Divers Feed Tiger Shark In Hawaii By Hand
Video recently captured off the Hawaiian coast has revealed divers interacting with a large tiger shark, feeding the massive predator by hand as the animal circles them, looking for food.
As Shark Attack News notes, Honokohau Harbor, which is located off the Kona coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a well-known location for spotting tiger sharks. Fishing fleets that return to the area have lured the sharks to the channel just outside the harbor over the years, tossing the remains of their catch overboard and inadvertently feeding the animals. Locals and fishermen in the area have come to regard the sharks as a sign of good luck, even naming several of them.
Several short video were recently filmed by divers in Honokohau, depicting their interactions with several of these sharks. In one of the videos, which were posted online by Porter H Watson, divers are circled by a large tiger shark that appears to be looking for a handout. Closely approaching the videographer, the shark bumps into his camera as it searches for food, appearing almost ready to try its luck biting into it. In another video, a tiger shark approaches the divers, who feed it a piece of fish by hand. The shark bites down on the divers’ offering, before eventually spitting it out.
Tiger sharks have recently been blamed for a spate of attacks in the Hawaiian islands, as the passing of Hurricane Ana muddied the waters, confusing the animals and raising the risk of ambush-style attacks. As the Inquisitr previously noted, four separate incidents have been reported over the course of the last few weeks, as the sharks struck at surfboards and paddleboards. The victims of the attacks have reported only minor injuries from their interactions with the sharks.
Yet another shark attack (5 in one month) has just been reported from Hawaiian shores: http://t.co/MrLI2nR8r8 pic.twitter.com/98eDBOXOB6
— SurfingLife Magazine (@SurfingLife) November 14, 2014
In September of 2013, a video filmed at Honokohau Harbor sparked controversy, as it depicted a young angler named Mikey McCrum catching one of the local sharks and dragging it ashore, over sharp volcanic rocks. As Hawaii News Now noted, the shark was tagged, and had been named Laverne by locals. A regular resident of the area, the shark was accustomed to being fed by fishermen. Though the angler reported that it was a catch-and-release situation, public outcry only intensified after it was revealed he had caught Laverne, the most famous shark resident in the region.
[Image: Porter H Watson via Shark Attack News]
