Salmon shark washes ashore on Samoa spit
Juvenile salmon shark
Sometimes mistaken for “baby great whites,” deceased juvenile salmon sharks wash up on our shores. This poor guy was spotted near the North Jetty today.
Thank you!
Big thanks to all of those who came out to Ocean Night! If you missed it, Bird Ally X, working in conjunction with Humboldt Wildlife Care Center, did a great presentation on the summer’s oiled pelican crisis. Read all about it, starting here.
We also announced the great news that Gov. Brown signed AB 376, the bill making it illegal to sell, trade or possess shark fins! Full story here.
Do you have suggestions for the next surf movie? Let us know in the comments!
2010 shark attack stats
From the Shark Research Committee:
There were 7 authenticated unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific Coast of North America during 2010. There were 5 attacks (1 fatal) from California and 2 from Oregon.
The attacks were distributed in the following months:
- July (2),
- August (2),
- September (1)
- October (2).
From 2000 to the present, of 56 total reported shark attacks, 28 (50%), occurred during the months August (10), September (8), or October (10).
If we use the Southern Santa Barbara County line as a division between Southern and Central California, 1 of the reported attacks occurred in Southern California with the remaining 4 north of the division line. Both Oregon shark attack locations were about midway between the California and Washington borders at Winchester Bay and the Siuslaw River.
Activities of the victims were:
- 3 Surfing,
- 2 Kayaking,
- 1 Paddle-Boarder,
- 1 Boogie Boarder (fatal).
The Great White Shark,Carcharodon carcharias, was positively identified or highly suspect in all 7 of the attacks.
The publication “Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century” authenticated 108 unprovoked shark attacks from the Pacific Coast between 1900 and 1999. The Great White Shark was implicated in 94 (87%) of the 108 confirmed attacks with an annual average of slightly more than one shark attack per year.
The 7 cases reported for 2010 brings the total number of unprovoked shark attacks occurring along the West Coast during the first decade of the 21st Century to 56. This is more than five times the Twentieth Century annual average and represents 52% of the total number of attacks reported for the entire Twentieth Century. The Great White Shark has been implicated in 48 (86%) of the 56 attacks reported during this Century. There have been 164 authenticated unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific Coast of North America since 1900. The Great White Shark was positively identified or highly suspect in 142 (87%) of the 164 reported cases.
Victim activity for the 56 unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific Coast since 2000 are distributed in the following groups; surfers 38 (68%) of the documented attacks with 5 swimmers (9%), 5 kayakers (9%), 3 divers (5%), 3 paddle boarders (5%), and 1 boogie boarder (2%). The number of adult, sub-adult, and juvenile Great White Sharks observed in Southern California during 2010 seems to support the contention that there is a possible change in their population dynamics and seasonal site preferences. The number of stranded marine mammal carcasses reported, specifically their location and time of year, would seem to support this observation. The Shark Research Committee will continue to closely monitor this activity.
Ocean news clips
From the Baltimore Sun
Orphaned animals struggle in oil disaster (Baltimore Sun)
The smallest victims are the biggest challenge for crews rescuing birds fouled with oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill.
Oil disaster not sparking change (WaPo)
Traditionally, American environmentalism wins its biggest victories after some important piece of American environment is poisoned, exterminated or set on fire. An oil spill and a burning river in 1969 led to new anti-pollution laws in the 1970s. The Exxon Valdez disaster helped create an Earth Day revival in 1990 and sparked a landmark clean-air law. But this year, the worst oil spill in U.S. history — and, before that, the worst coal-mining disaster in 40 years — haven’t put the same kind of drive into the debate over climate change and fossil-fuel energy.
Wild fish, farmed fish (NPR)
He says people need to understand that every time they eat a fish that wasn’t farmed, they are eating a wild animal, and the problem with wild fishing is that it isn’t sustainable on a large, commercial scale. And things are only getting worse. A study by the World Health Organization found that the world has doubled its per capita fish consumption over the past 50 years and, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, we now harvest about 90 million tons of wild fish and shellfish from the ocean every year.
Sharks eating sharks (Discovery)
One of the most extensive studies on the diets of deepwater sharks reveals these toothy animals may eat everything from discards tossed off commercial fishing vessels to other sharks.
Ocean news: Shark riding, whale killing, environmental oversight (or lack of), endless oil
From the Honolulu Advertiser, a wild shark tale (no surfers injured in this one, although a board sustained serious damage).
While on the shark’s back, he decided it would probably be a good idea to detach himself from the board, which was still in the shark’s mouth, he said.
L.A. Times evaluates the IWC’s plan to allow commercial whaling.
It says in essence that all a nation has to do to escape the commission’s official disapproval is refuse to cooperate long and hard enough.
NPR reports Gulf oil spill much worse than previously disclosed (with audio/video).
The amount of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico may be at least 10 times the size of official estimates, according to an exclusive analysis conducted for N
From the Washington Post, news that the Mineral Management Services agency reform is in the works per Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
He planned to split the section that ensures energy companies comply with federal safety and environmental laws from the part that reaps billions in drilling royalties each year. [emphasis ours]
They’re doing their part to look environmental, but they need you to meet them halfway and believe they’re environmental.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLIbIdgrIaE]
Volunteer for “Oceans”!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwxZuKErHs8]
We have a rare opportunity to table at Broadway Cinema for the opening of Disney’s new, amazing ”Oceans” movie.
Volunteers are needed for the following times:
- Friday, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
- Saturday, 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. (movie plays at 11:45 a.m.)
All volunteers will receive a free pass to ”Oceans” as thanks! Email Jennifer at humboldt@surfrider.org ASAP to sign up! Thanks! And please check the movie out regardless – it’s supposed to be amazing! We really appreciate Coming Attractions‘ support!
9 Problems Destroying Our Ocean
At Huffington Post, a look at nine threats to the health of our seas.
Great whites near shore more often than believed
For years, humans have thought of great white sharks wandering the sea at random, only occasionally venturing close to shore. We were wrong.
Full story here.
More shark news, including photos of one breaching, here.
Enjoy!
White shark sighted at Camel
From the Camel Cam webpage via Bill Lydgate:
“Several people witnessed a 10-12 foot White shark swimming casually just south of the line up at Camel Rock at around 6 p.m. on Monday the 23rd. It was only seen once and while most of the 15-20 surfers in the water exited, several remained, but there was no further incident.”