New World Record OW Swim

Like others, these "official responses" don't make me feel any better. In fact, it sounds like Steve M. is saying "of the millions of sharks killed per year, what is three more when she did a swim like that"? At least that's how I am reading it. I understand Steve has some conflicting loyalties, but I would hope that we don't allow behavior like this to continue solely to promote this sport (which frankly, is fringe, and always will be). I think as others the issue of what is acceptable minimizing of risk is acceptable should be an open topic for discussion. And the husband: "We, and many other swimmers, are more conservation minded than most people and do not condone the harming of any wildlife, regardless of what it is.” Ummmmm, yes, actually you did condone the killing of these sharks for your wife's glory. Bottom line - if the sharks were a threat, they pull her from the water. I am doing a 2 mile open water swim next weekend in the Pacific. Can you please remove all the sharks from the water? Oh, and if you could get rid of the surface chop, wind, kelp beds on the surface, waves, surfers, SUPers, oh, and those pesky pelican dive bombing around me. That'd be great

If a swimmer is in death/injury danger & should be pull/stopped - then shark attach seems to fit! We do not allow a wall to stop waves or jellies to be put around swimmers !

Again I am waiting for all the facts particularly from the Captain who is allegedly involved. If there was no incident then the local Cayman press carries a lot of responsibility for creating this controversy. www.compasscayman.com/.../ www.compasscayman.com/.../

After the fact, Penny has resolutely stood by all of her crew and their actions to protect her, as it should be. Hmmm, not so sure about that. Shouldn't it be about the accomplishment being done correctly and not simply about her? The fact that you can't get the same story twice on this leads me to believe it was rather haphazardly planned or the parties really weren't in sync on what was going on during the event. There is no doubt her feat is impressive but maybe not as record-worthy as initially reported. What are the generally accepted rules on hazard elimination in events like this?

I am still waiting to hear all of the information, particularly from Mr. Ebanks. Frankly I find it disturbing that he has not come forward to clarify the events surrounding the story as reported by the Cayman paper. However, it is beginning to appear that there is a building consensus that he baited the sharks and either hooked one or attempted to do so. If this was in violation of any applicable Cayman law it might explain his silence. However, he is doing a disservice to Penny by not speaking up. That being said, I stand by Penny and her incredible feat. Considering her history of a willingness to abandon without complaint when required, I simply can not believe she (or her husband Chris) had any knowledge of what was happening. Nor do I think she would have approved the baiting of sharks by her crew in advance of the swim. Moreover, from everything that I have read, if Mr. Ebanks did what has been alleged, he did it on his own. After the fact, Penny has resolutely stood by all of her crew and their actions to protect her, as it should be. I think it is interesting that Mr Ebanks happened to have 1 or more fish in his Zodiac. I find that odd. I am assuming that he has a good explanation for that. If you Google Mr Ebanks you find that he is a world record holding angler who runs fishing charters and is actively involve in Cayman tourism. Maybe the explaination lies somewhere in that information.

Steven Munatones, I have NEVER received an e-mail from you, and you did not even reply to a message I sent you on Facebook. You were immediately very defensive to me when I simply asked on your FB wall if you saw any sharks killed. It all smells like day old shark bait because it does not add up > I spoke with a member of the media who was present and told me they directly witnessed Charles Ebanks baiting, luring, hooking, and killing 2 Oceanic Whitetip sharks, and that he proudly claimed he killed a third. Ebanks has a reputation on the islands with divers and marine conservationists as a shark hunter/killer, and to quote the marine biologist who runs the Oceanic Whitetip tagging study: "If it swims in the sea, Ebanks kills it." Moving forward this unfortunate incident has a positive side, it has brought the need to protect our sharks to the forefront, and will lead a strong path for new laws and protection for Oceanic Whitetips and all sharks in Cayman waters. We want these sharks fully protected, Oceanic Whitetips are on the Big List; there is a huge campaign going on in FL right now and very soon there will be NO fishing of Tigers and Hammerheads in FL waters. Working in close partnership with SHARK SAVERS and my SWIMMING FAST - FOR THE SHARKS! project to do a shark awareness swim/campaign in the Cayman Islands: FASTEST BRIDGING OF CAYMAN BRAC TO LITTLE CAYMAN: For the Sharks! Todd

