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Sunday, 12 October 2008

Brave or brainless? Shark swimmer's rising profile

23/07/2008 1:00:00 PM.  | 

Diver Mark Rutzen is increasingly making a name for himself across the globe as a man who's willing to get closer to sharks than any other.

The free-diver and former fisherman, who is currently diving off the coast of South Africa with Great Whites, touches and even rides the massive predators - in the wild.

Rutzen says the key to staying alive is a matter of manners.

"You have to introduce yourself to the animal, you can't just go up to it and grab hold of it," he told News Ltd.

"The biggest mistake any free-diver could make would be chasing the animal through the water."

Rutzen says he relies on experience and a "telepathic understanding" to avoid becoming a meal. 

COMMENTS

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Does anyone remember Erich Ritter?? He was the self proclaimed "shark behaviorist" who claimed to be able to read a shark's mind by looking at it. While filming for the Discovery Channel, Dr. Ritter lost his leg to a bull shark while trying to show the world how tame the sharks were! I foresee a similar fate with this guy, but he won't loose a limb, he'll loose his life. These are great whites, not bull sharks. I wish him the best, but I wouldn't insure him. More at: sharkconspiracies.net.

Posted by: Kevin Harris, Newbury Park, CA

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Ritter was a fool, but he didn't lose a limb, just a big chunk of flesh. I believe this diver is the same one who was shown do a similar type of dive with Tiger Sharks last summer on Discovery.

Posted by: Bill Gwert, Largo

 

Thursday, 24 July 2008

you´re almost right... Erich Ritter was bitten but he didnt lose his leg ;) But in general I think it is always critical to claim that u can read a sharks mind or having a "telepathic understanding".. furthermore he is not the first one riding a white sharks dorsal fin. Andre Hartman did it a several times.

Posted by: michael neuhaus, innsbruck

 

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Timothy Treadwell. Sure, he was Grizzleys, but a wild animal is a wild animal.

Posted by: Tim Mason, London

 

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Remember the grizzly guy? He and his girlfriend ended up in the digestive system of the bears they said would never harm them. How about the guy who lost his entire calf muscle to a bull shark? This happened live on camera while trying to prove that bull sharks are not aggressive toward humans. Those who play with fire will eventually get burned. This guy will get mauled/eaten by the ultimate ocean predator....in time. He will be taken out of the gene pool.....permanently.

Posted by: NJ Diver, Trenton

 

Friday, 25 July 2008

Although I would hate to see anyone harmed, it will be interesting when they have video of a great white eating a human. These animals are totally unpredictable, and it would take less than a second to end up head first inside a 16 ft. white shark, and maybe he will be lucky enough to escape with severe injuries, buy maybe not.

Posted by: Ron Mr, Virginia

 

Friday, 25 July 2008

arrogance has been the downfall of alot of great men and women and to say you "have a telepathic understanding" of any animal is absurd.Great whites are not animals to be tested as no one knows what really sets one off so i believe this man is living on borrowed time.Ask the biologist from shark week a couple of years ago if he still feels he has a telepathic link to bull sharks while walking around without a calf muscle

Posted by: marshall singleton, frankfort kentucky

 

Friday, 25 July 2008

I think this guy is living a very "lucky" life. You CANNOT say these creatures abide by "manners". They are almost the king of the sea and any well-experienced diver/fisherman can attest to this. Some of them survived, some did'nt! A SIMPLE fact about such creatures are that they eat, sleep and make babies. They appear to be an extremely inquisitive animal. As most people know, they tend to approach vertical and 'touch' to test out whether or not something is edible!! Stevo New Zealand

Posted by: Stevo Cargill, Marlborough Sounds

 

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

I think the Grizzly Man comparison is accurate here. Rutzen seems to have the same vague motives that Timothy Treadwell did. I wish him well, but at best he's going to desensitize a bunch of sharks to the presence of humans in the water (not good for either of us), and at worst he'll wind up a meal.

Posted by: Tim Higbie, Brooklyn

 

Friday, 15 August 2008

Is it just me, or does the first pic with the white shark look photoshoped? if not, thats one really small white shark, with a mouth that small it should move out of my way

Posted by: Carl James, London

 
 

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