Great White Sharks in Huntington Beach

I was born and raised in Southern California and I've been swimming in the coastal water off and on for all my life. In my teens and twenties, I was an avid scuba diver and I've had Blue Sharks about the same size as me check me out from 10 yards away, 60 ft down along the underwater face of the Catalina quarry. Definitely focuses your attention.

The simple fact is that Great White Sharks have been cruising the California coastline since forever and even sightings are rare. Every couple of years or so they bite someone. One out of millions in the water. The official statistic for ocean swimmers in California is one attack per 738 million beach visits. Surfing is crazy risky at a 1 in 17 million chance of attack. California traffic fatalities, however, are more like 1 in 12,500. Be safe, get out of the car and get into the water.

But those are just numbers. My life isn't numbers.

The truth is that when I've done a beach launch, and I'm actually out on the more or less open water, dangling, as it were, I often just stop and look around. The immensity and raw power of the ocean stops being an idea; it's a direct visceral experience. It's literally awe inspiring.

Having that experience be a regular part of my life now, is a direct result of getting into this great sport.

Out on the water, I can't help but feel pretty insignificant and I'm certainly aware that I'm not above being someone's lunch, but the reward is worth the risk to me.

The risk is ridiculously small and because I've never personally had any sort of bad encounter, it feels theoretical to me.

The reward, however, is tangible. That smile on my face is real.

A day on the ocean feels special to me and even though I know lots of guys never fish the salt, it will always feel like my home turf. I love it and I'm going to keep at it as long as I possibly can. Float tube fishing isn't just fun for me, it's become a deeply life affirming experience.

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I did hear about this very crazy. Of course this is nothing new. My first time in the salt was followed by a statmemt "don't worry about sharks they have already seen you ".

So it is just part of float tube fishing in the salt. For me though i have to say i draw the line at open water. Personally i don't feel comfortable witj fishing open waters. That is just me i really feel float tube fishing is a safe sport in the saltwater as long as you are aware of your surrounding and do what you need to to be safe. Ornery Bob i will give you the open water buddy have fun LOL.

As a SoCal born and raised surfer kid I can say I have seen plenty of ocean life from my surfboard or the beach. In the 70's I witnessed Killer Whales punt a few seals from the sand; that kept me out of the water for a day. I have surfed with pods of dolphins dropping in under me. Watched a baby seal take over a surfboard. I saw whales breach near White's Point. However, I have never seen a GreatWhite or a picture of them local until the ban on killing them. Now we get pictures and sightings every year. Last week somebody caught one estimated at 500 pounds in Surfside and a smaller one from Huntington Beach Pier. I had an experience in Surfside a few years back where I caught a glimpse of something huge break the surface about 100 yards out from me. I got out of the water and put Surfside on my no surfing list. Plenty of GW pups have been spotted there in the last two years.

I imagine we are going to see them more and more, it seems inevitable that several people will be injured or killed before we put them back on the sport fishing list. Furthermore, I don't think they are endangered at all and would enjoy some definitive proof that they need protection.

On a good note, so far my local lake has been free from shark sightings. 

This would be the 3rd juvenile great white caught by accident in the last month and this is becoming a more frequent occurance especially this last month on siting's as well as captures and people dragging these sharks out of the water . We must remember that these sharks are in fact endangered and we are required by law if we know for sure we hooked one of these sharks to cut the line and for no reason what so ever take it out of the water . The incident last week in Huntington Beach pier where 2 anglers captured and dragged a great white up the pier with a gaff for people to take pictures with on face book live was a tragedy and these anglers as well as others that have taken them out of the water will be punished with a min. fine of $10,000 and jail time once caught .  We know there out there and people need to respect that we are in there territory  .. so sad here is the story from the pier catch Viewer discretion is advised   [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wes