As a dad of kids who surf with me, one 8 and one 11 i understand i fear the ocean. Thats why i checked my fitness first as drowning or being to able to physically help in any situation was my big fear. But explaining sharks to them is something i have done.
Sharks aren't the only issue. Surfing last week with them i had three sting rays swim under us and stop and give us some attention down south. I told my kids they cant hurt you and my daughter reminded me about poor old Steve Irwin
Kids makes surfing even better as the look on there face is as unforgettable as your own first wave
As to the recent spate of attacks here I think it's an anomaly. I think the death at Bonies was our statistical norm for the year and more fit the pattern that we traditionally see of bloody big Whites (5m+) making a meal of someone.
The others were more unusal, all were witnessed, other than Bryn Martin at Cott and all were estimated to be a 10-12ft shark. Even the shark suspected of taking Martin was estimated at 10-12ft judging by what was left of his bathers.
Twelve days later Wainwright was taken at Rotto by a 12ish ft White, then Peter Kurmann six months later down Bunno way on the 31st March, 12ft again.
Next was the surf skier off Mullas, 20th June reported as 3-4m, now he didn't get eaten but you're probably starting to see a pattern here. Seventeen days later Poddy and his mate get hassled diving just off Drummonds and get it all on GoPro. A couple of days after that there is fisherman hassled by a 3-4m White at Leeman and then on the 14th, Ben at Wedge, once again 3-4m.
All of these deaths were the result of a 10-12ft White in sustained and determined attacks, he was there for a meal, not to browse the menu and THAT is unusual. I reckon the only thing that saved Poddy or his mate is that they kept their cool and didn't freak out.
So yeah I think we have a "problem" shark that has figured out that humans are a very easy feed, even if we are a tad on the bony side. Hopefully if I'm right on this theory it has got bored and pissed off to South Africa or some such locale never to return, if not I reckon you can count on further carnage once the local waters cool to more suitable levels for a return visit.
Personally I think this fish was spawned in the waters surrounding the Neptune Islands and has been raised on a steady diet of tuna whilst swimming around funny looking seals in cages. It's only 4-8 yrs old and there's lots to eat in it's migratory path from South Oz to the Mid West as it follows the changing water temps throughout the year, plenty of Snapper, Sambos, Groper and Dhuies as it ventures West. Until it gets to that stretch from about Bunbury up to two Rocks where the inshore takings are a little slimmer and it has to make do with those damn bony seals. Here's hoping it doesn't develop a preference for them.
Commercial fishing is destroying the natural balance in the ocean. You wonder why the apex predators are coming closer to shore? Bad times.....
Both my kids are mad on surfing. They received new boards from santa this year but as of today they haven't been used. Work as well as the beach being closed three times over the last week have hampered their oppertunities. We left the beach just prior to the shark attack on the dolphin at mattams. When I spoke to the kids about it they were very concerned for the poor dolphins as they put it. Today is over cast and still and although they are only ten they recognise the conditions to be sharky. It hasn't dampered their enthusiasm for surfing but the current situation with the beaches closing and constant shark sitting worries me.
Bakesy i believe you are right surfing does help to make us better people and the joy of watching kids surf is fantastic and I prefer to surf with the kids as these days I seem to get more out of it. I just hope the experts can work out a solution to the problem. In the mean time I ballance keeping the kids safe and allowing them to surf.
hey greenies i know that anyone facing one of those beasts underwater would do anything to save their skin and or kin and the protection status would be out the window. Give a scientist greenster a smokey as a white stalking him and he would use it if he got the chance, may not save him but sure all would attempt to survive and try and waste the fish in the face of attack.
The most annoying thing though is the greensters that talk about saving the white but go spearfishing themselves. Only 1 fish with a speargun u say for personal use, what if everyone took 1 fish per year via gun.
Don't understand why u love the white but add to it suits food chain reduction.
That's not surprising from RECFISH.
Some of the 5hit we have to listen to from them is not only mind boggling, but also quite scary.
) and i have on occasion noticed ive been sitting in his burley slick[}:)]
) and i have on occasion noticed ive been sitting in his burley slick[}:)]
Geez, well done. You ALMOST constructed a coherent post.
All those special classes must be paying off. Maybe in a few years you might actually say something that makes sense. I'm not holding my breath, but it's good for courageous people like you to have a goal to work towards.
Here, this is for you. You've earned it.
No, really, I meant it. I'm proud that his spelling and syntax is improving. You can almost see what he's trying to say. It's important that we nurture his development.
I was at mettams today. Well, very close to mettams on my own at a dodgey rock that I always surf. The waves were small, maybe knee with odd waist. Between waves it was like a lake. I saw a big splash about 5 metres behind me and water moving, I paddled to the shore real quick. I got to the shore and an older lady and a young girl asked if I saw that shark out there. I said no but I saw a big splash and raced in. They said they definately saw a fin but if it was a dolphin they were waiting for it to resurface. It was scary. I was all by myself, mettams people maybe 100 metre away. Still not sure what it was, maybe a seal or dolphin. But I was scared and the two people who were watching at the look out verified that they saw something.
But interestingly, according to Suba, it is ok to kill (or seriously maim) the befarkers out of a land animal with a bow and arrow (which would be a very inhumane way to die, even for vermin):http://www.hotbite.com.au/forum/showthread.php?7106-banning-bowhunting-in-WA&p=62686#post62686
Is it just me, or is this attidute a little inconsistent with the attitudes expressed by him on this forum?
This is a bit of a rumour I heard over a beer or two, maybe some of you in the know can confirm or tell me if its another urban metro shark myth...
About 5 years ago commercial fishing/longlining was banned in the metro area, most years the by catch on sharks (Great whites ?) was ~ 1000 all in the 1.5-2m range. If this was the case this would explain the increase in shark numbers seen if the GWS grows to 3m after 4-5years thats why there are more about if less are been taken out by longliners and more bait fish about in general.
I personnal think that there are heaps more water users in the water all the time, fly in fly out, RDO's increase in population and free time has all meant I see more people surfing, ski paddling, fishing than in years past. I know that a mid week lunch time surf 5 years ago would have been just a couple out now its always busy. Older surfers staying in the sport longer and plenty of 50 plus blokes swimimng and paddling the coast.
More people in the water and social media means more people know about the sharks, question is have they always been there in these numbers or increased, 5 years ago if I saw a shark I would tell my mates and thats about it, now it seems if I seen a shark its on SLSWA site or shark alarm or seabreeze within the day.
Hasnt stopped me getting in the water yet...
Are you serious, Trevor?
There's a bit of a difference between hunting overpopulated animals deemed a pest and killing animals deemed endangered...
regardless, that was years ago mate. People's attitudes can change, although I still have no issue with hunting.
