers

While two ASP World Tour surfing contests are underway on Australia's Gold Coast, surfers in the Sydney area, 300 miles to the south, are venturing boldly back out in the aftermath of  the third shark attack in as many weeks.

Several area beaches remain closed after the attack just after dawn Sunday on Andrew Lindop, 15, as he surfed with his father off Avalon Beach.

Lindop was bitten on the leg and endured four hours of surgery, but doctors are confident they saved the leg. And Lindop is already telling friends he's eager to get back in the water.

Why isn't there "Jaws"-like hysteria? Australia is a surf-crazed nation. Instead of panicking, surfers and swimmers are ignoring warning signs (see photo  below).

Said Don Norris, who runs the RealSurf website, to the Sydney Morning news: "In a surfer's thinking, perfect waves trump sharks every time."

Great white shark documentary free screening reminder

A reminder that a free screening of the documentary "Island of the Great White Shark," by RTSea Productions, will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the MLK auditorium of the Santa Monica Public Library. Filmmaker Richard Theiss, executive producer and cinematographer for the project, will be in attendance and will conduct a question-and-answer session after the film, as well as discuss his experiences filming great whites and other sharks.  The screening of this 45-minute film is part of an ongoing lecture series sponsored by Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

Theiss, who four years ago joined an eco-tourism charter to Mexico's Guadalupe Island and the surrounding waters to observe the great whites, became passionate about this subject and began documenting the work of shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla.  The resulting film from this trip details the important role great white sharks play in a balanced ecosystem and also focuses on the marine scientists dedicated to studying and protecting these sharks.

"These are absolutely magnificent creatures living on a razor's edge of possible extinction. And there are some very dedicated people working tirelessly to prevent that," Theiss said. "This is a story that needed to be told."

Millions of sharks, including great whites, are killed each year for their fins, as accidental catches on commercial fishing vessels and for souvenir jaws and teeth.

Admission to the screening is free on a first-come, first-served basis. The main library is at 601 Santa Monica Blvd., with a pay parking structure available on 7th Street, north of Santa Monica Boulevard.  For directions to the library, visit www.smpl.org/depts/branches/index.htm. For other information, visit www.healthebay.org/smpa or call the aquarium at (310) 393-6149.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Great white shark off the coast of Guadalupe Island. Credit: Sharkdiver.com

Great whites are developing taste for humans, Australian shark hunter claims

Should the protection of great white sharks be lifted?

Of course not, but some might make such a claim after the next fatal attack off California. And if there is a spate of attacks, or sightings, watch out.

In Australia, where increased sightings off Queensland and the fatal chomping two weeks ago of a Perth snorkeler have generated "Jaws"-like hysteria, one man is claiming that overfishing and protection of sharks has become "a recipe for disaster."

Shark hunter Vic Hislop told the The Mercury, an Australian newspaper, that he was certain the great white that killed the snorkeler off Rockingham Beach was the same shark that killed another snorkeler just north of Perth in 2005.

Hislop, author of the book "Sharkman," said: "Everything I wrote in my book 12 years ago is coming true 100% of the time."

Claiming sharks have run low on natural food because of overfishing, Hislop says the predators are developing a taste for humans, and he is calling for lifting the protections of great whites.

That's unlikely to happen, but Hislop is entitled to his opinion.

Interestingly, what's happening in Australia brings to mind a fairly recent phenomenon in Hawaii, where state wildlife experts, responding to a spate of attacks, killed dozens of tiger sharks and turned a blind eye while citizens hunted dozens more from various islands.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: The late legendary shark hunter Frank Mundus, right, in 1986 with fellow charter boat skipper Donnie Braddick and a great white. Mundus was thought by many to have been the model for Captain Quint in the movie "Jaws." Credit: Newsday

Shark attacks: 2008 figures could indicate troubling trend for West Coast

Here's something to ponder as you plan your next surfing trip: There were five unprovoked shark attacks along the West Coast, slightly more than double the number for 2007. All involved great white sharks, but only one attack -- that on swimmer David Martin off Solana Beach in April -- was fatal.

The others involved surfers (two) and kayakers (two) and occurred off Huntington Beach, Santa Catalina Island, Santa Barbara and Tomales Bay in Northern California. This is according to the Shark Research Committee, which keeps track of attacks occurring along the West Coast.

Martin reportedly became the third confirmed fatal shark-attack victim during the 21st century. The 2008 figures bring to 42 the total number of authenticated shark attacks along the West Coast during the first eight years of the century -- more than five times the 20th century annual average.

It might be simply because more people venturing into the ocean. It could also be that more white sharks are milling off Southern California, perhaps taking advantage of an exploding population of California sea lions. Or it could be that both factors are in play.

Not included were attacks occurring elsewhere in the United States or internationally, notably three bull shark attacks -- two of them fatal -- on surfers off Zihuatanejo, Mexico, last spring.

I was present during that bizarre, Jaws-like scare. Hopefully, there will be no repeat in 2009. Here's also hoping that fewer white sharks off the West Coast will mistake people for prey.

--Pete Thomas

Photo (top): A sign is posted at Fletcher Cove Park in Solana Beach a day after David Martin was fatally attacked. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times. Photo (bottom): A sign cautions beachgoers just south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, after three shark attacks, two of them fatal. Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times

Great white shark dissection deemed a success

The necropsy of a great white shark conducted by the Auckland Museum and the New Zealand Department of Conservation is being described as a huge success.

