Posted by jas on August 06, 2002 at 10:52:16:
I've posted this digitally edited photo before. A friend of mine is the webmaster for the Santa Barbara Kayak Assoc. The photo is from there. Keep in mind that these are 2 photos merged together. Bill did a good job with this illusion!
For those not familiar with our waters, Brendan's experience is an extremely rare one. The Great Whites show up more often in Central and North Cal. There are a few reasons for this. One reason is the food is good up there. We get sightings in So Cal here and there, but you don't often hear of one traveling along the coast to munch seals. I'm sure it happens and just doesn't get noticed, but it's very very very rare. ONce in a while one or a pair of them will be spotted plucking seals near a Harbor Entrance of hunting just offshore of the jetty breakers. Though again, these are very rare.
No need to put the kayak in storage, put off purchasing your first or selling off your equipment. The Great White is still a very rare occurance and doesn't appear to want any part of a 12-18ft kayak. These sharks are very very picky about what they will eat. The are like this because their digestive system can't handle many foods. They want fat. They eat dead whales, seals and fatty fish. These arent' Tiger sharks or Bull sharks that can eat and do eat just about anything in site. A Great White can not hold down other foods. That's why you hear so often a GW releasing after their initial bite. In regards to seals, sometimes they do it to minimize the struggle only to return when the seal has bled to near death or death. Though it seems like every once in a blue moon (I think the last one was off the coast of Italy) you get a "crazy" shark. A GW that does return to finish the job. That GW can't sustain a healthy diet feeding on people and their wetsuits, kayaks, surf boards, etc; They'll get sick!
I know very little about Great Whites. The closest I've come to one was on an Open Party boat. I wasn't there the day Whitey showed up. The boat returned to the same island the next day. An adult came up along the stern of the boat at surface level to check things out.
Some of the local boys may remember seeing a clip on the news a few years back of one cruising along side I think the "Gentleman" out at Anacapa. That shark has no fear of a 50-70ft vessel.
Keep things in perspective. Though the sharks do hit a surfer every once in a while, it's still very rare considering they are dangling there wearing black seal like full suits and black booties.
jas