SHARK ATTACK

A shark attack off Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California recently (22 October 2010) was all over the news. What they don't tell you is that about a mile off that shore is an area of the ocean where Great White sharks raise their young.

Those waters are teeming with Great White sharks. They don't often come in close to shore, but those "silent gray gentlemen," as surfers call them, are always hungry and always feeding. As one expert said on ABC News, a shark could easily mistake a boogie boarder for a seal, which is its prime source of food.

That shark was estimated to be about 18 feet long, which is almost full grown. The attack took place about 100 yards from the beach, according to the Website sharkresearchcommittee.com. My guess would be that this shark was exploring the area to find food. According to the Website great-white-shark.com,"This shark commonly patrols small coastal islands inhabited by pinnipeds (seals, seal lions and walruses), offshore reefs, banks and rocky headlands where there is deep water close to shore. The white shark usually cruises either just off the bottom or near the surface."

My family and I often go camping just south of Vandenberg at Jalama Beach, and one of the life guards told us about the Great White sharks in those waters. Often, marine biologists visit that area to study the Great Whites.

My advice: If you don't want to be mistaken for a seal, don't act like one. Don't splash around on the surface of the water wearing a dark wet suit that makes you sound and look like a seal.

If you surf or boogie-board, be aware that once in a while, one of those silent gray gentlemen may come looking for a meal, and you could be it.

They don't appear in real life like they do in the movies, with dorsal fin sticking out of the water. They come up from under the water, so they are often a surprise.