Shark Stories

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yorkessurfer started the topic in Monday, 29 Oct 2012 at 12:11am

A few interesting stories on shark attacks and near misses on the Shark Shield report so I thought I would start this thread. Don't want to trivialize the subject as people have had their lives taken or changed forever by what can happen. I thought it might serve as an educational purpose by hearing others experiences so we may all learn from them and hopefully avoid it happening to us.

One of them was a mate of mine named Hazey.
He had been surfing at Castles, a notoriously sharky wave in the bay at Cactus.
Several hundred metres offshore the wave breaks before reforming into Inside Castles making a long left with several sections. The wave has been the scene of several attacks and near misses over the years including the local known as "Sharkbait" who had been attacked more than once.
Gerry Lopez is another who came very close to being attacked out there and vowed to never surf Cactus again after his near miss.
Well Hazey was surfing out the back with another bloke named Steve when out of the blue he was launched into the air still on his board by a huge force from below.
A shark had rammed him with a direct hit straight up into the air! In a moment it was gone but soon returned to the stunned Hazey and started biting him and his board. Hazey instinctively put his arms out to protect himself but both his arms ended up in its mouth. As the jaws closed down his arms could have easily been severed, but several teeth on the sharks lower jaw had become dislodged and imbedded in the board leaving his upper arms with massive injuries, but the vital inner arms where major arteries run were not majorly damaged. This probably saved his life.
By this time Steve had reacted and in a rush of adrenalin and pure ballsy courage he threw himself onto the sharks back and started gouging at the sharks eyeballs, eventually feeling one pop and the shark departed.
Steve got the two surfboards together and got himself and Hazey on and started the long paddle to shore.
Then they were both thrown into the air as the shark rammed them a third time before disappearing again. They continued to make their way closer to shore and the shark nudged them again. Steve told me he thought he really must of pissed it off when he popped its eye.
Finally they we're just a metre from shore when the shark made its fifth and final appearance. It beelined towards them and the shore while they stood in waist deep water with their boards. The sharks mouth was just rapidly opening and closing like one of those wind up sets of false teeth. The boys separated and put their hands on either side of it's body and held it on a 90 degree angle to the beach as they made the final steps to the safety of the sand.
Hazey was rushed to Ceduna hospital and then flown to Adelaide for micro surgery on his shredded arms.
Steve ended up receiving a bravery award and they both sold their story to 60 minutes and made $50,000 each out of it!
It was quite a story!

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southey Thursday, 15 May 2014 at 11:43pm
Rabbits68 wrote:

All these stories are pretty freaky for sure!!

Still its interesting that given the general feel amongst these hardcore crew & others that shark numbers (whites particularly) are way up, that we record so few fatal shark attacks in this country & yet the fear of this unknown of the ocean is way more powerful than the pure stats of much higher death rates associated with so many other mundane day to day activities we do in life.............

But I feel it too even though i have accepted the possibility of shark attack surfing Southwest WA regularly.

Don't be silly Rabbits , " they're indangered " ...... when they finally disapear , this apex predator 's ( apparently Orca's don't count ) absense will destroy nature / humanity as we know it ......

Depends who you ask ay ? .... Said individuals that " take their life in their own hands " are too busy to talk of their outlook on this subject , and down right committed to the point that they won't try and justify what goes through their head but just carry on .....

I wonder what our resident ( Swellnet ) Shark expert ( Kent ) has to say about a White going HARD at a Board that measures over 9 Ft ..... Fearless , opportunistic or daresay sadistic ...

What do the idealogues have to say about rogues , both in nature and the human populace . Do we stand by and say 'Meh ' its just Natural ..... Humans are creatures too , just that some are wired with insecurities that see us decide to convey to everyone else how " society " should live . When in fact , in the wild there is none of that nonsense .....
Some are blinded by their own self righteousness . So he who casts the first stone ......

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bluem00n Friday, 16 May 2014 at 8:41am

*sigh* - "BAITED hooks are being stripped from shark control drum lines off Sunshine Coast beaches" Link!

