Swimming with Great Whites

I haven't seen this video posted here yet. Watching it gave me the chills, both because the sharks are so graceful in the water and because I kept expecting the sequence to end with a big blot of human blood!

Enjoy:

Nage avec le grand blanc

That's Mad Mike Rutzen and his little poker in his camo suit. Dunno who that idjut with the big speargun is, nor the cameraman, but he sure needs to clean his port and turn off his OIS.

THanks Patricia.

That's Mad Mike Rutzen and his little poker in his camo suit. Dunno who that idjut with the big speargun is, nor the cameraman, but he sure needs to clean his port and turn off his OIS.

THanks Patricia.

An accident waiting to happen.

I haven't seen this video posted here yet. Watching it gave me the chills, both because the sharks are so graceful in the water and because I kept expecting the sequence to end with a big blot of human blood!

 

Enjoy:

 

Nage avec le grand blanc

Want to do that sooo bad, that's just motivated me to get my fat ass running again...

I don't know how long that guy has been doing that for but it's only a matter of time before his luck runs out.

A wild animal is just that and no amount of skill & time can predict what something that big will do.

At least they will capture it all on video if it ever happens

I think that, to some degree, the shark is confused (trying not to anthropomorphise too much here ). Typical prey response would be a frantic swim through the water away from the shark - our freediver either sits still or swims toward it.

I was going to say it must be easier with only one - but they really perked up once they noticed the second shark.

I like how the shark tries to eat the camera at ~8min .

Huge cojones.

Maybe it is a planned career move? There are several shark experts whose careers have benefitted from a bite. ;-)

Joking aside, they are welcome to do that.

Alex

Whenever I see stuff like this (“Jackass,†“Grizzly Man,†etc.) I wonder if these people are crazy or just really stupid (or both). But in a way the question is irrelevant. What is disturbing is that this person thinks it is important for him to get close to these animals, touch them, and, presumably, show the world that this interaction is possible and “as it should be.†This is right up there with Timothy Treadwell showing videos to schoolchildren of himself inching closer and closer to Alaskan grizzlies, as though we’re all just too scared of big animals and we need to get over our fears. It’s delusional, but it’s also putting something out there that could give other people some really bad ideas. This is up there with Steve-O in “Jackass 2†jumping into the water with makos and hammerheads, with, if I remember right, bait tied to his butt and a hook through his cheek. The irony, though: at least Steve-O didn’t carry a speargun or knife with him. At least he was implicitly admitting “I am taking a huge risk and I’m willing to pay the price for it without costing the sharks their lives.†These divers are pretending to peacefully tango with giant predators, but it would appear that if things go awry (which they’d probably call a “misunderstandingâ€) they’ll plunge a spearhead or knife into their dancing partners. The whole thing is a lie.

I agree, it's clear that they're ready to hurt the animal if they have to, even though they are harrassing it.

Didn't we have this argument about Moray eels on another thread

If the big beasty decides to chew on the little man then its all his fault...But there will there be a load of bad press and the poor old white pointer will be targeted by idiots...Under the banner of man killer hunted.

Lets be responsible and let the big boy swim past us in the safety of our cage.

Dive safe

Dean(der der, der der, der der)B

Anthromorphism aside, there are characteristics which are quite universal in the animal kingdom. The test bite that the shark takes several times is typical shark behavior. Now is it a test or just a love bite, I'll leave it up to you. But the behavior is the same with tigers,, bulls and other big sharks.

I'm not defending Mike but having done that freedive twice, I have a better understanding of shark behavior than before. It does not give immunity to shark bites obviously. And there are definitely serious risks involved in this sort of activity. Nobody is saying sharks don't take snaps at humans. Obviously history has proven otherwise. Still, the very same "wild" fish that eat humans have also interacted with regularly by humans. So there are circumstances which excerbate shark encounters.

