The Dorsal Fin

Lyman’s Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island has been the scene of two separate incidents involving what is believed to be a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) biting a surfboard, according to a KHON2 report. The first incident occurred Sunday when a stand-up paddleboarder had her board bumped by a shark, followed by the shark biting the board. The second similar event occurred yesterday, in which, a longboard surfer had her board bumped and then bitten. No one was injured in either incident, but in both cases bite marks were left in the surfers’ boards.

Both incidents resulted in nearby beaches being temporarily closed. Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) air searches were unable to spot the shark in either instance. In both cases the surfers reported seeing “lots of turtles” in the area. Sea turtles are a known food source for tiger sharks.

Speculation that the same shark might be responsible for both bites is being investigated. DLRN will compare the bite marks on both boards to determine if the bites were delivered by the same shark. The size of the shark(s) will also be determined from the bite marks.

Australia’s Sunrise 7 recently interviewed pro surfer Bethany Hamilton. In 2003, Hamilton lost her arm as the result of a tiger shark attack off of Hawaii.

Topics discussed in the interview include Hamilton’s recovery and her return to surfing. Additionally, Hamilton discusses the upcoming movie “Soul Surfer” which is based on Hamilton’s book “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.”

WCNT is reporting that a Hawaiian surfer was unharmed after what is believed to be a tiger shark took a bite out of his surfboard. Jim Rawlinson was surfing in Hanalei Bay when he was knocked off his board by the shark. According to Rawlinson, he fell off the board and landed on the shark’s back. After sliding off the back of the shark, he undid his surfboard leash to swim away. Apparently, the shark had the same idea, as Rawlinson said the next thing he knew the shark was gone.

The fact that the tiger shark left Rawlinson unharmed only further dispels the myth that tiger sharks do not necessarily “eat everything in sight.” According to the WCNT report, a marine biologist speculated that the tiger shark might have mistaken the surfboard for a sea turtle.

The WCNT anchor’s “lucky to be alive” statement might be going a bit overboard. At the very least, it’s probably safe to say that Rawlinson was lucky that neither one of his feet nor any other body part was situated on the part of the surfboard that was bitten.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, the search for a missing California man who disappeared while surfing at Laniakea Beach, HI has been called off. Fire Captain Terry Seelig said, “We feel we’ve done everything we can,” after having searched for the man by air, land, and sea.
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In what may be some good news to the ears of shark tour operators, the Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that a proposal to ban shark diving operations on O’ahu has been abandoned. The decision was made yesterday (October 7) by the Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee following a 7-1 vote against the bill, which was preceded by close to three hours of testimony from those both for and against the ban.

Opponents of shark diving operations suggest that the tours can create a hazard to the safety of the general public. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. According to the article, the committee was advised by attorneys that concrete evidence needed to be provided which supported the safety hazard claim. As of now, only anecdotal evidence exists, according to Todd Apo, council chairman.

The bill was proposed by Charles Djou, the chairman of the Executive Matters Committee. Djou stated that he believed enough evidence was presented in yesterday’s testimony to support the idea that shark tours can pose a threat to the public. Based on the 7-1 vote, it would seem the rest of the council disagreed.