'Sharkman' expresses doubts on windsurfer's shark account

Duncan Barry

Aug 12th 2010, 20:29

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100812/video/vwl-surfer-films-great-white-sharks-just-15af341.html

Patrick Garda

Aug 12th 2010, 19:05

hahahahah this guy wants attention how is that a shark 3 mtr long something that size can bite half a human body but bites that bit of a sail come on! and also the sail the cut is 2 straight almost a perfect rectangle to the insurfer who ever it is i dont know who if you wanted attention and publicty you got the wrong way o it you wanted to be famous go on xarabank xfm istrina or stuff like that dont stay making a hole with a KNIFE on your windsurf kite just to get media attention
look wat happened now you ripped your windsurf well done.

Bernard Mamo

Aug 12th 2010, 15:50

http://gizmodo.com/5611112/surfer-uses-underwater-camera-to-capture-two-great-whites-sizing-him-up

A.Psaila

Aug 12th 2010, 13:05

I hope that if this story is true this shark won't end up like that of Wied Iz-Zurrieq. The shark is a very nice creature and as far as I know it's also protected by law. The sea is his home and it's we who are invading his territory.

Joe Xuereb

Aug 11th 2010, 19:51

I remember in the 1950s when a teacher, a Mr. Smedley and his student were swimming off Delimara. According to the student, a big fish resembling the back of a big wet horse appeared near Mr. Smedley. The teacher told the student to keep away (he was the witness to all this), then disappeared. Then as now, the cry was for identifying this killer. I remember a cartoon in one of the papers of a shark lying dying on the beach (having been caught) and a Government official bending at the waist and, peering into its eye, asked it: 'was it you who attacked Mr. Smedley?'. Of course the incident here is, thankfully, not similarly tragic. But other than that, it seems that in Malta nothing much has changed these last sixty years.

Fenech MD

Aug 11th 2010, 14:40

Are we sure that the increase in the number of sharks seen too close to our shores is not due to the Tuna fish farms?

Steve Sant

Aug 11th 2010, 14:16

The windsurfer sail does not float horizontally, it actually sinks because of the boom and wishbone which fills with water and though remains afloat becuse it is stuck to the board. This does sink, and yes an encounter of 5 minutes would actually feel like a lifetime. And yea again, it is possible that a shark circles and bites before leaving. No other fish I know of would circle and take a bite of the sail. And yes, most of us windsurfers do sail far out at sea, I sometimes went out so far that Malta would look like 20 miles away (exagerrating of course) and would take only ten minutes to return in strong winds.

Joe Xuereb

Aug 11th 2010, 12:55

If only Mr. Bonavia had had a digital camera with him.
People get hooked on anything that gives them pleasure. And what could be more pleasureable than wind-surfing, kite-surfing, bungie-jumping (even getting married while jumping - a marriage made in heaven, well, in mid-air at least), killing birds, and so on (I've never tried any but can imagine the adrenalin rush. People (usually guys, tellingly) will do anything to deny danger so they can go their happy way. And sometimes don't live to tell the tale. The Maltese word for shark is 'kelb-il-bahar' - a sea-dog. And sharks, like dogs, are unpredictable as we know. Just speak to the guys that gave up their lives to a set of powerful jaws. It's only swimming for god's sake! Is it worth it?
IF Mr. Bonavia is indeed seeking his fifteen minutes of fame by making up a fraudulent story - how sad. There's life after wind-surfing after all! As indeed there are after scaling the highest peaks - if there isn't a last 'leap' into oblivion.
Beward of experts. They rationalise to much not to their detriment from the comfort of their study -but to yours, the sucker.

c camilleri

Aug 11th 2010, 06:43

circling for 45 mins around this guy and ultimately leaving him in peace must be very unusual for sharks. In Malta "onshore" sharks tend to be faster then that on their prey. I would be more afraid of the sharks on maltese shores than the ones in the sea.

Ray Micallef

Aug 11th 2010, 04:02

Further to my posts below, all I can say is that my personal experience since starting to dive at 17 and that’s now 35 years ago and with hundreds of dives under my weight belt I have been lucky enough to hover in mid water within a rotating ball of hundreds of Barracuda off the Inland Sea, saw Sea Snakes mate below the cliffs at Ta’ Cenc, marvelled at hundreds of squid and their psycadellic mating rituals off Cirkewwa, been surrounded by hundreds of Cardinal fish inside the caves at Anchor Bay, been inquisitively inspected by many a Cuttlefish, chased meter long Octopi, dived every known reef around our islands including ...

continued below....