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Sheepdog Friday, 16 May 2014 at 11:07am
steevew wrote:

The first decent shark that I seen was at chinamens, southern Yorke peninsula, the swell was 4ft ish, the reef was clear to see in about 6 feet of water, so I peered down for a look as no sets where arriving. Looking down I see a rippling line, what? The shark about a 7 foot bronze whaler came from straight behind the board, I did not see its top but its fin came out of the water an inch in front of the nose of my board, I waited to check the tail for shark or dolphin? And then quietly said to the boy- shark, they said no, seen it, dolphins. I paddled in to the key hole in the ledge and it come straight off the bottom at me before a last moment turn and dart off to the shadows. I told the boys, we all got out, that was about 1984. My brother and a mate jump in the crescent shape hole between chi`s and the island, the 1st thing that swims past is 15 feet long. They get out and go to the pub where Shaun tells them that 2 divers had the same experience 2weeks earlier but they sit on the island for six hours waiting for low tide so that they could walk back across the reef. On another occasion up at trespasses, the day was hot , the surf small and I`m um and arring about the walk. 2 surfers come back while walking past 5 going down, I speak with them, they advise me not to bother as there is little surf and a ten foot shark cruising the reef. So, did you tell those other boys going down there about the shark? No! Oh I thought this could be interesting, I sat upon a rock and watched, 20 minutes later the first paddles in followed in a line like little ducks all the rest of the boys. I greet the boys and ask how the surf was? Don`t go down there, there is a 10 foot submarine cruising the reef, me has a quiet chuckle and do not mention that I knew as I do not want to cause any trouble. On a paddle out at small 1 to 2 reef Daly`s, I`m paddling over the inside bowl and beside me in the wave there is the face of a 6 foot bronze whaler only 8 inches away, we almost head butt each other as we go in our respective directions. The whaler turns instantly and disappears into the north side of the reef. Ah well, its gone, so I continue surfing. I use to sit out by myself on 3 rd reef Daly`s all the way through the 1980-90s with no problem divine intervention I reckon, as I`m on holiday from WA where I now live, and thought I would ask the Adelaide crew if they think there are more sharks now? The stories so far of Daly`s are, one 18 foot white pointer moving in to chomp a guy on main break and another guy who had about a 14 footer come up right next to him to check him out, made him shit his pants. Another guy told me a few years earlier of a 15 footer b lining him in the surf at rock piles, he was paralyzed with fear but got in only because a big set washed him from his board into the rocks. During the time that I use to surf this area I mostly only seen small brozies on the surface, which would leave as soon as they seen you, with the exception of one day when a mate says look at that, out at 3 rd reef Daly` s there are two 7 meter\ 21 footers, white pointers swimming past. People I know who know pilots flying the area, reckon there are always at least 6 big sharks swimming in the Daly`s area and that we are mad, but the truth is that mostly you never are bothered by or visited by these fish, but will that
remain the way or is it just a matter of time before bad news comes. Bugger it, I` m talking up more fishing with a rod now. Still go spearfishing but, and would never go out across that Daly`s reef with a speargun, just asking for trouble. Enjoy the new national surfing reserve at Daly`s it deserves recognition, it is by far one of the countries best surf locations, but keep your eyes open.

Gee.... Thanks, Steve..... Was looking at moving to yorkes next year..... lol.... Oh, well, can't be too much worse than the whiteys down here..... I think the last attack down this way was a scammander girl copping a "love bite" at Binalong Bay....

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wellymon Friday, 16 May 2014 at 12:11pm
zenagain wrote:

Vending machines don't hunt you though Wally;)

Maybe those vending machines in Japan, with the smelly undies hunted Wally..?

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yocal Friday, 16 May 2014 at 5:12pm

has anyone paddled toward a shark to scare it off? I heard it works... confuses them and snaps them out of the hunting mode.

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udo Friday, 16 May 2014 at 5:15pm

Theres footage out there of a seal doing just that to a large white.

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caml Friday, 16 May 2014 at 7:34pm

Yeah yocal its either fight or paddle & fight can settle the disagreement . Think that monky actually jumped on his sharks back .causing monkey on back troubles for that fish. Good idea

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udo Friday, 16 May 2014 at 7:41pm

Caml few comments on stab this is a hoax.

