Amazing Sequence of Photos Showing a Great White Investigating Surfer in Australia

Here's an amazing sequence of photos that were taken off the waters off West Beach near Esperance, Western Australia. The photographer, Frits deBruyn, told us that he took the photos on the morning of September 21, 2014 and he estimated the size of the great white at about 3 meters.

The surfer in the photos is Andy Johnston and he was surfing with friends at the time the shark appeared. Several people from shore spotted the shark and began screaming and honking car horns to alert the surfers to exit the water which they all did, minus Andy.

Video: Rare Look at a Ghost Shark by an ROV

We don't often get a chance to see a ghost shark swimming around in its natural habitat.  Typically, we end up seeing them on the deck of a ship after they have been scooped up by fishing vessels. So it is a real treat to see one this close and with such clarity thanks to the superb lighting and camera on the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).

The ghost shark, formally known as 'chimaera,' is a slow moving deep water fish whose closest relatives are from the shark, ray, and skate family.

Photo: Massive Tiger Shark Caught & Released by DNR Off Hilton Head, South Carolina

On October 24, 2014, a message board poster Outcast posted the following below photo of a tiger shark that was caught off the coast of Hilton Head, South Carolina.

According to Outcast, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources hooked the shark on one of their longlines which they use to catch, tag, measure and take blood samples from sharks. This 'girthy' female measured in at 13 feet, 6 inches.

There is some speculation that the shark may actually be world-record size based on weight.  In 1964, Walter Maxwell landed a 13 foot, 10.5 inch tiger shark off the Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That shark weighed in at 1,780 pounds.

Video: Tiger Shark Bites GoPro Camera

These days you just never know where the next GoPro video is going to take you.  Jumping off a building, jumping through fire or in this case, entering deep inside a tiger shark's mouth.

This video was taken by a diver during his first dive at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas and he ended up biting off a bit more than he expected.

Human Bites Occur Ten Times More Often in New York City Than Shark Bites Worldwide

Crazy little fact: You are at least 10 times likely to be bitten by a fellow human while in New York City than you are being bitten by a shark anywhere in the world.

Sources: 
(Primary) International Shark Attack File
New York Times
NYC Dept of Health
h/t Stephen Craig for the headsup on this stat. 

Video: Hooked Spinner Shark Erupts From Water Landing 10 Feet from Angler

Not only are spinner sharks very effective at catching fish but they appear to be able to use their spinning ability to free themselves from a fisherman's line.

This video was taken in August 2014 but the angler just reposted it and included slow motion footage of the shark breaking free.

Moments after the shark is hooked, it erupts from the water and we see in an airborne spin headed directly towards the angler.  The shark lands with a splash and we then see the angler checking his slack line.  It would appear that the shark had broken free.

Video: Large Shark Swims by Small Skiff

There's not much to this video other than you get to see a large shark swim by a small skiff.  And what the heck, sometimes that's all you need in a shark video.

There were no details provided about the video but it appears to have been taken in a bay-like area and the shark appears to be a great white about the same length as the guy's skiff.

High Octane Video Showing Sharks Pursuing Mullet Migration in Florida

The crew at BacktipH Fishing have released an amazing video showing footage of the annual mullet migration in Florida.

The film was all taken during the first week of the migration and shows many of the predator fish (tarpon, jacks, snook, sharks, etc) in hot pursuit of the easy meal.

Video: Large Female Great White Shows Up During Cage Dive

Here's a great white cage dive video from Gansbaai, South Africa. It was shot on 3 October 2014 during an expedition with Marine Dynamics.

Christian Wode posted the video and stated that they encountered 11 sharks during the trip but one female shark stood out from the others.  At the 1:05 mark, you get a nice look at the very large female as she begins forcefully tugging on the bait line and whacking the cage with her tail.

Video: Snorkeling with Basking Sharks in Scotland

We frequently come across videos showing people snorkeling with whale sharks from locations all over the world. It is always a joy to watch the gentle giants as they majestically move through the water appearing oblivious to the onlookers who film with excitement.

