Found out that a Great White was hooked off the local pier the same day I was in the water.

[denbot]

First the story in the local paper.. A man fishing off the Manhattan Beach pier hooked an immature Great White last Monday. A marine biologist happen by, and cut the line saving the shark from harm.

http://www.easyreadernews.com/54020/great-white-shark-rescued-manhattan-beach-pier/

Early afternoon last Monday I was surfing at "El Porto" which is the old name for a section of Manhattan Beach, one half mile north of the pier. While sitting on my board I kept hearing a sea lion exhale near me but could not get a visual on it. i was pretty sure that in was inside (shore ward) of me which made me nervous.

A sure sign of a large predator in the water is that sea lions make a beeline to shore and haul out on to the beach. After about an hour or so I again heard the same sharp exhale sound and excited voices. I looked back toward shore and finally saw the sea lion, a juvenile hugging the shoreline in only 2 or 3 feet of water. A couple of women with kids were also checking the critter out from shore.

I immediately thought that there might be a big fishie close by, but there are always big critters in the ocean so I stayed in the water until my parking meter time was up. Had I saw a Great White dorsal I would have called it a day and paddled in, but even though I suspected there was a shark in the area I did not want to let my "imagination" to get the better of me. Next time under the same circumstances I just might give in to the fear and call it a day.

[hobbit709]

1. You could have been there

http://news.yahoo.com/australia-surfer-killed-shark-032637135.html

A surfer was bitten in half in a savage shark attack off Australia's west coast Saturday, witnesses and officials said, the fifth such fatality in the region in less than a year.

The man was surfing near Wedge Island, north of Perth, on Saturday morning with a friend when he was mauled by the shark, suffering severe and extensive injuries.

A man jet-skiing near the surfers said it was a gruesome scene, with "half a torso" all that remained of the victim.

[denbot]

3. I caught that story this morning.

So far there have been no Great White attacks in the Southbay of Los Angeles. The adults feed just to the north starting around Santa Barbra, and to the south around San Diego. My understanding is our area is a kind of nursery. Juvenile Great Whites are in the sushi stage of the game, and don't snack on people yet..

Great White video at one of my favorite breaks on the south edge of Orange County, San Onofre.

&feature=related

[petronius]

2. I was having similar thoughts yesterday: a ~12' GW was spotted a few miles

south of here, so I was glad to see a sea lion happily playing and hunting outside of me in the lineup. It was really fun to watch too, as it surfed some of the larger waves, and spy-hopped like a big dopey dog...

[denbot]

4. I'm not ashamed to admit being happy to see sea lions and dolphins in the line-up.

Not only are they a joy to watch, it also means the area is safe. Where is your home break?

[petronius]

6. I have slightly mixed feelings: I love watching them when they're happy and behaving normally,

but every once in a while I remember that they're basically sharkbait. But then, so am I when I'm in the ocean.

I'm on the central coast, so Morro Bay is my typical spot. We also have otters to watch, but I think the animals I find most fun are the harbor seals while diving; they're skittish, but playful enough when you turn your back...

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Second shark attack posted in the Lounge.

Another DUer posted this the other day.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018153821

[cwydro]

7. a long time ago, when I was getting certified in scuba in Key Largo,

we saw two hammerhead sharks. The instructor still wanted me to take off my mask and perform my drills. Lol, I would not.

Later, he told us..."everytime you're in the water, a shark sees you; you may not see the shark, but the shark saw you.

This was in the Keys...everyone told me how "lucky" I was to have seen sharks on my first open water dive.

I switched to fresh water cave diving after that for the most part lol.

[mnhtnbb]

8. I was on Maui some years ago

when a shark attacked a surfer right near the beach where we were staying. The surfer did not survive, in spite of the best
efforts of fellow surfers who came to his aid--he bled out before they could get him ashore.

I didn't do nearly as much snorkeling on that trip. Couldn't get the Jaws music out of my head!