Mike Rutzen does the dives in relatively shallow water (tell that to the seals at Seal and Dyer Island who get chomped on breach stylie!) and obviously workable visibility. I am against line baiting sharks as it's just a bad idea. Mike has been doing it for quite a few years now and has downsized his spear to a blunt large allen key like object which he uses to deter the sharks from taking test bites. I think riding the shark is silly and really if I were the shark, Mike would lose that hand real quick. Still, at no time are the spear guns cocked or able to shoot. They use them to push the sharks off.

Daniel, hate to bust the myth but there were safety divers with loaded spear guns at the JackAss shoot. Steve O is worth a lot of moola.

Sorry not my thing, there are some nice shots though but the music is crap!!!

Ted

Having worked with Mike in the past I can vouch that he's a very down to earth and calculating guy. Yeah its a bit sensational what he's doing but hey, if that's what fills your coffee mug then go for it.

We all love sharks, want to protect sharks so we react to these images with the sharks welfare in mind. How would public opinion be if this was someone walking through the woods with Grizzlys carrying a gun for protection? quite a normal shot on any wilderness doco right? So why shouldn't these guys take the slightest counter measure if in the unlikely event the shark decides it's lunch time!

2c spent

P.S The Marine Coastal Management in South Africa have since banned all SCUBA diving and free diving interaction activities with the White Sharks, except of course Cage Diving.

I just watched this and recall that Mike was on a Discovery Channel feature a few months back that was altogether more restrained. Although this posted clip seems to want to sensationalize the whole thing, Mike was very level headed on the doco and explained a lot of the techniques he was using to not spooke the whites and allow them to become comfortable with him in the water. I certainly remember thinking that this would be a very cool thing to experience with an FX1 in a decent housing

I agree that all that tugging on the fins is crazy though, and just asking for an irritated snap.

And that music! Argh - calculated to annoy - must have been edited by a Frenchman

I guess this is akin to Nascar, people only watch to see the crashes.

P.S The Marine Coastal Management in South Africa have since banned all SCUBA diving and free diving interaction activities with the White Sharks, except of course Cage Diving.

They did? Shhhhussshhh!

I just watched this and recall that Mike was on a Discovery Channel feature a few months back that was altogether more restrained. Although this posted clip seems to want to sensationalize the whole thing, Mike was very level headed on the doco and explained a lot of the techniques he was using to not spooke the whites and allow them to become comfortable with him in the water.

And that music! Argh - calculated to annoy - must have been edited by a Frenchman

That would be Beyond Fear by Ralf Kiefer and Andrea Ramalhos. I think it was released in 2003/4 and won at Antibes and a few other places. The Deftones are from AZ and are as french as french fries (supersized of course). Methinks it's a generational thing Nick. Sorta like kids listening to Linkin Park and I go... why?!?

They did? Shhhhussshhh!

That would be Beyond Fear by Ralf Kiefer and Andrea Ramalhos. I think it was released in 2003/4 and won at Antibes and a few other places. The Deftones are from AZ and are as french as french fries (supersized of course). Methinks it's a generational thing Nick. Sorta like kids listening to Linkin Park and I go... why?!?

What's wrong with Linkin Park?

Haha - that 'generational' thing again huh? I always thought that 'Deftones' was some sort of anagram based on the meaningful phrase 'Tone Deaf'.

Look, I have nothing against the Deftones or (even) Linkin Park, it's just IMHO that a sound track underscoring a video edit has to be complimentary and a subtle addition to the whole audio-visual experience.

This soundtrack only distracted from the material. I doubt whether the Deftones gave their permission for use either - but that's a different subject.

Ah well - I guess everyone has their opinion about 'ART'. Viva la difference!

What's wrong with Linkin Park?

The right question is... what's right about Linkin Park? It's like what's wrong with shark's fin soup?

Although I will grudgingly admit even I have "big pimpin'" in my ipod.

The Greta crew says hi Patricia. You are now more popular than me on the boat.