ABC news with Luke Tipple: Great White Shark cage accident at Guadalupe Island

[cybershark007]

I've been shark diving down there. It's completely safe. The only reason that happened is becasue the bait was too close, and if you watch carefully, you'll see as the shark enters the cage that its nictating membrane is up over it's eyes, which makes it effectively sight blind. Trust me, that shark wanted out of that cage more than it wanted anything inside it.

[astrotrain21]

This is a joke. I wonder how many people would go diving in these cages if they actually knew that they weren't strong enough to stop the sharks? Either the cages used should be strong enough to stop the sharks or the diving shouldn't be allowed.

[audiguy87]

idc what ppl like this moron says great whites obviously want to eat you and everything look how it was trying to get at that man in there he really wanted to get him so the guy covering up for this is full of shit dumb ass!

[ceezoors2000]

Thank you Luke for setting the record straight. It was the company's irresponsible actions that were at fault. I also like how they show NO CONCERN for the diver when he comes up. No "Are you OK?" Nothing. I did not hear any concerns asked or offered towards either diver on the original video and neither did people that I have showed the original video to view. This company is not good for the cage diving industry.

[15243758]

Patrick,

I don't believe you meant any harm, but if you had been more educated to the plight of sharks, and the slaughters they face, you wouldn't have put this footage on YouTube, or gone on all those TV shows. There is NO way a Great White shark breaking through a cage can be viewed as good. This was a rare occurance and unfortunately it was broadcast to the world...the damage has been done.

Bill Fisher

[JoeRomeiro333]

other places have done the same and it has been devastating to the population of white sharks making room for illegal poaching .for sport and commercial they are sought for their fins teeth and meat . even the oil inside them ..its a shame the media got their hands on this . how can you sleep knowing that will happen . i guess your famous now ..... as the guy who killed shark diving in guadalupe and most likely some of the sharks too .

[bombstalker]

I can see it's a touchy subject, and it is a huge shame that things have changed for the worse at Guadalupe with the ban on chum and hang-baits... but it's a bit harsh to call this nothing but a fame-seeking stunt. It's not the only cage breach on youtube, and at least in this case the guy was on TV calmly making it clear that it wasn't a mindless attack but an accident. Exact details about the eyes are surely irrelevant to most viewers - the key idea to get across was that it's an accident.

[Sharkdiver68]

I have have to agree. The real 'menace to the industry' is you Mr.Walsh, a newly certified diver, who went on national television to recount this entirely avoidable event waving a broken cage bar and to state for the record that great white sharks have "nictitating membranes"-hence this is why this accident happened.

They do not have "nictitating membranes" and clearly you have not a clue what you are talking about. One can only assume your role in all of this was to get 20 minutes of fame.

[ScubaDubaDive]

Go fuck yourself!

[LukeTipple]

ScubaDD - The 'menace to the industry' is taking one of these isolated incidents and making it worldwide news without accountability. And yes, sharks can be unpredictable animals, but we generally predict predatory behavior in the presence of hang baits, in fact an entire industry is based on it.

I've left further comments including a full analysis of the accident and it's implications at luketipple . com (in the journal).

Glad you got out SDD, I hope you can now learn from the experience.

[ScubaDubaDive]

Please explain how I have no accountability in this matter?! The fact of the matter is that this story has aired around the world, and would have done so without my approval just as your interview did on 7 new. I simply went on camera to tell the story as it happened, as an unavoidable accident.

Let me be clear, I have no real problem with your overall message in your interview. I agree that this is an important industry, promoting and insuring shark conservation.

[LukeTipple]

SDD - The onus of responsibility, and therefore accountability, lies on industry professionals, not tourists. Its our job to be responsible for our actions, especially when dealing with endangered animals and Marine reserves. Your decision to make this video public was ill advised as without a professional explanation it becomes open to interpretation. Also, and Im not having a go at you here, your explanation of WHY this happened was wrong. Irrespective of the media circus that ensued...

[ScubaDubaDive]

I do not agree with you that the responsibility only lies in the hands of the industry professionals, us tourists hold hold just as much of that burden simply by choosing to go on these trips. My decision to post this video on YouTube was simply to share it with family and friends... the fact that it has taken hold and gained popularity says nothing about me! Furthermore, this video would have made its way into mainstream media with or without my involvement.

[ceezoors2000]

Obviously you don't care about RESPONSIBLE cage diving. You are only in this for your 15 minutes of "look, I am a dumb ass, but isn't this a cool video." It is people like you who are ruining the cage diving industry. You only care about yourself. How sad.

[ceezoors2000]

My first coment is directed at the guy who shot the video of the shark breaching the cage.

[ScubaDubaDive]

Luke Tipple, the man interviewed in this video is a menace to the Shark Diving industry, using this (my video) for Shark Diver his employers betterment, never-mind the impact his accusations about Shark Dive International role in this ACCIDENT, may have on the industry as a whole. My video simply shows what can happen when you enter the water with these WILD and UNPREDICTABLE animals, accidents can and will happen!

[ceezoors2000]

The only real menace is YOU and the irresponsible and unwillingness of a company to admit to its mistakes.

[Sharkdiver68]

Well said sir. Nice to see someone who's willing to "man up" on this issue and talk about it in a serious manner. This video has been an unmitigated disaster for the shark diving industry and for the politics of this dive site. Hopefully other operations worldwide now see the power of viral videos and use this power to show the positive side of sharks-as an industry we can ill afford more video's like these.

[capo689]

Great points! I hope Shark tourism remains as it is one of the few reliable income streams for shark research.