An Unusual Great White Attack Close To Shore

Sadly the news reported that the 66 year old retired veterinarian training for a triathlon was attacked and killed by a probable great white shark. This is upsetting on quite a few levels.

Someone died. Many people think that a shark attack means sure death, but that's not so. It just depends on how large the shark was (how big the bite), where they bit, and if they left the person go right away or whipped them around while biting.

This attack was shocking in that the person died on the beach from blood loss. Usually that doesn't happen, even with leg bites. They estimate it was probably a 12-17 foot great white shark. It attacked directly blow, which is the modus operandi (the way they do things) for great white attacks. They come from directly below, bite the seal and continue to fly up in the air due to the power of their swim to attack.

When you go swimming in the ocean, you swim in a group of people as you're less likely to be attacked. Plus you don't go too far out where the big sharks are, like great whites. Tigers and bull sharks can hang close to beaches and attack, but not great whites. The fact that he was in the middle of 9 swimmers, all knew how to swim and were training for a triathlon hence no ill fish swimming sounds, and was attacked is unusual. Normally it's one person on their own that is picked off.

But great white sharks do eat seals and seals are usually in groups. Really it could have been any one of the swimmers attacked. But the great white went directly for the middle of the pack to make sure he got something in case the seals noticed him and started scattering. Your safety in packs depends on the shark attacking. Unfortunately for this amazing man, he was smack in the middle of the group of swimmers.

It is just so unusual for a great white shark to attack this close to shore. They are out farther. Especially the big ones. The attack wasn't that far out as they got him to shore quickly, but the shark bit, let go and probably severed arteries in both legs at once. You can bleed to death very quickly in that case.

This will surely prompt Jaws watching in the next few weeks. Fewer people may go in the water. More people may call for great whites to be killed. These sharks are protected in California waters.

It is a horrible attack and I feel the pain of his death. I just hope this doesn't scare people out of the water permanently or start them on shark witch hunts.