Ray Micallef

Aug 11th 2010, 04:00

...continued from my above post:

Filfla’s waters, even dived into the Tuna pens to name but a few of the many magic moments in diving but I have never encountered a shark in mid water, off Maltese shores unfortunately! Guitar sharks and the many types of Rays, yes plenty, thanks to our sandy bottoms but a Great White, Bull, Blue, Mako or a Sand Tiger – all known to inhabit the Mediterranean…never and I say again ‘unfortunately’ because these beautiful, sleek, purposeful and time honoured and perfected specimens of fish are becoming extinct at a rate that our children’s children will only see some of these in captivity or on film! These remarkable fish deserve all we can do to safe guard their future for they are truly the Apex predator and therefore at the top of the food chain which if removed the eco imbalance that would result would have us and our children deal with a smaller but potentially a far deadlier mass population explosion of Lion fish and Jelly fish of immense proportions – a destiny presently befalling all Asian shores since they’ve eaten all their Tuna and are now paying top dollar for ours!

Karl Consiglio

Aug 11th 2010, 01:25

I had just about learn t not to worry about jellyfish..

Bernard Cachia Zammit

Aug 10th 2010, 23:24

There seems to be this misconception that sharks are killing machines, created with the soul purpose to kill everything in their path. This is hogwash. Sharks are carnivores and the soul purpose of carnivores is to control herbivore populations as well as those of other carnivores, thus allowing plant to regenerate. The only killing machine in existence are humans as they have killed millions of their fellow humans for no reason at all.

sylvia grech

Aug 10th 2010, 20:18

You are right Mr Ray Micallef - I watched a documentary on T.V. in California about Great White Sharks and they have been known to breed in the deep end of the sea. Like Saint Thomas Bay.................So one can never say what was going on that day!!!!!!!!

Karl Farrugia

Aug 10th 2010, 19:53

I've dived with great whites and witnessed a 13ft female attack a tuna head just a couple of feet in front of me.. believe me there's no way of mistaking a dolphin for a shark. The amount of flapping about, splashing, twisting during the attack and the unmistakable tail fin projecting out of the water higher than the dorsal fin is not easily mistaken. Don't mean to discredit, but i'm a little sceptical too.

Vicky G Vincenti

Aug 10th 2010, 19:05

I seriously, honestly think that alot of people have to stop being ''couch potatoes'' watching scary 'Hollywood' fish monsters and get their swim gear on and go for a swim!!
If I were David I wouldn't have survived such an encounter from sheer terror, dieing by heart failure, and not as food for a fish.
Has anyone ever really stopped to wonder how we get attacked by those cute little fish (the kind kids like to catch in nets) at the beach when they nip at our legs is a more common fact than a shark "attack" itself?
Leave sleeping fish (aka dogs) lie!

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 17:55

@ Ivan Cocker
Re your first paragraph I was referring to the 'media's' sensationalism not Mr. Alex Buttigieg whom, as I said, I know in person and hold in high regard.

re 'my assessment' as you put it, that it wasn't a Great White shark encounter is purely based on the lack of his reported and visual evidence and known practices of this species of shark...the exploratory bite for one, he mentions that it lunched forward while still at the surface and attacked his sail - great whites dive deep before attacking from below after a few inquisitive circuits around the object of interest on the surface hence their usual practice of breaching the surface at high speeds gained from charging up from below especially when chasing live and perceived moving prey! Also a great white of the size mentioned- he would have also seen it upper tail weave about behind too...and therefore have 'two fins' to visually contend with...no tail sighting to me means a horizontal tail...and therefore the possibility of a dolphin's playful 'attack' which again, Dolphins do have a habit of turning on their side to 'one eye' objects at the suirface hence exposing its white underside!

