Monday, August 10, 2009

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

A shark warning was issued at Cannon Beach Sunday after a partially eaten porpoise was found washed ashore Saturday night and a dorsal fin was sighted. Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, anglers towed a 12' Great White Shark to the boat ramp that apparently died after getting tangled up in a crab pot off Depoe Bay. Here's the video which includes them pulling a baby porpoise out of the shark's stomach.

Why the sudden presence of Carcharodon Carcharias so near the the shore? Warm water has moved closer to the shore, according to the experts, bringing with it seals and porpoises, which in turn attract the sharks.

Now, I don't go swimming off the Oregon Coast. It's the frigid water that keeps me out, so my lifestyle hasn't been affected. But I wonder how all all those surfers are reacting to this? Or scuba divers? Or fisherman in little 10' foot boats with lawnmower engines on the back?

The folks over at the Discovery channel have tried their darndest to convince us that sharks don't really pose any danger to humans (despite their sensationlist advertising for Shark Week), and that fear of these animals is just paranoia. Maybe.

Care to try your luck?

5 comments:

Jesse Main said...

Ha ha! Try looking at a map of great white attacks and sightings on the west coast. Oregon is not as immune to great whites as one might dream.

Anonymous said...

Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies, farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain.



How would you like to pull up a crab pot, wondering to yourself, "man, this thing is heavy, I'm gonna be a eatin' some crab tonight!" And then this damn thing comes poking out of the water stuck in your pot.

I don't swim off the Oregon Coast or even get in the water past my knees if I can help it, not becuase of the temperature. Due to years of overeating as well as an almost lavishly sedentary lifestyle I, much like the mighty polar bear, have layers of insulative fat which allows me to swim in some fairly cold water. No, the reason I don't swim off the Oregon Coast is that I'm deathly afraid of being eaten by a shark. This kinda stuff only reinforces this fear.



ted

A said...

Two things. First, it wasn't that long ago that I decided to forego the use of crab pots and go scuba diving about 40 miles from Depot Bay, looking for crab to catch by hand. And second, less than 24 hours ago, I was kayaking in saltwater for hours not 10 miles from where that porpoise got himself digested.

I appreciate you choosing to post this now rather than yesterday...

Anonymous said...

Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I wanna go to bed
I had me a drink about an hour ago
and it went right to my head.


I'd like to go to Depot Bay and kick this thing while it sits there on the asphalt dead and bleeding and say stuff like, "who's big and scary now?" And by the way, if it was dead in crab pot lines, why is it so covered in blood?


ted

Anonymous said...

As you may know, I've been reading about sharks and have watched several movies about their intelligence and endangerment. I like many, have a fear born of living in a place where no one went swimming off the Oregon Coast. While I personally don't want to go swimming in any ocean really, I also think the fear of sharks above all others is irrational. There's not much difference in the risk of coming upon a bear, a moose or my personal irrational fear, a cougar. Now, would I rather be eaten by a bear or a shark..well no brainer- a bear of course! The saying, "I'll choose the devil I know, over the devil I don't" (J.Cousteau), comes to mind.
I just happen to think that sharks are negatively sensationalized by the media. Why? The media has the same fears we do. Therefore I don't particularly favor their opinion or the "experts" they bring on to further their own opinion. The only people that I see who truely understand and respect sharks are people who spend their lives working on and in the ocean. These are the people that truely know sharks. While they may get carried away, I believe there is a lot of truth in what they say. I'll believe them before the media and let common sense rule the rest. As for the rest of us, who aren't comfortable on or in the ocean, we sensationalize it as well throught our unnecessary fears. Besides, what's new about Great Whites in the Pacific anyway? I thought we all knew they liked the waters off the west coast....
I know that's why I don't get in the water! haa.

Kathleen