Full disclosure: Penny is my idol and a constant source of inspiration. Additionally, I consider several of the crew members good friends, and like everyone else who loves open water swimming am deeply indebted to Steve Munatones for his dedication and commitment to all things OW. I will try to be as neutral as possible with my comments on this subject. I have some acquaintances that tag and track sharks in the Bahamas. This is of course for scientific research with the ultimate goal of preserving and protecting the many species they study... still, there are some mortalities. Unfortunate, but acceptable? Some would say yes, some no. On one trip down there, Willie Miller, Clare and I joined them for an excursion, and got to swim in the presence of three 10' bull sharks... an amazing experience. We felt quite secure since we were surrounded by shark experts who could quickly identify aggressive behavior. Were I doing a long swim with a good chance of meeting up with with some toothy marine life, I would want folks like this on my crew. I would not second guess them for a second... period. I would set a policy that would require the swim to be stopped, or interrupted if they concluded that I was in danger. If an unexpected situation arose and it became a choice between me or a fish, I would expect them to weigh-in in my favor (after not too much deliberation). I remember reading in Lynn Cox's book about a diver taking out a great white to protect her during a swim in South Africa.... times and attitudes have changed for the better. This would no longer be looked upon as an acceptable safety plan, and I don't believe this was the intention for Penny's swim. Penny swims with Shark Shields. My opinion is that too much weight has been given to their effectiveness, and I assume this might have something to do with the surprise at the tenacity of the white tips. I assume attempts were made to relocate the sharks with hooks and line (the same techniques used to catch specimens for tagging). I can't say what was in the heart of Mr Ebanks, but knowing that he was charged with the awesome responsibility to protect Penny, might he have over reacted? Would I have? Would you have? Could sharks have died during the attempt to relocate them? I think reality lies somewhere between the sensationalized press reports and the sanitized official responses, but as I was not there, I will not pass judgement. I will gladly participate in the discussion to come up with a safety plan that can be universally adopted that considers the safety of swimmers and marine life equally.

Glad to hear Steve M chime in. However, the "I didn't see any sharks killed" version is troubling in contrast to Chris Palfrey's alleged admission that the crew sensed a threat and did what they had to do, as well as Mr. Ebanks' alleged admission that he actually killed the sharks. And Steve, I don't think anyone disagrees that if a shark were imminently threatening anyone, including kayakers, that a physical confrontation would be appropriate. As a diver and swimmer, I would hope that if I am ever attacked by a shark, someone would beat it off, even killing it if need be (and as a diver I have dived with thousands of sharks - not hyperbole, very large schools in costa rica and galapagos - and have quite a lot of time logged in the water with them). Yes, we do enter their food chain when we enter the water, but human life is still more precious than animal life, IMO. But only if there is an imminent threat. I would sooner get out of the water - as I think penny should have - if I or my dive or swim buddies sensed a threat. Anyway, here's the problem. The story came out and caught fire, as stories like this are wont to do. Chris Palfrey says the crew did not make th decision lightly and did what it had to do. News stories quote Mr. Ebanks. When asked about it, suddnly total silence from Palfrey's camp until Steve comes out and says it's not true, because he didn't see it. I didn't see it either, so I guess we both know as much as each other. You'll excuse some of us if we don't believe we're being told everything. I posted on open water swimming's FB board asking if it was true. Not a peep. I posted it on my FB wall, Steve and I became friends in the last few days and he replied, denying it as he does in this thread. Can we get some truth here? I think the reaction from swimmers and non-swimmers alike warrants some frank discussion of this topic, rather than a frank denial based on "i didn't see it." This is an odd enough story that it didn't just come from nowhere. And in the end, if Penny credits her crew with getting her through the swim, I think she has to take some responsibility for their actions. Maybe that's just me though.

many of these posts border the ridiculous, and the word choice is hilarious... 'massacre?' - seriously? more insight and less incite are sharks at risk? of course they are but not from open water swim attempts. if you would like to save the pelagic sharks, protest the swordfish and longline fisheries... for pete's sake, pay attention and vote with your dollar. Florida won't be shutting down the tiger shark and hammerhead fishing unless they plan to halt all shark fishing AND all fishing. They will make it illegal to harvest tigers and hammerheads but they just as well might hook themselves on a hook intended for tarpon, grouper, snapper and more. in a sense, the tiger and hammerhead fisheries will be catch and release - how's that for humane? chill out with the harassment of Steve and Penny... they aren't at fault here, AND we aren't owed explanation. FYI - I have a degree in fisheries biology... i've killed alot of fish - saved more than any of you too.

AND we aren't owed explanation. . People aren't owed an explanation of the controversy surrounding the swim? Instead, we should blindly throw praise on her and her team? If the swimmer and/or crew are going to brag about the swim, then they need to be able to respond to the controversy that surrounds their event as well.