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MyspaceEarlier this month, accomplished sea kayaker Duane Strosaker had the scare of a lifetime just a few miles offshore of Gaviota State Beach. Strosaker had made it his summer-long mission to paddle out to all 23 offshore oil rigs in Southern California in the name of raising awareness about the perils of such ocean-borne oil activity. On his way back to shore from an early-morning excursion on August 2 to the three oil platforms at the western end of the Santa Barbara Channel — the final leg of his paddling pilgrimage — Strosaker had a rather Jaws-like experience with what experts, based on bite marks left behind, believe was a 15- to 17-foot great white shark.
Paddling along in the fog roughly five miles from land, Strosaker saw a “giant shark head” emerge from the water just off his starboard side. The shark, mouth opened wide, grabbed hold of Strosaker’s kayak, with Strosaker’s left leg inside the portion of the hull inside the shark’s mouth. “I was screaming like a little girl and hyperventilating,” recalled Strosaker, “but, amazingly, it wasn’t thrashing or anything — it just kind of mouthed me for like 10 or 15 seconds.”
According to Strosaker, the shark eventually let go and, after splashing its tail a short distance from his boat, disappeared into the dark depths below. Though it inflicted not nearly as much damage as it could have, the five puncture marks and partially crushed hull left behind by the short-lived encounter forced Strosaker to pump out his boat numerous times on the way back to shore to keep from sinking. Once safely ashore, Strosaker alerted state park authorities about his run-in.
Previous Month
Comments
Little late on the news. I think half the people in SBC knew this already.
805RunningCrew (anonymous profile)
August 12, 2010 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He stabbed his kayak with a knife to publicize his cause.
Pinatubo (anonymous profile)
August 13, 2010 at 3:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
@Pinatubo...what on earth?????
Native1 (anonymous profile)
August 13, 2010 at 5:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just after Shark Week aired. Maybe the sharks want to be on tv more :)
Muggy (anonymous profile)
August 13, 2010 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Somebodys going to lose a kid at Rincon or Ledbetter. Then we can chase the Surfrider foundation and Channelkeeper clowns out of town and take care of business by closing down the rookery at Carpenteria pier and allowing the fishermen to catch fish again. Why would the Surfrider foundation want to make a marine preserve from Carpenteria to Rincon and ban fishing......so the sharks can eat the seals and your kids??
I
dablinders (anonymous profile)
August 14, 2010 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Empty-headed fear-mongering by "dablinders."
It is guaranteed that over the next 10 years 100% more "kids" will be "lost" in auto accidents heading to Rincon or Leadbetter than snatched up by any ocean dwellers there.
5 Humans died -- WORLDWIDE -- from shark attacks in 2009, 4 in 2008.
As for attacks in the US the last couple years:
“The big story is that the number of attacks in the United States dropped dramatically from 41 in 2008 to 28 in 2009,” [George Burgess] said. “Considering there were 50 attacks in 2007, we may have a bit of a trend, but only time will tell.”
http://news.discovery.com/animals/sha...
A cheap, ignorant shot, mr. "dablinders."
binky (anonymous profile)
August 14, 2010 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Top 20 causes of death in US, 2007
Heart Disease, 616067
Malignant Neoplasms, 562875
Cerebrovascular, 135952
Chronic Low. Respiratory Disease, 127924
Accidents (unintentional injuries), 123706
Alzheimer's Disease, 74632
Diabetes Mellitus, 71382
Influenza & Pneumonia, 52717
Nephritis, 46448
Septicemia, 34828
Suicide, 34598
Liver Disease, 29165
Hypertension, 23965
Parkinson's Disease, 20058
Homicide, 18361
Pneumonitis, 16988
Perinatal Period, 14599
Benign Neoplasms, 14204
Aortic Aneurysm, 12986
HIV, 11295
(source: CDC http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/l... )
The Relative Risk of Shark Attacks to Humans Compared to Other Risks
(Alligator Attacks, Lightning Strikes, Tornadoes, Animal-Related Fatalities, The Number of Injuries Associated with Home-Improvement Equipment , The Number of Biting Injuries Occurring Annually in New York City, Bicycle-Related Injuries and Fatalities, Beach Injuries and Fatalities, Dog Attack Fatalities, Hunting Incident Fatalities, Boating Accidents, Collapsing Sand Hole Incidents, Annual Risk Of Death During One's Lifetime, Attacks On Homeless)
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/...
What are the Odds? Shark Attack.
http://news.discovery.com/earth/shark...
binky (anonymous profile)
August 14, 2010 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yeah, i agree with el ignorante - let's make the oceans safe again for humans to swim freely! I'm so tired of these liberal shark-lovers caring more about man-eating monsters than our children and fishing too. Down with the toothy beasts! It is our inherent right to frolic and play without fear of nasty, bloodthirsty and mean-spirited sharks mistaking us for a meal.
And for that matter, down with jellyfish, lions, electric eels, ill-tempered bears, mosquitoes (only the ones carrying malaria or other such unpleasant diseases - the rest are ok), and for the love of Pete, can we PLEASE get rid of those ants that bite when you stick your hand in their nests?
And that's all folks! Tune in next time for my campaign against poison oak.
sacjon (anonymous profile)
August 15, 2010 at 1:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you hear cellos in the fog, paddle like hell.
(Sacjon---good laugh, brah . . LOL)
Draxor (anonymous profile)
August 15, 2010 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did anyone ever figure out what happened to the VAFB firefighter who went missing while kayaking off Gaviota a month or two ago?
Wonder if he was a victim of a similar attack?
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
August 15, 2010 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
seems sharks are more dangerous the oil rigs mr. strosaker was trying raise awareness about.
sbdude (anonymous profile)
August 18, 2010 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Our pod of dolphins will start patrolling the Santa Barbara county shores to keep these sharks under control.
sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
August 19, 2010 at 3:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)