# shark attack Kaanapali - maui



## susan6103 (Apr 3, 2013)

Beach at Westin Kaanapali Villas and surrounding areas were shut down for the day following shark attack this morning.  Could see beaches being patrolled by sea doos several times today.  Scary ! 
Beaches are supposed to be open tomorrow but I think I will take a pass on the snorkelling for the rest of this trip.


http://mauinow.com/2013/04/02/shark-attack-kaanapali-maui/


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## Quimby4 (Apr 3, 2013)

, darn shark....my worst nightmare!


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## artringwald (Apr 3, 2013)

*Ocean Safety*

What you should really worry about is drowning. Each year, dozens of people drown in Hawaii. There hasn't been a fatal shark attack since 2004. 

http://gohawaii.about.com/od/mauiocean/a/shark_attacks.htm


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## slip (Apr 3, 2013)

I think they are close to a dozen drownings on Kauai alone this year
already.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 3, 2013)

artringwald said:


> What you should really worry about is drowning. Each year, dozens of people drown in Hawaii. There hasn't been a fatal shark attack since 2004.
> 
> http://gohawaii.about.com/od/mauiocean/a/shark_attacks.htm



Just keep in mind that a shark attack doesn't have to be fatal. It's still likely to be a problem for a very long time if you're the victim.


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## cgeidl (Apr 3, 2013)

*one hundred million sharks killed a year*

Just saw this on TV .Over 10,000 sharks killed by man per hour world wide and sharks killed 10 people world wide for the year. Doesn't make it any better if you ar ethe human victim though.


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## daventrina (Apr 3, 2013)

slip said:


> I think they are close to a dozen drownings on Kauai alone this year
> already.


not one but about 4 dozen. On average ... about 1 every week.


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## hypnotiq (Apr 3, 2013)

Lets not tell my fiancé about this. She is already paranoid enough about getting in the ocean when we are in Maui.


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## DaveNV (Apr 3, 2013)

Sounds more to me like a case of mistaken identity - the shark thought he was a tasty morsel, sampled a bite, decided against it, and left.  The newpaper article says the man suffered two lacerations on his thigh above the knee.  Not like the shark took off his leg or anything.

To my way of thinking, that hardly qualifies as a "shark attack."  A "shark bite," maybe.

And think of the stories the guy will tell back home.  

Dave


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## susan6103 (Apr 3, 2013)

*shark 'bite'*

The beach has re-opened today at noon.  
Few swimmers and snorkelers out there now.

We are really impressed at how it was handled.  After the beach was closed yesterday, there was constant patrols via sea-doo, helicopter and quads (ATV) on the beach.  

There was no further sitings of the said culprit.

I know in other touristy destinations, such an incident would quickly be swept under the rug.

Perhaps the actions are 'overkill'...(no pun intended )but sure makes us feel safe and that is why we return to Hawaii.


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## buzglyd (Apr 3, 2013)

Sharks are always there. Whether you see them or not is another matter.

It's a fish. 

We were in Maui in December and paddling a kayak when some guys who were snorkeling came up and said there was a reef shark below.

We paddled around and tried to spot it but did not.

I find landlocked folks generally are more freaked out by sharks than ocean dwellers.

I know when I'm out surfing, there are probably a few swimming around.


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## slip (Apr 3, 2013)

daventrina said:


> not one but about 4 dozen. On average ... about 1 every week.



One a week would be about 14 not 48. I haven't seen anything lately but there
We're 11 on Kauai as of 3-15 or were you talking about all the islands?


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## artringwald (Apr 3, 2013)

If more people got scared of sharks, they'd stay out of the water, and fewer people would drown, so sharks save lives. 

When we took a snorkel trip to Molokini, the guide warned us there might be reef sharks, but told us not to worry about them because they don't bother humans. Sure enough, there was a four foot one swimming about 15' below us. He was pretty cool to watch, and pretty much ignored us.


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## MOXJO7282 (Apr 3, 2013)

This is why I love resorts with nice pool systems so I can avoid the ocean except for the quick shallow day time dip.  

I'm from Long Island and I was in high school when Jaws first came out and that made a big impression. I also had a scare personally at a beach in Westhampton Beach where I grew up. A bunch of us were swimming pretty far out and up pops a shark fin a few yards away. Boy did we hightail it back to shore. As it turned out it was only a sunfish that has a similar dorsel fin like a shark but I will never forget that fear.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 4, 2013)

artringwald said:


> If more people got scared of sharks, they'd stay out of the water, and fewer people would drown, so sharks save lives.
> 
> When we took a snorkel trip to Molokini, the guide warned us there might be reef sharks, but told us not to worry about them because they don't bother humans. Sure enough, there was a four foot one swimming about 15' below us. He was pretty cool to watch, and pretty much ignored us.