PAUL ZERAFA

Aug 10th 2010, 17:47

DEAR COMMENTATORS AND ALL.
BEING MYSELF A FISHERMAN ONE TIME AND EVEN SAW THAT PIXXIPLAMTU THAT I BELIEVE WAS THE ONE CAUGHT AT ZURRIEQ LONG TIME AGO ,SOME FIFTEEN DAYS BEFORE IT WAS CAUGHT (APPARENTLY EXAUSTED DUE TO OLD AGE,SINCE THE WAY IT IS SAID IT WAS CAUGHT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IF HE WAS IN HIS ENERGETIC TIME.)BUT WHAT I ENFASIZED ABOUT A PIXXIPLAMTU IS THAT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ONE FIN WHEN HE SURFACE ,YOU SEE TWO THE ONE AT THE BACK NAND THE TAIL.
IF YOU SEE ONE FIN THAT IS LIKELY TO BE A DOLPHIN AS THE DOLPHIN TAIL IS THEN FLAT AND NOT STRAIGHT UP.THIS I SAY TO THE BENEFIT OF THE READERS SO THAT THEY ARE NOT EXCITED IF THEY SEE ONE FIN ,THE DOLPHIN MAY ALSO BE DANGEROUS IF IT HITS HARD WITH HIS BEAK YET THE SHARK IN QUESTION IS A KILLING MACHINE .
THANKS
THANKS

Ivan Cocker

Aug 10th 2010, 16:47

@ Ray Micallef

I guess having followed a 30 year period reading, studying and creating awarness about sharks qualify Mr A. Buttigieg as a shark expert to me. I do not recall he is basing the assesment on hollywood movies but rather at recorded shark behaviour. Lucky these can be recalled from witnesses and survivors of shark attacks worldwide.

You have created also an assesment that David might have been bumped by a different big fish, but how have you concluded this? The interview of David he states he saw the fin, [shark fins are distinctive] he even had a chance to be almost face to face when he claims he warded of the assailant, so I guess he knows what he saw ... personally I think that the story has been blown a little out of proportion!

Marton Saliba

Aug 10th 2010, 15:40

@ Roderick Micallef

I, for one, am not going to deny the conclusions of a guy which knows sharks for longer than I know my wife and our offspring combined.

Expertise has nothing to do with it.

"Shark Research Institute of the Princeton University, New Jersey, USA" ...that's all the credentials you need.

victor rodenas

Aug 10th 2010, 15:38

I am sure that Alex Buttigieg knows more about sharks then anybody else in Malta.We use the word `expert`rather casually.One does not need to go to the University to be an `expert` in something.Ex. there are people who can tell you the score of a certain game of the World Cup of 20 yrs.ago ,a few others can even say the names of the players who scored ,a handfull can also tell you that it was the substitute x who scored in the last minute.These few people are `experts` in football.None went to the University to know these things,its their hobby or it could be their proffesion if they are sports journalists.Alex has got a lot of experience in the subject ,of course sometimes these things are just a hoax but one can never be sure.Sharks do not hunt humans(unless the shark is very old and it cannot catch its usual prey )then it will eat anything to survive.Alex ignore sarcastic comments and do what you like best.....shark studying.........30yrs. ago I did it myself and I enjoyed reading and watching documentaries about sharks every day.People enjoy your swimming,its more dangerous to cross the street than to swim.

Ray micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:17

To all those trying to read my posts please start with the bottom one first and read upwards...its hard to speak with conviction in just 200 words ;)

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:12

As for Mr. Bonavia’s experience…if it was a case of ‘mistaken identity’ by a Great White shark…believe me, he would have no doubt as to the type of fish he had encountered and we would have pictures of its myriad of teeth and bite marks on his board and sail and lots of missing bits from it to go look for….if nothing worse!! Regardless, this is not to deter from his harrowing experience and as a fellow Maltese we should afford him our compassion and support in his moment of need…but buddy, change your sail colour and paint your board a different one too….but get back out there and enjoy it!

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:10

Sharks are such an endangered species anyway, their numbers have dwindled down so much from being caught and killed in fishing nets, for their jaws to hang on our walls, their belly oils for use in cosmetics, for their fins to make shark fin soup - again... a specialty for the Asian market...that when we sight one...it makes the headlines...just like sighting a UFO here!!!! Even in South Africa, known to be a breeding ground for the Great White shark….it recently took a Discovery Channel team out in open waters a full 3 days of baiting, throwing in all manner of raw meat, blood and what have you to finally see one and attract a female Great White to film and document about !!!!

