Re: [Paddlewise] Sunshine State Sharks

Very well stated, Mark.

I share the same coast and the same exact view, never could I have voiced it
as well.










on 9/1/2000 9:31 AM, Mark Paxton at paxtonm_at_hotmail.com wrote:

> As tragic as it is to read of someone losing his life to a shark, it's also
> an opportunity to reflect on our place in one of the planet's last true
> wildernesses.  I live and float in what the media love to luridly describe
> as "the Red Triangle," an area of Central California noted for its healthy
> population of pinnipeds and (consequently) great white sharks.  Attacks are
> extremely rare, fatalities rarer.  The animals clearly don't regard humans
> as a prey species, but occasionally mistakes will happen.  Thanks to their
> habit of biting and releasing prey, only to return for feeding when the
> animal has bled to death, people are usually able to escape.  Great whites
> frequently show scarring on and around their eyes from encounters with seals
> and sea lions, so their caution appears warranted.
> 
> We are the apex predator, and knowing that there's an animal in the vicinity
> -- Alaskan brown bear, shark -- that may mistake us for food alters our
> perspective subtly but profoundly.  Most animals live with constant
> awareness of predation.  Sometimes, we're lucky enough to feel the shadow of
> that ourselves.
> 
> Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
> http://profiles.msn.com.
> 
> 
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