Posted by Captain Tim on August 24, 2003 at 21:15:24:
In Reply to: Re: Question for Captain Tim posted by stephen Clark on August 21, 2003 at 17:23:19:
I have had several encounters with sharks. The first was many, many years ago off of Scotchman's Cove (find that one). I had a stringer of bass and something tugged at it. I looked down and had about a 3 foot blue chomping on the fish. After that, and to this day, I always carry my fish, I never attach it to my weight belt.
A few years latter I was diving on the "Vision" at night, alone, and a diver pasted me hell bent for leather. I thought this strange, but did not care, as I was "bug hunting". Well things soon changed. Shortly there after I was hit by something big. It knocked my light out of my hand. I thought it was a large harbor seal. Then something hit me again. This time I saw a huge fin moving back and forth leaving me. I knew it was a shark. I dove down into the rocks and stayed there until I was just about out of air. Then I put my light on my gauges and went back to the "Vision". They thought I was dead. The other diver came up with a bloody shoulder. Apparently the shark was "bumping us" and there was still blood in the water when I showed up.
About 8 years ago now, I was diving Farnsworth Banks with a friend, Mark Dodson, and we were diving at around 115 feet. As we explored the reef I saw a huge fish moving towards us. When I first saw it, I thought it was a "torpedo Ray", then I thought a Marlin, then I thought, "Oh Shit". It was a "Great White" of about 12 feet. I pointed the beast out to Mark, but he never saw it. Then it moved off into the water and that's when I got nervous, as I could not see it. We turned and headed back to the boat along the bottom. I tried not to look back but had too. We found the anchor and I looked up hoping not to see the shark. We went up, with Mark getting on the boat first. I never looked down, but got on the boat as fast as I ever did, and did not feel safe until I was on the deck.
We made a night dive that night, but aborted, as we both we preoccupied by the shark.
Now please remember I have made over 4000 dives. I have seen 4 sharks. Had a close encounter once. It will not stop me from diving, and it should not you. If you are lucky you will get the chance to see a shark up close.
Also a couple of years ago I was doing shark expeditions with the cage and the whole bit. Hollywood is much better than the real thing.
Captain Tim