[Paddlewise] Shark "expert" idiot (was Bear idiot)

> From: "Rev. Bob Carter" <revkayak_at_aptalaska.net>

>     Most of us up here in Alaska familar with Treadwell figured that
> eventually he would be mauled and killed by a bear. "That guy is nuts" was the
> comment I kept hearing about him. He anthropomorphized the bears and treated
> them like "his buddies"rather than for what they were,  wild animals.

Same with a world-famous "shark expert" by the name of Dr. Erich 
Ritter. He had similar ideas about swimming with bull sharks until
he was attacked.  However, he did survive the attack.  Nasty wounds. 
Not sure if he's changed his research methods. See "Shark expert 
seriously injured by shark in Bahamas" at:

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/15457/story.htm

btw, the description that the water was murky is wrong.  I saw the 
footage of the actual attack during Discovery's "Sharkweek."  The 
water was quite clear.  Other shark researchers commented it was 
"a matter of time."

"But Dr. Sam Gruber, a University of Miami shark expert
who worked with Ritter in the 1990s, said Ritter's methods
were not accepted by the scientific community and called
him "an accident waiting to happen."

jackie
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************