- Dear Jeff,
-
- I hope this email finds you well. I just returned from
Guadalupe Island. I was attempting to study target and color discrimination
with the local white shark population. Unfortunately these tests were impractical
due to very poor weather conditions. I'll try again in a month or two.
-
- There was a white shark attack on a young surfer at Pismo
Beach while I was away. I did speak with Ben Ikola yesterday regarding
his incident. Thankfully, he was not injured by the shark. The following
is a synopsis of the attack:
-
- Pismo Beach Shark Attack
-
- On Saturday, October 2, 2004, at 3:30 PM, Ben Ikola and
his cousin, Jon, were surfing off Pismo Beach, 150 yards south of the pier
and 50 - 60 yards from the beach. They had attempted to surf Oceano for
about 30 minutes, but the wave conditions were not conducive for good surfing.
They walked north to an area near the pier. They had been in the water
about 15 minutes. The sky was clear and water visibility poor with a depth
of 4 - 5 feet. Although pinnipeds are known to frequent the area, none
were observed in the water.
-
- They had ridden 2 or 3 waves and were heading back out
to the lineup. Ben recalled: "I was lying on my stomach moving through
the waves. My board began to shake for two or three seconds and I felt
something brush up against my leg. Then my board suddenly flipped forward
and I was tossed into the water. I saw a dorsal fin sticking out of the
water right next to me and I began kicking. I got back up on my board and
yelled to Jon. We both went ashore. I did not see the shark again."
-
- Damage to the surfboard's bottom consisted of several
lower jaw tooth impressions that are identifiable as belonging to a 3 meter
white shark. Caution should be exercised when using this location for your
ocean water activities. Please report any shark encounters or sightings
to the Shark Research Committee.
-
- Large white sharks are known to frequent this area and
have been involved in numerous encounters and several attacks over the
years, including the fatal attack last year on Deborah Franzman at Avila
Beach, which is located 6 miles north of Pismo Beach. The Port San Luis
and Pismo Beach authorities have closed all beaches through the Columbus
Day weekend. If there are no further sightings or encounters they will
reopen this Monday, October 11, 2004.
-
- Since January there have been six unprovoked white shark
attacks on humans reported from the Pacific Coast of North America. California
has recorded five with one fatal and Oregon one non-fatal attack on a surfer.
Of the 13 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks reported since 2000, eight
(62%) have occurred during the three month period of August, September,
and October.
-
- I will keep you posted on any further events along our
coast. I wish you well in your quest for truth.
-
- Best Regards,
-
- Ralph S. Collier
- Shark Research Committee
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