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by Ĝan Ŭesli Starling
copyright 2017
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Dear Fellow Great White Adventurers: if you are wanting full size copies of any one of these pics, click this email button to let me know. I'll put them up for you to download. Likewise if you have any you'd like to share, I'd very like to post them here. Video from under the boat would be great.
Karin is a big fan of sharks. So this one-day cruise to visit the Farallon Islands, is one of her long-time dreams come true. Nor did she come away disappointed. During our visit only a single predation occurred, this some distance away from the boat, and so suddenly that it was over before I could swing a camera around to catch even so much as the splash. But even so, the islands themselves were well worth the trip. The weather was fine, and seals were on the rocks beyond counting, barking an uproar all the while we were there.
Our host for the trip is Lawrence Groth, whose company is Great White Adventures about whom Karin has read quite a deal, both pro and con. As for us, we came away very pleased. Karin, who's studied up on the topic of sharks enjoyed conversing with our captain immensely. I found the man polite, informative, and entertaining. Likewise both of his crew.
So here we are, the Farallon Islands, about which Karin has enjoyed to read of for years. The individual rocks all have names. Later I'll try to label the photos accordingly
The ride out has been fairly choppy. And although it's smoothed out a bit, still we must reach for hand-holds to make our way around the boat. Thus no few of my photos show the horizon at an angle. I've chosen on purpose not to correct that as every photo would then require also to be custom resized. Also it kind of preserves something of the event.
Karin and I came as topside observers, so we didn't dive. I tried to get at least one photo, though, of all who did. The seas were just a bit choppy, however, so some of my pics did not turn out for being too blurry. I'd like to attach at least first names to these photos.
No sharks being yet in evidence, Lawrence, our captain, decided to move our anchorage one quarter away around to starboard. Here a view of the island was very much better, and the barking of seals that much louder. A long time we waited for our only shark to appear. We'd been informed on what to watch for: a splash followed by a tornado of birds. This did occur, but only once, and quite some distance to starboard. I had my video camera running, but pointed quite the wrong way.
Lawrence immediately called up the divers and pulled up the cage, even cast free our line to the bouy, abandoning it to be picked up later. But the predation was upon a sea lion, not an elephant seal. And, alas, those do not float. So the shark had followed it down, rather than stayed to nosh on it while floating. But one of our number did spot the splash. And, sure enough, immediately there came over a flock of gulls, whirlling about, eager for pieces, but wary of landing. Another spotted traces of oil-slick from blubber.
At 3PM it's time to head back. It was only a very short while before then when the single predation ocurred. Nor did I catch it on camera. Alas and alack, but even so still not disappointed. Memory of the islands themselves more than suffice for the $375 that each of us paid. Plus we were at least present for an attack. Luck of the draw.
Captain Groth, upon learing that Karin and I had hired transportation out to his dock in Berkley from our hotel in San Francisco, offered to save us the fare back but dropping us off at Fisherman's Wharf. And here we say goodbye to our host.
For the rest of that day, and even a few hours the following morning, our sea legs persist in thinking that the ground must be moving. This being San Francisco, the sensation is mildly alarming.
Here are posted 2D photos taken by Karin on her Nikon CoolPix L32 camera.
Moving on to our second location after seeing no sharks at the first.
Here are links to videos taken on both of our 2D cameras.
Karin took hers on a 12MP Nikon CoolPix L32 with a resolution of 2560x1440 @ 30 frames/sec. These I've converted from AVI to MP4 for better streaming.
I took mine on an older Kodak Zi8 pocket video recorder with a resolution of 720p @ 60 frames/sec. These I converted from MOV to MP4. Nearly all were taken using a tripod. So the boat's rocking is in every one. Hoping that none of my viewers gets sea-sick.