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caml Saturday, 17 May 2014 at 12:48pm

Yes udo i just read them cheers funny hey . I didnt realise it was a shark attack at first becos monky texted me a picture mesg saying sorry about your board . I thought it must have been on the rocks . So i must admit its not a perfect bite mark .

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udo Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 1:27pm

After an attack does the bite mark get measured by scientists or samples of any sort taken ?
Not calling this suss in any way......just curious if marine scientist or similar do any testing.

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Sheepdog Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 12:43pm

Fair point, udo..... verification would be nice...

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uplift Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 4:32pm

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/surfers-survive-attac...

After, much, much, extensive consultation, it can unquestionably be verified that that is not a fake, or imposter, it is in fact a genuine, professional example of the famous, 'Jervis Gut Suck with Twist Side Pose' (some are saying his best ever). We've seen it countless times behind the counter, but to be sure I had 100% confirmation from Mr Robby Fird, Stones Gaul, and Duttsy, all masters of the same pose themselves.

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Blowin Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 5:27pm

Apparently fisheries investigate any available evidence.

I've got a friend that experienced the same thing as old mate in SA, only this was a Tiger shark on the Mid North coast NSW. Took the board to fisheries at Coffs ( I think ? ) and they confirmed it was a Tiger.

Media was never alerted, don't think it made the shark attack file.

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Sheepdog Sunday, 18 May 2014 at 9:55pm

Granite, Noosa.... 1998..... (Dromo!!!!!) unseasonal east swell from semi bomb low..... Knowing when to score granite uncrowded, at a particular time of month, dromo...... at a particular tide, dromo..... I walk out and see the pot is 3 foot....
Get to Granite, solid 4 to 5...... 4 GUYS OUT!!!!!! Yahoo!!!
Walk out to the outer corner and jump in staying real close to the rocks, and boom, out the back.... I look around and these dudes are gone,I'm the only one in the water..??.....
"Fuck yeah!!!" But I found it odd that they were getting out right in front of the rocky hill, and not down at the Keyhole... Tourist "gumbys ", scrambling out of the water like wet rats...
Anyway, I can't believe I have got solid Granite to myself, and I just was settling in at the take off spot right next to the outer rock, and I look left.... Hmmm I never noticed a patch of rock underwater over there.... I look around back to the hill and these dudes were waving and jumping around.... I look back at this odd bit of rock,,,,, and it was moving..... towards me....... Umm, ok, not an uncovered patch of reef....As it got closer, the shape started to take form.... Holy shit..... She's a biggn....
Legs up..... It's a big thick Bronzy..... Pecs out at 45'..... It just kept cruising straight at me, straight under my board on a port side list, it's right cats eye having a real good gawk.....
I can remember things in detail like little droplets of water, things sort of went quiet... Almost deaf, but certain plonky noises of water over the board were magnified... Hard to explain....
It kept cruising under me and adjusted, turned right with one big swoop of its tail......
I very calmly and smoothly turned right with it and started stroking confidently, almost following it down the line, then slowly veered left towards the rocks..
I caught a smaller wave that I usually wouldnt be able to stroke into....... amazing that..... And gut rode onto the rocks, the same rocks the "gumbys" go out on. As I was coming in, I could hear them screaming over the top of the waves breaking....
I crawled up the rocks, anf they were like "Fuck! We thought you were dead!!!! Didn't you hear us!!??? We saw the fucking shark just as you jumped in!!!! Didn't you hear us screamimg!!!??? Fuck man, thought you were dead!!!!"

We all looked out. I needed to see it again, just to confirm I wasn't going mad.... That's when I spotted a school of baitfish 50m down from the take off....... And there she was..... MunchMunchMunch.....
My knees went a bit wobbly....... I still drank back then.... Beers tasted good that night....

