Shark Battleground: The Red Triangle Premieres Sat., June 9, 9p et/pt Top Of the Food Chain Watch as Great White Sharks go on the hunt. Watch a Preview >>

Tom Horton - Producer

Over the past 20 years I have produced 31 one-hour shark films and my first shark program led to the Shark Week series. This new program, for Michael Hoff Productions of Emeryville, California, titled “Shark Battleground: Red Triangle” deals with the high number of shark attacks that occur along the California Coast stretching from Monterey Bay 135 miles north to Bodega Bay, and then out west 30 miles to the Farallon Islands.

Although there are only a few fatalities from Great White Shark attacks each year, along the California Coast, there are more white shark attacks in this area then any comparable location anywhere on earth. Thus, the press has termed this area the “Red Triangle."

To produce the documentary we searched for the most recent shark attack victims we could find to learn from them their reaction to being attacked. Interestingly, some were very willing to be interviewed on-camera, but others refused to tell of their experiences. Those who refused just did not want to be reminded of their terrifying experience, and those that we did talk with still remembered every detail of their attack, their instant reaction and the details of their rescue.

Worldwide most shark attacks by Great White Sharks have been on surfers, with fewer attacks on divers and swimmers. Scientists speculate that the white shark is searching for its favorite food; seals and sea lions when it comes upon a human in or on the surface. This is especially true during the period of October to January along the California Coast when the seal and sea lion pups are birthing, and learning to swim and forage for prey. An example of an ideal shark meal is the baby elephant seal. The elephant seal pups can gain from a birth weight of 70 pounds, to over 250 pounds in the first 30 days, and over 50 percent of their weight is fat, the perfect food for a great white shark.

Slowly, swimming at a depth of from 15 to 30 feet, the white shark is looking up toward the surface for seals and sea lions. Suddenly, they spot a surfer with the long shape of an elephant seal, and whose arms and legs resemble the seals flippers. Quickly the white shark attacks from below and deals a tremendous bite to the potential prey. But, just as quickly the shark seems to realize that this prey has very little fat content, and usually the shark will back away and continue their quest. It’s not really a case of “mistaken identity”, but it does seem to be an exploratory “taste” and release sequence. Scientists call this type of attack a “Bite and spit.”

During our program we interviewed 5 shark attack victims. One of these was Megan Halavais who was surfing at Salmon Creek just north of Bodega Bay. Megan is a twenty year old surfer with lots of experience who, over a number of years of ocean swimming and surfing, had never seen a shark, and certainly not a Great White Shark.

We met Megan at Bodega Bay and she took us down to the beach where she had been attacked. We asked her if she would allow us to film her surfing, and to tell us about her attack and her reaction. Megan is young, full of energy and full of fun, but even though the shark nearly took her leg of, Megan laughed about her near death experience, but she also slightly trembled as she told her story.

I spoke with and met others who had been attacked. Although they too did not feel that the sharks were stalking humans, their experience was so emotional that they did not want to be interviewed on-camera. In a way the sudden deadly attack by such a massive predator had ruined their feeling of being free in the ocean. Surfing just wouldn’t be the same for them and even though they continued to surf, they did not go as often, and there was always the though of those massive jaws waiting just under the surface.