A 2 ton, 15 foot Great White barrels into my cage and brakes through the bars... Patrick W
A 2 ton, 15 foot Great White barrels into my cage and brakes through the bars... Patrick Walsh - Filming
Paul Damgaard - Avoiding Sharks Mouth
CC - The Shark
"On November 4th we had an incident that was pretty darned exciting. CC, or Cut Caudal, one of our regular sharks, accidentally ran into one of the main cages on the Searcher. CC came up nearly vertical about 20 feet away from the cage and grabbed one of the hang baits, which he is known to do on a regular basis. However, on this particular day he swam right into the portside cage's viewing window. As CC took the bait he instinctively rolled his eyes back, couldn't see where he was going and accidentally swam directly into the viewing window. CC's entire head went inside the cage and he was stopped just short of his pectoral fins. Well, we all know that white sharks have no reverse and CC was too far in to turn around. He tried to turn, but he could not quite get his snout to clear the corner. He rolled on his side and began to thrash up and down trying to free himself. Being a rather large white shark he just ended up making the opening bigger by simply removing the front of the cage so he could get out of the cage. CC literally removed all the lower front vertical bars and the horizontal bar that connects all of the vertical bars to the main frame of the front cage panel and then swam away. What was amazing is that it took only about 10 seconds to do this. What was even more amazing was that there were 2 divers in the cage at the time and they thought that this was the coolest thing they had ever experienced and walked away completely unscathed. The divers also said that CC was just fine too!
We were all very relieved that no one was injured. We were also pleased that our divers listened to the safety briefing prior to diving and followed the instructions and evacuated the cage when this incident occurred. One diver utilized the emergency escape hatch and somehow managed to film the entire event. We learned something from this and we will take appropriate measures to prevent this from happening again.
When we said, "You can get face-to-face with the ultimate predator" this is not what we had in mind!
The Searcher's cages are 6 years old now and we have learned a great deal since we first built them. We are going to take this opportunity to design and build new state-of-the-art cages that will be safer and stronger. We will unveil the new cages in spring 2008." Great White Shark Adventures
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Added: 8 months ago
Views: 250,530
I filmed this Nurse Shark while in the narrow finger of a reef in Key West, Florida.
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I filmed this Nurse Shark while in the narrow finger of a reef in Key West, Florida.
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma. It may reach a length of 4.3 m.
The name nurse shark is thought to be a corruption of nusse, a name which once referred to the catsharks of the family Scyliorhinidae. The nurse shark family name, Ginglymostomatidae, derives from the Greek: from γίγγλυμος meaning hinge and στῶμα meaning mouth.
The nurse shark is a common inshore bottom-dwelling shark, found in tropical and subtropical waters on the continental and insular shelves. It is frequently found at depths of 1 metre or less but may occur down to 12 m. Its common habitats are reefs, channels between mangrove islands and sand flats. It occurs in the Western Atlantic from Rhode Island down to southern Brazil;in the Eastern Atlantic from Cameroon to Gabon (and possibly ranges further north and south); in the Eastern Pacific from the southern Baja California to Peru; and around the islands of the Caribbean.
Nurse sharks are nocturnal animals, spending the day in large inactive groups of up to 40 individuals. Hidden under submerged ledges or in crevices within the reef, the nurse sharks seem to prefer specific resting sites and will return to them each day after the night's hunting. By night, the sharks are largely solitary; they spend most of their time rifling through the bottom sediments in search of food. Their diet consists primarily of crustaceans, molluscs, tunicates, and other fish, particularly stingrays.
Their diet consists of a large number of marine invertebrates - spiny lobsters, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, octopuses, squid, and marine snails and bivalves.
They are thought to take advantage of dormant fish which would otherwise be too fast for the sharks to catch; although their small mouths limit the size of prey items, the sharks have large throat cavities which are used as a sort of bellows valve. In this way nurse sharks are able to suck in their prey. Nurse sharks are also known to graze algae and coral.
Nurse sharks have been observed resting on the bottom with their bodies supported on their fins, possibly providing a false shelter for crustaceans which they then ambush and eat.
