September 6, 2007
Shark Activity Curtails Research Diving in Monterey Bay Area
In an unprecedented decision, a consortium of local organizations including Monterey Bay Aquarium, UC Santa Cruz, and Hopkins Marine Station have suspended diving at inshore areas in Monterey and Pacific Grove (PG), California. They are advising research divers to shift their dive activities away from these areas.
The decision came about after a great white sighting made by skin divers on Aug. 25 off PG, an attack on a surfer at Marina State Beach on Aug. 20, and critically injured pinnepeds being found at Hopkins (PG) and Lover's Cove (PG). As Steve Clabuesch, Diving Safely Office at UCSC's Long Marine Lab reports, "everyone is erring on the side of caution."
Not much is known about these magnificent animals, though it is known that this is the time of year they come back to Ano Nuevo and the Farallones (and presumably other inshore areas) to feed from wherever the heck they spend their time offshore. It is thought these are anomalous hits made while the sharks travel north to their preferred feeding areas. In any case, makes diving in these parts a bit more exciting.
Posted by Dida at September 6, 2007 10:30 AM
