Shark Bites – news & sightings

Shark! Last weekend, a Dark Surf Nightly reader had a close encounter with a shark & wrote in to tell us about it…

Dear T.C.,

I had a fabulous day at the beach this last Saturday. It was triple digits in Santa Ynez Valley, so a bunch of long-time buddies and I did what we used to do and headed to the coast. We went to a favorite site of many ditched days and late night bon fires: Tajiguas Beach. The beach was uncharacteristically crowded but we found a great spot in the sand and promptly hit the water. The water temp was to die for—yet dying was the furthest thing from our thoughts. It was absolute bliss to lay and play in the perfect water on such a hot, clear day. Though in the back of my mind there was a thought—call it a swimmer’s premonition—that there might be something out there.

Well it turns out I was right:
http://www.noozhawk.com/article/shark_encounter_leads_to_state_beach_closures

The funny thing is I wouldn’t take back that swim for the world! It was so refreshing. I think the ocean is big enough for all of us.

Sincerely,
A big fan

The Noozhawk.com (Santa Barbara) article described how two kayakers reported seeing what they thought was a great white shark in the water near Tajiguas on Saturday. After the shark lifted one of the kayaks (but didn’t overturn it!), the kayakers returned to shore and notified authorities. The beaches at three state parks along the Gaviota coast were promptly closed and then reopened on Monday—two days after the incident.

So thanks, Big Fan, for writing in and sharing your story!

If you have a shark encounter you’d like to share, let me know at info@darksurf.com. And Dark Surfers, trust your instincts in the ocean. If your instincts tell you a predator is near, it probably is. The ocean is a big and mysterious place. You never know what could be lurking nearby.