For over a decade, scientists, environmentalists, and local and state government officials have been challenged by the invasion of Golden Clams into Lake George. However, in the summer of 1948, a renowned marathon swimmer, Frenchman Paul Chotteau (1898–1963), tried to introduce another invasive species, a shark, into the “Queen of American Lakes.”
In August 1948, Chotteau contacted Warren County Sheriff Edgar J. Baker asking permission to try out a shark-powered pontoon boat which the distance swimmer had
designed.
Oddly enough, Chotteau wanted to test his unique watercraft that would use a 50-pound shark for propulsion. Chotteau was also trying to promote his appearance at the Lake George swim marathon being held that summer.
Newspaper stories on this appeared all around the region including in the August 15, 1948 issue of the New York Times. Sheriff Baker passed Chotteau’s request along to the State Conservation Department (now DEC).
The district game protector, Robert J. Vickers, ruled “there will be absolutely no shark release in Lake George.” J. Victor Skiff, deputy commissioner of the State Conservation Department, stood behind Vickers’ “no shark” decision.
Chotteau claimed to be a concert violinist and a former French aviator that took up swimming as a hobby. He was one of the better-marathon swimmers of his era having
done numerous distance swims including the 20.2-mile Catalina Channel off California in the 1930s.
Chotteau reported he spent months working out his plan for a shark-powered boat. He planned to put a small shark into a harness tied to a vessel that would hold the fish’s dorsal fin, and the shark would pull a light watercraft. The Florida-based swimmer never fully rationalized using a saltwater creature in freshwater.
Chotteau said he hoped to eventually test his fish-propelled water vehicle off Florida using a 200-pound shark. Following the State Conservation Department’s decision, Paul Chotteau sent a telegram to New York Governor Thomas Dewey asking the top state official to support his “scientific experiment.”
The Frenchman wrote he envisioned a “new type of water propulsion craft as we are able to safely harness large type sharks and guide them to go as fast as 15 knots per hour harnessed to pontoon type water craft.”
The 50-year-old Chotteau finished 11th in the 12-mile Lake George marathon swim held September 8, 1948. There were approximately 125 human entrants in the lake race and fortunately, no shark-swimming-propelled speedboat.
Illustrations, from above: Paul Chotteau during the 1938 Santa Barbara to Venice, California swim (Reuters); and Paul Chotteau (Toronto Public Library).
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