Wayward Son
Contributor
I think if I was regularly diving in an area frequented by GDGW's, I would prolly invest in a Shark Shield.
Isn't it enough now...?
- Thread starter svthom
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Hi All
Great to see that most of us feel the same, to see Great Whites is a privilege
Great to see that most of us feel the same, to see Great Whites is a privilege
OP
svthom
Registered
1. There is a significant increase in the numbers of GWS.
2. The number of GWS is getting too big related to the numbers of seals, so they have started migrating out of their traditional territory and into new waters. There are no seals around here, please give some theories about what a 5-6 meter long GWS will eat out of our beach. Shellfish?
3. I do not panic by spotting a GWS.
4. We take care, and stay out of the water. Kids are told that they cannot go deeper than their shorts. Dog in the water is a no-no. Surf-boards are placed in the garage. We do not dive anymore. The kids are not allowd to snorkel where it's more than a meter deep, so they do not do it, it's boring. The same precautions are made by everyone else too.
5. The african sun is HOT. Rich people can sit in air-cooled livingrooms, and dip thmselves into they garden pool. Poor people seek refugee in the ocean. Much because they have to. Thus making poor chum... Are you comfortable with that?
Conclusion:
The number of GWS have to be under some kind of control. How about defined GWS teritories? Game fishing outside these..? If GWS population gets out of control, people will start killing them on their own, wich is not a welcomed situation.
A nice winter greeting from a diver sitting here with his Vytec, looking at last year dives done in Europe.
2. The number of GWS is getting too big related to the numbers of seals, so they have started migrating out of their traditional territory and into new waters. There are no seals around here, please give some theories about what a 5-6 meter long GWS will eat out of our beach. Shellfish?
3. I do not panic by spotting a GWS.
4. We take care, and stay out of the water. Kids are told that they cannot go deeper than their shorts. Dog in the water is a no-no. Surf-boards are placed in the garage. We do not dive anymore. The kids are not allowd to snorkel where it's more than a meter deep, so they do not do it, it's boring. The same precautions are made by everyone else too.
5. The african sun is HOT. Rich people can sit in air-cooled livingrooms, and dip thmselves into they garden pool. Poor people seek refugee in the ocean. Much because they have to. Thus making poor chum... Are you comfortable with that?
Conclusion:
The number of GWS have to be under some kind of control. How about defined GWS teritories? Game fishing outside these..? If GWS population gets out of control, people will start killing them on their own, wich is not a welcomed situation.
A nice winter greeting from a diver sitting here with his Vytec, looking at last year dives done in Europe.
Scuba65:
Why dont we create some habitat by tearing down your houses. We are the prime predator on the planet. Be proud of it.
Lecap
Registered
I really wonder where the OP gets his information from.
A significant increase in the number of GWS? Did Godfrey Mocke tell you this? Where do you live to have no seals around? As far as I have seen they are everywhere at least from Cape Cross in Namibia to Plettenberg Bay and they probably count in millions. 70000 on False Bay's Seal Island alone. Maybe you have no seals because some moron fishermen like the ones fishing off Hout Bay shot them "to protect their catch"
I still remember a random survey flight done by helicopter by a local newspaper reporter after the last shark attack at Muizenberg corner. The helicopter spotted 11 GWS on only four kilometres of coastline within a few minutes of flight. Some of them only metres away from surfers. Miraculously they were all vegetarians???
A significant increase in GWS populations is impossible anyway. They do not breed like rabbits. Their reproduction is very slow. Thus even under ideal conditions an increase in numbers would be very slow.
GWS are cosmopolitans and occur in most oceans. They have always been around the South African coast and there have always been attacks - unfortunately. After every single attack there is someone who wants to "shove some explosives down a sharks throat to give his buddies the idea that we don't like them" (Godfrey Mocke).
Or even better have "fishermen" butcher the sharks for $$$ and a prospering tourism industry. I rather have tourists to come and see live animals than the ones to come and kill them. More sustainable.
GWS are listed as endangered species. Wonder how that works if the population is out of control? Probably because all the scientists involved in shark research are idiots?
I had a very close encounter with a 4m Great White while diving in False Bay some 11 days ago. We continued our dive. I was not worried to do a second dive on the same day. (We didn't because the weather got a bit rough). I dived twice since.
I got dozens of e-mails since I published the report. Most people are curious, some ask how to react if confronted with a shark. Luckily no one asked me how to find that shark to kill it so far.
Everybody living here knows the risk. If you are afraid, don't dive, spearfish, snorkel, surf or swim in the ocean. But don't publish bulls*** and misleading information to make front for a commercial shark fishing lobby.
If you want to go for a splash - there's lots of public and shark free pools in Cape Town.
