Great White Shark

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating account by about the world's top predator
Review: From Chapter Three: "Carcharodon Carcharias. That's what the scientists call the White Shark. In Australia, it's termed a White Pointer; in South Africa it's a Blue Pointer; and in Hawaii, those who can, call it Mano Ni-uhi. There is also White Death and the other equally dramatic names. Generally, "Great White" will get the point across."
The Great White Shark was the first book that I owned and kept. Sharks, especially Great Whites have fascinated me since I was a boy. The shape of the body, the swiftness of the kill, the terrible reputation...
Jim Crockett writes an account about a trip in search of Great Whites. He arrives in Port Lincoln, a small fishing village in the state of South Australia, and then sets off on an eight-day photographic safari with one of the world's leading experts on Great Whites, Rodney Fox.
The book is written from a traveler's point of view. It includes vivid recollection (and images) of the encounters with the world's top predator. The photography is superb; many pictures are full or double page.
It is very unfortunate that this book is out of print. It makes an excellent addition to a library of the shark aficionado.

Rating:
Summary: This author draws a parallel between the Great White and God
Review: Rightly or wrongly, some of the world's greatest apex predators are found in captivity. Some are also easily accessible in the wild and, therefore, regularly appear on our television screens. But not the Great White Shark - something which adds much to the creature's mystique. Of course, one doesn't have to hang around the African savannah in steel cages over which are draped bloody carcasses in order to attract a Lion for filming. But, if you did, then photographs of that Lion attacking those cages and carcasses would have led to this great creature having a very different reputation from the one it enjoys today. In short, that reputation would have been similar to that of the Great White Shark.

I could have done without the author drawing a parallel between God and the Great White Shark in his opening sentence. Such a comment is utter bunkum - and I am sure he knows it. I could also have done without the very predictable hyperbole - summarised in the sentence which qualifies the opening chapter under "Contents." It reads "There's a basic fear when invisioning (sic) the worst possible death." So, right at the beginning of the book, we also learn he can't spell long words.

The first 60 pages or so are taken up with the author's trip on a boat full of divers, shark bait and cages. It reads like a diary and does not get the reader excited when the Great White finally appears. Yes, there are some excellent photographs - but there are also some which should have been consigned to the bin.

Moving on from those personal encounters, the book now becomes moderately interesting as the author attempts to explain the Shark. Had this been an essay submitted to his teacher, however, it would have been marked "Could do better!" And it could so easily have been better. The problem I have is that the photographic content coupled with their hyperbolic captions are at odds with the message this author "appears" to be trying to put across.

The point being that the danger faced by these divers only existed in the first place because they had deliberately excited the creature by laying a trail of blood over several days in order to attract the Great White Shark to the camera. Whilst I do sincerely appreciate the problems involved in getting that creature to that camera, I return to my Lion analogy; One cannot show how quiet and content a Lion can be when the creature is hungry, his nostrils are filled with the scent of blood and he is attacking bloody bait.

Nevertheless, this book will be a useful read for some. Perhaps those who wish to visit Australia and go in search of this awesome creature for themselves. If that is you and you are successful, please remember you will be meeting the Great White Shark - and not God!

NM