Fortunately, the other gentle giant from the shark world, the basking shark, will occasionally pop up on our radar as is this case today. This video was taken in the waters of the west coast of Scotland and features snorkelers enjoying the day while out with baskingsharkscotland.com.

Video: Whale Shark at Koh Tao, Thailand

Check out the amazing visibility in these two short videos from Koh Tao, Thailand. The divers encountered a whale shark at Chumphon Pinnacle and they were able to capture some stunning images of the massive shark at it swims about the divers in crystal clear waters.

The two short videos were posted by Einar Barzilay and he notes that it was his first whale shark sighting in 56 dives.  Enjoy!

Photo: A Visual Look at the Importance of Oysters for Our Waterways

The water in each of the tanks is from the exact same source. The one on the right has oysters.

Posted on Twitter by Steve Vilnit, who is the Director of Fisheries Marketing for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
http://seafood.maryland.gov/

h/t to David Shiffman.

Want to know what oysters do for the environment? The water in both tanks is the same. The one on the rt has oysters. pic.twitter.com/jLeZ2RRAqo
— Steve Vilnit (@SteveVilnit) October 18, 2014

Video: The Lighter Side of Sharks

Not much to say about this video titled "Silly Sharks" other than it was a fun little ride.

It's a short film and the editor did a great job of choosing shots that flow with the music.  It was posted by Shutterstock and is a short 26 seconds in length.  So sit back, relax and enjoy this look at the lighter side of sharks.

Video: Great White Approaches Cageless Diver and Bites Camera

Sharks can be a bit like celebrities sometimes; they get their photos taken a lot and sometimes, they don't want to play along and act out.

Photographer Charles Maxwell ended up biting off a bit more than he could chew while trying to film this great white shark and for his efforts ended up with a damaged camera.

Spinner Shark Photobombs Surfer in Brazil

There are a lot of things you might expect to see while filming a guy surfing, but one of them is not typically a shark.

Gabriel Melo was surfing off  Pedra do Sal beach in Salvador, Brazil when he was filmed catching a wave.  And although Gabriel might be an exceptional surfer for all we know, his talent is not what will draw your eye in his latest surf video.  It's that spinning shark photobombing Gabriel that will make you lean in closer.

Freediver Ai Futaki Swims with Grey Reef Sharks

Freediver Ai Futaki is at home in the water where she helps act as a bridge between the water world and the human world.

Ali helps bring attention and understanding to her conservation message through photography, modeling and underwater performance. In addition to being a sea-life ambassador, in 2011 Ali set two Guinness World Records for the longest distance dive in a cave with one single breath. One record was with the use of fins and the other was without fins.

Video: Tiger Shark Looks for Free Dinner in Fiji

Although Tiger Beach in the Bahamas yields the majority of tiger shark feeding videos, we are seeing quite a few out of Fiji and Jupiter, Florida.

In this video from Fiji, we see a tiger shark arriving shortly after the dinner bell appears to have been rung.  The shark looks quite calm as it swims around looking at the divers trying to figure out which one was going to feed her.

Video: Meet the Co-Founder of the Cape Town Shark Spotting Network

Monwabisi “Monwa” Sikweyiya is the co-founder of the Cape Town Shark Spotting Network.  In this interview, he gives an overview of how the shark spotting program works and he offers his views on the role that offshore caged shark diving plays in shark sightings.

The report is by Paula Froelich and was featured on Yahoo Travel.

Angler Hand Feeds 14 Foot Hammerhead and Nearly Loses Hand

In this 'look-back' video from 2010, we see several anglers fishing for Florida tarpon when a 14' hammerhead decides to steal the show.  After consuming the majority of the tarpon, one angler decides to hand feed the shark and comes close to getting his hand nabbed.

