Basking Shark Death/injury

jonmitch · 31 August 2007, 12:58

My girlfriend was observing sharks of Gwenap Head in Cornwall over the weekend for the charity seawatch. There were up to 17 in the water over a 6hour period. She witnessed a local sea safari RIB completely flout Shark Trust guidelines and run right over an 8 metre animal.

Now this on the BBC website this morning........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6971053.stm

Please remember the rules if approaching these beautiful animals in your boat!!

Shaggy · 31 August 2007, 13:17

Did she report it to the police?

Shaggy

nikster · 31 August 2007, 13:56

was the rib a commercial operator? - if so - then i think you ought to name and shame them? - no place in this industry for commercial cowboys - all they will do is create more and more paperwork and more stupid requirements for what should be a fun experience....!

planktonjules · 31 August 2007, 14:55

Hi guys, I am the girlfriend in question, and yes it was reported to the police. It was approx 1.5km offshore just off the Runnel Stone which marks the reef, this is where the plankton converges and sharks gether to feed. As for the tour company in question....do we really think they should be named and shamed?

Vote now!

PS: Jon, since when was our boat called Ningaloo...I wanted to call it Rubber Ducky...am I going to have to have words with you later?xx

peterb · 31 August 2007, 15:02

Personally I think they should be named as well.

Red Fox · 31 August 2007, 15:11

Name the irresponsible tossers. It is one of the delights of going to sea, to share the environment with those that live there. Actions like this are uncalled for.

MarkBarker · 31 August 2007, 15:30

What a tragedy. Were they actually looking at the sharks and got too close? If so, name and shame - no doubt.

However, last Wednesday, on my way to the Scillies, I was hacking along at about 35kts 2 miles south of Lamorna when I missed a shark by about 20 feet. Imediately stopped, trolled back to check I had not hit any others (probably would have felt it, but having never done so, couldn't be sure). Point is, I was lucky not to have been 20' further south, (but not as lucky as the shark). I really could not see it until it was too late.

For your viewing pleasure, here are three pics I took a couple of years back when flying just off Lundy Bay north of Rock. There were probably 20 or so sharks there at the time.

Mark

codprawn · 31 August 2007, 15:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Fox

Name the irresponsible tossers. It is one of the delights of going to sea, to share the environment with those that live there. Actions like this are uncalled for.

I would be very reluctant to name and shame - there but for the grace of God go us!!!

IF they were being knowingly reckless then it's a different matter.

Awesome pics Mark.

jyasaki · 31 August 2007, 16:10

Mark; I know exactly what you went through.

A some friends of mine and I were heading out for a night dive; 3 boats heading out just after dusk. We had cleared the Breakwater, did a traffic check, and pushed it up to about 20mph or so for the cruise to the site. I noticed a disturbance in the water ahead, and chopped throttle, the boat off my port quarter also slowed; the boat on my starboard quarter kept on. For a little bit. The disturbance was a gray whale, moving slowly from dead ahead of me to the right. The Zodiac saw it late, cut throttle, and missed it by, I would guess, less than a couple of feet. I'm pretty sure I saw the whale below the overhang of the bow.

So, it happens. The ocean is a big place, but close encounters occur from time to time. All the more reason to keep a good lookout.

jky

nikster · 31 August 2007, 16:12

From the start of the post - it sounds like a group were already observing - and a git in rib - decided he wanted to get closer than anybody else.......... if the rib on the other hand was on passage - a2b and was none the wiser - yes i can understand - but for their to be no-one looking ahead at the water for obstructions or fins in an area prone or known for shark feeding gives even more cause for concern if it indeed was a commercial operator....

Sounds to me like the witness on here knows the deal and knows the operator by sight...... it might be one of their advertised excursions or thrill rides????

If it was reckless driving with an established operator in that part of the country - let them be known.......!!!

walruz · 31 August 2007, 17:57

Totally agree with Nikster and all the others.

If it was deliberate - name and shame.

Ian

Bigmuz7 · 31 August 2007, 18:10

I would doubt if someone would be stupid enough to deliberately run over a shark, knowing the damage it would cause to the animal, and/or their rig, not to mention the safety issues that go with that, particularly if they are a certified commercial operator. I was speaking with someone recently about this subject, and thanked my lucky stars that vigilance has helped me evade striking something before now.

