LAT: Do great white sharks hate kayaks?

[Mongo Johnson]

Op-ed bit off the LAT. A bit of tongue in cheek, teeth in boat humor . . . ?

Maybe just a grin. Sharin'.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,4833365.story

Do great white sharks hate kayaks?
By Paul Whitefield
1:28 PM PDT, July 9, 2012


Who says California is more laid-back than the East Coast? Just take a look at the sharks cruising off the respective coasts.

Over the weekend, a great white shark guesstimated at 14 to 18 feet attacked a fisherman’s kayak off Santa Cruz, biting the front end and throwing the man into the water. He was rescued unharmed but with quite a story to tell.

That same day in the waters off Cape Cod, another great white -- estimated at 12 to 14 feet (are you sensing a pattern here?) -- cruised up to a man in a kayak. But there was no chomping of plastic. No tossing anyone into the water. Just a lot of excitement from beachgoers.
So clearly, in this modern-day “West Side Story,” our sharks are much tougher than their sharks.

But the bigger question might be: Why do sharks hate kayaks?

I think the government needs to fund some research into this. It wouldn’t cost that much, and it could be a job creator. Buy a few kayaks at Sport Chalet, recruit a few volunteers (teenagers need summer jobs, after all) and haul them down to the beach. Have them paddle around. When a shark shows up, observe what happens.

(Oh, and make sure the volunteers have smartphones so they can record videos of any attacks. Also make sure the volunteers sign over all rights to said videos to the researchers. I saw “Endless Summer.” There are big bucks in low-budget filmmaking if the subject matter is enticing enough.)
Something I’ve noticed -- and modesty aside, I’m a bit of a shark expert, having seen “Jaws” several times -- is that the kayak in the Santa Cruz attack was yellow, while the one that wasn't attacked off Cape Cod was blue. Clearly researchers will need to buy both colors; straws can be drawn by the volunteers to determine who gets the yellow kayaks.

Finally -- in true liberal nanny-state style, but with a Republican twist -- I want our lawmakers to step up to the plate. We need protection from these deadly toothy fish.

So why not take a page out of North Carolina’s playbook and have the Legislature pass a law forbidding shark attacks in the waters off California?
Also, suspend the sale of kayaks until we find out why sharks hate them.

At least the yellow ones.

Originally Posted by Mongo Johnson

I’m a bit of a shark expert, having seen “Jaws” several times --

[lowprofile]

our sharks aren't tougher, they just haven't found the seals at la jolla yet so they're hungrier. some east coasters found the mother load. some 300,000 snack size fur bags.

[Chief Gunner]

All the the colors they make yaks in these days like "Yum Yum Yellow", "Mango", "Cherry Red" and some of the other bright one's out there remind me of a bag of Skittles....no wonder why they seem to appeal to GWS's; Sooner or later they will figure out that there is something softer on the other side of that hard candy colored shell.... Just like us they learn through trial and error



FYI for those who might be thinking they might want to have a way to repel Sharks; The Navy has used Sea Dye Markers with chemicals in them that repel Sharks for years. Every Sailor and Marine aboard Ships has a life Jacket assigned to them with the shark repelling dye pacs attatched to them. They have been studied and proven to work at the tax payers expense.

There is a place that sells a version of the pacs to civilians here;http://www.adventuresurvivalequipmen...repellent.html

[wiredantz]

ill just carry my knfe, at least i can tickle the shark to death

[tacmik]

Best shark repellent I have found. A picture of my mother in law glued to the bottom of my yack.

[dorado50]

I don't thnk gws have feelings,therefore,they can not "hate'. However their main purpose is to eat and breed. Alas,kayaking is not for everyone....

[Chief Gunner]

Originally Posted by tacmik

Best shark repellent I have found. A picture of my mother in law glued to the bottom of my yack.

LOL ; Classic right there! I for one, will never let oversized Guppie's with teeth and attitudes ever keep me from getting out on the water in the PA.

[taggermike]

I think it all comes down to numbers. There a way more kayaks in all waters of the nation then there were just a few years ago. More kayaks equals more chances for a yakker to cross paths with a white shark. Think of every yakker as a roll of the dice. More yaks, more rolls, and the chances improve. Mike

[maui jim]

Just talk nice to them.... you know like the "Grizzley Man" did....it worked for years until his girlfriend started nagging in that shrill voice......

Make sure to use a stern tone..... just my opinion...