Great White stalks canoeist

[Dion]

Alone in his tiny plastic sea kayak, marine biologist Trey Snow had hoped to stealthily track a great white shark. But he had the shock of his life when he spotted a giant fin and realised it was he who was being stalked - by surely one of the most feared killers in the world.

The magnificent creature initially dived to the seabed, inspecting the kayak from below, before rising menacingly to the surface. Luckily for Trey, the 13ft-long shark was more inquisitive than hungry.





Trey was just one of a team of scientists hoping to discover why a large group of great whites, which travel off southern Africa's tip during the summer, regularly swim so close to the beaches.

They decided to venture into the deep blue in the quietest and most unobtrusive vessel they could think of - a bright yellow sea kayak. Amazingly the sharks carried on as normal, giving the scientists a unique insight into their lives.

This incredible picture was taken by wildlife photographer Thomas Peschak - who had to tie himself to the high bridge of a nearby vessel and lean precariously over the ocean before he could get his shot.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

[JohnnyB]

Hmm, I have often seen that pic on the web and in email forwards, but until know I never really knew whether or not it was real. Interesting to know the background on it.

[McG]

my fave line is on the lolcats thread...

john felt something was wrong...had he left the iron on?

[FurnaceFace]

Having gone on a couple of trips with the Shark Research Institute (www.sharks.org), it's been beaten into me it's a White Shark. There is no such thing as a Great White Shark as there is no Lesser White Shark, it's a single genus. Think JAWS - Just A White Shark.

The article also bothers me as it's a bit sensational with the "menacing" and "more inquisitive than hungry" comments. Contrary to popular belief, sharks are actually very safe if you're not being stupid about it.

Anyway, this would have been super cool to have witnessed as it won't be that long until sharks are a rare commodity unless practices change.

[icarus]

Looks like False Bay, where I have gone surfing and diving many times...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by icarus

Looks like False Bay, where I have gone surfing and diving many times...

In Vancouver? I dont know about you, but I've been there a lot, no surfing whatsoever and the water is nowhere near as blue and clear. It usually has dead bodies floating in it.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Locke

In Vancouver? I dont know about you, but I've been there a lot, no surfing whatsoever and the water is nowhere near as blue and clear. It usually has dead bodies floating in it.

South Africa

[HalifaxDrunk]

Here is a link to an article the picture is from. It ran in the September 2005 Africa Geographic. The picture was a 2 page spread.

LINK

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Locke

In Vancouver? I dont know about you, but I've been there a lot, no surfing whatsoever and the water is nowhere near as blue and clear. It usually has dead bodies floating in it.

not False Creek; False Bay is outside Cape Town

[Russic]

I love sharks and feel we must do more to protect them. That being said if I was in the kayak I would have been sobbing and urinating in fear. I'm fully aware shark behavior isn't nearly as indiscriminately aggressive as most think, but that is something I could never bring myself to do.

furnaceface: very interesting . . . have you seen white sharks on your trips?

edit: the lolcats caption that mcg posted was absolutely hilarious.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Wow, if that was me in the Kayak, I would be screaming like a girl and paddling at lightspeed towards shore. Sharks fasicnate and I would love to see them up close in a shark cage but being stuck in a kayak like that with that thing behind me would reduce to me a quivering mess.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by Russic

furnaceface: very interesting . . . have you seen white sharks on your trips?

Not yet, haven't been lucky enough.

I've seen various reef sharks, mako, dogfish, petted nurse sharks, and just 3 weeks ago was on the Whale Shark expedition (pdf link) with SRI. Super awesome amazing experiencing swimming with these big fish. The ones in the Sea of Cortez are not the largest, JUST up to about 7 meters (the largest can be double that!).

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Not yet, haven't been lucky enough.

I've seen various reef sharks, mako, dogfish, petted nurse sharks, and just 3 weeks ago was on the Whale Shark expedition (pdf link) with SRI. Super awesome amazing experiencing swimming with these big fish. The ones in the Sea of Cortez are not the largest, JUST up to about 7 meters (the largest can be double that!).

..And here I am stuck in Edmonton...time to get out and see the world. That is awesome.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

..And here I am stuck in Edmonton...time to get out and see the world. That is awesome.

you've got Penguins at the mall!!

[icarus]

Originally Posted by icarus

Looks like False Bay, where I have gone surfing and diving many times...

Turns out it was in Shark Bay, just a little way along the coast.

[SarichFan]

Originally Posted by looooob

you've got Penguins at the mall!!

and like 4 Palm tree's!

[Russic]

wow, i would kill to swim with a whale shark. my only shark experiences are fishing off the west coast and catching what felt like 1000 dogfish over the course of two days. The boat captain called it "incredibly odd" and I called it BS.

[Flame On]

I would soil myself, that's a beast! (not that i wish it ill)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

not False Creek; False Bay is outside Cape Town

Now thats an important distinction.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by SarichFan

and like 4 Palm tree's!

You could take a tour of the Canadian Navy Submarines!!!