The dissection, the first of its kind for the museum, took place in front of a crowd of nearly 4,000 people and was also watched live by an estimated 30,000 people around the world on the museum's Internet site, where it was streamed live and can still be viewed.

"This was a fantastic and rare opportunity to bring the public face to face with a great white, both to promote the conservation of this magnificent and vulnerable species and to further our knowledge of great white biology," said Auckland Museum marine curator Tom Trnski, who took part in the operation along with DOC marine conservationist Clinton Duffy.

The stomach contents were removed and examined, and did not contain any surprises -- remains of fish, parasites, a small fish hook and some nylon wire.

The shark, an adolescent female that measured 10 feet long and weighed 660 pounds, was accidentally caught by a  New Zealand fisherman when it became entangled in a gill net in Auckland's Kaipara Harbor last week.

Some may question whether the public necropsy was performed for research or merely publicity. What do you think?

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: The public gets an up-close look at the great white shark. Credit: Auckland Museum

Great white shark dissection to be shown live online

Scientists in New Zealand will perform a necropsy on a 10-foot great white shark today, hoping the operation will add to their limited knowledge of one of the ocean's least known-about creatures.

The necropsy, believed to be the first of its kind, will take place at Auckland Museum in front of about 1,000 members of the public.  It will also be streamed online and can be viewed live  2-4 p.m. PST at http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/Default.asp?t=913.

"It's very exciting, we've never done anything like this in front of the public before," said Tom Trnski, marine curator at Auckland Museum. "It's a rare opportunity for us. Little is known about the life history of these apex predators of the ocean, and we hope to learn more about the shark's recent past before it came into the harbor."

The shark, an adolescent female that measures 10 feet long and weighs 660 pounds, was accidentally caught by a local New Zealand fisherman after it had become entangled in a gill net in Auckland's Kaipara Harbor last week.

The scientists will dissect the shark in an open amphitheater at the museum and examine its stomach content, measure its internal organs and record all of their findings for international shark research.  The reproductive organs also will be examined.

"We're interested in the gut content to see what the shark has eaten -- it could be anything from seals, penguins, fish or even whale blubber," Trnski said. "We're certainly hoping not to find any human bits inside, but you never know."

The dissection of the shark comes after weeks of recent shark sightings around New Zealand and Australia.

Hopefully the scientists will gain much information from this opportunity and it won't turn out to be akin to Al Capone's vault.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Great white shark near Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Credit: sharkdiver.com

Great white shark documentary free screening

A free screening of the documentary film "Island of the Great White Shark," by RTSea Productions, will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21 in the MLK auditorium of the Santa Monica Public library. Filmmaker Richard Theiss, executive producer and cinematographer for the project, will be in attendance and will conduct a question-and-answer session after the film, as well as discuss his experiences filming great whites and other sharks.  The screening of this 45-minute film is part of an ongoing lecture series sponsored by Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

Theiss, who four years ago joined an eco-tourism charter to Guadalupe Island and the surrounding waters to observe the great whites, became passionate about this subject and documenting the work of shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla.  The resulting film from this trip details the important role great white sharks play in a balanced ecosystem, and also focuses on the marine scientists dedicated to studying and protecting these sharks.

"These are absolutely magnificent creatures living on a razor's edge of possible extinction. And there are some very dedicated people working tirelessly to prevent that," Theiss said. "This is a story that needed to be told."

Millions of sharks, including great whites, are killed each year for their fins, as accidental catches on commercial fishing vessels and for souvenir jaws and teeth.

Admission to the screening is free, and granted on a first-come, first-served basis. The main library is located at 601 Santa Monica Blvd., with a pay parking structure available on 7th Street, north of Santa Monica Boulevard.  For directions to the library visit www.smpl.org/depts/branches/index.htm. For other information, visit www.healthebay.org/smpa or call the aquarium at (310) 393-6149.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A great white shark plies waters at Guadalupe Island. Credit: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times

Great white shark fishing from the beach? Only in Australia

Fishermen: If you've ever considered trying to land a great white shark from the beach, book a trip to Boat Harbour in western Australia and watch the video attached below to see how the locals do it.

The video appears to be genuine, and it's well-edited. The poor shark is definitely real, and it remains unclear whether this type of activity is even legal -- it would not be in California, where white sharks are protected.

But if you do find yourself Down Under in pursuit of "white pointers," you'll require access to a fool --preferably one who has been drinking for courage -- and a surfboard. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean.

--Pete Thomas

Photo credit: David Fleetham / Discovery Channel

Great white shark sheds tag prematurely, presumed alive and well

Above is a photo of a young great white shark that spent 11 days in captivity at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Below is a chart showing the female shark's wayward wanderings after its release in the Santa Barbara Channel on Sept. 7.

Its tag was set to report to scientists at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in five months, but it popped free prematurely on Oct. 8 at 6 a.m..

It was recovered near the backside of San Miguel Island on Oct. 23.

"The map of data from the tag shows the shark spent its whole time after release around the Channel Islands," reports Ken Peterson, a spokesman for the aquarium. "All data from the tag show normal swimming and diving pattern up to the moment of release -- no sign of mortality of the shark as a cause for the premature release."

If the shark is alive, it may be traveling south to warmer water. The last white shark the aquarium held swam around the Baja California peninsula into the Sea of Cortez, where it remained until its tag life expired.

--Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Randy Wilder / Monterey Bay Aquarium