A friend of ours who grew up near the ocean told us the rule of thumb when in the water is that there is always a shark within 5 feet of you. I'm not saying I necessarly believe that but, I'm sure they're always a lot closer than any of us ever think. 

To date I have yet to spot a shark while swimming or snorkling. I know that for the most part I'm not on their dinner menu and they typically ignore what's not on the menu. I also tend not to swim in the early morning or early evening as I understand that's about the time the dinner bell rings. Sharks can be inquisitive and they inquire with their mouth.


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## easyrider (Apr 4, 2013)

I lost interest in diving after seeing a big enough to eat me shark. I stopped breathing properly and wasn't sure if I was going to drown or be lunch. I still feel safe enough to snorkel or fish for shark on a boat.

Bill


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## lprstn (Apr 4, 2013)

I'm going to Maui this summer. I hope by then the sharks will be gone


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## tfalk (Apr 4, 2013)

artringwald said:


> Sure enough, there was a four foot one swimming about 15' below us.



As our dive master told us, and I'm probably going to mangle the hawaiian...

"eh, quarta-pounda, he no bodda you brah"


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## rpw (Apr 4, 2013)

*he he he*



hypnotiq said:


> Lets not tell my fiancé about this. She is already paranoid enough about getting in the ocean when we are in Maui.



I used to tell my ex wife that once you are in the ocean, you are part of the food chain.

(maybe that's why she's my EX wife?)


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## buzglyd (Apr 4, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> A friend of ours who grew up near the ocean told us the rule of thumb when in the water is that there is always a shark within 5 feet of you. I'm not saying I necessarly believe that but, I'm sure they're always a lot closer than any of us ever think.
> 
> To date I have yet to spot a shark while swimming or snorkling. I know that for the most part I'm not on their dinner menu and they typically ignore what's not on the menu. I also tend not to swim in the early morning or early evening as I understand that's about the time the dinner bell rings. Sharks can be inquisitive and they inquire with their mouth.



The five feet comment is a bit much but you're right, sharks always spit you out, it just depends on the damage after that.

I ride motorcycles almost daily so I'm far more concerned about getting mowed down by someone checking their Twitter than I am about sharks.


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## hypnotiq (Apr 4, 2013)

I've done cage dives in South Africa w/ Great Whites, I've been diving in Maui and come across Tigers and down in Baja, come across my share of Hammerheads.

Sharks fascinate me more than they scare me.


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## luvsvacation22 (Apr 4, 2013)

lprstn said:


> I'm going to Maui this summer. I hope by then the sharks will be gone



I am going to Kaanapali in a month! I hope we will have no shark visitors either!


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## vacationcrazy (Apr 4, 2013)

hypnotiq said:


> I've done cage dives in South Africa w/ Great Whites, I've been diving in Maui and come across Tigers and down in Baja, come across my share of Hammerheads.
> 
> Sharks fascinate me more than they scare me.



When we were diving in Turks and Caicos last September we saw lots of grey reef sharks on all our dives.  They did not bother any of us.  We loved it.  After when I saw the pictures I took I got a little freaked out and especially since I read on line they can be unpredictable.  It was still quite awesome though.
I attached one of the photos I took.


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## hypnotiq (Apr 5, 2013)

Nice pic! Ill dig up some of my pics from my great white cage dive and post them.


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## daventrina (Apr 5, 2013)

slip said:


> One a week would be about 14 not 48. I haven't seen anything lately but there
> We're 11 on Kauai as of 3-15 or were you talking about all the islands?


All islands.

52 weeks in a year ... ~1 per week ...  52 drownings per year ...
Don't know how you would get 14.



dougp26364 said:


> A friend of ours who grew up near the ocean told us the rule of thumb when in the water is that there is always a shark within 5 feet of you.


Not true at all.. In fact .. it can be difficult to find a shark if you go looking. With the exception of the Mala Warf.

We did find this little guy at Black Rock in October.



20121020_16 by dntanderson, on Flickr


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## slip (Apr 5, 2013)

Duplicate post.


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## slip (Apr 5, 2013)

I was talking just about Kauai and on March 19 they had 11. That would be close to week 11 of the year, about one a week so far. I took your post to say there was 48 already this year.


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## daventrina (Apr 6, 2013)

slip said:


> I took your post to say there was 48 already this year.


That would make sense...

A few years ago ... at that very beach DW saw a LARGE shark swim by 5 feet off shore ... with a number of kids and swimmers ... at sunset.

Everyone got out... No one got hurt ... except the turtle (that we were diving with a few hours earlier. )

Rain ... murky water ... sunset ... bad combination.

At least two of these guys were home, and usually 3-5, every time we went to Mala Warf.



IMG_1113 by dntanderson, on Flickr


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## slip (Apr 6, 2013)

I would freak if I saw that snorkeling. I saw an eel once and that gave me 
the creeps. We're not huge snorkelers but we go go every year in Hawaii and
we both love the fish.


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