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grog-an Monday, 19 May 2014 at 9:15am

"Sharks hey? Well one day I go into Elly pub, everyone was pleased to see me, girls trying to chat me up and guys I don’t even know trying to buy me beers. Amasing stuff. Anyway I let Bob buy me a beer and he tells me about this crazy scientist that come into town and trying to tell the kids at the school that their are 3 theirs. There, their and they’re. I said bullshit their all the same word, they sound exactly the same he’s just making up 2 extras and changing the spelling. Bob says “that’s what I thought too, but I wasn’t sure, but I knew you would know the right answer.”
So I go straight down to the school to see this csiro science man from the big smoke.
“what’s this I hear about you trying to brainwash the kids around here with 3 different theirs?”
“I’m just teaching them the differences between there, their and they’re. English is a complicated language”
“Their is only one their. Their all the same. Don’t try and confuse these kids with your scientific terms such as nouns, verbs or possessive adjectives.”
“They are not scientific terms, and I’m not a scientist. I’m a teacher.”
“All you scientists are the same, just ask the indigenous people of this country. They were going just deluxe for 60,000 years and then you came along.”
“ummm… I’m not sure what you are talking about”
“Well let me tell you. This fat chick came to me, none of you so-called expert scientists could help her, had her on all sorts of crazy low-fat diets but she still put on wait. Hilarious. So I “trained” her hard for 12 weeks (if you know what I mean ;)), had her eating a dozen boiled eggs a day, duck fat and a couple of big macs. Look at these 2 photos. Before and after. Now try and tell me I don’t know about quandongs”
“quandongs??… Uhh.. anyway she doesn’t really look much different and why is she holding that newspaper. Isn’t that what they do with hostages in south America??”
“ohhh so now you’re an expert on the health and fitness industry are you?!? The newspaper shows how long it was between the before and after shot. And don’t believe anything you hear about me holding fat chicks hostage and me making them eat eggs and cream”
“Well actually it doesn’t prove anything. I think you’ve been watching too many Hollywood movies. You could keep a newspaper from today and use it 6 months later for your after photo. The only thing it proves in the movies is that the person was alive as of that date, not how fit they are or how much they weigh, besides you can’t even read the dates in your photos.”
“Look you scrawny little gimp scientist, you know nothing about fitness, I once sucked off Toddy Archer in the carpark and then he went out and got the best barrel of his life. I’m the best basketballer in Elliston and pro surfers aren’t even fit, did you even see the pipe final JJF and Kelly, and one time Maurice and wayne came to town, another time kango and rabbit did too and I showed them all. It was amasing. So I’m telling you the composition of this chicks blood changed don’t even worry about the newspapers in the photos. WORDY SAID IT TOO, SO BAD LUCK”
“Wait.. who is JJF, Kelly or maurice? And what do they have to do with me teaching children correct grammar?? And whilst I’m not a scientist, it seems you have something against scientific process yet you claim to have changed the composition of this “fat chicks” blood by “training” her hard. How exactly did you measure that?”
“By tasting it of course, here look at these 2 photos. Before and after. Fat chick in the back ground holding a newspaper. That’s me in the front tasting her blood. See my thumbs down. Now in this one. Thumbs up!! See you wimpy little expert scientists don’t know everything. Now let me tell you about sharks…..

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oldman Monday, 19 May 2014 at 4:37pm

In reply to yocal and paddling towards a shark to scare it off, I read an article about george greenough who reckons he did just that a couple of times around byron area. It worked for him, but I still reckon that would take some balls. Myself, I have only spotted bronzies at goolwa and my mate who used to ab dive always told me not to worry about them. Mmmmm, not too sure about though.

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singkenken Monday, 19 May 2014 at 6:14pm

Absolute gold Grog-an, I love Philosophy of Science!!!!!!

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funpeeler Friday, 23 May 2014 at 1:37pm

Couple of weeks ago at Tressies. Surfing the little inner right hander on a big high tide. Spooky sort of day. Thunderstorms up to the north. Dead glassy and inco. Very grey. The sort of day where the sea and sky merge.

Paddled over a wide set wave and saw a vivid white long stripe the water about 20m out. Could not see it again when I came down over the back of the wave. Told myself it must have been a glint of sun on a sand patch and not the underbelly of a White.