We've never shared this video before because it came out a few years before we started this site. But over the years, it has appeared on our radar many times as people have reposted it with their own various titles.  In giving proper credit to the original owner, we of course are posting the original version.

In the world of sharks, you just never know what is going to pop up on the radar.  This video happens to be one of the craziest encounters I've witnessed involving a hammerhead shark.

Two Videos Showing a Real Live Sharknado at Cape Lookout, North Carolina

Here are a couple of shark videos shot at Cape Lookout, NC within the last week. Both show a shark feeding frenzy occurring right at the shoreline. At this time, it is unknown if both of these videos were taken of the same or separate events. [EDIT: The second video posted by Brian Recker was taken on 09 October.]

The first video was shot by Chris Malone on 7 October 2014 and shows several fishermen in awe as numerous sharks flap about at the shoreline dining on some type of fish. At the 44 second mark, one shark gets temporarily beached and one of the anglers, hoping for a souvenir photo, tries to unsuccessfully grab it by its tail.

Clearly the anglers were delighted by this unique encounter and at one point we hear one state, "this is the highlight of my life."

The second video, also from Cape Lookout, was posted on Facebook by Brian Recker on Sunday (10/12/14). He states that it was shot by Donnie Griggs and that there "were over 100" sharks involved.  And since Brian called it Sharknado, we decided to join in since this will be the closest thing we ever see of one. ;-)

Video: Australian Spearfisherman Pokes Great White Shark

In the never ending battle between spearfishermen who gather bloody fish and curious sharks looking for an easy meal, we have another encounter this time from Australia.

Trevor Ketchion and a friend were spearfishing off the Sunshine Coast on Sunday October 13, 2014 when they encountered a great white shark in the area.

Massive One Ton Great White Shark Caught by Russian Fishermen

On 27 August 2014, Russian fishermen off Cape Crillon, which is at the southern point of the island of Sakhalin, encountered a one ton great white shark entangled in their fishing nets approximately 300 meters from shore according to Citysakh.ru. Sakhalin is in the far east portion of Russia in the Pacific Ocean.

The 5 meter shark was taken to shore and locals then used heavy equipment to to drag the shark onto the beach.  It is unknown what happen to the carcass.

According to the article, although some species of sharks are known to inhabit the area's waters, sightings of great whites are uncommon.

Video: Drone Captures Stunning Aerial Images from South Africa

In case you hadn't noticed, we absolutely love aerial shark videos here at SAN.  There's something absolutely brilliant about observing sharks from this viewpoint.

Eric Cheng released this short film showing the "beauty of Cape Town and its surrounding areas". And though he presents some beautiful landscape video, we're here for the shark shots and he didn't disappoint. 

Eric scored some very nice images of sharptooth houndsharks, (aka spotted gully shark) cruising along the shore break near Cape Point in Table Mountain National Park.
And for the grand finale, the video closes out with footage from Seal Island featuring majestic great white sharks.

Interview with the Shark Feeding "Shark Addicts" From Jupiter Florida

Over they years, we've seen quite a few of the videos posted by the two divers with Shark Addicts so we were quite interested to learn more about them in a recent interview by Kat De La Fuente with World Wide Kat.

The Shark Addicts are two friends, Cameron Nimmo and Mickey Smith, who have made diving with sharks a weekend avocation and shark protection, a full time passion. The two are based out of Jupiter Florida and their numerous videos from their Youtube Channel feature them diving and feeding a wide variety of sharks including reef sharks, bull sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks, etc.

Video: AFP Report on the Cultural Demand for Shark Fin Soup

Serving shark fin soup 

Charlotte Turner, a South Asia correspondent for the Agence France-Presse (AFP), takes a look at the cultural demand for shark fin soup in Hong Kong.

For environmentalists, shark fin soup is considered to be possibly the worst food on the planet; however, for many older Chinese residents, the soup is considered to be he highlight of any meal.

