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More shark incidents reported this season
May 22nd, 2009, 8:11 am · 13 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
After posting a blog yesterday of a thresher shark being caught off the Huntington Beach pier, I hit up shark expert Ralph Collier with the Shark Research Committee to tell me more about the sharks’ patterns along California’s beaches.
He confirmed the shark in the photo is a thresher shark. He said they aren’t usually found in close, inshore waters - but have been known to venture close to shore while feeding on bait fish.
“There have been several Thresher Shark incidents reported to me this year, which is uncommon for this species,” he said.
He said that to date this year, there have been 45 shark-related incidents reported to the Shark Research Committee, compared with 17 for the same period in 2008.
He said it’s impossible to tell whether this is an artifact of more incidents, or simply more individuals reporting. That number also includes the number of dead pinnipeds and other marine mammals that have washed ashore.
“There might have been the same number of predatory incidents during 2008, but most were either not observed or not reported,” he wrote in an e-mail.
In case you missed it, the original blog got a ton of response, with nearly 450 people voting in a poll and about 30 people debating whether it’s right to catch such an amazing fish. Check it out.
More happenings on Orange County beaches from the Beach Blog:
Spring Fever Surfabout contest
Lifeguards warn of rip currents during holiday weekend
Newport Harbor takes home the win at Red Bull contest
13 Comments
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kill the sharks this aint no tommy cod in a sun pond—-we’re shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarkin
I just saw a very large Thresher Shark which was caught Thursday. It appeared to be 12-15 feet long (excluding the tail) and was laid across the stern of what had to be a 18 foot boat at the Dana Point Harbor boat launch near the Jolly Rogers restaurant at about 4:30 p.m.
Who cares - it’s the ocean, it’s supposed to have sharks in it.
In late summer of I believe 05′ or 06′ I was surfing solid 8 foot river jetties and this guy on a kayak pulled a thresher shark out of the water fishing.. I would say it was about two feet and 50 lbs larger than this… Thresher sharks are bottom feeders.. But do have TEETH and will bite if provoked..
this is why i stay on the sand
How is this an incident? When did catching a shark become an incident? Article lead makes it sound like people are being attacked.
That would be good with a nice chianti……fffftt……fffftttt……ffffftttt….ffffttt
Leave the sharks alone! Respect it! Right away people want to kill the sharks… remember the ocean is their house! Peace Out!
Actually Thresher is a pretty tasty fish. A little olive oil and basil, throw it on the grill!
More sharks please
We’re gonna need a bigger boat!!!
Its been a few years since i have been to this restaurant Rusty Pelican in Newport Beach but they had a dish called Shark Fire Pot , Thresher with Cajun Spice, best fish i have ever had !
im thinking of moving to the west coast from the east coast and i want to know how mnay shark sightings and attacks have occured this year. where were the sightings and attacks.