Monday, August 16, 2010

My Town Monday: Great White Shark, La Jolla, CA

I had an entirely different My Town Monday post planned for today. Then I thought you might like to see what's actually in our headlines.

Taken with my Blackberry (Kidding! This delightful shot is from Google images.)

Yesterday, a great white shark was spotted outside the SURF line (edited. thanks Anon) at La Jolla Shores. Which is only the beach I usually go to with my kids! A kayaker saw the shark and reported it was longer than his TWELVE-FOOT kayak! Lifeguards informed people along a two-mile stretch of beach. Most people opted to stay out of the water. Imagine!

Here's a link to a fatal great white shark attack at Solana Beach (about 12 miles north of La Jolla) in the spring of 2008. Prior to this, there hadn't been an attack for about 50 years. So, you can see that we generally don't have much trouble with great whites.

A few facts about the great white shark:
-It's the largest predatory fish in the ocean.
-It has a white belly.
-It attacks by biting its prey, letting it bleed out, then returning to eat it.
-Gestation may last longer than a year.
-Life span is over 30 years.
-This shark is found in all our oceans.
-This shark doesn't like to eat humans.The adults do like to munch on marine mammals (like sea lions and elephant seals)

Have you heard of the White Shark Cafe? It's located in the Pacific Ocean, between Baja California (part of Mexico) and Hawaii, in the winter and spring. No one knows why the great whites congregate here. It's not for the gourmet food. There's not much food at all here for them. It's not a mating area. Juveniles as well as adult males and females hang out at the White Shark Cafe. A popular shark activity at the Cafe is to dive down 1,000 feet every ten minutes. No one knows why. Creeeepy.

From Google images (I knew you wouldn't fall for the Blackberry line again!)

And, in case you were wondering, the Summy family will not be at the beach today.

Check out these other My Town Monday posts:

Clair Dickson: Chains that no longer come or never came to Livingston County, Michigan

J. Winter: The Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio (repost)

Gabe Goldstone: The Countess of Dufferin, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


This week, I'm the hostess with the mostest for My Town Monday. So, if you've put up a MTM post, let me know in the comments section here or on the official My Town Monday blog. And I'll link to you on both blogs. Happy Monday!



sources:
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=38
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Shark_Cafe

16 comments:

  1. Oh. My. Gosh.

    Let's just say I won't be swimming in the ocean anytime soon.

    Nightmares of JAWS swim through my mind...

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  2. I think you mean surf line, not shark line.

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  3. Cassandra, a great white was also spotted at San Onofre State Beach. About 86 miles north of La Jolla Shores. I wonder if it's the same shark. Because 86 miles in a walk in the park for a great white.

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  4. Anon, oh you're so right. I did mean surf line. I'll edit this instant. Thanks!

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  5. Wow! Scary! Sharks facinate me and I don't know why. I was completely addicted to shark week a couple of weeks ago. I think it's even more facinating that people know how surfboards look like a shark's dinner and yet they continue to surf.

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  6. Love the picture, Barrie! This is one week I'm GLAD I don't live in San Diego after reading your blog.

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  7. Kathy, I hear ya!!!

    Teresa, :) I wonder if there's good parking at the beach today? :)

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  8. Did you see that video a guy shot from his standup paddle board of a great white circling him? That was near San Clemente, I think. There are a lot more great whites out there than people realize.

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  9. For once, San Diego has something I don't want. i prefer bloodthirsty mosquitoes to bloodthirsty sharks, thank you!

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  10. I saw a headline about someone being killed by a shark while surfing.

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  11. Shark is the main reason why I really don't like water activities in oceans or beaches. I am so afraid to be eaten by a great white shark.

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  12. seems ANY shark is capable of causing injury, at least, to us bipeds...

    i hear shark meat is edible, barely lol

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  13. Hello! Happy 29th birthday Barrie! May you enjoy tea and your favourite sweet! We wish we could be there to enjoy a don's bakery butter tart but we will eat one in your honour. (It's still open). All our love, Sheilagh, Susan, Jocelyn, Alexander, Hannah, Melanie. Also, Vance, Murray, Owen and Katie send their best wishes. Eat cake and have fun!

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  14. I'm very disappointed that you didn't get a photo with your Blackberry. ;)

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  15. Sheilagh and Susan and company: please eat two butter tarts in my honour! Or a dozen! (I am relieved to hear Don's is still open and baking.)

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Comments are always welcome!