Famed Shark Arrives at Tiger Beach Dive Site With Bullet Wound

Tiger shark Hook with bullet wound. Photo by Maritza Martinez

The famed tiger shark named Hook recently appeared at Tiger Beach
in the Bahamas with a large bullet wound.

When you hear shark divers talking about dive trips to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, you often hear the names of either Emma or Hook. Both of the names are associated with two of the most recognized tiger sharks that frequent the dive site. And when you talk about specific divers who are known for their interactions with these sharks, the name at the top of the list is Eli Martinez from Shark Diver Magazine.

Emma and Hook coming in to say hi to Eli. Photo by Joseph Wong

Photos of Eli interacting with large tiger sharks have been featured in numerous world-wide publications and most recently, he was spotlighted in a 2014 Shark Week program involving shark tonic immobility.

To say Eli has a certain kinship with the sharks at Tiger Beach would be an understatement.  Eli considers these sharks as part of his family so you can imagine the distress he felt when he discovered that one of the Tiger Beach sharks had been intentionally injured.

The Adrenaline Flows in this Great White Cage Dive Video from South Africa

Valerio Mengoli gives you the full great white cage diving experience through 

the use of three cameras.  Lot's of action in this video to get the heart racing!

Earlier this month we shared a fantastic photo sent to us by Valerio Mengoli who went on a great white shark cage dive in Mossel Bay South Africa in August 2014.

Well at the time, he promised he would give us a headsup about a video he was putting together and we are happy to share it with you now.

Valerio does a great job of letting you experience the entire dive trip, from arriving at the boat to actually getting face to face with the great whites both above and below the water line.

Disturbing Video of a Hammerhead Shark Being Dragged Alive Thought Streets in Brazil

This video was shot at Praia do Cristo in Salvador, Brazil. It was posted on Facebook by Jheny P. and she states that the hammerhead had washed ashore at Praia do Cristo (Beach of the Christ).

Sadly, the hammerhead shark is very much alive as it is dragged behind a tractor though the streets presumably to a facility where it will be butchered for food.

Video: Great White Shark at Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey California

Talk about getting something on video that is not seen everyday...or for that matter, maybe never.  A juvenile great white shark was spotted cruising around the Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey California and fortunately for us, it was captured on video.

According to the date/time stamp, the shark was spotted on Monday, 06 October 2014 at 3:30pm.

The video was taken by diver Patrick Anders Webster using a GoPro camera and it is a quick 28 seconds in length.

UPDATE 1:  Numerous posters on our FB page are commenting that the shark doesn't appear well and that its tail section is notably down.

Sandy Kinne commented the following:
"This is a juvenile great white. I studied these gorgeous creatures in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He clearly has injuries sustained most likely from other sharks & or seals. He is not in good shape."

Great White Shark Bites a Second Great White in a Territorial Display

Great white shark bites second great white in territorial display - from Russell Gordon video

Diving enthusiast Russell Gordon has captured some amazing video of a great white attacking a second great white in an apparent territorial display.

Brief glimpse of the injury

The incredible footage was shot during a a dive at Neptune Islands in South Australia late last year but Russell just posted the footage online.

Russel explains in the narrative that the video is "unique because neither shark has been influenced by bait."

In posting the video, Russell hopes that "people find this video interesting and [that] it contributes to understanding the complex behaviours of this wonderful and important species."

Anglers Rescued After Great White Nearly Sinks Kayak

A group of kayakers are reporting two harrowing encounters with a great white shark at Point Arguello which is approximately 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, California.

According to KEYT News, a group of kayak anglers where fishing on Friday afternoon when their kayak was struck by a great white shark. The group put out a radio distress call and a nearby sport fishing boat, operated by Lou and Charles Christman, responded to the scene. When the two rescuers arrived on scene, they found one kayaker clinging to his damaged kayak.  They pulled him and two other anglers into the boat along with their kayaks and safely took them to shore.

