From: chalup@presto.ig.com (Michael Chalup)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Shark Hunt -- Sharks common in Hawaii?
Date: 23 Nov 92 03:07:23 GMT
Organization: IntelliGenetics, Inc., Mountain View, California USA

In article <1992Nov19.165621.15427@sequent.com> kene@sequent.com (Ken Ewing) writes:
>In article <1992Nov19.141347.18450@newssun.med.miami.edu> dbrown@newssun.med.miami.edu (Daniel Brown) writes:
>>
>>There have been references to shark attacks here, but I haven't heard 

>
>said that there are two things in Hawaii that exist is large numbers 
>and that the press is "forbidden" to talk about:  huge cockroaches, 
>and sharks.  Exactly how the press is "forbidden" is not clear to me, 
>but they are dissuaded from reporting on the prevalence of these 
>things because doing so would hurt the tourist industry.  
>
>My friend told me how one time she was swimming off the beach and 
>her hand actually hit the back of a shark swimming under her.  She 
>had noticed a number of grey shapes beneath her, but had just thought 
>that these were rocks on the bottom.  Once she realized that these 
>really were sharks, she immediately left the water.  It was then that 
>her Hawaiian friends told there that sharks were common, but that 
>they weren't talked about because it would scare away the tourists.  
>
>Now, having never been to Hawaii myself (outside of the airport), 
>I might need my understanding corrected.  Let me know if that's the case.  
>
>  Ken Ewing 

Greatly exagerated (the sharks, but not the roaches).  I made 300+
dives over six years in Hawaii (1981-1987), most islands.  Many were
research dives when I was working as a research assistant at the
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (any current or ex-HIMB'ers out
there?).  Except for a couple of small white tips at Molokini and
maybe Kona I never saw a shark during that time.  I did know a couple
of spear fishing folk who got into some isolated problems with sharks.
But at least for unprovoked attacks on divers who weren't spear
fishing, no incidents.  In-water shark spottings were rare.  The
greatest danger to divers was probably their ignorance of local
conditions;  when high surf would make an otherwise safe dive site
deadly.

Yes, there are sharks in Hawaii waters.  Tiger sharks and hammerheads
are present.  Certain factors or particular ocean locations can
increase the potential for problems; spear fishing in murky water was
cited in a report of attacks through the early 1980's for more than
one event.  The recent attacks on a swimmer on Maui and surfers on
Oahu are disturbing.  But unless there has been a RADICAL change since
I left, shark problems are very rare, especially considering the
number people involved with water sports and commerical marine
activities.

Why the recent rise in shark problems?  Pollution?  Food web
imbalance?  Some subtle change associated with the physical
oceanographic conditions?  I'm dubious that an eradication program can
catch only the 'bad' sharks, making the waters 'safe'.  A concerted
enough effort probably can distroy the shark population with other
detrimental effects.  I'm curious if any of the scientific or
govermental institutions in Hawaii are lending support to this program.


				Aloha,
				Mike Chalup
				IntelliGenetics, Inc. 
				Internet: chalup@presto.ig.com