So please...Mums...its okay to take your children swimming today...but certainly do look out.....for other children aimlessly charging around the bay in a small dinghy tender allowed by careless parents (selfishly seeking some few minutes respite from their own children on board their yacht) to drive these lethal machines with spinning propeller blades imma!!!! Transport Malta…where are you policing our bays from this blatant fact in continuous law breaking?

Please see my next post.........

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:08

Now having said all that, Yes!... there are sharks in the Med, even Great White Sharks. Some argue that they even come to breed right here off our shores, but in truth of the matter, they stay out in the open sea lanes between land...why???...cause that's where they find their ‘goodies’ ..mainly migrating fish...like Tuna!! That's why I am dead against over fishing of Tuna in the Med. Take this food source away and what will this apex predator eat? Then, of course, its drawn closer to our shores for food. Now official statistics from all the Med's neighbouring countries...that's, imagine France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco etc,etc, to name just the main tourist countries....statistics gathered together state: Throughout these last 200 years since records were kept and centralised, in spite of all the millions of inhabitants and tourists taking to the Med's shores every year.....only 30 fatal shark attacks in these last 200 years have happened in the Med ...period! You stand a far likelier chance of being hit by lightening and certainly a better chance of being run over by a car or die of cancer! ...please see my next post....

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:03

to spend at least 40 minutes to an hour just hanging on a rope coming back up slowly to decompress and avoid the onset of what is more commonly known as ‘the bends’ (– a physiological killer for divers surfacing after a deep dive) I therefore feel my own, as it were ’hands on’ experience is therefore validated here. On these dives and while decompressing and hanging onto a shot line to the surface, I look down its black, I look around me its all a menacing dark blue and if I look up ....the surface feels like a hundred miles away while hanging on this rope! Wouldn't you think that we tech divers would present an ideal ''bait'' opportunity for such sharks.... just hanging there with the minutes slowly ticking by? Have I ever seen a shark at that opportune moment and at such depths? NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-NEVER!!!!

And remember...ships and yachts coming in and out of Grand Harbour often throw their degradable food left overs and black water into the sea...right over us divers at that point that is!...see next posting please...

Ray Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 15:00

So barely a summer goes by without some sensationalism being given to’big fish sightings’ here in Malta. While I have no doubt that the wind surfer Mr. Bonavia did see a big fish I personally have my strong doubts that it was a shark …a dog fish maybe, Tuna even and am inclined to favour Mr. Alex Buttigieg alias the Sharkman’s reasoning in all this ( who I know very well and hold him to be a very accomplished and expert diver among our community). This is sensational publicity and just scaremongering and just plainly used to attract attention to the individual...what it also does is have an adverse effect on our Island's tourism as the Media just love such sensationalism....and spoiling an otherwise great day by the sea side with our kids!!! I started diving in open water at age 17. With hundreds of dives since then and some recent dives where we technical divers go at least 5 to 12 miles out of Grand Harbour to dive the WWII shipwrecks found on the bottom, some at over 70 meters deep for which we need ...see next posting please.....

Roderick Micallef

Aug 10th 2010, 14:51

Dear Mr.Buttigieg or wannabe sharkman,
Even though you are now pro-claiming that you '"have never claimed to be a SHARK EXPERT!!", you surely didn't mention this on your interview with PBS that was aired on the news yesterday and today. Of course this is exactly what I questioned myself, on what credentials are you an expert?
To add insult to injury, even though you are saying you are no shark expert you still came up with conclusions, so can you kindly exactly tell us how did you come up with these conclusions? You also mentioned that it was impossible for you to say exactly if it was a shark without an investigation, without interviewing Mr.Bonavia, without examining the windsurfer and without talking to the witnesses YET you still came up with your own conclusion!
I don't know if you are realizing Mr.Sharkman or whatever you want to be called but you are REALLY contradicting yourself. You even almost accused Mr.Bonavia that he is alarming people for nothing when in actual facts Mr.Bonavia made it crystal clear that his point is not to alarm any one but for people to be cautious, or is this too much to ask for experts?

C Cassar

Aug 10th 2010, 14:26

This is a classic hoax.

Alex 'the Sharkman' Buttigieg

Aug 10th 2010, 14:25

(Part 1 of 2)

First of all, let me get the record straight. Whilst I do have a lot of hands-on experience and have observed and researched sharks for over 30 years, I have never claimed to be a SHARK EXPERT!!

