Megamouth in California?

Source.

Wow - watch!

For comparison, check here.

And yes, I agree 100% with MCSI that those white tips are a dead giveaway. 

Stories here and here.

Enjoy!

GWS vs Kayak!

Watch - story here.

Scary as hell for sure - but getting those teeth in exchange is simply awesome!

Catching GWS in California!

Source.

Oh for crying out loud - watch.

Yup that would be a juvenile GWS.

White Sharks are protected in the USA in general and specifically, in California where this is happening, and one would think that this is unlawful and would warrant prosecution.

Regulations here.

Well, think again. 

Very much like what has been happening until recently in Florida, the authorities are apparently choosing to not intervene, or to drop the charges or levy ludicrous fines when they do - and the fishermen know that and continue to target and reel in the Sharks in quasi total impunity. 

Kudos to the indefatigable Mr. Bland for having meticulously researched the topic and published this excellent essay.

Anyway.

I say, it's time for some kicking of lazy bureaucrat asses - like in Florida!

Kim?
 

Shark Attack - Video!

Watch - scary shit!

Yes that would be an ATTACK.

Not mistaken identity, not investigatory but predatory.

Yes I'm clearly speculating because it could also have been agonistic - but going for the propulsion is a typical hunting technique, and I'm sticking with my opinion.
This is a rather small animal, possibly a subadult transitioning from a piscivorous diet to also feeding on pinnipeds; and with no parents to teach it, this is likely a period of trial-and-error before, maybe, becoming more discerning - or not!

And try it certainly did!

 

Manta Ray in California!

What species is this?

Wow wow wow!

Have you seen this post?

Now, I know nothing about kelp diving and what to expect there - but it looks like the Niño is driving all kinds of tropical Fishes north, so having a Manta migrate north from, say, their known range in Baja/Socorro doesn't seem like such a big deal.

But watch the video.

See what I mean?

That's not one of the Pelagic Mantas that are ubiquitous on the tropical West coast of the Americas - that's a Reef Manta! Mantas have been shown to change color, but that apparently does not apply to the ventral side - and if you look at the comparative pictures, that Manta is definitely not featuring an uninterrupted dark terminal band but is instead featuring coloration that is diagnostic for Manta alfredi!

Correct?

Check out the distribution of the Reef Manta.

See? No records for the Eastern Pacific, meaning that this is either a massive range extension, or that this is a straggler that must have swum over from either French Polynesia or more likely, the Hawaiian Islands - and this in a species that is generally believed to be highly coast-oriented!

Amazing!

Big fat GWS in California!

This is what happened (sic).

Too Close for Comfort. 
A Great Wonderful Summer (GWS) experience.

2 years ago, a group of divers from LA area (LAUE: Los Angeles Underwater Explorer) started the project Infidel clean up. The goal was to remove all the nets which covers the wreck and regularly trap marine life (seals, sea lions, even birds). The wreck seats under 150ft of water, which makes the cleaning work challenging and requires lots of caution. Strong dive teams and very rigorous process.
After many dives, the wreck start to look much better now, and new marine life is elected it as new home: lobsters, nudibranchs, wolf eel, and so on.

On Aug 23rd, 2014, new missions were set to both continue removing the nets (and a lot was removed again), but also document the new life. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't very good for still picture, even video. But on the way back, we had a chance to have the company of a Great White Shark. Probably 16 to 20ft long. She check us out very closely and tag along for 4 minutes. Few minutes of excitement and of course a bit of chill, knowing that we had a long time to get to the surface.

Awesome - and scary, too!

Enjoy!

Lazy swim in California!!

Interesting! :)
Story here -  background here.

Enjoy!



H/T: El Diego!
 

Big GWS off San Diego - or is it?

And I quote.

When you see a picture like this one... you have to be weary, at first, of a hoax - but an EXPERT says, this one is far from it...
And though you and I may not be able to tell how big this Shark is from the picture, (the token owner of a demented dog and lover of large omnivorous plantigrades) can...
"The shape of this fin is very very suggestive of an animal that's in the fifteen foot range".