Video: Diver Crusises Along with Bullhead Shark

What a great video of a Port Jackson shark (from the bullhead shark family).  This freediver captures some excellent video of this shark swimming at full stride in Gordon's Bay in Sydney, Australia. And although the diver is swimming behind the shark, he has his GoPro camera extended in front of the moving shark.

Bullhead sharks are bottom-dwellers and are known for being somewhat clumsy swimmers compared to many of their counterparts.  As you can clearly see in the video, they do not move about as graceful as most sharks but instead they tend to wiggle as they swim. The sharks are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and their diet consists of mollusks, crabs, and sea urchins.

Photo: Face to Face with Great White During South African Cage Dive

Photo sent to us by Valerio Mengoli. ‎Face to face with a great white during a cage dive in Mossel bay South Africa. Photo from August 2014 trip.

Surfer Loses Arm in Western Australia Shark Attack

Wylie Bay 

A 23-year-old surfer suffered severe injuries in a shark attack in the town of Esperance on Western Australia's remote southern coast. The surfer, who has been identified by police as Sean Pollard, had part of one arm torn off and lost his other hand in the suspected great white shark attack.

The attack occurred at an unpatroled beach near Wylie Bay Beach at around 11:30am on Thursday 2 October 2014. The victim was surfing alone but reports state that his girlfriend was present at the beach.

Mr. Pollard was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and is listed in critical condition.

The shark response unit from the Department of Fisheries responded to the scene and subsequently caught a 3 to 4 1/2 meter great white shark. They had been seeking permission from the federal government to destroy the shark in order to examine its contents but the shark died while on the drum line. At this time, it is unknown if this shark was responsible for the attack.

Area beaches have been closed and are expected to stay closed for several days.

[UPDATE: ABC- TV is reporting that Mr Pollard told authorities he was attacked by two bronze whaler sharks in a feeding frenzy.]

[UPDATE 10/04: Bite marks in Sean Pollard’s surfboard likely from great white shark]

Photo credit

News Accounts: 
• Esperance shark attack: surfer has arm, torn off at Wylie Bay - ABC 7 News
• Shark attack near Esperance - The Western Australian
• Shark attack: Man injured at Esperance beach - Perth Now

Video: Teaser for the Documentary Oceanminded Featuring Hanli Prinsloo

Teaser for the documentary Oceanminded which features Hanli Prinsloo and her friends on a freediving adventure along the coast of South Africa and Mozambique.

As can be seen in this screenshot, Hanli, who is an 11 times South African freediving record holder, feels comfortable freediving with all types of sharks including great whites.

Video: Watch a Drawing Unfold of a Scuba Diver Selfie with Great White in the Background

Thank you to Liam Hudson for sending us this video of him drawing a scuba diver selfie with a great white shark lurking in the background.

Very cool to watch the drawing come alive. The video is 5 minutes in length - Enjoy!!

You can check out Liam on his Youtube Channel.

Digital Host Alex Farnham Dives With Tiger Shark To Overcome His Fear

Alexander Dane Farnham is the host of a Discovery Network digital program entitled Animalist News, which airs on Youtube.com and on the website Revision 3.  In a recent episode, Alex tackled a lifelong fear and went diving with the one type of shark he feared most, the tiger shark.

In the video intro, he states that he was absolutely terrified of tiger sharks and viewed them as the meanest of the mean. But with a strong desire to overcome his fear, Alex descended into the Hawaiian waters with a group of experienced shark divers and met his toothy fear head on all without the safety of a shark cage.

Video: Very Close Call While Hand Feeding Shark in Australia

In this July 2011 'look-back' video, we see a guy have a very close call 

while hand feeding a shark  from the Australian shoreline.

There's a reason that when you go to a national park you are inundated with signs that say don't feed the animals. It doesn't take a lot of forethought to imagine what would happen if a grizzly bear became accustomed to being fed by humans.  The association may very well prove to be harmful for someone down the road.

The same argument can be made for feeding sharks. Not only are you putting yourself in immediate danger as is the case in this video, but you are getting the shark used to associating humans with a free feed.