Denizens Of The Deep
This weekend, numerous pods of open water swimmers were practicing swimming around the Huntington Beach (California) pier for this week’s upcoming 63rd annual Huntington Beach Pier Swim. Shooting the pier is usually a surfing move between the pilings of the pier, but several swimmers were shooting the pier in preparation for the annual pier swim in the city known as Surf City, U.S.A..
But as they passed under the large concrete pier pilings, covered with barnacles, they imagined what could be down in the depths.
And now they know what was down there. Jason Johnston caught the largest shortfin mako shark on record (12-foot, 1,300+ pound shortfin) was caught in Huntington Beach on Monday. Johnston, who was on a charter fishing trip, describes his catch, “He took out a quarter-mile of line. And five times he came out of the water over 20 feet.”
While we prefer to have these marvelous creatures remain in the ocean roaming as they do as apex predators, we also understand the fear that many individuals have to swim out past the surf where predators are known to exist.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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