The mating season runs from late June to the end of July. Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs develop and hatch within the body of the female where the hatchlings develop further until live birth occurs. The gestation period is six months, with a typical litter of 21 - 28 pups. The mating cycle is biennial, as it takes 18 months for the female's ovaries to produce another batch of eggs. The young nurse sharks are born fully developed at about 30 centimetres long in Ginglymostoma cirratum. They possess a spotted coloration which fades with age.
The nurse shark is not widely commercially fished, but because of its sluggish behaviour it is an easy target for local fisheries. Its skin is exceptionally tough and is prized for leather; its flesh consumed fresh and salted and its liver utilised for oil. It is not taken as a game fish. It has been reported in some unprovoked attacks on humans but is not generally perceived as a threat.
A character in the cartoon Camp Lazlo named Nurse Leslie is a nurse shark.
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Added: 6 months ago
Views: 9,434
Isla Guadalupe is rapidly becoming the World's Best Destination to dive with Great White S
Isla Guadalupe is rapidly becoming the World's Best Destination to dive with Great White Sharks. It hosts one of the most prolific populations of White Sharks on the planet. What makes Isla Guadalupe the greatest White Shark diving destination is not only the abundance of White Sharks, but the water you will find them in! The temperature averages 65 to 70 degrees F. It is simply Shark Diver Heaven!
On these spectacular five day expeditions, you will find yourself on board the 95' Searcher, one of San Diego's finest long range sportfishing/diving vessels. The Searcher boasts gourmet dining and excellent live-aboard accommodations! (ALL PRIVATE CABINS) Not only will you experience the best shark diving on the planet, you will also enjoy some world-class fishing. Guadalupe has long been known as a world-class sportfishing destination, famous for large Yellow Fin and Blue Fin Tuna and many other prized gamefish. Over the years this very remote island has become notorious for the abundance of White Sharks that like to steal these prized gamefish right off the hooks of the fishermen. They put on quite a spectacular show in the process.
Vessel: Since 2002 we have used the long range sport fishing vessel SEARCHER exclusively for all our Great White Adventures to Guadalupe departing from San Diego. The Searcher is far superior in all aspects. Her size, speed, stability and amenities are unsurpassed. The vessel is 95¹ long and 24¹ wide. The salon seats 30 for meals and indoor relaxation. Twelve private cabins sleep two or more comfortably. Each cabin has a sink, mirror, 110v outlet, and storage shelves. Linens, blankets and pillows are provided. All indoor areas are air-conditioned. There are four restrooms, two with showers, plus an on deck shower. When you combine the comfortable accommodations, courteous and professional crew, state-of-the-art electronics and equipment, and the experience of captain Art Taylor and expedition leader Lawrence Groth, you¹ve got the ingredients for the Great White Adventure of a lifetime.
Cage Dives: The cage diving at Guadalupe is bar none the greatest on the planet, with up to 100 feet + of visibility. The water temperature ranges from 67 to 70 F degrees making this the ultimate White Shark destination, especially for the discriminating underwater photographer.
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Added: 4 months ago
Views: 17,685
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The Leopard Sharks are back in La Jolla. This species is found on the Pacific Coast and th
The Leopard Sharks are back in La Jolla. This species is found on the Pacific Coast and these leopard sharks spawn annually in the shallow water at La Jolla Shores. Leopard sharks migrate annually from the coast of California to the northern bays. They are distinctively marked with dark brown spots on a silvery gray background that resemble a leopard print.
This past Sunduy was one of the nicest days in San Digeo that I can remember. Not only was the weather perfect, but the water conditions perfect as well! So, I decided to join them for a swim... Don't worry they are harmless! The leopard shark is slim and has a small mouth, which is used to suck up invertebrates on the ocean floor. Although leopard sharks have small teeth, they swallow their food whole, without chewing. Leopard sharks feed on animals that live in mud and sand, like worms and crabs (not little fingers). Leopard sharks are totally harmless and I hope you enjoy the experience!
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Added: 3 months ago
Views: 5,552
I filmed this Sheaphead crab in the La jolla shores, as you will see the the video he is n
I filmed this Sheaphead crab in the La jolla shores, as you will see the the video he is not very happy to be on film.