5 minutes later, in the channel towards snails, about 10m away saw this f#cking big triangular fin moving slowly at me and my mate. Didnt curve over at the top like a dolphin and we sure as hell would have heard a dolphin that big breathing from right across the bay. It was just *there* - big and stark and silent against the glassy grey ocean. I will never forget it.

Screamed at my mate and we hightailed in. Had a new board. Was very careful not dinging it on the way out. Pointed it straight for the rocks on the way in. Scrambled up the low cliff but didn’t see it again.

Kind of wondering though if it was a shark - should I have seen a tail fin as well?

Have watched plenty of YouTube since and it seems to me, if they are moving slowly - the tail kind of lazily moves up and down and you don’t necessarily see it above the water.

Anyway – back in the saddle now. Can’t pretend they are not there.

That’s my shark story. Hope I don’t ever have another one.

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thermalben Friday, 23 May 2014 at 1:55pm

Wow FP.. that's a good read. Heard plenty of shark stories at Tressies before but never seen one out there meself. How was that bloke (from interstate?) who paddled out to Ella Rock a few years back during a surf comp? Madness.

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markxxx Saturday, 31 May 2014 at 7:22pm

A bronzie gave a guy a bit of a scare out at Day St. today. I was sitting out there waiting for a set when I heard a commotion and the bloke right next to me yell. By the time I'd turned around he was paddling towards his mate yelling with the bronzie right on his tail. We all paddled straight in notifying the kiddies on the inside. The bloke said he felt something turned and saw it right at the tail of his board and thinks it was about 8 ft long.

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simba Sunday, 1 Jun 2014 at 9:44am

Back in the day when my mates and i used to do a lot of spearing on the north coast we saw a lot of sharks especially spearing mackeral but you could tell by their body language if they were cruising or not ,but on numerous occassions we tried the old swim at them and yell underwater trick when they were being aggressive and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didnt.The most memorable time was when i had speared a nice mackeral and a 8ft bullshark came in and started hassling so i let the gun and line go back with the mackeral still on the spear about 20ft or so behind me but the bull shark wanted me and completley avoided the fish with blood streaming out of the spearhole and cause we were doing drifts with the boat (not anchored) due to the current i had to swim backwards looking back at the shark which was snapping at my flippers literally,while i tried everything to avoid being attacked .probably the closest i came and still have nightmares at times ,but the swim towards the shark thing failed big time then.

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quokka Sunday, 1 Jun 2014 at 11:29am
bluem00n wrote:

*sigh* - "BAITED hooks are being stripped from shark control drum lines off Sunshine Coast beaches" Link!

No point in fining the hippies, they won't be able to sell enough hemp to cover it.

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trippergreenfeet Monday, 9 Jun 2014 at 5:49pm

Lid rider got a love bite today at Parsons.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/bodyboarder-sustains-small-bite-in-shark-attack-at-parsons-beach-on-fleurieu-peninsula/story-fni6uo1m-1226948356892

I checked Parsons and Waitpinga this morning, about 1/2 hour before this happened. Tide was real low, surf was 2-3' with a light N'ly rippling the water's surface - perfect for salmon fishing. The fisho's were out in force on the beach and in boats taking advantage of these conditions, so it's no surprise that someone got touched up.

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udo Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 at 7:03pm

Something large cruising the Glenelg tyre reef recently ?

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Blowin Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 at 7:26pm

In three surfs today I saw two sharks*. I'm going to start a petition for a NSW drum line shark cull. Whoops , already one in place. As you were people.

* Denotes a shark sighting whereby the shark in question is less than four feet long.

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Craig Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 at 8:47pm

Shark hanging around Elliston at the moment. Camel sent through a picture of the flyer going around town:

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Blowin Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 at 8:52pm

Aside from the mercury concerns, anyone ever tasted great white ?