Also besides being very much involved in many world-wide shark organizations, I also happen to be an investigator for the Global Shark Attack File which is kept by the Shark Research Institute of the Princeton University, New Jersey, USA

http://www.sharkattackfile.net/investigators.htm

I was approached by the media and shown footage and photos of the incident, and then was asked for my opinion. I told them that it was impossible for me to say exactly if this was a shark or not without proper investigation, which would include interviewing Mr. Bonavia, examining the windsurfer and talking to witnesses.

Alex 'the Sharkman' Buttigieg

Aug 10th 2010, 14:24

(Part 2 of 2)

When asked about the hole in the sail, I explained that unless the 3 mtr. shark actually breached (shot straight up from directly underneath) right through the sail, in which case the damage would have been much more, there is no way the shark could have done that with the sail laying flat on the surface.

Also it is a well known fact that unless sharks have actually tasted food, they do not stick around for long periods of time. Shark researchers and photographers have a problem to keep sharks around even with bait in the water. This was not the case were a seal was attacked and the shark is waiting for it to bleed to death.

Yes, on rare occasions, we do get shark sightings, and it could be that Mr. Bonavia saw one and maybe it even bumped him, but his interviews raised certain questionable issues. This is my opinion.

Vanessa Bonnici

Aug 10th 2010, 13:06

The sea is a shark's home....sightings are not unheard of, we're the ones who venture in their habitat after all.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 10th 2010, 12:40

Lets get facts straight, I have no reason to doubt Mr. Bonavia's claims, however would like to point out some important facts.

WHen a shark does attack, in 99% of the cases, the shark is not visible before the bite. A shark mainly uses stealth to remain undetected, and attacks from below, hence its colouring. The circling fin image is just something out of hollywood.

In this case, if the fish was a shark, it is obvious that it was curious and not aggressive. One because it remained plainly visible at all times, secondly, because it kept its distance after a blow.

In reality, if a 10 foot shark had really viewed Mr. Bonavia as food, there is not much he could have done, as an aggressive 10 foot shark would not have been deterred by a blow, and in all effect, would have found it ridiculously easy to upend mr Bonavia from his surfboard.

After reading various comments here, it seems that alot of people are almost hungry for a shark attack in Maltese waters. Summer afternoons must be boring for them.

John Spiteri

Aug 10th 2010, 11:49

Statistically I have a much greater chance of dying in a hit and run by some unlicensed pot head, or of being unfortunate enough to be caught in a shower of lead pellets in our countryside - indeed even perhaps from a cardiac arrest when opening the latest enemalta bill.

So i wouldn't worry - the sea is probably one of the safest places to be around these islands - Enjoy it!

I also don't know why many keep on repeating the mantra that the sea is somehow 'foreign' to humans 1. I always thought that humans were part of the ecosystem too and 2. certain physiological features such as a depressed larynx, a philtrum preventing water from entering the nostrils, Extensive coverage of the skin by sebaceous glands and several other features common with marine mammals may be evolutionary evidence that our affinity with the sea may be more than 'skin deep'

whatever the case, as i said don't worry and enjoy it.

Constantine Mifsud

Aug 10th 2010, 11:17

In my experience from many years at sea near our shoes I think that Mr. Bonavia has encountered an Ocean sunfish , Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758) Malt. Mola. These harmless, sometimes large, fish swim near the sea surface very often while spawning near flotsam and demonstrate a large fin (with an unnoticeable smaller one behind it). Because of this, these fish encounters could be mistaken for sharks.

G.Pisani

Aug 10th 2010, 10:15

Go to youtube and search for 'Shark Malta' . A shark being filmed in Malta. Like all videos involving maltese, bad language is involved. Viewer discretion is advised :)

Francesca Vincenti

Aug 10th 2010, 09:58

It is possible that David Bonavia encountered a shark - and yes it could also have been a curious Tuna. Both are common in our waters at this time of the year as the great white notoriously follows the tuna migration routes. Surfboards draw curiosity since they resemble turtles to a shark, a natural food source for them. It would be a mistake to doubt that sharks do not frequent (although sadly not too regularly) our waters. Being a windsurfer myself, I have sailed around our shores in all seasons since 1981. I have encountered a total of 6 sharks to date. The largest one however, was not spotted locally but between Malta/Sicily in the 80's during a race. It trailed me closely in light winds & calm clear water for a number of minutes before sinking into the deep again. Please remember that sharks play a vital role in keeping the delicate balance of the seas in check & such sightings give hope that the seas are still alive & kicking. They are not to be feared but protected. So before poking fun at someone's experience or going on a mission to destroy sharks - THINK

