Re: [Paddlewise] Sharks

Peter Treby wrote:

> Just grazed onto this:
> http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/unprovoked_kayaker.htm
> There is another shark attack on a kayak recorded in "Deep Trouble". 
> They all seem to involve short kayaks. Does anyone know of a shark 
> attack on a long sea kayak, a boat say 5 metres long? I am hoping the 
> Noahs know that a longer boat is not worth test biting!
>
Hi Peter,

What's interesting about this site, is that finally ISAF has removed Roy 
J. Stoddard's name from the list of shark attack fatalities off the 
California Coast which they had included for several years after a 
puzzling incident that occurred in 1989.  
http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/fatal_attacks.htm

Stoddard was out paddling with Tamara McCallister on a day in January in 
1989, reportedly not dressed for cold water.  When their kayaks were 
found tied together, lodged in rocks offshore (as I recall) and  
McCallister's body was found floating offshore (Stoddard was never 
found), author, John McKosker, conjured up a scenario for his new book 
where a huge great white may have attacked Tamara then swallowed 
Stoddard whole when he came to her rescue.  In 1996, I wrote George 
Burgess (director of ISAF based at the Florida Museum of Natural History 
and who is often called on by the media about recent shark attacks) 
several emails presenting an argument against McCosker's claim. 
 Evaluations by local expert kayakers who inspected the damaged kayaks 
were ignored.  What McCosker described in his book was not logical and 
seemed sensational (McCosker was finalizing his book about great whites 
at the time of the supposed attacks and added this wild tale just before 
it went to the publisher and convinced Burgess the two kayakers should 
be entered into the ISAF).  

What has been described as "evidence" that McCallister was killed by a 
shark were six bite wounds (the largest being 13 inches across... hardly 
the size of a shark to swallow a man whole), abrasions on her hands 
"such as would be seen from someone fighting off a shark" wrote Burgess, 
and no water in her lungs indicating that she did not drown.  There were 
too many other questions about this incident, however, for me to be 
convinced of McCosker's theory.  I believe McAllister received what is 
known as "test bites" after she succumbed to hypothermia.  I think the 
hand abrasions came from either attempting to climb back into her kayak 
while suffering hypothermia or possibly while attempting to hold onto 
rocks.   The seasoned California kayakers who viewed the kayaks 
suspected a California grey whale may have caused the damage to the 
fiberglass kayak and possibly resulted in the two kayakers taking an 
unplanned swim. McCallister and Stoddard were paddling in an area where 
grey whales were known to travel during that time of year.  Neither was 
prepared for a swim to shore in January water temps.

A few years ago, a woman was paddling a Scupper, I think, at the mouth 
of the Russian river when a great white came up from beneath and knocked 
her out of the kayak.  There were witnesses to this event.  She was 
unharmed.  I don't think you can rule out any length as fishing boats 
have been attacked by sharks.  The thing to keep in mind is that *any* 
attack is so rare an occurrence, scientists can't establish a pattern to 
warn you about what creates a threat.  

Jackie
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