Six Gill Attack!

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:22 pm

I just talked with a couple of my customers. They are geoduck fisherman. The one guy was fishing up near Pt Angeles and he fought off a 12-15 ft 6 gill, in about 40 feet of water. He thought it was going after him, and then realize it was his clam bag. The shark made 2-3 passes at him, and he saw teeth, and it grabbed at the bag he had with clams in it. The shark bumped him a few times, but didn't bite him. He said he had never been so scared in his life. He hasn't wanted to get back in the water ever since.

The depth and time of day sounds very unusual. It was about noon, and in 40 ft of water. However, with a lot of clams in a small space, it is possible a shark would smell food and come looking for it.

I told the 2 to report to the Seattle Aquarium. They said that they had already reported to Fish and Wildlife.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:50 pm

Noon, in 40fsw, in the winter? Something's screwy... not calling anyone a liar, just saying something is out of place (including something being wrong with the shark).

Perhaps a really big sealion (they've got BIG teeth)? Is he positive it was a shark (I know a shark sounds a lot better than a sealion, but the setting just doesn't seem right at all)? If I am thinking correctly, the water around the geoduck divers is basically a total silt-out (due to the hose they use to remove the substrate)... right? I bet an aggressive sealion would be pretty scary in a silt-out when it's going for your bag. Moreover, I'm guessing that the spraying of the dirt would fill the area with scent and make it difficult for a blind (due to time of day and depth) shark to zero in on the food source once, nevermind several times.

I guess a strong enough desire to feed could bring the fish to a concentrated scent of clams, but that seems a bit weird to me.

I love sixgills. That would have been a You Tube hit in no time had they caught it on video!! Course, I love sealions too.

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:29 pm

My first 6 gill sighting was in 40 feet at 2:00 pm, but it was not winter as I recall. Who knows?

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:40 pm

Pinkpadigal wrote:I just talked with a couple of my customers. They are geoduck fisherman. The one guy was fishing up near Pt Angeles and he fought off a 12-15 ft 6 gill, in about 40 feet of water. He thought it was going after him, and then realize it was his clam bag. already reported to Fish and Wildlife.

There is perhaps a difference between a geoduck fisherman and a geoduck farmer?

Is a geoduck fisherman a guy who is out scuba diving and getting geoducks? Was there a "hose" to blow them out (thus resulting in silt out), or some other means.

Very interesting, lots of questions... I'd like to hear more, Amy.

-Tom

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:01 pm

Zen Diver 2 wrote:My first 6 gill sighting was in 40 feet at 2:00 pm, but it was not winter as I recall. Who knows?

Weird. Might be the same fish!!

Just when you think something is "a sure bet," something happens like a mola mola swimming by... or a sixgill in shallow water in the middle of the day.

Valerie, you get all the cool critter sightings!!

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:26 pm

The commercial geoduck harvesters use a water jet to blast away the sediment from around the clam(s) and then they scoop them up. I imagine vis is pretty bad.

I have seen a six gill midday/early afternoon at Salt Water St Park (a small 6-7ft one) not really that unusual.

Ahem weren't we just discussing potential affects of chumming six gills... :rr:

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:38 pm

Burntchef and I saw one in <60fsw @cove 2 in daylight last year....I don't think they really pay attention to the "when and where to see 6 gills" guidelines. I think they come and go as they please.

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:10 am

CaptnJack wrote:The commercial geoduck harvesters use a water jet to blast away the sediment from around the clam(s) and then they scoop them up. I imagine vis is pretty bad.

I have seen a six gill midday/early afternoon at Salt Water St Park (a small 6-7ft one) not really that unusual.

Ahem weren't we just discussing potential affects of chumming six gills... :rr:

Yes! If there is food in the water the sharks will come investigate. This shark went to the food and did not try to taste the diver but if the diver was not aware of the shark the shark may have tasted him as well.

girldiver · Post by **girldiver** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:48 am

My first sighting of a six gill (two of them) was at Redondo...4 pm in the afternoon on a sunny day in 40' of water with about 10' of viz.

You know who the biggest fish in the sea is then....

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:20 am

Jeff Kruse wrote: Yes! If there is food in the water the sharks will come investigate. This shark went to the food and did not try to taste the diver but if the diver was not aware of the shark the shark may have tasted him as well.

Too bad I can't stuff frozen herring in your pockets anymore

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:50 pm

Wow. I didn't realize there were so many daytime sightings. Sounds like Nailer, "nailed it." Some sixgills seem to have missed the class on when to visit divers.

Northwest Dive Club

Six Gill Attack!

Six Gill Attack!

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