Tag: swimmer

Watch: Humpback whale follows closely behind swimmer

A drone operator has shared footage showing a humpback whale following a distance swimmer off Australia’s Bondi Beach.

A drone operator has shared footage showing a humpback whale closely following a distance swimmer off Australia’s Bondi Beach.

In the footage (posted below), the whale appears observe the swimmer as she leads the way, perhaps unaware that she’s being watched by the gentle giant.

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The footage, Captured this week by Drone Shark App, was put to the 1960s Ricky Nelson hit, “I Will Follow You.”

Its lyrics begin, “I will follow you… Follow you wherever you may go… There isn’t an ocean too deep… A mountain so high it can keep me away…”

Several viewers commented that other drones can be seen disturbingly close to the whale in the footage, while one commenter observed that the whale seems to mimic the swimmer’s movements.

Humpback whales, which can measure 60 feet and weigh 40 tons, are famously curious and gregarious.

Drone Shark App uses its cameras to monitor the presence of sharks and other marine life in the region.

–Image courtesy of Drone Shark App

Swimmer attacked by muskie while training for triathlon

A triathlete from Ontario, Canada, learned a painful lesson recently while swimming in Lake St. Clair: Muskies might mistake your extremities as prey, and they have dangerously sharp teeth.

A triathlete from Ontario, Canada, learned a painful lesson recently while swimming in Lake St. Clair: Muskies might mistake your extremities as prey, and the fish have dangerously sharp teeth.

Matt Gervais, 39, was bitten on the right hand Aug. 13 as he trained for an upcoming event with a friend. “It was a lot of pain [and] it hurt really bad, right away,” he told CTV News.

Gervais was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he received 13 stitches. He’s still awaiting clearance to resume training.

Gervais said that after the muskie struck he looked down and saw that it was still latched onto his hand.

“I caught it eye to eye, underwater with my goggles,” Gervais said, adding that what he saw after the fish let go was “carnage.”

Trevor Pitcher, a professor at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, told CTV News that the muskie probably mistook Gervais’ hand for a small fish.

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“The word ‘mistake’ is key because we’re very confident that they don’t intentionally bite people,” Pitcher said. “In reality it’s not very common so humans – and especially human flesh – [are] not part of the muskie diet.”

Gervais, of Windsor, told the Windsor Star: “Some crazy things have happened to me while training, but this is probably the craziest.”

Muskie image is generic

Muskies, or muskellunge, are found throughout much of the northeastern U.S. and as far south as Georgia.

The fish are apex predators wherever they occur and strike with remarkable speed and ferocity, making them incredibly popular among anglers.

According to the International Game Fish Assn., the world record has stood at 67 pounds, 8 ounces, since 1949. That muskie was caught at Lake Court Oreilles in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Northern California swimmer attacked by great white shark

A 35-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being bitten by a great white shark during a morning swim south of San Francisco.

A 35-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being bitten by a great white shark during a morning swim south of San Francisco.

The San Mateo Sheriff’s Office announced via Twitter that the man was swimming at Gray Whale Cove State Beach when a shark measuring 6 to 8 feet bit him on the right leg.

The incident occurred at 9:15 a.m. and first responders were on the scene shortly thereafter, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News reported that the victim was able to swim to shore, where he was treated by paramedics before being transported to Stanford Hospital.

Gray Whale Cove State Beach, between Pacifica and Montara and about 20 miles south of San Francisco, was ordered closed to ocean activity for 48 hours. Montara State Beach also was closed.

A 6- to 8-foot great white shark would be a juvenile.

–Gray Whale Cove State Beach image is generic

Police fire at shark after fatal attack on bodyboarder

A shark attack Sunday claimed the life of a bodyboarder at Cable Beach in the Western Australian town of Broome.

A shark attack Sunday morning claimed the life of a bodyboarder at Cable Beach in the Western Australian town of Broome.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the unidentified man was about 80 yards offshore when the shark bit his thigh and right hand. A couple that witnessed the attack swam out and pulled the man to shore, but he could not be saved.

Police fired several shots at the shark, which remained offshore in murky water for about 30 minutes. Some locals guessed that it was a tiger shark.

Broome, Western Australia

ABC Australia reported that the man was a local resident in his 50s, and that news of the incident shocked the tight-knit community.

Mark McGowan, Western Australia’s Premier, said in a statement: “It’s a traumatic and unexpected event and so I’d just like to pass all of our thoughts on to the people who love the man who has passed away. [It’s a] very, very sad day for Broome.”

Broome, a resort town about 1,000 miles north or Perth, is a popular fishing destination and several types of sharks have been spotted in area waters. But attacks on swimmers are rare, and the last fatal attack off Broome occurred in 1993.

Authorities estimated the shark to measure about 8 feet.

–Shark image is generic 

Swimmer unaware of hammerhead shark lurking below

A man leisurely swimming on his back in the clear waters off South Beach appeared totally unaware of what was happening beneath him (video).

A man leisurely swimming on his back in the clear waters off South Beach, Fla., on Sunday appeared to be totally unaware of what was happening beneath him, and what was happening was a hammerhead shark checking him out.

Miami resident Jason McIntosh was circling his drone above the swimmer and captured video of the approaching hammerhead, and posted it on Instagram to the tune of MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.” Then, of course, it evolved into the obligatory “Jaws” theme:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHqjkcxj1_X/?utm_source=ig_embed

The swimmer was approximately 25 feet from the beach near Fourth and Fifth Streets, according to WSVN in Miami. So oblivious was the swimmer, at one point he gave the drone camera a thumb’s up.

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Though it appeared scary, the likelihood of an attack was minimal.

According to the International Shark Attack Files from the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have been only 15 non-provoked attacks by hammerheads on humans since 1580 and none were fatal.

Then there is this from Britannica:

While hammerhead sharks usually are not considered dangerous, there have been several confirmed accounts of large hammerhead sharks attacking people. Most of those attacked were spearfishing, and it could be that the blood of the speared fish attracted the sharks. Nonetheless, large hammerhead sharks should be respected and avoided by bathers and divers.

Photo courtesy of Jason McIntosh.

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UT News: November 28, 2019

UT News: November 28, 2019

Welcome to a Thanksgiving edition of UT News, where the turkey is moist, the wonderful scents of the holiday permeate the room, and nobody fights at the table. There is not much on tap today to cover, though the Lady Vols volleyball team triumphed over Auburn for Senior Night and wet-head Erika Brown was named SEC Swimmer of the Week. So without further ado, on to the news.

Lady Vols grab Senior Night victory over Auburn

The Lady Vols volleyball squad defeated Auburn last night in four sets, in their final match of the season at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The cherry on top of the victory was that the win came on Senior Night, making it a suiting finale for the women who have played in their last home game in Knoxville. The triumph also gave the Volunteers their fourth victory in their last five matches. Tessa Grubbs’ 14 kills now places her at No. 8 all-time at Tennessee, with 1,405 kills in her four-year career.

Coach Eve Rackham had the following to say about the Senior Night win.

“You can’t hope for anything else other than to be able to play great at home and send your seniors out the right way. We gave them all a chance to start and they played so well. It’s kind of storybook ending, but that’s what you want to be able to do. And I just feel fortunate we were able to do that for them and to be able to repay as much as we can.”

The Lady Vols wrap up the season in Starkville, Miss. against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. UT has won four of their previous matches, including a sweep earlier this season. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network+.

NEXT: Erika Brown named SEC Swimmer of the Week

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