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Added: 6 months ago
Views: 9,844
how cool am I know that I have swam with a Whale Shark?
Added: 10 months ago
Views: 2,881
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I filmed this huge 6 foot halibut while diving in the La Jolla Cove, at a depth of 120 fee
I filmed this huge 6 foot halibut while diving in the La Jolla Cove, at a depth of 120 feet.
A halibut is a type of flatfish from the family of the righteye flounders (Pleuronectidae). This name is derived from Dutch heilbot. Halibut live in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans and are highly regarded food fish.
The Halibut is the largest of all flat fish, with an average weight of about 25 lb - 30 lb, but they can grow to be as much as 600 lbs. The Halibut is blackish-grey on the top side and off-white on the underbelly side. When the Halibut is born the eyes are on both sides of its head so it has to swim like a salmon. After about 6 months one eye will migrate to the other side of its head, making it look more like the flounder. This happens at the same time that the stationary eyed side begins to develop a blackish-grey pigment while the other side remains white. This disguises a halibut from above (blending with the ocean floor) and from below (blending into the light from the sky).
Commercial halibut fishery in the North Pacific dates to the late 19th century and today is one of the largest and most lucrative fisheries in the region. In Canadian and U.S. waters of the North Pacific, halibut are taken by longline, using chunks of octopus ("devilfish") or other bait on circle hooks attached at regular intervals to a weighted line that can extend for several miles across the bottom. Typically the fishing vessel hauls gear after several hours up to a day has passed.
Careful international management of Pacific halibut is necessary, as the species occupies the waters of the United States, Canada, Russia, and possibly Japan (known to the Japanese as Ohyo), and is a slow-maturing fish. Halibut do not reproduce until age eight, when they are approximately 30 inches (76 cm) long, so commercial capture of fish below this length is an unsustainable practice and is against U.S. and Canadian regulations. Halibut fishing in the Pacific is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).
For most of its modern duration, commercial halibut fishery operated as a derby-style fishery where regulators declared time slots when fishing was open (typically 24-48 hours at a time) and fisherman raced to catch as many pounds as they could within that window. This approach accommodated unlimited participation in the fishery while allowing regulators to control the quantity of fish caught annually by controlling the number and timing of openings. The approach frequently led to unsafe fishing as openings necessarily set in advance and fisherman felt compelled economically to leave port virtually regardless of the weather. The approach also provided fresh halibut to the markets for only several weeks each year.
In 1995, regulators in the United States implemented a quota-based fishery by allocating individual fishing quotas (IFQs) to existing fishery participants based on each vessel's documented historical catch. IFQs grant holders a specific proportion of each year's total allowable catch (TAC) as determined by regulators and can be fished at any time during the 9-month open season. The IFQ system improved both the safety of the fishery and the quality of the product by providing a stable flow of fresh halibut to the marketplace. Critics of the program suggest that, since IFQs are a saleable commodity and the fish a public resource, the IFQ system gave a public resource to the private sector. Would-be fisherman who were not part of the initial IFQ allocation are also critical of the program saying that the capital costs to fishery entry are now too high.
There is also a significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia where halibut are a prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with line weights from 80 to 150 pound test, and often bait with herring, large jigs, or even whole salmon heads. Halibut are very strong, thus in both commercial and sport fisheries large halibut (over 50 to 100 pounds (20 to 50 kg)) are often shot or otherwise subdued before they are brought onto the boat. The sport fishery in Alaska is one of the key elements to the state's summer tourism economy. Halibut are typically broiled, deep fat fried or lightly grilled while fresh. The fillets can also be smoked but this method is more difficult with halibut meat than it is with salmon, due to the ultra-low fat content of halibut. Eaten fresh, the meat has a very clean taste and requires little seasoning. Halibut is also noted for its very dense and firm texture, almost more akin to chicken.
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Added: 6 months ago
Views: 20,491
My first time free diving with a Whale Shark in Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico.
Added: 10 months ago
Views: 4,503
Night Diving at the La Jolla Shore "Marine Room" with Chris Davis.
Night Diving at the La Jolla Shore "Marine Room" with Chris Davis.
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Added: 3 months ago
Views: 1,933
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