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caml Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 at 9:51pm

Am keen to try ! Fresh seafood has always appeaed to my taste buds

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roger-ramjet Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 7:53am

I read an article by a fishing writer in SA called Shane Mensforth and he claimed juvenile great white shark as beautiful eating.
A few of the bigger ones need spit roasting down here at the moment. It's getting out of control. Only a few days after monkeys run in a mate was surfing fifty odd k down the coast and had a 14 footer harass him. So he gets out of the water drives another fifty k south to a popular stretch of beach starts surfing and a 12 footer has a go! No bullshit both events within a few hour period.
They need to ban the shark diving at Neptune islands as it has altered the great whites way of thinking. They can say they don't feed em all they want I have seen old Rolph Sebaski who started Calypso Star throwing em Tuna carcasses hand over fist with my own eyes.
To a pointer boats and humans equals food. They even bang the back of the boat upon arrival to let the sharks know its supper time. So if your surfing out of a boat or towing don't drop a spanner or screwdriver on the deck!

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udo Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 9:12am

They eat them at any size in other countries.....common for 5m whites caught in Japan or Taiwan to go to market for human consumption, google- white shark Taiwan.
David Riggs about to release a new white shark doco 'super predator' from Bremer Bay area, his other one which was on the ABC was good.

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fitzroy-21 Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 9:18am

Problem with eating them over the 80-100kg (or any large pelagic over that size) is the heavy metal build up in their system, including mercury as Blowin stated above. They also have a pugnent amonia smell and taste. The only way to avoid spoiling the meat is to cut the liver out imediately upon boarding or death, but why would you bother IMO.

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caml Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 12:06pm

All the shark cull protesters could put their efforts into stopping cage diving

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Craig Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 12:11pm

Totally, as I've said many times before, the chumming and burleying off the water to attract sharks for cage diving is a huge issue. I hear the sharks now just show up on the sounds of the boat props!

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trippergreenfeet Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 12:31pm
caml wrote:

All the shark cull protesters could put their efforts into stopping cage diving

Totally agree with this statement Caml.

I guess I'm preaching to the converted here...the active feeding of dangerous wildlife, whether it be sharks, dingoes , etc put not only humans at risk (for obvious reasons) but is a sure death sentence for most other species of animal involved, with the eception of the GW for reasons I cannot fathom at this moment in time, apart from financial for SA shark dive business. In the shark dive operators view, culling dependant sharks would vindicate the stance that feeding sharks for profit ligitamises the stance that un-natural feeding of dangerous animals creates a hazard.

For example, I have worked in remote desert locations around Oz with large populations of pure bred dingoes (pure as possible on the main land). These dogs are protected, with a multitude of strict rules against human interaction and feeding. However, during any induction it is said that any feeding of the dogs is a sure death sentence for the dog involved, as it will immidiately know where to get an easy feed, and when that easy feed is denied the dog gets aggressive very quickly.

These dogs get shot at the first sign of aggressive behaviour towards humans.

I have heard these GW tour boats operators argue the point that sharks don't associate boat feeding with humans, therefore are not a problem in the wild when sharks come into contact with swimmers, surfers or boats away from the tour areas...what a load of BS that is. Any animal that gets a free, easy feed from humans forms the habit almost immediately as to where the easy feed is coming from. Why should sharks be any different in the animal kingdom?

I'm generally against culling like the WA model as those sharks were most likely not exposed to targeted feeding for tourism, but the west coast of SA is a different matter altogether.

It's time to break the habit of cage diving, both in humans and sharks.

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chin Friday, 13 Jun 2014 at 12:50pm

I saw a show on fox recently about the SA ab divers. One of the shark cage operators was a woman, and her husband was an ab diver. They felt a certain security knowing where at least some of the sharks would be i.e. at the cage, while the ab diving was being done elsewhere. Win win for them

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salt Thursday, 19 Jun 2014 at 8:17am
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ksurf Friday, 20 Jun 2014 at 12:16pm
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Kaneos Monday, 7 Jul 2014 at 10:39pm