Wow!

But watch for yourselves - the man is truly a monster of erudition!

Or maybe, not so much.

Turns out it was an April's fool hoax, and that somebody had crudely doctored a pic of a dolphin, fooling not only Collier but apparently, a number of his colleagues - which of course begs the question, who else disposes of zero academic credentials but continues to publicly proffer EXPERT pronouncements about Sharks?

Lemme guess - the pompous bloviating fireman? The unequaled SVS?

Anyway.

Remains the issue of whether one can truly estimate the size of a GWS from the shape of its fin, a revolutionary technique that would spare the scientific community plenty of headaches and thousands of dollars in complicated and unwieldy laser equipment. When put to the question by Martin who incidentally happens to be the very person that uncovered the hoax, Collier indignantly lectures,

Wow - again!

Let's see... from apex to apex, would that be 55% or thereabouts - and if so, does that make me an EXPERT as well? 

But I'm digressing as always. 

So now, it's the shape, plus the distance between the fins - what, in millimeters? 

Cuz for the life of me, and much like those other laser toting ignoramuses, I could never tell the actual distance from looking at the pic at the top! But I sure can notice the glaring absence of a terminal lobe on the presumed exposed tail (compare to here, here, here and here!) - and thus, I will bravely go out on a limb and publicly call BS on Collier's assertion that he was right because actually, this is the superimposition of the image of a real GWS!

But then again, considering the historical precedent, who am I to say!

Opinions please: a) unfairly maligned EXPERT or b) pompous Sesselfurzer instead?

How many GWS in California?

Source.

And I cite.

George H. Burgess, curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, is among nine scientists nearing completion on a separate census study that will show that there are more than 2,000 adult and sub-adult white sharks off Central California. 
That study is expected to be submitted for review by state and federal regulators. 

Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology at Cal State Long Beach who has been conducting state and federally permitted white shark research since 2002, said, "The growth of the great white shark population is the most stunning recovery of a marine fish species we have."

Article here.

Bingo.

It's exactly like I said in the yearly re-cap: those numbers of only a few hundred GWS are bad science and will be reviewed, and listing them on ESA and CESA is unnecessary and a total waste of money!
Oceana - once again, not impressed!

To be continued no doubt!

Straight from the frothy Piranha Tank!

Bingo!

Remember the jugular-slicing ninjas?

Well, the first salvo in the scientific debate about the validity of those NE Pacific GWS petitions has just been fired - and I may add: just as expected!

This post is required reading.

It is by one of California's preeminent GWS researchers and basically echoes the reservations of the majority of the GWS research community and of the fisheries managers.

It is not anti-GWS, or whatever.

It just states that the Californian GWS are already sufficiently protected and actually very much on the rebound, meaning that the status of that population doesn't warrant investing additional resources into further reaching conservation measures. And did you notice: so far, no comments by any prominent representative of the pro-side - I wonder why! :)

To be continued no doubt.

And I re-iterate my prediction that in the end, there will be CESA but not ESA listing - the former not because it is necessary but because this is CALIFORNIA!

Nice!

Stay tuned!

California Blues!

Great Video!

This film is a tribute to those times when everything comes together to make a magical moment.
I shot this film on one perfect, cloudless, windless afternoon with clean water off Anacapa Island and at least six blue sharks under our boat. The largest was 8 feet long and the others were between 5-7 feet.

Shark populations have declined worldwide, including blue sharks, and seeing this many blue sharks at once was like a dream come true. I remember frequently seeing blue sharks swimming on the surface of the water during the late 80s while crossing the channel to the northern California Channel Islands. Nowadays, you are not likely to see any.

Indeed, what a serendipitous moment, beautifully captured!
Enjoy!

Coming to a Theatre near Everybody!

And this, in less than a week!