A significant increase in the number of GWS? Did Godfrey Mocke tell you this? Where do you live to have no seals around? As far as I have seen they are everywhere at least from Cape Cross in Namibia to Plettenberg Bay and they probably count in millions. 70000 on False Bay's Seal Island alone. Maybe you have no seals because some moron fishermen like the ones fishing off Hout Bay shot them "to protect their catch"
I still remember a random survey flight done by helicopter by a local newspaper reporter after the last shark attack at Muizenberg corner. The helicopter spotted 11 GWS on only four kilometres of coastline within a few minutes of flight. Some of them only metres away from surfers. Miraculously they were all vegetarians???
A significant increase in GWS populations is impossible anyway. They do not breed like rabbits. Their reproduction is very slow. Thus even under ideal conditions an increase in numbers would be very slow.
GWS are cosmopolitans and occur in most oceans. They have always been around the South African coast and there have always been attacks - unfortunately. After every single attack there is someone who wants to "shove some explosives down a sharks throat to give his buddies the idea that we don't like them" (Godfrey Mocke).
Or even better have "fishermen" butcher the sharks for $$$ and a prospering tourism industry. I rather have tourists to come and see live animals than the ones to come and kill them. More sustainable.
GWS are listed as endangered species. Wonder how that works if the population is out of control? Probably because all the scientists involved in shark research are idiots?
I had a very close encounter with a 4m Great White while diving in False Bay some 11 days ago. We continued our dive. I was not worried to do a second dive on the same day. (We didn't because the weather got a bit rough). I dived twice since.
I got dozens of e-mails since I published the report. Most people are curious, some ask how to react if confronted with a shark. Luckily no one asked me how to find that shark to kill it so far.
Everybody living here knows the risk. If you are afraid, don't dive, spearfish, snorkel, surf or swim in the ocean. But don't publish bulls*** and misleading information to make front for a commercial shark fishing lobby.
If you want to go for a splash - there's lots of public and shark free pools in Cape Town.
Thanks for posting Lecap, i was hoping you would read this thread and respond.
OP
svthom
Registered
We have our summerhouse near Jongensfontein.
The term "significant increase" I use out of my own, and my familys, observation over the years. I have no statistical numbers.
I think you're brave diving with the GWS just like that. I would not. I have a family to provide for, and I do not want them to loose all they have because of my stupid selfishness.
I don't know, but maybe it's all different when you do have kids... But there is no doubt, over the past years, we have really restrained our water activities to what we consider safe. All our friends have done more or less the same.
The reason is very simple, it's because of GWS. Last year this young surfer (Ross?)was eaten not so far away from here. Maybe all most GWS are nice, like the tigers, but how to know when you face a maneater? Maneating tigers are hunted down...the corresponding GWS are still on the loose.
There are no revenge feelings leading me into this. I do not feel like having to showel dynamite into the GWS..
My simple point is quite easy; isn't it enough now? Meaning, shouldn't we start to govern the numbers of GWS in a more intelligent way than just let them increase in numbers? How many GWS do you want out there?
The term "significant increase" I use out of my own, and my familys, observation over the years. I have no statistical numbers.
I think you're brave diving with the GWS just like that. I would not. I have a family to provide for, and I do not want them to loose all they have because of my stupid selfishness.
I don't know, but maybe it's all different when you do have kids... But there is no doubt, over the past years, we have really restrained our water activities to what we consider safe. All our friends have done more or less the same.
The reason is very simple, it's because of GWS. Last year this young surfer (Ross?)was eaten not so far away from here. Maybe all most GWS are nice, like the tigers, but how to know when you face a maneater? Maneating tigers are hunted down...the corresponding GWS are still on the loose.
There are no revenge feelings leading me into this. I do not feel like having to showel dynamite into the GWS..
My simple point is quite easy; isn't it enough now? Meaning, shouldn't we start to govern the numbers of GWS in a more intelligent way than just let them increase in numbers? How many GWS do you want out there?
stallion
Guest
Svthom, I got your back totally man, I heard that those whites cruise up and down the coast checking for their next victim!!! Its crazy.
Man, my Shimano Tiagra is itching to have that boy on the end of the line.
What you reckon would be the best bait to troll? Cause I don't think many okes will know what to use, since the guy at the fishing shop told me that GW's are endangered thats why not many fishermen go for them.
If u interested maybe we could both go shoot lions in the Kruger Park at the end of the month, cause I'm sick of those pesky lions ruining my recreational time. I hate cruising their natural habitat in the car, I would way prefer walking, or using my bicycle.
I've always dreamt of hooking up the TV on a saturday afternoon to watch the Boks thump the Wallabies whilst around a lekka braai with my mates at the waters edge of the dam there near lower sabi.
Plus petrol being at the price it is, I feel so sorry for those people who can't afford to run their aircons the whole time they are in the park. Hey if we cull all the crocs and hippo's out of certain dams then you could also stop at these places and have a lekka swim, HASSLE FREE!!!
Hey if you interested maybe we should get together this weekend,knock back a few captains and coke, and think of more noble prize winning ideas of ridding nature of our apex predators.
Man, my Shimano Tiagra is itching to have that boy on the end of the line.
What you reckon would be the best bait to troll? Cause I don't think many okes will know what to use, since the guy at the fishing shop told me that GW's are endangered thats why not many fishermen go for them.
