The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks
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While the Shark Project’s future remains in question, there are positive signs. During the 2004 season, previously slated to be the last, white shark research permits were transferred to Barbara Block’s lab. Thus, the tagging goes on, and there is hope that it will continue into the future. Logistics have been difficult though, with both landings closed for repair this fall.
Scot and Peter’s partnership has come to an end. It spanned fifteen years; it yielded some of the most intriguing information about great white sharks that has ever been compiled; it was a fortuitous mix of skills and yin and yang balance—but it’s over, and both men acknowledge now that the effort had run its course. Scot continues to study sharks wherever he can find them, making trips to Alaska to spend more time with salmon sharks (a species that’s also part of Dr. Block’s tagging efforts) and thinking about branching out into whale sharks, basking sharks, and tiger sharks: “I’m into them all.” But the Farallones are still the epicenter of the white shark world and that means Scot will continue to return there as long as he can, furthering his research, doing whatever it takes to remain in contact with the group of animals that has captivated him for the better part of two decades.
Ron has kept up his diving throughout the 2004 season, though his trips have been less frequent. On the fourteen dives he’s made at the island this year, he’s seen sharks on all but one. He continues to note a profusion of males, Rat Packers everywhere he looks, and a curious paucity of queen-sized Sisters. Three years have passed since he’s seen a truly supersize girl, and he wonders about that. Meanwhile, the urchin market is challenged by cheaper stocks coming from abroad and, in the future, it’s likely that Ron will spend time diving at the islands out of choice rather than economics. Make no mistake though, he’ll be there. The Farallones remain his refuge and solace, the one place where he feels entirely at peace with himself, where he can think without the din of civilization pounding in his ear. Besides, he hasn’t figured out what he wants to do next. He and Carol now have three grandchildren, all under the age of three, and they’re a priority. The next thing, whatever it is, will have to balance Ron’s love of walking the edge with his love of spending time with his family. In the meantime he’s enjoying the chance to slip into the Farallon waters with a video camera, documenting the sharks and other creatures as a kind of living photo album.
Cage diving remains a thriving business in the lee of Saddle Rock, and Groth’s company, Great White Adventures, debuted a new boat this year: Superfish. Mick and Groth have joined forces, and the thirty-two-foot Patriot has been replaced by the sixty-five-foot whale-watching vessel. Now, more people can be accommodated on each trip, and the divers have the benefit of Mick’s experience with the island waters. (There’s one downside to the larger boat, however: The sharks aren’t as likely to approach it.) Groth himself has been spending much of his time in Guadalupe, where the water is a crystal-clear seventy degrees, and clients sign up for three-thousand-dollar weeklong trips in the sunshine.
Everyone continues to surf. Yesterday, in fact, Kevin had ridden waves at Asilomar, near the site of Lewis Boren’s attack, and had a fantastic session despite a near closeout, with surf breaking close to the beach. Sidelined for most of the fall after slipping in his boat and bruising a rib while trying to tag a shark, Scot says he intends to make up for lost time when the season winds down. Peter arranges his days according to surf conditions in Bolinas and a few local places that he refuses to divulge, for fear that others will discover them. Ron recently ordered a shortboard to go with his longboard, and has been seen on both at one of the sharkiest places around: Salmon Creek, a fast, steep break where attacks and encounters occur with regularity. On May 28, a Salmon Creek surfer had been bumped from his board and managed to fight off a sixteen-foot shark for several minutes while the animal circled, aggressively thrashing its tail. “I felt like I was in a boiling cauldron,” he told a newspaper reporter.
Another surf spot Ron favors is Drake’s Estero just north of Bolinas, and Peter likes this wave as well, which is why he was one of the first to hear when, on October 24, a former Farallon intern and friend of his named Pete DeJung was attacked by a white shark while surfing there. DeJung had been sitting on his surfboard when he was jolted forward “like I’d been rear-ended at a stop sign,” and then a great white’s head had lifted his leg out of the water, its mouth wrapped around his calf, all the way down to his foot. When DeJung whacked the shark, it let go, but not before slapping his face with its tail, opening a deep gash above his eye. Though the fish had done one hundred stitches worth of damage, DeJung remained remarkably cool, paddling to shore on his own. Afterward, he declined to speak to the media regarding the encounter, not wishing to help feed the inevitable shark attack circus. His experiences with the Farallon sharks had given him a different perspective: “I wasn’t as frightened,” he said. “This wasn’t a big one. I’ve seen the big ones.”
