Paradise Bay shark encounter film ‘is a fake’
The shark seen in the footage
A Youtube clip posted by a young tourist showing a close encounter with a Great White Shark in Paradise Bay is a fake, according to shark expert Alex Buttigieg.
The clip, which was posted on the popular video sharing site yesterday, features a pair of tourists out in the bay on a rented kayak. At one point, the camera is submerged for a few moments and a large shark immediately comes in view, apparently swimming by the side of the kayak. The camera is pulled out of the water and the clip stops there.
The footage has already made the rounds on Facebook, accompanied by a stream of agitated commentary.
But the clip is clearly a fake, according to Alex ‘Sharkman’ Buttigieg, who pointed out to timesofmalta.com, that the shark in view was actually filmed in South Africa.
The original clip (9 Foot Great White Shark Circles Kayak) was posted on Youtube in August 2010, and shows an extended sequence of the same shark footage which appears on the video purporting to be from Paradise Bay.
“It’s clear that the underwater footage was lifted from the clip in South Africa added to the bit from Paradise Bay” Mr Buttigieg said emphatically.
The person who posted the clip, under the pseudonym Casoidon, claimed the footage had been shot in Malta this summer but that he or she never actually watched the film before now.
“After I have not even watched what camera recorded.
I was very surprized when I checked the recording and I saw the shark underwater. Unbeliveable, shark in Malta!”
The Mediterranean is host to a number of shark species but sightings of this kind, so close to shore are extremely rare.
The last claim of such a sighting close to shore came in August of 2010, when a 35-year-old windsurfer claimed a three-metre long shark had circled his surfboard for 45 minutes off St Elmo and bit off a piece of his sail, which was in the water.
Shark experts had also expressed scepticism in relation t this incident, particularly because of the length of time the shark reportedly spent near the man. When they do attack, sharks usually bite and leave.
Paradise Bay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd2nt76HvFk
South Africa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5UzMcHw1n0
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42 Comments
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C Delia
Dec 6th 2012, 11:49
cont.... In Malta there was only 1 fatal attack in the last centaury that of JACK SMEDLEY, in July 1956. Probably by a Great white or Mako shark
Alfred Falzon
Dec 5th 2012, 22:20
Nothing should surprise us Maltese, unless we ignore d fact that a few kms off Filfla there lies a breeding ground for d Great White species!
So why all d fuss & vain attempts to conceal d truth?
It's not d 1st & last time that sharks have been spotted close to our shores!
Numerous sightings to this effect have been reported by locals & tourists alike!
Alfred A Falzon
C Delia
Dec 6th 2012, 11:49
There are over 470 species of sharks and only four have been involved in a significant number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans, by great white, oceanic whitetip, tiger, and bull sharks.
In the Mediterranean Sea there have been 31 confirmed attacks against humans in the last two centuries, most of which were non-fatal. cont.....
Mario Pandolfino
Dec 5th 2012, 21:08
Il bahar ta madwar malta huwa car hafna aktar min dan il bahar li qed jigi muri il video clip.Pero malta inqabdu sharks vicin filfla morru u staqsu sajjieda f'wied iz-zurrieq fejn anke rittrati hemm li juru dan il qbid.
Elvin Muscat
Dec 5th 2012, 20:41
If you think there are no sharks in Malta, you don't know the half of it. I've encountered sharks whilst fishing only ten miles out of Malta in the South and have seen sharks on dozens of occasions. In my younger days 7 miles out of Bahar-ic-caghaq I saw a shark fin whilst wind surfing, that was in winter.
S. Camilleri
Dec 5th 2012, 16:16
I concur ... The image does not tally with the surroundings. It is very clearly a superimposition facilitated by the relatively monochrome (hazy) conditions beneath the surface... Good One though :) !!!
David Scerri
Dec 5th 2012, 15:59
Sharks are on the land in Malta
richard reece
Dec 5th 2012, 16:13
Yeah quite right most of them are walking the streets of Victoria in Gozo, sticking parking tickets on my rented car, gee we are only been here a day. a visiter from outer space. Alfozo Banana
Keith Chircop
Dec 5th 2012, 15:47
You wrote "Shark experts had also expressed scepticism in relation t this incident, particularly because of the length of time the shark reportedly spent near the man. When they do attack, sharks usually bite and leave."
I suggest these so called experts watch the real video from South Africa you posted yourselves, because the incident really did happen, albeit somewhere else.
B Ellul
Dec 5th 2012, 16:08
In fact it did happen but in South Africa
carmel cassar
Dec 5th 2012, 15:36
TVM may have lost some of its credibility, putting this clip on simlply to make a cheap noise.
Anthony Zammit
Dec 5th 2012, 14:58
case closed said one. I would say Case Open! The person responsible should be charged for his crime committed against the tourist industry and against the freedom many swimmers lost by 'scared to go to swim'
Charles Micallef
Dec 5th 2012, 15:17
totally agree...!