I use to surf as a kid/teenager before joining the military and moving away from South Australia for 15 years.
I have recently moved back and some friends of mine have recently discovered surfing for the first time. I decided to buy a board and get back into it with them and to see if I could do it again.
Basically starting over again and Im still at the Kook level, which is ok because mates are still learning and we're just having fun.
On Sunday 6th July I was with one mate surfing just to the left of Middleton Point. We were't out the back aswe are still learning so we were inside catching little re-form waves in about chest high water. My mate was about 30m away from me when I caught a wave and rode it until it died out. I jumped off the board as Ialways do and expected to stand up, only i couldnt touch the bottom which should have been shallower given I caught the wave in chest deep water. Anyway I just thought that must have landed in some deep gutter that must have formed in the bank. I got straight back on my board and began to paddle in a bit so that i could stand and walk back out to where my mate was.
I only just got on my board when I felt something rise up from under my board (back left side) and before i could do anything i was in the water again next to my up turned board. I turned & couldnt see anything but pushed my hand hard towards whatever it was that pushed me off & my hand smashed into something rough. In my mind I was being nudged by a shark. I was screaming like bitch and then punched again in the same area only 30cm under the water & again hit something hard. I still did not see what it was. The water at middleton is brown and murky all the time.
I then reached for my board and got back on and paddled about 15m to where I could stand in knee high water. By then my mate had come over to see what was going on. We got out and watched for a while to see if we could see anything - nothing. My hand had small cuts where i had fended it off. But I have no evidence it was a shark, so Im not sure what it was.

1. Is it possible for a shark maybe a bronzie or greynurse to be hidding in a hole in the sandbar?

Definately not in attack mode just an inquisitive check. Scared poop out of me.

i now want to get a sup so i can stand ontop of the water.

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salt Tuesday, 8 Jul 2014 at 12:05am

That joint is renowned for rays, I've almost trod on a few. Not dismissing that it might have been a bronzey as there has been a few around, but my bet is it was a ray. I knew a bloke who got done by one at cliffs, stung him on the inside of his knee as he jumped on his board to paddle out, reckons it was the most painful experience of his life, got a fairly decent scar to show for it as well.

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lenny67 Wednesday, 16 Jul 2014 at 3:36pm

Another GW survivor here, the GW is without a doubt back for good. I just accused nsw fisheries of mis identifying my shark and they conceded fast it was a GW not a Zambezi, backpedalled hard they did...900 days after my attack. Donation $$$ with all the shark .orgs is huge now and worth fudging figures for...crazy eh. Check out The Shark Con on itunes..Reunion Is is owned by the shark now. Like Recife Brazil..same..if I could post pics here the stuff I have would blow your minds.

Didu guys know Sea Shepperd, Pew Environment etc are funded by Texaco and SunOil? The layer of plant matter we call oil is under the biggest mass on the planet, the ocean. So whats a better way to get to that oil, human empathy towards the shark, its classic brainwashing, marine reserves attract bigger fish, "grants" for these reserves from .orgs to govts or govts to .orgs are huge...theres about 20 people on the planet that know this. I wish I didnt..anyway just needed to letu guys know the GW is back..

Forget me ask the older fishos..in 40 years when this is forgotten they move they're rigs in..do your own homework for an hour on Wiki...so blatant. Burgess at Florida Uni is "granted" to blur the figures by Pew thats owned by Sunoco or Sun Oil...Petrobras involved also..shark attack survivors world is crazy..there are more sharks than ever because there is more fish than ever...so simple..

We are going back to a pre white man state with all our marine reserves and banning of comm fishing like here in Lake Mac to Manning in 2002' Eddie Obeid and 20 million made that happen. I am the 3rd attack in the banned zone, Zac Young was the fatal we were due for but he was just north of our banned zone. We are due for number 5, actually Christine Armstrong was 5, totally consumed...seagulls finished her. Pretty awful for the poor family. Ben Lindens 2 year anniversary was yesty or day before, have we forgotten already? Wow.

Glen Folkard aka Lenny lucky survivor from Jan 18th 2012" Nearly recovered...