DeJung’s great white encounter was the year’s fourth in the Red Triangle. And not everyone had met up with a dinky shark. Near Fort Bragg, an abalone diver named Randy Fry was decapitated by a white shark estimated to measure eighteen feet. It severed Fry’s head, neck, and upper shoulders in one sudden and massive swoop as the diver swam near the surface in a cove. The victim, who was fifty years old and the west coast regional director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, had confided to his friends about a premonition that he would die in the jaws of a great white shark. Two of them were with him at the time of the attack. “When I saw the pool of blood spread across the surface of the water, I knew Randy was gone,” his diving partner recounted. “We were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Great white sharks arrive when you least expect them, and vanish the moment you think you’ve got them figured out. They don’t come into anyone’s life in a forgettable way, and once they grab your imagination they don’t let go. I was no exception. The professional fallout for Peter, the official censure, the loss of the yacht: None of this was easy to justify in the aftermath. Several of Peter’s colleagues speculated that only great white sharks could provoke such irrational behavior; that certainly, no one had ever come a cropper in attempts to study warblers, say, or harbor seals—as though somehow the animal was at fault. But that wasn’t the case. It was purely human behavior that made the wheels come off. Somewhere along the line, right at the beginning I think, I became obsessed with this story. That single-mindedness colored everything I did, and ended up extracting a heavy toll.
And yet, watching the baby white shark in the tank, gliding past the crowds and seeming to revel in her star attraction status, I was awed one more time by how many dimensions there were to these creatures, and how haunting their presence. Exiting the Outer Bay in search of breakfast, we passed a ten-foot-long mural of a great white shark that was thronged with children, all clamoring to have their photos taken in front of it. Across the room, white shark stuffed toys and key chains and books and fridge magnets were being sold from a kiosk. The animal had charisma, all right.
As we threaded our way through the tourists on Cannery Row, the bay was beginning to stir behind us. Car doors slammed; surfboards were lifted down from roof racks. (I had one of my own now, a seven-and-a-half-footer decorated with vibrant fuschia swirls.) All around us, people headed to the ocean.
And eighty-five miles to the northwest, a perfect eight-foot swell was building in Mirounga Bay.
Selected Bibliography
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One book in particular was invaluable: The Farallon Islands, Sentinels of the Golden Gate (San Francisco, CA: Scottwall Associates, 1995) by Peter White. Along with being the only volume ever compiled about the islands’ history, it also happens to be meticulously researched and elegantly written. Any reader wishing to delve into the Farallones’ past will find it riveting.
The quote comes from Steven Powers’s Tribes of California (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1976), p. 182.
The following were also helpful:
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Ainley, David G., and Robert J. Bockelheide. Seabirds of the Farallon Islands. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1990.
Boessenecker, John. Gold Dust and Gunsmoke: Tales of Gold Rush Outlaws, Gunfighters, Lawmen, and Vigilantes. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Collier, Ralph S. Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century: From the Pacific Coast of North America. Chatsworth, CA: Scientia Publishing, 2003.
Davis, Lisa. “Fallout.” SF Weekly, 9 May 2001.
De Santis, Marie. California Currents: An Exploration of the Ocean’s Pleasures, Mysteries and Dilemmas. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1985.
Doughty, Robin W. “San Francisco’s Nineteenth-Century Egg Basket: The Farallons.” The Geographical Review, October 1971, 554–72.
Ellis, Richard, and John McCosker. Great White Shark. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991.
Greene, Charles S. “Los Farallones de los Frayles.” Overland Monthly, September 1892, 226–46.
Hoover, Mildred Brooke. The Farallon Islands, California. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1932.
Hoyt, Erich. Creatures of the Deep: In Search of the Sea’s “Monsters” and the World They Live In. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, 2001.
Karl, Herman, J. L. Chin, E. Ueber, P. H. Stauffer, J. W. Hendley II. “Beyond the Golden Gate: Oceanography, Geology, Biology, and Environmental Issues in the Gulf of the Farallones.” U.S. Geological Survey circular 1198.
