Author Topic: The Official Shark Thread  (Read 23661 times)

Offline JediMAC

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The Official Shark Thread
« on: July 14, 2003, 02:54 AM »


Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been fascinated by sharks.  When I first saw Jaws way back in 1977 on "ON TV", that fascination turned more specifically towards Great White sharks (and Tigers to a lesser extent).  I think they're the most amazing and breathtaking creatures on the planet, not to mention one of the most misunderstood.  A buddy and I have long been planning on trying to do a Great White Shark diving expedition (or maybe just one from on a boat) up near the Farralon Islands near San Francisco, where these sharks are quite abundant due to the huge seal population.  I also came real close to dropping about $800 on a huge, and very real Megalodon tooth last year...



One of my favorite weeks of the year for TV is fast approaching as well...  SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel!  It's airing sometime in the first half of August.  So, anyone else have a thing for sharks too?  I know at least David does...

« Last Edit: July 19, 2005, 07:18 PM by JediMAC »

Offline Angry Ewok

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2003, 03:19 AM »
Yea, being attacked by a Shark is one of my more reaccuring nightmares, and has been so since I saw the movie when I was about 3 and was still living on our sail boat.

I'd say I'm fascinated by them, but I'd prefer never seeing one in person (again).

Offline JediMAC

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2003, 08:31 AM »
Yea, being attacked by a Shark is one of my more reaccuring nightmares...

I have shark dreams at least once a week...  I'm not always being attacked by them, but at least they're always chasing me, or I'm having to save other people (like my wife) from them munchin' on her!  Some pretty scary ones though...   :-\

Offline Reconsgt

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2003, 08:55 AM »
I usually watch shark week, expecially the GW shows. I have no desire to dive with any sharks but I can't peel myself away from some of the shows.
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Offline DSJ™

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2003, 10:43 AM »
I love watching shark documentaries on tv. Nothing like listening to the theme from Jaws.  :o Jaws Theme

Though I'm not sure what Jaws is really scary. In the water or on the land.  :o   ;D


Offline dustrho

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2003, 10:45 AM »
I'm not really fascinated by sharks in an obsessing way, but I always watch Shark Week on Discovery Channel.  You couldn't get me to jump in the water where sharks are swimming.  No way!  I'll just watch the sharks from my family room, and not in the water.   :-*
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Offline Lemon-Viper

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2003, 11:00 AM »
Sharks are my favorite animal.  If I could have a big enough tank in my house I'd have 3.  The shark tank at Sea World in california was almost as fun as Disneyland.  I could have sat there for hours watching them.

My favorite show on sharks that I've seen so far is the one about seal island.  Seeing a great white jump out of the water while nailing a seal was really cool.  It's supposedly the only place in the world they do this at.
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2003, 11:49 AM »
Heh.  Sharks cool.  Bit Teeth ;D

I've always been fascinated by sharks as well.  Just really cool, amazingly powerful beasts.  

I've had the good fortune of diving with sharks already.  Once intentionally, several times not so.  In Australia (waaaaaaay back in 1988) I took  my open water certification (PADI, NAUI purists can bite me).  During that course we were told that seeing a shark is a very rare occurrence in open water and should be enjoyed, particularly at a reef where food is abundant and they are not likely to be overly aggressive.  First dive down during certification we're all doing our little bouyancy exercises and oh, looky there, a little 6' black tip reef shark.  Whoo, screw buoyancy, that's a frigging shark!  It was just a fleeting glance and class resumed.  The best part is the dive instructor was just as pumped as we were so nobody got grief over the exercises.  This was at Bait Reef just off the Whitsunday Islands (Airlie Beach).  

Drifted up the coast to Townsville and wanted to go on a couple of dives up there, but budget was rather restricted.  Beer or diving?  Beer one.

Over to the west coast for Christmas and went on a dive off one of the beaches to a small wreck and we saw a hammerhead out there. Most impressive, but just a little guy, about 10 feet in length.  About a week later it was killed due to proximity to the swimming beach :o

Just after Christmas I blew some cash and went to the aquarium for a shark tank dive.  There were grey nurse sharks, black tip and white tip reef sharks  that we got to dive with and touch.  Very cool but pretty much a huge adrenaline rush.  They'd been fed and were fed while we were down there but touching them and realizing it could snap your hand off pretty quick is kind of humbling and exciting at the same time.  

Just prior to leaving Australia I went back up to Airlie Beach and was fortunate to get paired up with a former Navy Seal as a dive partner.  We did all sorts of things I would never otherwise do (swimming through small tunnels in the reef).  We also went to a more advanced depth, about 85 feet (BTW, by then I had my advanced open water certificate so I was certified to do so) and saw three white tip reef sharks patrolling the depths of the reef (though it probably dropped off another couple of hundred feet).  

FWIW I have my rescue diver certification now, though I'd consider it lapsed.  I started my divemaster course as well but never finished.  When the buglet is old enough to dive I'll get fired up again.  For now all I use dive gear for is to clean my pool.  No sharks in there ;)
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2003, 01:33 PM »
I used to be really fascinated by sharks.  That abated somewhat after I got bit on the foot by a sandshark about 15 years ago.  

I was bodyboarding in Florida, and I was out on a sandbar about 100 yards offshore.  I was stepping around, and looking for some good waves to ride.  I took a step, and my right foot sank into something in the sand.  All of a sudden, I felt something sharp on the top and sole of my foot.  At that point, I jumped, turned and swam for shore as fast as I could!  I don't think I ever swam faster than I did that day.  I think I still have a couple of marks on my foot from that day.

I still check out things like shark week on the Discovery channel from time to time.  I even saw underwater photographer Al Giddings at a trade show during the spring.  I thought that was kinda cool.  He's done some of the greatest and most pioneering underwater Shark photography around.  He even did some of the underwater photography for "JAWS".

I think one channel had a pretty big shark special on last night.  So, I do check those out from time to time.  But I have a lot more respect and a healthy fear for sharks because of that day about 15 years ago.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2003, 05:35 AM by Nicklab »
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Offline Angry Ewok

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2003, 04:13 AM »
Partly related note, I went to the Coral Reef Imax running at most Imax joints - the damn show only had one bit with sharks - had White Tip sharks (I think it was white, maybe gray), it was pretty awesome, had about 300 of these sharks swimming in this bigass pack with the Imax crew being floated directly into them...  :-[

Offline Boba Binks

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Re: Anyone fascinated by SHARKS?!
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2003, 08:36 AM »
I love sharks. They are very powerful yet so graceful at the same time.
Sharks are the main reason that I learned to Scuba.

There is just something so inspiring about a wild animal as such that is larger than you when it swims by. It is errie buy really tense in a way jaw dropping.  *No pun intended  :)

One day I hope to dive the Great Barrier Reef.

I have a tat of a Great White Shark that I designed on my left leg.
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Offline JediMAC

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Shark Week on the Discovery Channel!
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2003, 03:55 AM »


One of my favorite weeks of the year for TV is fast approaching as well...  SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel!  It's airing sometime in the first half of August.

Well, Shark Week is now upon us!  Who's been watching it?!  Tonight's episode was HORRIBLE - only bad episode I've ever seen in about 10 years of watching this annual week-long special.  Bunch of "car guys" built their own boat and shark cage and went diving out here off of SoCal and didn't see squat.  Not even any sharks in the show...  What the hell's up with that?!

But last nights show was very cool, as it examined in great depth the only two serious shark attacks ever caught on film - a Great White munching a girl's leg off right in front of all of her friends, and a shark scientist getting his entire calf ripped off by a Bull shark - all on film!  Great stuff!   8)  (obviously not for the people getting chewed on though)

Tomorrow night's episode is going to be great too!  They're going to have Manny the "Shark Man" on, and he'll be free diving with the nastiest sharks around.  I've seen him free dive (as in NO CAGE) with several Great Whites and Tiger sharks in the past, so this is some seriously awesome footage coming up, I'm sure!  Crazy M.F. he is!   8)

It's on all week long at 9pm each night.  Here's the Discovery Channel's page on the show.


Offline dustrho

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Re: SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel!
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2003, 07:13 AM »
Matt, did you happen to see "Anatomy of a Shark Bite?"  That was one awesome hour-long special!  I'm not even going to go into details about it, because you've got to see if for your own eyes.  The very last seconds of the show are the best!   ;D
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Offline JediMAC

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Re: SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel!
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2003, 07:23 AM »
Matt, did you happen to see "Anatomy of a Shark Bite?"  That was one awesome hour-long special!  I'm not even going to go into details about it, because you've got to see if for your own eyes.  The very last seconds of the show are the best!   ;D

Hell yeah, I saw it Chris!  That's what I was referring to right here:

But last nights show was very cool, as it examined in great depth the only two serious shark attacks ever caught on film - a Great White munching a girl's leg off right in front of all of her friends, and a shark scientist getting his entire calf ripped off by a Bull shark - all on film!  Great stuff!   8)  (obviously not for the people getting chewed on though)

And it was a TWO-hour show, not just one like the rest are.  That last shot of the guy getting carried out of the water was gnarly!   8)  Just wish there was some better footage of the girl with no leg getting pulled into the boat after the Great White mowed on her!  Dumb crap who was filming the whole thing dropped the camera and was screaming like a little girl at that point...   ::)

Tonight's is going to be great as well.  No attacks, but a crazy fool in there just swimming around with these bad boys - and I mean the BAD BOYS, not the run-of-the-mill reef or nurse sharks.  Whites and Tigers!  Insane...   :o
« Last Edit: August 12, 2003, 07:27 AM by JediMAC »

Offline Chris

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Re: SHARK WEEK on the Discovery Channel!
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2003, 01:24 PM »
I will be tuning in tonight, love the sharks. ;)