Swimming with sharks
March 6, 2014 11:36 AM Subscribe
"It was really great to see them in such large numbers here."
To paraphrase Douglas Adams, Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'great' to mean surrounded by 100 hammerhead sharks that I wasn't previously aware of.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:45 AM on March 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
To paraphrase Douglas Adams, Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'great' to mean surrounded by 100 hammerhead sharks that I wasn't previously aware of.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:45 AM on March 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
At least it wasn't a snake eating an alligator again.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:48 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:48 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
Hammerheads are definitely the cutest sharks.
posted by philip-random at 11:51 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by philip-random at 11:51 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Our ignorance about our planet and its residents is even deeper than the oceans.
posted by rtha at 11:53 AM on March 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by rtha at 11:53 AM on March 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
The most beautiful animal I have ever seen was a 2ft long hammerhead I caught in Tampa Bay when I was a teenager. I wonder if its one of them?
posted by sfts2 at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by sfts2 at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2014
Beautiful!
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 12:40 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 12:40 PM on March 6, 2014
How is everyone's FUCK IT I'M OUT bar so much higher then mine?
I could see figuring that by the time you're surrounded by that many sharks you're either going to die or not so you may as well try to be cool about it.
I also liked how there were millions of fish and dolphins all hanging out and then the sharks show up and EVERYONE LEAVES. But humans don't swim well enough to out swim a shark - nonchalance in an unexpected convention of them is kind of the only strategy.
posted by winna at 12:43 PM on March 6, 2014
I could see figuring that by the time you're surrounded by that many sharks you're either going to die or not so you may as well try to be cool about it.
I also liked how there were millions of fish and dolphins all hanging out and then the sharks show up and EVERYONE LEAVES. But humans don't swim well enough to out swim a shark - nonchalance in an unexpected convention of them is kind of the only strategy.
posted by winna at 12:43 PM on March 6, 2014
I would rather be swimming with a school of hammerheads then a single tiger shark. Of the 9 hammerhead breeds, only 3 are known to be aggressive at all. You have to look REALLY far and wide to find unprovoked hammerhead attacks, though they are definitely known to occur.
There have been less than 20 UNPROVOKED hammerhead attacks since 1580.
(As per International Shark Attack File statistics)
Hell of a lot safer than walking down the means streets of my hometown, for sure.
Wow they are beautiful to watch.
posted by jcworth at 12:59 PM on March 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
There have been less than 20 UNPROVOKED hammerhead attacks since 1580.
(As per International Shark Attack File statistics)
Hell of a lot safer than walking down the means streets of my hometown, for sure.
Wow they are beautiful to watch.
posted by jcworth at 12:59 PM on March 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
The best thing about sharks is the fact that they can sense electric fields. They see in (at least) one more dimension than we do. Sadly, this will probably not help them avoid becoming extinct in the near future.
posted by Poldo at 1:00 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by Poldo at 1:00 PM on March 6, 2014
Diving in the Galapagos Islands can be like that, especially up around Wolf and Darwin. If you ever have the chance, DO IT.
posted by gottabefunky at 2:22 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by gottabefunky at 2:22 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Couple of things about these particular animals. Scalloped hammerheads have indeed been known, though very rarely, to attack humans. But it would be very unlikely to happen during the day unless the human was being aggressive. Scalloped hammerheads school during the day and then split up at night to hunt, only to re-school again the next morning. So this school actually provided little threat.
I've always scratched my head over the hammerhead. Why? Why a hammer-shaped head? What possible biological advantage could that provide? Turns out it provides 360° vision. Yeah, these guys can see everything around them, the whole sphere. It is impossible to sneak up on them unless you're inside of them. It's the rare vertebrate that can claim such an ability.
Worth noting that for a long time, naturalist wondered if the shape of the head was somehow a weapon. Maybe, when hunting fish. But the shape of the head can actually be a problem when attacking something that can grab that shape, like a human, or squid, or octopus. It seems to be commonsense that there is a reason that hammerhead attacks on people are rare.
Don't be scared of this animal. Be in awe.
posted by Toekneesan at 3:21 PM on March 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
I've always scratched my head over the hammerhead. Why? Why a hammer-shaped head? What possible biological advantage could that provide? Turns out it provides 360° vision. Yeah, these guys can see everything around them, the whole sphere. It is impossible to sneak up on them unless you're inside of them. It's the rare vertebrate that can claim such an ability.
Worth noting that for a long time, naturalist wondered if the shape of the head was somehow a weapon. Maybe, when hunting fish. But the shape of the head can actually be a problem when attacking something that can grab that shape, like a human, or squid, or octopus. It seems to be commonsense that there is a reason that hammerhead attacks on people are rare.
Don't be scared of this animal. Be in awe.
posted by Toekneesan at 3:21 PM on March 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
It is impossible to sneak up on them unless you're inside of them
I had never known that I was actually afraid of sneaking up on a shark from the inside!
posted by Dip Flash at 4:04 PM on March 6, 2014
I had never known that I was actually afraid of sneaking up on a shark from the inside!
posted by Dip Flash at 4:04 PM on March 6, 2014
Poldo: Sadly, this will probably not help them avoid becoming extinct in the near future.
Here we are in the "most advanced civilization in the history of the world"; you'd think the least we could do is pass a set of Law of the Sea legislation that would slow down the plunder of the world's oceans. But sadly, the UN is the tool of Satan so there's nothing we can do.
posted by sneebler at 7:17 PM on March 6, 2014
Here we are in the "most advanced civilization in the history of the world"; you'd think the least we could do is pass a set of Law of the Sea legislation that would slow down the plunder of the world's oceans. But sadly, the UN is the tool of Satan so there's nothing we can do.
posted by sneebler at 7:17 PM on March 6, 2014
The most impressive thing about this video, for me, was the narrator's regular breathing. Because, surrounded by sharks, I'd be all like "OMG! OMG! OMG! pant pant".
posted by SPrintF at 8:03 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by SPrintF at 8:03 PM on March 6, 2014
I expected to be freaked out, but something about the way they wave their tails and the way their eyes stick out like dog ears just gives me uncanny physical signals. Like they were just a pack of elderly Golden Retrievers.
posted by gusandrews at 10:34 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by gusandrews at 10:34 PM on March 6, 2014
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posted by Think_Long at 11:38 AM on March 6, 2014 [5 favorites]