Ivan Falzon
Dec 5th 2012, 15:46
It's easy for you to say that since the guy is a foreigner.
How about we begin with our ministers instead because some of them have done great harm to our nation
Mark Anthony Fenech
Dec 5th 2012, 16:45
Melodramatic much?
francis Buhagiar
Dec 5th 2012, 14:58
If you want to see a shark in Malta you have to go to our parliament not at sea.
S. Camilleri
Dec 5th 2012, 16:17
Wrong ... Sharks kill to survive. Politicians do so for the fun of it and to get noticed.
Karl Buhagiar
Dec 5th 2012, 14:50
If you look carefully with slow motion at 58 to 59 sec appears like a man and than changed to Malta view, that's what I saw
Matthias Farrugia
Dec 5th 2012, 14:26
There are bigger sharks roaming around us here in malta, then there are in the whole sea!!!!!! if you catch my drift
Robert Zammit
Dec 5th 2012, 14:09
I not fear about shark... are friendly of natural
Karl Consiglio
Dec 5th 2012, 14:05
I thought it was a bit too lucky that he just put the cam a bit in the water and captured a shark
Adrian Schembri
Dec 5th 2012, 12:39
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOBeXD91fI
Case closed I think...
Malcolm Mifsud
Dec 5th 2012, 12:22
The sea around Malta is never green underwater and not that murky. Hands down fake.
JIMMY ATANASIO
Dec 5th 2012, 13:32
espesially around paradise bay,causr it's very clear there.mind you i haven't been to malta in a while
Mario Spiteri
Dec 5th 2012, 12:19
As the "Malta" version of this you tube clip was aired yesterday on TVM's 0800pm news with some prominence, TVM should today point out to its viewers that this film was nothing but a scam. TVM literally bit the bait: hook, line and sinker.
Alfred Bonello
Dec 5th 2012, 12:12
Very well said Mr Grech --
I fully endorse your appeal and will definitely be following your responsible demand.
SHAME on this stupid up-loader of such an obvious made-up clip.
Never ever do get any near our shores!
(AJB)
Daniel Vella
Dec 5th 2012, 12:06
It took me 5 seconds to realise it was a fake. The news item on tv said that the person taking the film realised only now what was recorded months ago..... Sorry so why did you keep the camera filming fixed in that direction in the first place, if you were not filming anything in particular? the claim does not makes sense at all! a genuine film would have also panned the sea bed.
Roxanne Zammit
Dec 5th 2012, 11:40
Although this footage might be fake, one cannot hide the fact that sharks do exist around Maltese seas, maybe not close to the shore but its not the first time, people encountered seeing sharks around Filfla.
Charles Muscat
Dec 5th 2012, 11:34
It wouldn't be something new if sharks were spotted in Malta.
A M Bonello
Dec 5th 2012, 11:32
I doubt that is a fake as you have to be quite an effects expert to superimpose such an effect.Some cameras are not fit for underwater filming as the lens differs for underwater filming.If this is a go pro camera then a go pro camera does not film that clearly underwater when the go pro camera underwater protective cover is used.The lens does not pick up very clearly when the go pro is hand held a
John Cutajar
Dec 5th 2012, 11:28
Not because in Malta there cannot be shark as many people might think but this is surely fake...
Alfred Grech
Dec 5th 2012, 11:12
It would help if you watch the video, click thumbs down and report the video as spam. This guy is truly irresponsible and perhaps the government should take legal action against him.
Owen Liddell
Dec 5th 2012, 11:51
Lol or you are serious? Do you frequent youtube much?
Chris Finch
Dec 5th 2012, 12:02
For what? Posting a fake clip on youtube? The government would have to then take action against nearly the whole internet.
Robb Stark
Dec 5th 2012, 12:04
Relax dude! Irresponsible for editing a clip and uploading it on you tube?
It is much more irresponsible that the media TVM yesterday issued this video to the general public and alarming the people without confirming the authenticity of such clip!
C Delia
Dec 5th 2012, 13:18
Done (Thumbs down / Reported as SPAM)
Alfred Grech
Dec 5th 2012, 13:33
Owen, yes I am serious and if many people click spam on youtube, they will take action. Do I used Youtube frequently? My wife and I only uploaded about 2500 videos so far, most about Malta. Check us up: malpen04 and jasalf5959.
R. Azzopardi
Dec 5th 2012, 11:09
Underwater visibility is rarely so bad in Malta. Most definitely a fake.
Patrick Gafa
Dec 5th 2012, 12:18
Spot on .. 100% agree on that. This was not in Maltese waters.
mario salnitro
Dec 5th 2012, 13:37
Depends on many things after rough seas like a majjistral or gregale it can be murky!!!
R. Azzopardi
Dec 5th 2012, 15:12
Mario Salnitro,
not in paradise pay especially in summer. I scuba dive all year round and have never seen such murky water in the area.
Mick Hollis
Dec 5th 2012, 10:52
clearly a fake the curvature of the dome port or lens is the same in both underwater clips
Please choose the reason of your report below: