In order to better understand what happens in these situations, I will add an intro to the news report.
The attack was one of mistaken identity. Hit and run. The shark was monitoring the diver, the diver dove deep and fast. This is classic Flight response. When an Apex predator has seen a likely target that has sudden movement, it initiates the flight response.
The shark unsure about the prey now has to make a call, usually in flight response the predator will pursue. In this case the diver was hit hard and fast, the victim was beheaded during the encounter. Now normally when a White
shark has attacked it will stay around and wait for the prey to die. In mistaken identity the shark realises this is not what it thought and leaves. A shark of this size would have had no problem swallowing the head, but the fact remains we are not on the menu. Also it should be noted that the shark chose to ignore the divers partner who was on the surface and instead had chosen the flightee. Fatalities are rare! The diver was experienced and was aware of the risk of an encounter.

More diver remains found

The Daily Journal

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported on Tuesday that a
human head found on the shore of Ten Mile Beach north of Fort Bragg
is believed to be that of Randall Fry.

The head was discovered on Friday by a resident walking on the beach.

Fry was killed by a Great White shark on August 15 in the vicinity
of where the remains were found.

Fry, 50, of Auburn, was diving with a friend near Kibesillah Rock
near Westport, around 4:30 p.m. on that Sunday.

The two divers were preparing to dive again after coming up for air
when Randall's companion reported seeing a "big fish" swim up
between them and then blood in the water.

The witness high-tailed it to their vessel where another friend was
waiting, but Fry was nowhere to be seen.


A search got underway involving the United States Coast Guard, the
Westport Fire Department, the California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection and Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Search and
Rescue, but darkness brought an end to the effort.

However, the search resumed the following morning and shortly
afterwards the team located a body lying on the ocean floor under 15
feet of water.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Sto...388074,00.html


Wednesday, September 8, 2004


(09-08) 14:07 PDT FORT BRAGG, Calif. (AP) --

A beachcomber has found the head of a man killed three weeks ago in
a great white shark attack.

Sports fishing advocate Randall Fry was killed Aug. 15 while diving
for abalone with a friend who told authorities that Fry disappeared
after what he called a "big fish" appeared between them.

On Friday, an unidentified person walking on Ten Mile Beach north of
Fort Bragg found the head, which was identified Tuesday by Mendocino
County authorities as belonging to Fry. The rest of the body was
recovered the day after the attack.

Fry, 50, was the 11th person to die in a shark attack on the West
Coast since 1952.

Survivor Cliff Zimmerman, a Fort Bragg surveyor and owner of the
Beach House Inn, told investigators that he and Fry had dived at the
site for nearly 30 years.

At the time of Fry's death, experts speculated that the shark may
have mistaken him for a seal or sea lion.

Fry, who was wearing a wetsuit, was diving head first in about 15
feet of water when the shark attacked.

The shark apparently ripped Fry's head and neck from his body, a
move sharks usually reserved for marine mammals.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 11, 2004 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Great White ]</font>