Cape Breton's Magazine

Peter Buffett and the Shark Peter Buffett and Ron Ingraham, Interviewed & Photographed by KarIa Ingraham Peter Buffett. Neil's Harbour: Well, it just started because I was out lobster fishing, eh? I would say it was around the first of June, you could say, 'cause lob? ster fishing was around the 15th of May. (Karla Ingraham: And what year are we in?) I can't remember. It's a long time ago-- it'd be over 20 years.... It was when I was lobster fishing, anyway. And I was hauling up a trap, right close to the shore. Oh, only about something like six feet. Down to the North Shore; about down to Money Point. This side of it--what we call the Watering Hole And I was hauling up this trap, and I feel the dory shake. So I looked around to see what's--and a good thing I did. And it wasn't very long before--I had the trap just about up--I had it right up. The shark come up. And he went around the do? ry, going around it fast enough for the-- the water was coming from his fins, you know, going about a foot in the air. And he went around, oh, 4 or 5 times. I was kind of scared, all right. And then he kind of come in towards the boat and poked his nose in over the boat. (Up over the top?) Up over the top of the boat, yeah. He'd come right out of the wa? ter. His head come up right over the gun? wale of the boat. And I had a--what you call a gaff for hooking the traps. And I beat the gaff up on his head, you know. Broke it off three or four times where I hit it hard. And he slipped out over again, out over the side of the boat. (What kind of a shark was it?) Oh, he wasn't a big shark. I'd say he was between three or four hundred--he wasn't a big one. (Pounds?) Three or four hundred-- called them a gray shark. It's gray, that's the colour. And with his mouthful of teeth, you know--could see lots of teeth. Oh. I could see all of them. So he went away then, and I thought to my? self, "I'd better go in shore." I got kind of scared. The motor was going all the time; she was going. I reached back and put the motor in gear. And started in for what we call the Watering Hole--a brook was there, you know. Water was deep in there, and you could go in shore. So I got about halfway in--only had to go about a hundred yards--and the shark grabbed ahold of the motor. Propeller, of the motor. I thought he was going to tear the stern out of the boat.... But the pro? pellers kind of opened out full speed--was cutting his throat. It was just blood. Just turning the water right red--that coming out of his throat. So he let go. I could see him do this. 'Cause I was looking right down on top of him. See, it was only a dory that I had, and it was on? ly- -I could reach the throttle with my hand. The dory, I'd say, about 18 feet--16 or 18 feet long. I went in the cove then, let her go--I never slowed her down. I went in, I drove her, never stopped. I hit her on the beach--drove the nose in on the beach, and jumped out. STOP AT DINO'S fresh baked goods * souvenirs magazines * film * charcoal gifts * novels * camp fuel * ice Ingonish One Stop Store & Restaurant STAY AT DINO'S Trailer Park Laundromat close to the National Park * Ingonish