The ocean is a miraculous and beautiful world all it's own, but deep below the surface is a world sometimes made up of man-eating creatures, poisonous endeavors and deadly beauty. Sharks have been the subject for everything from Hollywood movies to cable documentaries, and now is the subject of every headline across America.
In an interview on ABC News, the U.S. Coast Guard said it sent a rescue helicopter to pick up the man on Sunday after receiving a "mayday" call from the Florida based charter dive boat "Shear Water" who runs an adventure dive service, saying that a man had suffered a shark bite wound. The man who was attacked is identified as Markus Groh, 49, a lawyer from Vienna. The Coast Guard that arrived on the scene also gave a statement that the victim was flown from the scene, about 5 miles north of Great Isaac Cay in the Bahamas, to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he was pronounced dead, the Coast Guard said.
According to several reports, the man was on a diving trip aboard the Shear Water, owned by Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. This Company schedules dive trips in which the crew and patrons put food or "chum" into the water to attract sharks of all species, such as hammerheads, tiger sharks, blue's and even great white's whom are nortorious to have been found in the waters of Florida. Once the sharks arrive, the divers have the opportunity to "swim with the sharks" or get dangerously close to these man-eaters.
People need to remember that sharks are dangerous creatures of our ocean's, and should be treated as so. So many times man goes in and "plays" with these creatures and never makes it back out, as in the case of this story. It is unfortunate that it takes the media to remind us that something is dangerous, but where does the liability fall in these types of cases? With the owner of the boat? The diver? Or nature?
The Charter service was contacted about this fatality, and declined to speak with reporters, I too, contacted them and was also declined an interview at this time. Sharks are not toys, there are no resources for compensation when something fails or goes wrong, we need to respect nature, respect the species that we already know can be hazordous to our health and most importantly , use common sense when entering into a potentially dangerous situation.
Ever since I was a teenager, I was involved in Marine life. When I was 13 years old I volunteered at Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro along side of the legendary John Olguin. I later moved on to working at Marineland in Rancho Palos verdes. I learned so much about marine life and most definately sharks. I loved to frequent the beaches and ocean for swimming, surfing and boogie boarding. With the ocean comes sharks and I learned to be aware of my surroundings.
The origin of the word "shark" and its meaning? The word "shark" actually comes from the German word "schurke" which means "villain". The smallest shark in the world is the "dwarf lanternshark" which measurements can vary between 6 and 7.5 inches (16 and 19 cm) in length depending on its gender. How about one of those in your fish tank? That would be great if they were not illegal.
The largest shark circling around in our oceans is the whale shark which has an average length between 40 and 45 feet but can reach as long as 65 feet long or more. Worried about how many sharks we have waiting to add you to their menu? There are between 300 and 500 shark species. The species most likely to "tuck their napkin in" and "sharpen their knife and fork", for you is the Great White shark, the Bull Shark and the Tiger Shark.
People have wondered what the swimming speed of sharks is, well unless your surfboard or fins our equipped with a motor, you still could be out run by a shark, even with the slow speed of 5 to 6 mph although some species like the Shortfin Mako shark can swim at a speed as high as 20 mph. The average longevity of a shark living in the wild is 25 years.
What species of shark is known to dive at the deepest level? Great question! The Portuguese shark, one we rarely hear about, is the one specie that has been known to dive at depths reaching 9,000 feet or 1.5 mile. A shark's percentage of its body weight by consumed food is about 2% which compared to humans is actually a smaller portion of food.
The reality is simple, sharks are more confused when the attck us, they are curious creatures trying to figure out what we are. Surfers wear wet suits that when combined with a surfboard resemble a nice plump seal, from below. Sharks use their keen sensory to identify prey, and sometimes "nudge" the wrong prey. Humans are not prey they are an "intruder" to the shark's neighborhood.
We often call shark's man-eaters but what they really are, is dumb. They are the most beautiful, graceful and mystifying creature there is in our ocean, but their brain must be questioned. They will chomp down on a piece of hard plastic if it comes too close to them. If you are lucky, a simple "punch in the nose" can deter a shark looking to put you on the menu.
There are a few detrimental tips to ward of the monster below, and if you spend any time in the water, may be a good idea to follow. Here is myth #1: Sharks are only in deep waters. Wrong! Sharks can creep up on you in as little as 3 feet of water, especially if blood is a factor. Myth #2: Sharks will let go after an attack after they realize you are not food. Wrong again! Sharks will indeed go away once they realize what they are biting is not their usual diet, however blood is a delicitesson among sharks. Myth #3: Sharks will never swim where there are dolphins. Oh I love this one, most definately wrong! I personally swam, or rather surfed where dolphins swam around me, and let me tell you I am not sure which was more frightening...the dolphins or the fact that I found out later on the local news that there was a shark sighting in the exact spot I was surfing in.
Dolphins may be good at acting like "guardian angels" for swimmers and surfers alike, but they will not prevent a serious shark attack. the obvious: If you see sharks feeding or doing anything else, for that matter just immediately get out of the water! When swimming, surfing or diving, the experts suggest some precautions. Stay in groups and stay close to shore because sharks are more likely to attack "lone" individuals, and if you're far from people you're also far from help. Don't swim between dusk and dawn, when sharks are more likely to be feeding or dining, they will mistake you for fish. Avoid wearing shiny jewelry, which can resemble shiny fish scales and in many cases, you should refrain from swimming or surfing if you are menstrating or have open wounds or cuts. keep in mind sharks like areas around sandbars and steep drop-offs because that is where many schools of fish hang out.
Stay aware of where you are. Remember that they live in the ocean not us and most importantly, educate yourself before going into their world.
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Chumming the water for sharks and then go diving? Sounds like Darwinism at it's best.
I too worked at the Old Marineland (1986-1987) and have been going back to that spot regularly.
My how things have changed over the years; and how time flys!
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