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Great White Sharks Visiting San Francisco

Ponca City, We love you writes "Juliet Eilperin writes in the Washington Post that while for years, humans have thought of great white sharks as wandering the sea at random, only occasionally venturing close to shore, it turns out we were wrong. Scientists lured 179 great white sharks to their boat with a carpet decoy designed to look like a seal, and used a lance to attach satellite tags with the aid of 2.3-inch titanium darts to track the sharks and discovered that Pacific white sharks spend months near the northern and central California coast between August and February, foraging among elephant seals, sea lions, and other prey. The sharks were spotted as far inland as the mouth of the San Francisco Bay, east of the Golden Gate Bridge. 'It shows you how wild it is off our West Coast of North America. This is Yellowstone,' says Stanford University marine sciences professor Barbara A. Block. The fact that 'a major concentration' of great whites can ignore humans 'shows us the sharks are really minding their own business. The number of interactions with people is very small, considering,' says Salvador J. Jorgensen."

22 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. I read the article... by cjfs · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... and there was no mention of laser beams (frickin' or otherwise), so move along now.

    1. Re:I read the article... by francium+de+neobie · · Score: 2, Funny

      What's the difference between a laser and a frickin' laser?

  2. They won't ignore humans for long. by Scholasticus · · Score: 4, Funny

    [Scene: A New York apartment. Someone knocks on the door.] Woman: [not opening the door] Yes? Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Arlsburgerhhh? Woman: What? Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Johannesburrrr? Woman: Who is it? Voice: [pause] Flowers. Woman: Flowers for whom? Voice: [long pause] Plumber, ma'am. Woman: I don't need a plumber. You're that clever shark, aren't you? Voice: [pause] Candygram. Woman: Candygram, my foot. You get out of here before I call the police. You're the shark, and you know it. Voice: Wait. I-I'm only a dolphin, ma'am. Woman: A dolphin? Well...okay. [opens door].

  3. In TFA, love the first paragraph by failedlogic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Love the first paragraph in TFA that points out the obvious: "For years, humans have thought of great white sharks wandering the sea at random, only occasionally venturing close to shore."

    Holy shit. I always thought "For years, elephants have thought of great white sharks wandering the sea at random, only occasionally venturing close to shore."

    I just learned something today. Guess I thought I knew more about elephants than people. I am sadly mistaken.

  4. you can see them from the golden gate bridge by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    here's a typical shot of a great white in san francisco bay:

    http://www.empireonline.com/features/golden-gate-bridge-in-movies/

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you can see them from the golden gate bridge by WindBourne · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ah. Next, you will claim that was what the recent bridge repair was about?

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  5. Quick... by ShakaUVM · · Score: 2, Funny

    Quick... someone blame global warming!

    It's to blame anytime anywhere something in the vaguest sense weird happens. WE NEVER HAD ANYTHING WEIRD HAPPEN BEFORE GLOBAL WARMING. EVER.

    Call Al Gore - him staring pensively at great whites will make a great opening to Inconvenient Truth 2 - Revenge of the Evil People Who Didn't Buy Hybrids

  6. What do you call a shark on the move? by lena_10326 · · Score: 1, Funny

    A lawyer who chases ambulances?

    --
    Camping on quad since 1996.
  7. No lasers? by Zouden · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is madness!

    Madness? No... this is Yellowstone

    --
    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
    1. Re:No lasers? by davester666 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Good thing they are only visiting. American's are getting fatter and are higher in cholesterol. Having more than a couple just ruin the shark's diet.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  8. Jawns by Fotograf · · Score: 4, Funny

    boring...

    --
    God's gift to chicks
  9. Re:misread by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    *gasp*! LAN Shark, cleverest species of them all!

  10. Re:uh by Nighttime · · Score: 5, Funny

    As any serious diver will tell you, generally speaking, a shark sighting is a cause for excitement and anticipation, not panic. Leave them alone, and they'll generally leave you alone.

    Unless there's ominous cello music playing in the background.

    --
    I've got a fever and the only prescription is more COBOL.
  11. Tag by Spacezilla · · Score: 2, Funny

    Scientists lured 179 great white sharks to their boat

    What, no "youregonnaneedabiggerboat" tag? I'm disappointed in you, slashdot. :(

  12. Forget "Shark Watching" tour cruises . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Go "Shark Darting" instead!

    You get to peg sharks with 2.3 inch titanium darts!

    It's not a good idea to take a quick dip in the water off the boat, though. I think sharks are smart enough to figure out who threw those painful titanium darts sticking out of their backs.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    1. Re:Forget "Shark Watching" tour cruises . . . by Alex+Belits · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think sharks are smart enough to figure out who threw those painful titanium darts sticking out of their backs.

      I am pretty sure, sharks' behavior toward tasty meat-filled creatures in front of them is not predicated on recognizing those creatures as related to other events in those sharks' lives.

      Also
      i'm a shark!!! i'm a SHAAAARK!
      suck my titanium daaaart!! I'M A SHAAARK!!

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
  13. Oblig. XKCD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's all part of scientific outreach: http://xkcd.com/585/

  14. Re:Ignore humans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Plus, Great Whites hate the smell of B.O. and patchouli.

  15. This just in... by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2, Funny

    In related news, Scientists on the same ship studying shark communication have made a major breakthrough when they repeatedly translated a consistently repeated series of noises from the tagged sharks to mean:
    "Grab your pointy sticks and climb on down here into the water with us you air breathing little assholes!"

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  16. So what? by dvh.tosomja · · Score: 2, Funny

    We need a bigger boat.

  17. Re:uh by jason.sweet · · Score: 4, Funny

    they'll generally leave you alone

    Mike Tyson "generally" is not going to kick your ass, but you're still not going to sit next to him in the airport. Are you?

  18. Re:uh by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mike Tyson "generally" is not going to kick your ass, but you're still not going to sit next to him in the airport. Are you?

    I might be a little nervous, but sure I'd sit next to him since I know I'd be okay if I just didn't do anything that made me look like a wounded sea lion.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are