Select to expand quoteGPA said..
I was in Esperance from Boxing Day for two weeks and the amount of sightings was a concern - at one point there was 11 sightings in 4 days on the Shark Smart app. and not all the same shark at adjacent beaches. Rolled up to West Beach one morning to see a nice clean shoulder high wave with no one out - locals told me a 4m white cleared the beach cruising 30m offshore... Got a little surf in at Wharton's then saw the FB footage for the day after... crazy stuff!
Similar experience...arrived Albany new years day. App was popping up messages about esperance constantly. Not so bad 8th to 13th while we were there apart from a sighting at Lucky Bay a couple of hours after I'd surfed there & the alarm going off at Twilight Beach just as we arrived another day. I was very surprised how few people were surfing the point you mentioned when I surfed there a couple of times.
Not surprised so many get spotted with so many elevated positions & how clear the water is ....spoke to a few locals about the vibe & they had to admit it was always on their mind & rightly so. Definitely need more done down there to mitigate the current situation I think.
Anyone got footage of a Real human surfer (not a shark whisper)sitting on a board with a large WHITE shark circling the surfer wearing a shark deterrent.
would love to see it.
Select to expand quoteCobra said..
Anyone got footage of a Real human surfer (not a shark whisper)sitting on a board with a large WHITE shark circling the surfer wearing a shark deterrent.
would love to see it.
The deterrents have been proven to work, most of the time.... there is footage of Great Whites swallowing great chunks of tuna with shark shields strapped to them. And like someone said, is a 5m GW moving in for the kill at 50km/hr really going to stop when it gets to 2m out?
Select to expand quote
What do we need to do. Firstly, we need to get rid of this hypocritical idea that the ocean is their territory, if you believe this, then recognise that where you live was originally Dugite or Tiger snake territory, so let them live inside your house and coil up on your bed. Secondly, we need to understand that sharks are fish. Everyday tons of fish are caught both commercially and recreationally off our coast. But for some reason killing a shark that has recently attacked a person is not acceptable. Thirdly, shark deterrent devices need to be critically reviewed, I cannot understand how a shark, the length and weight of a car without brakes, that is moving into attack a surfer at 40-50 km/h, will stop within the 2m distance between when it senses the electrical field before it hits the human. What is needed is a deterrent that works before the shark starts to move in for a kill, or preferably makes the shark avoid the area entirely.
I agree on both of these points. Perhaps if we were a more environmentally conscious species then could you argue that the ocean is their territory, but most of us couldn't give a **** and those that are vocal about protecting various animals are most likely hypocritical with hidden, flawed agendas. I don't think we should actively hunt Great Whites and reduce their population to the point they no longer pose a threat, but their numbers need to be reduced and better shark deterrents need to be developed, ones that are 100% effective. Also what happens in the situation a surfer is wearing a shark shield, but others aren't? Surely ol ravenous Whitey is just going to go for them instead?Also note in WA there have been quite a few swimmers and surfers that have disappeared, "presumed drowned" over the years. So the actual number of fatal attacks is most likely higher.