MarkBarker · 31 August 2007, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

I would doubt if someone would be stupid enough to deliberately run over a shark, knowing the damage it would cause to the animal, and/or their rig, not to mention the safety issues that go with that, particularly if they are a certified commercial operator. I was speaking with someone recently about this subject, and thanked my lucky stars that vigilance has helped me evade striking something before now.

Nobody said that they ran it over deliberately, but there is a big difference between missing it when traveling fast from A to B and getting too close to a group of sharks when you know that they are there. It sounds, from the original post, like that is the case. We all try to be vigilant, but we all appreciate that at speed we rely, to a certain degree, on the fact that the ocean is big and the likelihood of hitting anything that is not charted, from sharks and whales to containers, is remote. But hopefully none of us would take a turning prop too close to a person in the water - the same goes for large fish / mammals as well.

Mark

springtide66 · 31 August 2007, 18:30

Im with the others. If they knew the sharks were there name them!! But be sure!

Bigmuz7 · 31 August 2007, 18:33

True enough Mark, Baskings are pretty hard to miss too.. you can see those fins pretty far off since they are more often than not on the surface

MarkBarker · 31 August 2007, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

True enough Mark, Baskings are pretty hard to miss too.. you can see those fins pretty far off since they are more often than not on the surface

I disagree. As I said in my earlier post, I got too close last week before I knew they were there, only luck stopped me hitting the shark - 20:20 vision was no help! In any sort of chop, the fins are invisible at 20 yards. Reaction time + stopping distance does not give you a chance. We all rely on luck and good odds to a degree, probably in every aspect of life. Obviously excepting the new world order that we live in where it is always someone else's fault, but that is probably for a different thread / forum.

chewy · 31 August 2007, 20:23

You need to be careful naming and shaming, I wouldn't know where you stand legally?
I once hit/was hit by a porpoise, saw it engaged neutral then 10secs later got covered in water as it popped up and covered the boat in water as its tail flicked over the bow!
We were stationery so no damage was done to either and I think we were more shocked than he was.

Phill

Bigmuz7 · 31 August 2007, 21:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

You need to be careful naming and shaming, I wouldn't know where you stand legally?
I once hit/was hit by a porpoise, saw it engaged neutral then 10secs later got covered in water as it popped up and covered the boat in water as its tail flicked over the bow!
We were stationery so no damage was done to either and I think we were more shocked than he was.

Phill

Well I'd like to press charges against the inconsiderate Minky that hit me whilst at a stand still 4 years ago

...... minding my own business and it scared me shitless. I've never been next to a beast that size in the water, and.... it came looking for us !! As usual no camera but 2 petrified crew !

So which view are you taking Mark, Mistake / Accident ? Since your last posts are at odds saying they should have been aware, but you said also you were not aware when it happened to you?

MarkBarker · 31 August 2007, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

So which view are you taking Mark, Mistake / Accident ? Since your last posts are at odds saying they should have been aware, but you said also you were not aware when it happened to you?

What I said that I was not aware because I was going from A to B at speed. If that was the case with them, they were not negligent in not seeing it. If however they got too close because they wanted to get close, then they were to blame. I do not beleive that these are contradictory statements.

I cannot take a view as I was not there so am in no position to say which situation was the case. My guess, and it is only a guess, based on the original post, is that they were trying to get close - I am sure that planktonjules is in a better position to judge and should therefore be the one qualified to decide. Give us the full picture and then let us vote!

codprawn · 31 August 2007, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkBarker

I disagree. As I said in my earlier post, I got too close last week before I knew they were there, only luck stopped me hitting the shark - 20:20 vision was no help! In any sort of chop, the fins are invisible at 20 yards. Reaction time + stopping distance does not give you a chance. We all rely on luck and good odds to a degree, probably in every aspect of life. Obviously excepting the new world order that we live in where it is always someone else's fault, but that is probably for a different thread / forum.

It's nice to see some honesty and lack of hyprocrisy in this day and age!!!