Shark photobomb?

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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Can there be such thing as a shark photobomb?


That’s what many are calling an eerie and eye-catching photo inadvertently snapped by a California mother that appears to show a large shark, or maybe a dolphin, swimming near her two children.


"It was quite a shock to see” the photo, June Emerson told KTLA about her photo, which captured the outline of a large fish swimming underneath a breaking wave close to the shore on Manhattan Beach.


“Many local surfers and lifeguards have seen this and believe it to be a shark,” Emerson said. “Of course, I told my kids it was dolphin, as we live at the beach and are in the waters here almost daily.”
Emerson said her 12-year-old twins were also unaware of the fish swimming so close to them as they played in the waters off the popular beach on Friday.


Emerson posted the picture to her Facebook page and said she has received thousands of comments from people, nearly all of whom are convinced that the creature in the image is a shark, possibly even a great white, which are relatively common to the area.
Still, other observers say it's impossible to tell without a more detailed image. For example, the shape of the fins and tail could in fact belong to those of a dolphin. Nonetheless, shark sightings in the area have become more frequent in recent years. So, it's well within the realm of possibility that Emerson captured a large shark close to the shore.


Back in November, paddleboarders captured video of a great white in the same area. That video was taken just 50 yards from the shore. And while most people would be terrified by the thought of sharing personal space with what is arguably the Earth’s deadliest predator, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife actually issued a warning for people to leave the sharks alone – for the protection of the sharks.


For her part, Emerson said she’s more than happy to just go on pretending that it was nothing more than a friendly dolphin passing by during an otherwise pristine day.
“Another beautiful day at the beach,” Emerson wrote on her Facebook page. “Big waves and apparently Big Fish! (Look into wave to right of Quinn Emerson, who’s out catching a few!) – Manhattan Beach, California.”



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I don't agree with telling the kids it was a dolphin... that is messed in more ways than one.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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London, Ontario


Scary stuff. Not sure I'd be having my kids on paddle boards with a reported Great White around anyway.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
3
36
London, Ontario
Phony as a $3 bill.

Post bomb.

And I do mean bomb in every sense of the word.

hello cheery, how's your day going? :D

Probably crawled back under the bitter rock by now. ;)

well telling them it was a dolphin, wtf...is that so that the next time they will swim up to it...

Yeah, I'd be telling them the truth. Not to frighten but if there is dangerous wildlife around where you live, I'd think you'd want to raise your kids to be aware, alert and use caution.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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Yeah, I'd be telling them the truth. Not to frighten but if there is dangerous wildlife around where you live, I'd think you'd want to raise your kids to be aware, alert and use caution.
Well I would want to frighten them enough for them to be cautious of the realities of the ocean and what could happen... sharks don't always attack but why leave the kids in ignorance...I am surprised there has not yet been backlash about it.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
3
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London, Ontario
Well I would want to frighten them enough for them to be cautious of the realities of the ocean and what could happen... sharks don't always attack but why leave the kids in ignorance...I am surprised there has not yet been backlash about it.

No, I don't think they should be frightened. Bad things come from that, lol. But it's not different than someone who lives in bear country, or in a desert area with rattlesnakes. If the child is too young to use caution on their own, then it requires more hands on supervision.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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No, I don't think they should be frightened. Bad things come from that, lol. But it's not different than someone who lives in bear country, or in a desert area with rattlesnakes. If the child is too young to use caution on their own, then it requires more hands on supervision.
yeah, and they can't figure out yet why they keep coming in close to shore like that, it's a new and weird phenomenon with great whites, they are studying it but have no answers. Apparently they don't really go for humans but have begun to within the last 20 years or so.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
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London, Ontario
yeah, and they can't figure out yet why they keep coming in close to shore like that, it's a new and weird phenomenon with great whites, they are studying it but have no answers. Apparently they don't really go for humans but have begun to within the last 20 years or so.

Seals. The Great Whites come close to shore for the seals, which I'll bet money are fairly nearby.

Shark Week, ya learn lots. Lol.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
23,219
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Regina, Saskatchewan
Not sure what's in the wave in the pic above, & I'm just a Prairie person,
but I'd say...."If that's a shark, it's swimming on it's side?" or something
along those lines....if they even do that. Look at the tail. Maybe someone
who has done more than vacationed near the ocean a few times can
comment on this.

 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
5,867
493
83
Vancouver-by-the-Sea
Quite unlike the housebound internet jockeys here I'm an open ocean swimmer and sport fisherman with decades of maritime experience-I know bull when I see it.

Of course it titillates people to see phony pics like these-properly called photo illustrations and they pass them from hand to hand accompanied by cyber giggles & shivers.

Here's another famous fake for your simple-minded perusal.

 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
3
36
London, Ontario
Not sure what's in the wave in the pic above, & I'm just a Prairie person,
but I'd say...."If that's a shark, it's swimming on it's side?" or something
along those lines....if they even do that. Look at the tail. Maybe someone
who has done more than vacationed near the ocean a few times can
comment on this.


Some comments on the original news article have suggested it could well be a dolphin. It's an odd angle, what with that curved wave in front of it. That would distort the image somewhat don't you think?
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,337
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Vancouver Island
Quite unlike the housebound internet jockeys here I'm an open ocean swimmer and sport fisherman with decades of maritime experience-I know bull when I see it.

Of course it titillates people to see phony pics like these-properly called photo illustrations and they pass them from hand to hand accompanied by cyber giggles & shivers.

Here's another famous fake for your simple-minded perusal.


SO you saw a fish in a supermarket once and now you are the resident expert.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
17,135
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48
Seals. The Great Whites come close to shore for the seals, which I'll bet money are fairly nearby.

Shark Week, ya learn lots. Lol.
maybe but I don't know if seals are in the areas they are concerned about though as anomalies... that's where I am getting my info from too...shark week...lol too funny...

Quite unlike the housebound internet jockeys here I'm an open ocean swimmer and sport fisherman with decades of maritime experience-I know bull when I see it.

Of course it titillates people to see phony pics like these-properly called photo illustrations and they pass them from hand to hand accompanied by cyber giggles & shivers.

Here's another famous fake for your simple-minded perusal.

Bill honey, if you read the article it clearly states they are not 100% certain of what the thing in the picture is...since you are, maybe the experts could just call you for advice...thanks though for placing us shut-ins in the right canoe. We appreciate your knowledge and happy approach when you share. :cheese:
 

BaalsTears

Senate Member
Jan 25, 2011
5,732
0
36
Santa Cruz, California
Assuming the photograph is real there are a couple things that are obvious. The creature is not a White Shark. The length to girth ratio is off. And the creature isn't a dolphin. The tail is wrong for a marine mammal.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
23,219
8,056
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Assuming the photograph is real there are a couple things that are obvious. The creature is not a White Shark. The length to girth ratio is off. And the creature isn't a dolphin. The tail is wrong for a marine mammal.

Could it be the anorexic supermodel version of a Great White Shark....
perhaps one from the suburbs try'n to grab some street-cred by wearing
it's tail sideways....but failing miserably?
 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
5,867
493
83
Vancouver-by-the-Sea
Could it be the anorexic supermodel version of a Great White Shark....
perhaps one from the suburbs try'n to grab some street-cred by wearing
it's tail sideways....but failing miserably?

"it titillates people to see phony pics like these-properly called photo illustrations-and they pass them from hand to hand accompanied by cyber giggles & shivers."

ibid.