Ailing whale sparks sharks’ feeding frenzy

Nature can be brutal and that was starkly evident Monday in Hawaii’s azure waters off Kailua-Kona, where boaters watched in awe and horror as more than 25 tiger sharks savagely preyed upon a year-old humpback whale.

The attack, which prompted several Big Island beach closures, began as early as last Friday and lasted through the day Monday, with the 25-foot whale succumbing about 4 p.m.

Officials with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary had permits to approach the whale and used pole cameras to get underwater footage.

Jeffrey Walters, co-manager of the sanctuary, said during a phone interview that the whale appeared to be sick and that the way it “was eaten alive till it died” was simply nature’s way.

But the frenzy involved more than sharks.

Walters implied that charges might be brought against non-permitted boaters -- including commercial tour operators -- who violated federal law by closing within 100 yards of an endangered species.

Several vessels were virtually on top of the whale and some passengers even jumped overboard with cameras, creating a potentially disastrous situation.

“It was a circus,” Walters said. “We want to see that this doesn’t happen again.”

After the whale perished, the carcass was towed three miles offshore and tied to a fishing buoy to prevent it from washing ashore. The sharks were also in tow, Walters said, some of them leaping clear of the water to sink their teeth into the carcass. Tuesday morning, only the rope remained.

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Meanwhile, on Maui: Also on Monday, Kyle Gruen of Vancouver was in Kihei, serving as best man during a friend’s wedding -- two days after being bitten on the left thigh and hand by a 6- to 10-foot shark as he swam only 40 feet offshore.

“I wanted to be there for them. It’s why I came to Maui,” Gruen said during a Tuesday news conference at Maui Memorial Hospital, where he’d had surgery to repair puncture wounds, lacerations and severed hand tendons.

The incident -- probably involving a tiger shark -- was especially disconcerting because it occurred at midday in clear water. Most attacks happen closer to dawn or dusk, when sharks patrol the reefs, and in murky water.

Kihei beaches have since reopened.

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More humpback news: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says it remains saddened by the death last week of a humpback whale killed accidentally by agency staff fishing for herring during a research project.

The 50-foot mammal became entangled in the 58-foot vessel’s net off Prince William Sound and drowned. Humpback whales are a federally endangered species, but charges are not expected to be filed.

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Spear fisherman scores: Craig Petersen traveled to Puerto Vallarta last week in pursuit of giant tuna and came away with a 317-pound yellowfin that may land him in the record books.

Blue-water hunters dive deep and hold their breath for minutes at a time, and often lie in ambush alongside or amid schools of baitfish.

Petersen, a San Juan Capistrano chiropractor, settled at 50 feet when a lone behemoth emerged in the blue haze. He fired his spear gun from 20 feet, whereupon the great fish bolted, taking line attached to a float.

An hour later, the hunter had his prize. The current International Underwater Spearfishing Assn. record is 311.3 pounds.

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Rescue at sea: The mayday went out just before 1 a.m. Sunday. A 35-foot sailboat piloted by Thomas Osborn 40 miles off Baja California, in strong winds and heavy seas, had lost power and was taking water.

The Royal Polaris, a long-range sportfishing vessel returning to San Diego, was eight miles away. Skipper Roy Rose heard the mayday, consulted the U.S. Coast Guard, then instructed Osborn via radio to fire his flares, don a lifejacket and await Royal Polaris’ arrival.

The vessel arrived, finding Osborn in the water near his sinking boat.

“He had abandoned ship and was in shock, and he almost busted out in tears when we brought him aboard,” Rose said of the retired ironworker from Portland, Ore. “All he was able to grab were his wallet and cigars.”

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Anglers’ paradise: Today is the opening of trout season and the dawning of a new era at Laguna Niguel Park Lake, as it introduces a distinct Eastern Sierra flavor.

Concessionaire Bobbie Mendoza has arranged for Tim Alpers to stock his famous rainbows once a week.

The first load, 4,500 pounds of mostly 1- to 3-pound trout, was trucked from Alpers’ Owens River Ranch on Tuesday. Weekly plants of at least 2,000 pounds, which will include much larger fish, will continue through the season.

Alpers trout, known for their beautiful coloring and salmon-like flesh, are expensive but Mendoza quipped, in seeming reference to the competition, “We emphasize quality here.”

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More trout news: Anglers at Anaheim Lake can get in for half price, $10, and keep as many trout as they can catch through closing day Sunday. Next Friday, nearby Santa Ana River Lakes opens, replacing Anaheim as the primary recipient of lunkers from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms. Some exceed 15 pounds.

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Closing with a quote: Mike Carroll, a guide for Channel Islands Kayak Center in Ventura, on his morning commute to Santa Cruz Island aboard a high-speed Island Packers catamaran:

“I go to the front of the boat, sip my tea, and I’m going to work. It’s better than riding in traffic in L.A., that’s for sure. The only thing we slow down for are dolphins or whales. That’s pretty nice.”

pete.thomas@latimes.com