Klimley, A. Peter, and David G. Ainley. Great White Sharks: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1996.
McCormick, Harold W., Tom Allen, and William Young. Shadows in the Sea: The Sharks, Skates and Rays. New York, NY: Weathervane Books, 1963.
McDavitt, Matthew. Statement for “Sharks: Myth and Mystery” exhibit. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California, 2004.
Martin, R. Aidan. Field Guide to the Great White Shark. Vancouver, BC: Reef Quest Centre for Shark Reasearch, Special Publication No. 1, 2003.
Meyers, Ransom A., B. Worm. 2003. “Rapid worldwide depletion of predatory fish communities.” Nature 423:280–83.
Noble, John Wesley. “The Exiles of Howling Island.” The Saturday Evening Post, 20 June 1953, 24, 87, 89, 90, 93.
Nordhoff, Charles. “The Farallon Islands.” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, April 1874, 617–25.
Rendon, Jim. “Farallon Feeding Frenzy.” East Bay Express, 15 January 2003, 12–19.
Robison, Bruce, and Judith Connor. The Deep Sea. Monterey, CA: Monterey Bay Aquarium Press, 1999.
Safina, Carl. Song for the Blue Ocean. New York, NY: Henry Holt, 1998.
Wilson, Edward O. Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984.
Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999.
Scientific Publications on White Sharks Using Farallon Data
Ainley, D. G., C. S. Strong, H. R. Huber, T. J. Lewis, and S. H. Morrell. 1981. “Predation by sharks on pinnipeds at the Farallon Islands.” Fishery Bulletin 78:941–45.
Ainley, D. G., R. P. Henderson, H. R. Huber, R. J. Boekelheide, S. G. Allen, and T. L. McElroy. 1985. “Dynamics of white shark/pinniped interactions in the Gulf of the Farallones.” Memoirs of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 9:109–22.
Anderson, S. D., and K. J. Goldman. 1996. “Photographic evidence of white shark movements in California waters.” California Fish and Game 82:182–86.
Anderson, S. D., R. P. Henderson, and P. Pyle. 1996. “Observations of white shark reactions to unbaited decoys.” Pp. 223–28 in Klimley and Ainley (eds.), The Ecology and Behavior of the White Shark. Academic Press, San Diego, 1996.
Anderson, S. D., A. P. Klimley, P. Pyle, and R. P. Henderson. 1996. “Tidal height and white shark predation at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Pp. 275–80 in Klimley and Ainley.
Anderson, S. D., and P. Pyle. In press. “A temporal, sex-specific occurrence pattern among white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at the South Farallon Islands, California.” California Fish and Game.
Boustany, A., S. F. Davis, P. Pyle, S. D. Anderson, B. J. LeBoeuf, and B. A. Block. 2002. “Expanded niche for great white sharks.” Nature 415:35–36.
Goldman, K. J., and S. D. Anderson. 1999. “Space utilization and swimming depth of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Environmental Biology of Fishes 56:351–64.
Goldman, K. J., S. D. Anderson, J. E. McCosker, and A. P. Klimley. 1996. “Temperature, swimming depth, and movements of a white shark at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Pp. 111–20 in Klimley and Ainley.
Heneman, B. and M. Glazer. 1996. “More rare than dangerous: A case study of white shark conservation in California.” Pp. 481–91 in Klimley and Ainley.
Klimley, A. P. 1985. “The areal distribution and autoecology of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, off the west coast of North America.” Memoirs of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 9:15–40.
Klimley, A. P. and S. D. Anderson. 1996. “Residency patterns of white sharks at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Pp. 365–74 in Klimley and Ainley.
Klimley, A. P., S. D. Anderson, P. Pyle, and R. P. Henderson. 1992. “Spatiotemporal patterns of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) predation at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Copeia 1992:680–90.
Klimley, A. P., P. Pyle, and S. D. Anderson. 1996. “The behavior of white sharks and their pinniped prey during predatory attacks.” Pp. 175–92 in Klimley and Ainley.
Klimley, A. P., P. Pyle, and S. D. Anderson. 1996. “Tail slap and breach: Agonistic displays among white sharks?” Pp. 241–56 in Klimley and Ainley.
