BayAreaKiteboarding.com

As the wind backs off in the bay and we find more of us in the ocean, I figured it would be a good time to post my observations over the last month in the waves.

I have seen what I believe to be 15 - 20 ft. sharks on three occassions at two different locations. Others have described the exact same thing yet claimed they were definitely not sharks. The consistent thread in all the descriptions is a black color. I just got this photo in my email and while it is a humurous photo, I immediately noticed the similarity in what was in the photo and what I have been seeing. The size and color and shape of the fin on this shark is an exact match to what I have seen lately. Believe what you will, I see a crazy fall coming up...

I guarantee you i would crap my pants if I was in that boat.

Here's my question: if the animal is "flowing" up and down in a porpoise-type motion is it definitely a porpoise of some type? Anyone know what mammalian species we have here?

I've seen the "black back" too and due to the motion (versus cruising on top of the water) dismissed the sighting as mammal, not mammal-eater.

I'm lookin' for facts here, not speculation, and I'm a little concerned. I heard Gary Bronson once killed a GWS with his bare hands. Is that true Gabe, I know you ride with him a lot?

But, seriously, are these porpoises I've seen? Or, gulp...

Somebody do some Googling. Why are they called great White sharks if they are black?

I was down in the water at Waddell for ten minutes Monday when my chicken loop broke. Gulp.

That is, some kinD of shaRk!
bull,mako tiger something

I'm amused at the seemingly surprised posts about sharks - asking if anyone has seen any... my simple observation goes like this...

It's the ocean. Archimedes tells us that if there were no fish in it it wouldn't come all the way up to the edges. And everyone loves the beach. So: big fish are good. Probably.

And my other observation is that they are called Great White Sharks because of the important majority of them is white - the teeth.

I had a couple of big swims at waddell lately - especially down round the point. Definately something to think about. Scares the crap out of me, but then I don't ride a bicycle around San Francisco very often.

Dave, campfire stories...

Gotta get Gary drunk to hear that one...

They call them great whites because their underbellies are white. The top side is dark grey. This is for camouflage-- you look up from under and see white against the light coming from the surface-- hard to see. You look down and see dark grey against dark water-- hard to see. Watch the youtube clip of airjaws and you can see both sides as one jumps out of the water.

As far as mammals here, don't killer whales make an appearance. They are big mammals-- have even killed great whites. But they eat other mammals too, like seals.

As far as that picture goes-- I'm with Yuri-- I'd crap my pants if I looked back at that. It looks like somewhere tropical so I'm surprised there is a great white wherever that is.

Hello Gary,

Do ya need to be drunk to believe you??? Sharktober seems to be starting early... WOOO HOOO... See ya soon.. Oh yea.. SAFETY FIRST..

ED/OUT 8)

read the article. I believe it was in national geographic. It had something to do with that they discovered that the sharks were really docile in that location. They practiced with a bare kayak for a while to see what sharks would do.

but yeah, make that 3 votes for crapping-in-pants.