Uncrowded weekday surf. Always good mate. Even though i surfed like a crab today.
A GROUP of fishermen had a terrifying brush with a great white shark this afternoon when the 4.5m beast latched onto their dinghy's outboard motor off Ocean Reef.
The flotilla of three fishing boats had been about 4km offshore of the marina when the 4.5m shark struck about noon, pulling the motor off one of the vessels.
Fisheries Department Shark Response Unit manager Mike Burgess, who spoke to the men in the wake of the ordeal, said they had been shocked by the ferocity of the attack.
''They had a bit of burley there, obviously fishing...and the shark has come up and grabbed hold of their outboard motor of their dinghy,'' Mr Burgess recounted.
''It's had a good latch onto the outboard and it's fallen off the boat into the water.
''They were a little bit taken aback by the force of the shark and being in a smaller vessel but they've done the right thing and contacted Water Police.''
www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/shark-attacks-fishing-boat-ng-728553cc9cc2f60915ad3bfcdbb616fc
surfed seal island till late this arvo wondered why there was no one out .stoked it didnt take our motor!!
I've been doing a bit of research on the GW's lately trying to work out what's going on. So far I'm of the opinion that there hasn't been an "explosion in their population" as many have said but I do think they are coming closer to the coast more often than they used to. I don't think that there is a "rogue shark" with a taste for people because there would be a lot more carnage, it would be very easy for a GW to go on a killing spree with all the easy pickings in the water each day, let alone the weekends.
The thing that puzzles me is why? I just don't know. I used to be of the very strong belief that we should tag and monitor them but leave them be.
That belief is starting to wane.
I'm glad too see that you are optimistic, but did you see said grom exit the water??
Hmmmmm?
GPA 4.30 at Mulla point a 3.5 mtr pooped next to a couple at the point
Reported on Shark Alarm.
Totally agree Zuke. Its my belief there in close looking for food unfortunately. 
I think we've over fished and a imbalance has left us were we are now. But even more scared we could make it worse if we cull
Ok I'll share with you why I believe they are in close to shore. It's the time of year. July through to Octoberish migrating species such as whales are on the move, big winter tailor are in close around reefs, salmon are on the move, demersals such as duwies and pinkies are in closer to shore rather than out deeper like in the summer months and the whites are following along. Fishing Saturday morning had half a dozen minky whales hanging around my boat for a good half an hour. My brother went fishing Friday night and had the same. They had to move because the whales would just not go away from the boat. I can garauntee that there would have been some big bities not to far away either.
After being protected for 13 years it is just not plausible to me that numbers have not increased. Dramatically.
There are loads of fish metro. Don't let anyone tell you different. You just need to know where to go.
I'm not an expert by any means. I'm only going off having grown up in Perth and being on, in and around the ocean my whole life.
Nobody knows for 100% why and nobody ever will.
On a different not coming in after my fish Saturday and there's a dude on a SUP paddling along the outer reefs of hillarys. Farkin pretty keen. Long paddle in if something goes wrong...
Woodo, I agree there's still plenty of fish compared to 5 or even 10 years ago you just have to put the effort in. The people that cry "there are no fish left" are probably comparing today to the 80's when you just couldn't miss.
As for your reasoning with the migrating whales and fish moving inshore that happens every year and we don't usually have anywhere near this many confirmed sightings of Great Whites. It used to be a summer thing now it's year round.
Then there are the attacks. We've never had anything like this before.
That leaves why. Like I said earlier I think more are coming closer to shore than before. Every shark expert says they are slow breeders and it's not physically possible for there numbers to have increased dramatically so quickly. They also can't tell us how many there are now and that they have never known. Which leaves the average non expert to jump to the conclusion that there must have been a population explosion then.
Of course the numbers would have increased to some extent over the time they have been protected but why so many sightings and fatalities in such a SHORT space of time?
More of them, not scared of people and have now grown and learnt to associate boats/people with an easy feed IMO.
Good on you Woodo for your detailed ideas. I also think cage diving is a mistake, it won't be stopped in South Africa because of the tourism dollar. Tagged sharks have been monitored between there and here so that's just bad luck for us. I'm nearly open to the idea of killing a GW that's a KNOW people killer. I don't think netting is a good idea for a number of reasons and I don't like the idea of an open cull.
We really do need to deter them, make then not like hanging around us again. I'm not sure if killing the ones that come in contact with us ( meaning hanging around a boat well offshore ) is the answer. It's not like they will learn a lesson that they can pass on. To me that's a way of culling them.
Thanks for the intelligent Sunday conversation.
For me it comes back to the same old argument. I agree it is our ocean too and we need it to be healthily. We rely on on if for more than most understand and I'm scared we have no idea what could happen if we destroy it. Removing the apex preditor will make changes but what? We dont know and we need to slow down the strip mining attitude to the ocean. We need to stop polluting the ocean and I think we need to be more to look after our selves first. By protecting the ocean first. (typed on I phone so sorry for any mistakes)
Noticed you have chimed in on the shark debate at last zuke. Of all people you must be one of the ones affected the most (with your offshore reef surfing). Has the number of sightings freaked you out and has it changed your approach to surfing yet?
It has definently changed mine. I will still surf offshore reefs but not early in the morning or late in the arvo ever again (mid day with a spear gun in each hand is all I can handle ha ha :-). And there are just some spots I won't even paddle out to anymore. My local outer reef is one of em.
Big, lumpy and offshore this morning with some bombs coming through at Trigg. Nice big clean drops with some holding up but you had to be patient with it being pretty random. No one else out either.
speaking of changing your surf habits, mate of mine has a deal with his misses that is interesting. He will not surf alone. Not a huge issue we thought, the other day it was cranking and he wanted an early one before work, I'm not into it and neither is anyone else, so he chooses a well known spot and sits and waits for someone to go out, sat for an hour watching set after set, by the time someone did turn up it was 7.45am and time to go to work
How things have changed....