Robert Sammut

Aug 10th 2010, 09:54

I think Mr Bonavia was in fact attacked by a Great White when he inadvertently interfered with its spawning activities.Last Saturday the wind was force 6.Whilst I'm no expert on windsurfing I'm a shark apasionado and a Great White is capable of reaching speeds of 24Km/hr but for very short spurts.I've seen the speed some top notch winsurfers can surf at and they can definitely go faster, not to mention, sustain such speeds in similar wind conditions to last Saturday's. In a state of panic, it probably didn't occur to Mr Bonavia that it was he in fact who was circling the shark & not the other way around! If you come face to face with a Great White, don't waste time praying just hit it as hard as you can on its snout you might be pleasantly surprised not mention shocked that it'll turn away from you as quickly as it showed up.

Chris Finch

Aug 10th 2010, 09:52

Something seems very fishy to me. How did the shark bite a round hole in the centre of a taught sail? Especially a 3m shark biting such a big hole.

If the shark circled him for 40+mins he must have got a good look at it. Was he able to identify the type of shark? Each species has a distinct dorsal fin so identification should be easy after looking at it for 45 mins.

Lets keep it in perspective. Mr Bonavia was at more risk of catching an infection being 1km off the grand harbour where the sewage pipes from Valetta and Sliema discharge.

rosanna ellul

Aug 10th 2010, 09:38

Remember the movie JAWS when the Mayor did not want to close the beach because of the tourist...........What happened next.........der der, der der,........ Just a thought

Jonathan Briscoe White

Aug 10th 2010, 09:20

With all due respect.. I dont think its a Question whether or not who believes and who doesnt... At the end of the day anything is possible.. This Man was clearly in the water at the time of the Incident so instead of voicing opinions and doubting his story I would thank him for telling the story and use it as a wake up call that Malta is too small to attract such fish...

Concerning the behaviour of the shark.. Im nowhere near an expert but who is to tell how a big fish can react. Is it unheard of that an animal acts differently and not in the "natural way"?

I mean I think somebody has to die before a story is believed on this island .. Thank God it was not the case this time... but perhaps next time you could let the "big fish" take a chunk out of your leg next time Mr. Bonavia.. and maybe we may start believing you..

J oatmon

Aug 10th 2010, 09:19

I am not impressed by these so called shark experts - they think they can explain everything after years of study, but they are wrong. For example we know sharks have many very sophisticated sensors and ways of detecting what is in the water near them, they can detect minute quantities of blood, the electronic pulses given off by heartbeats, etc, they can operate at night and in murky water, etc - and yet every time someone is attacked, these same experts say the shark mistook the person for a seal or fish or whatever - give me a break! The shark knew it was detecting food and attacked, it was not mistaken.
I assume sharks are like humans, most are predictable and wont hurt you, but some are violent and are like criminals, and they will attack you.

iCocker

Aug 10th 2010, 09:14

Probably the only person who can testify what it means to be near a big fish is David himself., and surely is no pleasant encounter on a flimsy board.

I am no shark expert as Alex but from the images of the windsurf being holed is very strange for an attack, it is more occasional that sharks have bitten off the board and let go. It is more inpractical for the sail to be bitten flat on surface. If that hole was made by the shark not on impact with the water really indicates that the fish was more acting out of curiousity, the shape of boards distract them to look like silhouttes of distressed big fish and the attack normally happen from below, unlike the side attacks we see on JAWS.

On the other hand lets not start the alarm of a shark chase for a rogue, these kind of attacks are rare in Malta, but can happen and have happened elsewhere in the Med. These fish travel fast distance, probably ended in our seas by occasion, following prey or a ship.

Harry Forrester

Aug 10th 2010, 09:03

Alex Buttigieg confirmed my doubts. The bite (the small tear) is too small to be of a 3m shark, whilst the big tear is not a shark bite - he probably just fell through his sail. This has happened to me on many occasions - moving at high speeds on the windsurfer and falling onto the sail and subsequently tearing the thing plastic-like component of the sail. A shark would definately have bitten right through the sail (not just the thin plastic part)..

