Shark Attacks

Many surfers who ride waves at beaches in the Santa Monica Bay will tell you they don't think about sharks. But photos shot this week by a longtime local surfer have created a buzz about "Jaws" in the lineup. The photos, taken Saturday morning by Randy Wright, apparently show a large white shark jumping out of the waters off Sunset Beach near Pacific Palisades. "It was like, 'Oh my God,' " Wright said Wednesday. "I was really stoked. . . . It was definitely a fascinating experience."

NEW YORK - The giant dorsal fin sliced through the sparkling blue water, trailing an oblivious kayaker. Closer to shore, bathers splashed in the waves. One tourist shot video of the idyllic scene. The only thing missing was the ominous soundtrack from"Jaws,"the 1975 blockbuster about a great white shark eating its way through a seaside resort. That and terrified hordes fleeing the water. But this came soon enough, after a paddle-boarder spotted the huge fin behind the kayaker and shouted the one word sure to clear swimmers from the sea: "Shark!"

Shark attacks worldwide have declined in recent years as people get shark-savvy. But this may not be the good news it seems: It may mean human attacks on sharks are wiping the creatures off the planet, one report suggests. The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File reports shark attacks dropped from an all-time high of 79 in 2000 to 55 last year. Shark file director George Burgess thinks the danger is diminishing.

A state commission moved Thursday to ban shark-feeding scuba dives in Florida after two deadly shark attacks along the East Coast over the Labor Day weekend. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted, 7 to 1, for the ban on feeding marine animals by people in the water. The proposed rule could become effective after a hearing and a final vote in November. Commissioners expressed fear that sharks could be conditioned to associate humans with food.

Regarding "Tame Is Lame" [Sept. 28], about TV programmers' bias toward big brutes in wildlife films: As a supporter of the reintroduction of large predators to their former ranges, I found the attitudes expressed by Mr. Fairclough repugnant. All they do is cement in the public's consciousness the idea that big predators have no place in the modern world. "Shark attacks," "bear attacks," "tiger attacks" -- one would think all these magnificent animals have on their minds is to harm any human who happens by. Michael S. Fields Columbus, Ohio

A surfer was killed after a shark dragged him from his board while bathers watched in horror at a popular South Australia beach which has become notorious for shark attacks. Police said today the injured surfer died as his friend towed him 200 yards to the beach. The attack came while the two men surfed off Waitpinga Beach, 50 miles south of Adelaide, just before dusk Thursday.

The shark-chasing-kayaker story out of Cape Cod has caused some gasps and shudders, but here's something to consider: Shark experts believe the population of great whites may be growing. And as people make more use of the ocean, there is ample potential for interactions between humans and the world's largest predatory fish, scientists say. "We've learned a lot more about white shark behavior in the last 10 years based on advances in tracking technology," Chris Lowe, director of the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab, said in an email to the Los Angeles Times on Monday morning.

A man who was bitten on his legs by what one expert suspects was a great white shark says he plans to go back into the water, but it may take "some gentle effort" to get him there. "I think I might ... try swimming a little closer to shore," Christopher Myers told "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. Myers escaped from the jaws of a predator two days earlier as he and his son, J.J., swam off Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Myers looked cheerful in the interview, sitting in a hospital wheelchair with both legs heavily bandaged below the knee and his son at his side.  He said they were farther from shore than usual as they looked for a good body-surfing spot at Ballston Beach in the town of Truro.

A 14-year-old girl died in a shark attack Saturday in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Panhandle, authorities said. She and a friend were on boogie boards about 100 yards offshore when they saw a shadow in the water, authorities said. The other teenager was not injured, Walton County sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Shank said. Tim Dicus, 54, had been surfing when he heard a scream.

More than a third of the world's recorded shark attacks this year have occurred along a stretch of Florida's Atlantic coast considered one of the finest surfing spots in the state, but dedicated wave-seekers are undeterred. Two of the six surfers attacked last weekend said they won't hesitate to go back in the water. "It's just a risk we're all pretty much willing to take," Jeff White, 20, told CBS' "The Early Show." Jaison Valentin, 19, the most seriously injured of the six, agreed.