SHOW GOES DEEP WITH SHARKS
San Francisco Examiner
June 5, 2007

An area encompassing a stretch of Northern California coast from Monterey Bay to Bodega Bay, and over to the Farallon Islands, is the site of the most recorded instances of great white shark attacks in the world.

The story behind this phenomenon is the subject of "Shark Battleground: The Red Triangle," a fascinating documentary airing at 9 p.m. Saturday, midnight Sunday and 1 p.m. Monday on the National geographic Channel.

Emeryville-based Hoff Productions produced the program, which not only describes the history of the great white but also presents interviews with people who survived being bitten by one of the marine world's most vicious predators.

Surfer Megan Halavias and boogie-boarder Jonathan Kathrein show off incredible scars; both found themselves in the unfortunate situation of having their legs inside a shark's mouth as did Peter DeJung, who noticed sea lions acting oddly before he was bitten by a shark while he was surfing alone off Point Reyes National Seashore in 2004.

Engineer Marco Flagg, who was testing diving equipment off Point Lobos, amazingly only had a few relatively small puncture wounds after his shark encounter. Bitten in the torso, he says that the metal he had on his body provided a shield that saved him.

Shark experts reveal the reason why many people who have been n contact with sharks seems to do fairly well it's because fatty, blubbery pinnipeds (sea lions, seals), not humans, are sharks' natural prey.

Sharks' complex sensory systems enable them to determine quickly whether their meal will provide optimal nutrition. If not, the sharks simply will let go of their catch after an initial "investigation." Sharks aren't driven by "blind hunger," scientists say. Warm-bodied creatures with body temperatures well above the water they swim in, they conserve energy amazingly well and go months without eating.

The reason for the prevalence of encounters in Northern California is because it's home to sea lions and elephant seals; young, plump pups are great whites' best food source. Also, the region is full of people who like to spend time in the water.

These and other amazing facts along with cool, up-close footage of great whites in action make for an invigorating show that takes a sympathetic look at one of nature's wild wonders.

Leslie Katz