Also, using your metal rod (from the harness) to defend yourself seems a bit Rambo-like..a 3m shark being kept away by a harness after attacking the "victim" twice!!

45 mins circling? yeah right!

Franco Farrugia

Aug 10th 2010, 09:00

I didn't know we had 'experts' in sharks, in Malta.
Whatever 'experts' say, the man knew what he had in front of him and if I were in his place, I wouldn't care for what others judged about the event. Bonavia KNEW what he saw and he has no reason to lie. He appears to be a very balanced person.

Reuben Vella

Aug 10th 2010, 08:59

Honest question, I am not trying to doubt Mr.Buttigieg aka Sharkman:
On which basis is he considered a "shark expert"? Is he a marine biologist? Has he studied or been studying sharks and shark behavior? In which case, for how long? And where? What are his qualifications or what qualifies him as a "shark expert"?

And how can Mr. Buttigieg "question the veracity behind the claim" from the footage he's seen. As an "expert" he should deal in facts and see first hand the damages done, before he issues certain statements on the media. As an "expert" it is not a professional attitude to doubt a man's word all over the media, just on footage he's seen, he should be more interested in seeing the facts, determine, if possible if it was a shark or not, which type of shark it was and try to find out what led to this attack.

Also as a "shark expert" he should be more interested in preserving the shark population in the med and around the world, which is being decimated due to shark fin harvesting, although Mr.Bonavia may not agree with me after his incident!

Attard Joseph

Aug 10th 2010, 08:47

Now! Shark experts :-)

J.Saliba

Aug 10th 2010, 08:31

Is it that hard for someone to believe that this was infact a shark attack!! not referring mainly to you Mr. Buttigieg but too all those miss believers that think Malta is a sacred island, where there are no sharks, no mafia, no nothing, Malta is Just perfect in their eyes, we are surrounded by deep sea after all, ITS a RARE ATTACK, but its still a SHARK ATTACK, believe it or not

Malcolm Mifsud

Aug 10th 2010, 08:25

It could have never been a large tuna. I had a very large specimen appear within 10ft off me while snorkling some summers ago, and it was no funny experience, let me tell you. They are very inquisitive fish that can only hurt you due to their power in the water. As to if it were a shark or not we might never know but they are known to attack and you can never be sure with them, no matter how much one studies them.

P. Borg

Aug 10th 2010, 08:23

Whatever it is, this should be investigated thoroughly. Being a shark or not it remains a large fish therefore it can cause harm to swimmers. Whether it is near shore or not for me it's irrelevant. A fish can travel from far away to the shore in few minutes. I think all these fish farms spread all around Malta are attracting many fish that before didn't even think of coming near to shore. They should just be placed much far away from shore so at least they wouldn't be an attraction for larger fish in the nearby of swimmers. This country is as usual a banana republic, everyone places everything where he thinks fit for him and rules are just irrelevant and non existent.

Y.Vella

Aug 10th 2010, 08:04

I do not believe that doubting a person's version is a mature action especially since person has been taken to hospital due to shock... in addition how can this sharkman decide whether it was a shark or not from a footage...? another thing which seems strange is that unless a person has studied sharks and their behaviour, one cannot state that it can be untrue because the shark spent a lot of time near the person without attacking... once i was watching a documentary which stated that if a swimmer does not move and stay still then the shark does not attack....
For sure, I will not go to swim in the coming days.... better to be cautious rather than silly!

H Dempster

Aug 10th 2010, 07:56

i would ask Mr Sharkman was poor old Mr Headly in a crowd of people or was he just him and his freind when he was eaten up a long time ago at st thomas bay.

Salvatore Morgan

Aug 10th 2010, 07:53

Glad you are OK David after such a harrowing experience. Take Care! Sonny

T Mifsud

Aug 10th 2010, 07:30

I expected this! Do we know everything on sharks? What about rogue ones with erratic behaviour? I think Mr Bonavia had a watch to check the time and also a pair of eyes to identify a fish. I do not think he looks like an amateur windsurfing outside the harbour in strong wind, and unable to tell a dolphin from a shark, or 5 mins from 45 mins!

Carmel Garcia

Aug 10th 2010, 07:24

And who is he to judge? Do we have only one expert in Malta?