Shark attack. .

[John_ZAR]

I have never heared of any attack in South Africa where the shark ate a whole human, not even half. . And in South Africa we have a from the worlds most dangerous sharks to sharks that are not harmfull to humans. .

3 to 4 years ago a woman in her 60's went for a swim off Fish Hoek (this is a suburb on the Cape Peninsula) and was eaten by a white shark. No body parts were found, eyewitneses recorded that the shark breached and broke her in two and then returned for the remaining pieces, I think that that this particular shark was hungry. So yes, people do get eaten by sharks even in South Africa.

Secondly, sharks bite people and other aquatic animals for two reasons, to eat and out of curiosity. We have hands for feeling stuff, most animals can only use their mouths and sharks fall into this category so that they can also satisfy their curiosity.

Personally I think its all rather poetic, we have massively depleted the fish stocks so now the fishies are eating us.

 

[Karel26]

I don't understand the OP's rage at the swimmer. When you enter the marine environment there is always the possibility of death or injury due to many different factors. With experience and training we can only hope to mitigate those factors not eliminate them.
I also like to swim in open water and I'd say my bigger fear due to personal experience are jellyfish. I would expect that to change if I had bumped into a couple of sharks though.

My rage is that it are made the sharks fault now, so now many poeple want to kill sharks just because they want to swim and not accepting that they are entering the naturalle world of sharks and that there are risk (take for instance the Natal Shark Board, they kill thousands of innocent sharks every year just to keep the bathers happy ) . .

Majority of people don't care about sharks, just as long as they can swim. . I bet you not even half of the human race knows how cruel the human race kills sharks and just how inportantt sharks are for the ocean. . And if they know how many by catches they have in the nets then maybe they will wake up, by then it will be long too late. .

 

[Karel26]

Being able to see the ocean bed does not prevent a shark attack.

It may be true Doc, but why when ever the people dive snorkel spear fish sharks don't attack them? ? The Zambezi ? Bull shark is one of the sharks with the poorest vision, thats why I say why go in the water when the conditions are very safe? ?

Why does there never happen shark incidents then every day when the conditions aren't bad? ?

 

[StevenN]

My rage is that it are made the sharks fault now, so now many poeple want to kill sharks just because they want to swim and not accepting that they are entering the naturalle world of sharks and that there are risk (take for instance the Natal Shark Board, they kill thousands of innocent sharks every year just to keep the bathers happy ) . .

Majority of people don't care about sharks, just as long as they can swim. . I bet you not even half of the human race knows how cruel the human race kills sharks and just how inportantt sharks are for the ocean. . And if they know how many by catches they have in the nets then maybe they will wake up, by then it will be long too late. .

None of which can be blamed on the swimmer. He is hardly the one responsible for general publics lack of education. Especially to not care about his survival. After all if it was a fatal attack don't you agree that there would be even more hysteria?
Thankfully no one around where I live goes out killing sharks whenever there is an attack.

 

[widget]

I dare say its a very emotional subject.

As far as the swimmer was concerned, I doubt he even thought about sharks when he took a dip, it was hot, he wanted to swim, thats probably as far as he thought.
That there may have been tragic consequences, I am fairly sure, was not on his mind.

I am also a little dubious about the facts of the attack, some reports have said he beat the shark off with his fin, some have said the shark just left him alone - maybe it was a little of both, but the fact that the shark did not make a repeat attack is indicative of a mistaken identity and the animal just moved on.

 

[sporket]

For all that i care
the guy could have died. /QUOTE]


WOW.

 

[Walter]

Why then when ever there are a shark attack
they just bite the people once, maybe come back for a
second time and then leave. . ? ?

Because humans are not generally on the menu for most sharks and they rarely eat us. Most attacks are not an attempt to feed. Some are a case of mistaken idenity. Some are defensive moves. Some are testing. A few, a very, very few are when sharks are feeding on people. Oceanic Whitetips are one of the few species that seem perfectly happy to feed on people when they can. Great Whites very rarely actually feed on humans.

 

[widget]

Heres a report on the attack - Ponta d'Ouro Shark Attack | ZIGZAG - Surfing Magazine

......seems there is even doubt on the shark species, with some people saying it was a black tip or a Raggie (sand tiger).

........and one from about a week earlier at another location, this one was fatal. - Fourth Fatal Shark attack at Second Beach, Port St Johns, in 24 months | ZIGZAG - Surfing Magazine

............this one it seems was a Zambezi.

 

[InTheDrink]

Because humans are not generally on the menu for most sharks and they rarely eat us. Most attacks are not an attempt to feed. Some are a case of mistaken idenity. Some are defensive moves. Some are testing. A few, a very, very few are when sharks are feeding on people. Oceanic Whitetips are one of the few species that seem perfectly happy to feed on people when they can. Great Whites very rarely actually feed on humans.

Whilst Oceanic White tips have been implicated in some significant attacks, notably from shipwrecks in WWII (although there are also suspicions of Blue and other shark attacks in these incidences) people regularly dive with Oceanics in southern Egypt, in the main without incident (there were a few incidents this summer but these involved swimmers, not divers AFAIK).

Oceanics, like other ocean roaming predators, cannot be too choosy about where their next meal comes from and do seem keen on carrion or anything floating near the surface. However, many thousands of divers dive with them each year (not in cages) without incident. This year, in Egypt, I have been told that the behaviour has become more aggressive, but I don't think anyone knows why exactly. I'll still be back this year to dive with them.

Cheers,
J

 

[spoolin01]

Whilst Oceanic White tips have been implicated ... This year, in Egypt, I have been told that the behaviour has become more aggressive, but I don't think anyone knows why exactly. I'll still be back this year to dive with them.

Cheers,
J

Familiarity breeds attempt??