Archive for the 'Hawaii' Category
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Authorities say a monk seal attacked a swimmer off Kauai Monday afternoon. The 28-year-old woman from Washington state was snorkeling at Mahaulepu Beach when she drifted into an area where several monk seals were swimming.
A full-grown female seal who was with her pup apparently felt threatened by the snorkeler and attacked. The woman was bitten on her face, head, hand and elbow. She made it back to shore and was later taken to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
[source]
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Signs were posted on Thursday afternoon at Maili Beach Park on Oahu’s Leeward Coast warning beachgoers to stay out if the water after a 10-foot shark. A diver had spotted the shark about 500 yards off shore and swam into the beach to report it to lifeguards. Lifeguards confirmed the shark’s presence and said it was exhibiting signs of aggressive behavior.
Lifeguards reassessed the area this morning and determined there was no need to post the signs again.
Happy swimming!
[source]
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
An aerial sighting of a 14-foot tiger shark and a 5-foot shark of an unidentified species delayed Tuesday’s reopening of a portion of South Maui coastline after a shark bit a 54-year-old surfer early Monday morning off Kalama Park.
Around 6 a.m. Monday, Kihei resident Scott Henrich had been sitting upright on his board, waiting to catch a wave at the Kalama Bowls surf spot when he was bitten on the right leg by a shark.
State and county officials planned to reopen the beach areas Tuesday morning after checking the coastal waters by air. But the helicopter reconnaissance around 7 a.m. spotted the tiger shark north of the attack site and the other shark was seen at the location where Henrich had been bitten.
Officials kept the coastal areas closed until noon when a second helicopter flyover found no sharks. The beaches have since been reopened.
photo: AMANDA COWAN
[source]
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Honoluluadvertiser.com just posted some more details and pics of the damage done to the poor guy’s leg…
Photos by CHRISTIE WILSON | The Honolulu Advertiser
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Turns out yesterday’s attack was the work of a tiger shark, not a sand shark.
According to KHON2.com, ocean safety officials say the man was bitten in the upper right thigh and the lower part of his right ankle.
“The radius of the bite was 25 inches, we’re not sure what kind of shark is was, but the bite marks are consistant with it being a tiger, but we’re not specifically sure what species it was,” said Maui County Ocean Safety Supervisor Officer, Archie Kalepa.
The victim made it to shore on his own where another surfer helped him out of the water. He was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center where he was treated and released. The shark also bit the man’s surfboard.
“The pattern seems very, very unusual it’s more indicative of something that’s used to feeding on mammals such as a Tiger Shark,” said Andrew Rossiter, director of the Waikiki Aquarium.
A witness said he believed the 6-to-8 foot shark was a sandbar shark, but experts say the aggressive nature of the attack and bite marks appear to be consistent with a tiger shark.
Surfers say the area is notorious for shark sightings.
DLNR personnel and ocean safety officers monitored the shoreline by air, land and sea and posted warning signs alerting beachgoers of the attack.
Officials will assess the area Tuesday morning and decide then if they’ll reopen the beach.
Monday, October 19th, 2009
According to Honoluluadvertisor.com the beach at Kalama Park in Kihei has been closed this morning after a shark attack.
A Maui County news release says the attack took place at 6:13 this morning and that paramedics have taken one person to Maui Memorial Medical Center.
The county release said no other information is available at this time.
UPDATE: According to Foxnews.com the victim was a 54-year-old man and was attacked by a shark while surfing at Kalama Beach Park on Maui.
Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin says the unidentified man was bitten Monday morning in the upper right thigh and the lower part of his right ankle.
The man was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center. His condition wasn’t immediately available.
Martin says the shark is believed to have been a 6- to 8-foot sand shark.
In response to the shark attack that occurred shortly after 6 a.m., ocean use from the south end of Kamaole 1 Beach Park to Waiohuli Road in Kihei was closed to beachgoers until sunset.
County and state personnel will continue to patrol and monitor the shoreline and near shore waters throughout the day.
Monday, October 19th, 2009
A shark sighting closed a portion of Poipu Beach fronting the Marriott Waiohi Beach Resort on Kauai yesterday.
Lifeguards closed the beach after a diver spotted the 8-foot grey shark at 2:45 p.m and expected it to remained closed for the rest of the day.
[source]
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Lifeguards closed Baldwin Beach on Maui’s north shore after a 10-foot tiger shark was spotted in the area at 10:30 a.m. yesterday. The shark was spotted 400 yards offshore.
The beach was reopened at 12:30 p.m.
[source]
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Dylan Winter Crawford was surfing off Kawa’a on August 6 when he had a close call with a giant tiger shark. While waiting for a wave, Crawford was tossed off his board by a 12′ shark.
He managed to make it back to shore unscathed but his board wasn’t so lucky… the shark had taken a pretty nice chunk out of it.
[read the full story]