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 16 Jul 2014 at 3:54pm

I think it was a GWS not a tiger shark that killed the body boarder at Coffs Harbour recently.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Wednesday, 16 Jul 2014 at 4:14pm

Lenny quote "there are more sharks than ever because there is more fish than ever... So simple."
With due respect to what you have gone through, there definitely isn't more fish than ever, actually there are many species of fish that are on the verge of being wiped out completely due to mans ever increasing over-consumption. Not sure where you got that idea from.

prothero's picture
prothero's picture
prothero Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 11:06am

awesome stories. in 2012 whilst diving in 20m of water 3 kms off Mindarie I had a 4m white circle me and swim into me x 3 times. initialy I shat myself but after i survived the first charge, the experience became a good one. you got to keep your eyes on them, sharks charge each other with the less dominant one giving way to the dominant one.....not so easy keeping an eye on them when youre on a board.... that shark seemed like it was smart and calculating,

trippergreenfeet's picture
trippergreenfeet's picture
trippergreenfeet Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 11:11am

Tuesday arvo crew forced from water as a 4m+ white cruised the Farm lineup...bit unsettling as I was surfing Rocky Point at the time.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 3:27pm

I still maintain we are the ones who need to manage the GWS population, no one or nothing else is going to. Take them off the endangered list and let fisheries deal with managing how many are taken.

eat-your-vegies's picture
eat-your-vegies's picture
eat-your-vegies Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 7:08pm

word going round over west at the moment is that UWA know exactly why there have been so many whites around on the west coast. theyre saying that the live cattle trade ships start throwing dead animals over the side just off the coast (theyre not supposed to , but hey) been doing it for years now and sharks are getting a feeding pattern .
rumour is that the wa govt have this info too and that's why theyre shark baiting ,cos live exports are big business and for political and financial reasons cant be blamed.
just sayin.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 8:08pm

Fuck me.....and here I am thinking I'm killing it wearing my Hereford print steamer.

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 8:14pm

Regardless of the causes . If you surf regularly in WA and some parts of SA less so Vic and less again NSW .
It means you have a ticket in a dangerous lottery , that will no doubt be drawn a few times this spring / early summer .
In fact I would say that guys in SW WA have three tickets each , SA two tickets , certain parts of Vic one ticket and guys in NSW probably get to share a ticket with 3 or 4 mates .
That's probably the cold hard facts of it . At a guess I would say there will be atleast two or three " prize " draws this year ...
As a country we are becoming soft ... We let people who live here , go overseas and slaughter others ( not for our cause ) then come and go as they please . And it's not just one sided , as I'm sure there others who have family friends involved in other conflicts that actually pump money earnt here , back to there to fund wars .
I think it's time we start to stand up . Too long are we becoming a door mat ...
Maybe some of these animal rights activists need to wake up and smell the roses . Send 'em to places where Human tragedies are a daily event . Give 'em a taste of reality , instead of this bubble wrap around themselves , and conjure up all these " first world problems " .......
It's simple it's us or them . The pathetic ness of an actual debate on this matter shows you where our system is falling down . And whilst Joe public keeps looking for the latest trendy 'cause , others are strategically setting up their "cause " which should be causing us far more concern .
Everywhere I look I see a society becoming seriously complacent . In past times we were famous for our no nonsense approach . Practicality earnt us notoriety in invention circles . Now some of these temporary citizens just laugh at our naivety . Time to get real .

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 8:19pm

For sure Southy, there's a few animals out there that we should be throwing to the sharks and I'm not talking about cattle.

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Saturday, 26 Jul 2014 at 8:39pm

Just read on the net some boxer " Sydney sider " ( it's funny how 95% of crime in that city is committed in a small area ) , decided to waltz over and join ISIS , then use the technologies that our culture has provided , ( not to mention the nutrition and techniques to train in his chosen sport ) to post a selfie with a few other peoples head s " photo bombing " in on it .. And then taunhting people back here if they had any " orders / requests for other body specifics " !!!
I mean when we as a culture are going to stop arguing ideologies and rise up against this " disease " .....
For fucks sake it's about time we start enforcing the boundaries of which we choose to live outside these foreign issues . We are geographically miles apart and should stay that way culturally ..
Firstly we have to shut up all these whinging ideologues . Sometimes I wish that things did get pear shaped , and watch as many ideologues struggled to live up to their own ideals .
It's time for the rise of the realists ...