Lea, R. N. and J. E. McCosker. 1996. “White shark attacks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: An update and analysis.” Pp. 419–34 in Klimley and Ainley.
Long, D. J., K. Hanni, P. Pyle, J. Roletto, R. E. Jones, and R. Bandar. 1996. “Geographical and temporal patterns of white shark predation on four pinniped species along central California, 1970–1992.” Pp. 263–74 in Klimley and Ainley.
Pyle, P. 1992. “Sympathy for a predator: White shark studies at Southeast Farallon.” Observer 93:1–11.
Pyle, P., S. D. Anderson, and D. G. Ainley. 1996. “Trends in white shark predation at the South Farallon Islands, 1968–1993.” Pp. 375–80 in Klimley and Ainley.
Pyle, P., S. D. Anderson, A. P. Klimley, R. P. Henderson, and D. G. Ainley. 1996. “Environmental factors affecting the occurrence and behavior of white sharks at the South Farallon Islands, California.” Pp. 281–92 in Klimley and Ainley.
Pyle, P., M. J. Schramm, C. Keiper, and S. D. Anderson. 1999. “Predation on a white shark by a killer whale and a possible case of competitive exclusion.” Marine Mammal Science 15:563–68.
Websites
For more information on the Farallones and surrounding waters, readers should contact The Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association: www.farallones.org
A fantastic resource for those interested in shark biology, behavior, and conservation: ReefQuest Center for Shark Research: www.elasmo-research.org
Additional websites of potential interest:
TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Pelagics): www.toppcensus.org
Census of Marine Life: www.coml.org
Conservation International: www.conservationinternational.org
Devil’s Teeth, a documentary about diving in the Farallones, directed by Roger Teich: www.devilsteeth.com
Environmental Defense: www.environmentaldefense.org
Farallon Island National Wildlife Refuge: http/library.fws.gov/refuges/index
Monterey Bay Aquarium: www.mbayaq.org
Oceana: www.oceana.org
Pew Oceans Commission: www.pewoceans.org
Point Reyes Bird Observatory: www.prbo.org
Surfrider: www.surfrider.com
Wildlife Conservation Society: www.wcs.org
The Great White Shark (1995), the BBC video documentary directed by Paul Atkins that inspired this book, is avai
lable on VHS and can be ordered from Amazon.com.
Author’s Note
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Words can’t express my gratitude to Peter Pyle. His extraordinary talent, warmth, great humor, and devotion to the Farallones made this project a joy, even when it veered into rough waters. I am also deeply indebted to Scot Anderson and Ron Elliott, and to Charlie Merrill, the founder of the Farallon Patrol, whose wisdom and friendship are a gift I’ll always cherish, and Paul Atkins, whose vision of these islands still haunts my dreams. Further thanks are owed to the following people, who helped me with island reporting and access: Mick Mengioz, Ed Ueber, Brian Guiles, Tony Badger, Margaret Badger, John Boyes, Mike McHenry, Peter DeJung, Pete Warzybok, Russ Bradley, Jen Greenwood, Meghan Riley, Melinda Nakagawa, Kristie Nelson, Elias Elias, and Josiah Clark. Greg Cailliet, William Gilly, Roger Hanlon, Bruce Mate, David K. Matila, David Festa, and Kathleen Goldstein generously answered research queries. I am especially grateful to biologist R. Aidan Martin, whose love of sharks is surpassed only by his generosity when it comes to sharing his knowledge of them; and to Linda Hunter, the director of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association for her vision and support. And I certainly want to thank Paul Amaral of Channel Watch Marine Inc. for finding Just Imagine. The retrieval, conducted at night, in stormy seas, was no small feat of nautical expertise and bravery.
Kevin Weng of the Block Lab at Hopkins Marine Station provided invaluable information about white shark conservation, populations, and the inner workings of satellite pop-up tags (and, best of all, taught me to spearfish). Next door, at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Ken Peterson, John O’Sullivan, and Randy Kochevar were endlessly helpful. Barbara Block deserves everyone’s thanks for her brilliant work to prevent the oceans from being reduced to guppy tanks, but she especially has mine.