If u interested maybe we could both go shoot lions in the Kruger Park at the end of the month, cause I'm sick of those pesky lions ruining my recreational time. I hate cruising their natural habitat in the car, I would way prefer walking, or using my bicycle.
I've always dreamt of hooking up the TV on a saturday afternoon to watch the Boks thump the Wallabies whilst around a lekka braai with my mates at the waters edge of the dam there near lower sabi.
Plus petrol being at the price it is, I feel so sorry for those people who can't afford to run their aircons the whole time they are in the park. Hey if we cull all the crocs and hippo's out of certain dams then you could also stop at these places and have a lekka swim, HASSLE FREE!!!
Hey if you interested maybe we should get together this weekend,knock back a few captains and coke, and think of more noble prize winning ideas of ridding nature of our apex predators.
Stallion..LOL!
SVThom, i am starting to feel sorry for you now, i understand your point. And i appreciate the fact that you are giving honest answers and not dropping your level to mean posts. I guess this is just another one of those things where we are all just going to disagree...
SVThom, i am starting to feel sorry for you now, i understand your point. And i appreciate the fact that you are giving honest answers and not dropping your level to mean posts. I guess this is just another one of those things where we are all just going to disagree...
Ishie
Guest
svthom:
By your observation. This does not constitute a scientific survey. The more important numbers would be how many people are attacked by white sharks per year with charts going through the last few decades corresponding to statistics of humans entering the water (if 50 humans enter, 2 shark attacks is more significant than 2 when 50 million have entered).
svthom:
Good question. My guess is you've got seals around there or you saw a shark passing through. If 5-6 meter sharks were changing their food source to select humans, my guess is you'd know it. Humans are not choice shark food which is why the vast majority of cases involve ONE bite and nothing else. This is not to "wait for the victim to bleed to death" since sharks are effective enough hunters that they aren't going to let a puny human escape if they're hellbent on eating it. We do not possess blubber, smell weird, probably taste weird, and are not an attractive food source.
svthom:
As I said, you are entering their habitat to recreate. I have less sympathy for this situation than I do for the competing habitats between humans and land mammals because at least humans are also land mammals who need to, you know, be on land and utilize the same resources.
svthom:
This is an unfair argument designed to play on guilt. First of all, kids being allowed to snorkel where it's a meter deep and being able to go in up to their shorts shows more than sufficient capacity to cool themselves. In addition, if you are worried about 4-6 meter sharks, you can probably even venture to the 5-6 foot realm. A shark COULD bite you, but the odds are a bit lower than the already distinctly low odds. I'd be more concerned about the kids drowning, which is a greater statistical probability.
Secondly, do all the poor people have summer houses and surf? I may have a different standard of poor, but I have a summer and winter apartment that occupies the same location, which to me, makes me poor in comparison to anyone that can use the word "summer house". But I dive because I love diving, not because I am trying to cool off in the excruciating Sacramento heat (110 degrees during some days). It's also hard to believe that the only public water source is totally unprotected areas of the ocean that harbor white sharks.
Like I said, I'm in another hotspot. I'm also not someone who enjoys a great deal of danger, so I am not "brave" to dive in an area that is some 26-40 miles from the feeding grounds of some of the largest white sharks in the world (Farallon Islands), nor would I be 'irresponsible' to my family if I had children. My ex had kids and we were quite comfortable renting wetsuits for them and letting them play in the water. The biggest danger to children in the entire area is probably Monastery Beach, not great whites. Can't remember the last child who got tagged along the coast compared to the tons who enter the water... Not to mention the number of kids in Hawaii (though a 13 year old got bitten) which attracts millions of swimmers, divers, and surfers to tiger shark "infested" waters.
Conclusion:
svthom:
Who tells the great whites where the territories are? They have a wide range. All you have to do to really pick them off is just sit outside the "boundary limits" around seal colonies. If you're defining territories by beaches that have high human visitation, then do you think it's a good idea to fill the water with the amount of blood and distressed fish calls that it would take to land an adult white shark near where humans gather?
If we're talking about non-invasive measures to protect public beaches, I have no trouble with it, such as electrical or magnetic fields in the area, since nets kill all kinds of things, but shark culling? Doesn't work historically, depletes the population, hits the apex predators and really does nothing but provide a feel good for the population who is in the same minimal amount of danger that they were beforehand.
If you want to protect yourself for the sake of your family by restricting the things that are the most statistically likely to kill you, exercise frequently, avoid fatty foods, don't smoke, don't drink, don't drive, don't do household repairs, especially not that involve ladders, don't live in urban areas (crime), don't live in rural areas (predation, disease), don't live in areas with any sorts of natural disasters, avoid water altogether, definitely avoid diving, and so forth.
By the time you get to sharks as a probable cause of death, even adjusting statistics to specify people who actually enter the water (versus someone's odds of getting nailed by a shark when they never go to the ocean), you're probably living in a fiberglass bubble eating cream of wheat.
Similar threads
