Man dies after shark attack at Greenmount

A man has died after being attacked by a shark while he was surfing at Coolangatta on the southern end of the Gold Coast.

Queensland Ambulance Service was called to Greenmount Beach shortly after 5:00pm on Tuesday evening.

Paramedics said the man, in his 50s, died from critical leg injuries.

Lifeguards and other people on the beach rushed to help the man after the attack.

Chief Lifeguard Warren Young said despite their best efforts the man could not be saved.

"It was a pretty severe attack and the ambulance and paramedics were here and did what they could, but it was to no avail," Mr Young said.

Police Acting Inspector Jonathan Lavin said the man was pulled from the water by some other surfers "suffering a life-threatening injury to his leg — significant trauma as a result of what is believed to be a shark bite".

"It is extremely worrying — school holidays aren't far off … all efforts will be made tomorrow by local authorities to identify if there is a shark in the area and to what sort of risk that poses to the community," Acting Inspector Lavin said.

It is believed to be the first fatal shark attack on a Gold Coast beach since 1958.

Greenmount Beach is one of numerous Gold Coast beaches with shark nets in place.

Queensland's Department of Agriculture and Fisheries shark net program website warns nets do "not provide an impenetrable barrier between sharks and humans", nor prevent sharks from entering any particular area.

"They're intended to catch 'resident sharks' and sharks that pass through the area while feeding on fish bait," the website said.

'You don't expect things like this'

Coolangatta resident Ian Edgehill said he walked past during his nightly exercise and saw a beach buggy covered in a white towel.

"I stopped and I overheard a surfer talking to the paramedics and what had happened, and then I looked and I saw a board with what looked like teeth marks in the middle of it," Mr Edgehill said.

"I couldn't tell you how many centimetres, but it was enough to be noticeable and I automatically knew it was a shark attack when I saw it.

"It's pretty surprising because when you live around here you just don't expect things like this at all.

"I came in and I saw a lot of people gathered around and everyone seemed to be quite in shock and didn't know what was going on, so it was a bit strange."

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said beaches would be shut from the border to Burleigh Heads on Wednesday.

He said lifeguards would patrol on jet skis while the Westpac helicopter would also be in the air looking for signs of the shark.

"Like every Gold Coaster tonight, I am both shocked and saddened to learn of this terrible tragedy," Cr Tate said.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the surfer’s family and friends."

Queensland's last fatal shark attack was in July off Fraser Island, when Matthew Tratt, 36, died while spearfishing near Indian Head.

© Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.

Comments

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:30pm

Very sad news. RIP.

frog's picture
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frog Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:53pm

Greenmount always felt okay. But reality hits home - nowhere in the ocean is without risk.

RIP

This will disturb many of us more than most recent attacks. Been out there at dawn and dusk many times trusting the long history of no attacks to give a sense of safety. Will be harder to do now.

zenagain's picture
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zenagain Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:32pm

Fark, Greeny.

RIP.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:33pm

When was the last fatal attack on the Goldy? Wikipedia suggests 1958, at Surfers Paradise - a few years before the Queensland's Shark Control Program (i.e. nets) were set up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_shark_attacks_in_Australia

andy-mac's picture
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andy-mac Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:07pm

Seem to remember a boogie boarder at d'bar got taken in the 90's?
Is that classed as NSW?
Very sad....

kaiser's picture
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kaiser Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:43pm

Yep it was then. Last non fatal was 2012 a kid at Nobby’s who exited a wave and landed on a shark, which subsequently bit him on the leg.
There was a fatal attack in Burleigh lake a while back (03), but that’s not an attack in the surf zone

simba's picture
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simba Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:48pm

RIP mate .....it just went next level im afraid......

theblacksheep's picture
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theblacksheep Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:48pm

Noticed you boys took the Replays down just as I was trawling them. Not to be gruesome or insensitive. Just interested to see exactly where etc. I see Nine showed blurry shots from another stream.
I guess it is being insensitive right now (I'll let you guys edit & release if appropriate)
RIP mate
#bringbackthecull

ljkarma's picture
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ljkarma Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:50pm

late 80's guy got attacked by big tiger shark just off Greenmount point but escaped with minor scratches after it bit the tail and fin right out of his board, towed him underwater for a distance and then circled him as he swam back to the rocks. I think his name was Mark Flemming...could be wrong.

Craig's picture
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Craig Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:51pm

So sad to hear, condolences to the friends family and those affected. RIP mate.

booman's picture
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booman Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 6:53pm

RIP. PLEASE INVESTIGATE SOMEONE / photograph the nets at first light in the morning someone! Today at 9am I noticed that the set out from what looked in line with Greenmount (looking from the grass above snapper surf club at 9am) was not lined up - like they got bunched up - zig zagged.

Making no assumptions about anything, but for sure worth looking into.

booman's picture
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booman Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:59am

Further information to my post above.

I drove down this morning (at 9am) to look at the shark net buoys much closer (from Greenmount Hill) than I was yesterday.

It seems I may have been looking at 2 sets of nets staggered that gave the impression from where I was (above Snapper SLSC ) that a set had drifted together.

I am really not sure, they just didn't look right at the time.

Anyway, may be worth check that the nets were all set correctly and hadn't drifted regardless with the guys that check them.

stunet's picture
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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 2:08pm

Hey Booman,

There are two sets of nets deployed just north of Kirra point. This is their approximate location (see red lines, right click to enlarge).

Maybe it was an optical illusion..?

booman's picture
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booman Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 2:30pm

i drove down to get a look from on top of greenmount hill this morning (didnt get there until 9am) - and yes it is possible it was an optical illusion - 2 sets of nets . Anyway I wrote to Tom Tate to make sure everything was lined up and in order and updated him to know that it could have been an optical illusion also due to the 2 sets down there - ie for them to check it out. They really didnt look that far down - inline and past the kirra groin! but maybe they were.

I was sat on the hill looking at them before my 9:15am start session thinking they looked like they do after a storm sometimes out of line/bunched up (looking from snapper above surf club) in the morning.

Anyway I felt responsible to put this out there to at least be checked upon (based on what i saw), GC can easily check that they were all in order I am sure and have been notified by me to check.

It's all very upsetting. Sorry if I caused any concern, I was saying what I saw. Maybe I did see it wrong ie i was seeing 2 sets lined up due to perspective that made them look like that.

stunet's picture
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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 2:40pm

"Sorry if I caused any concern"

Not at all. In fact I've been contacted about your question so I'm hoping it will be answered by someone.

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 1:01pm

Excellent work Stu...this needed to be highlighted.
Rainbow Bay Bathing Reserve restrictions
30m Drones from People (rec beach)
40m Shark Baits
60m Surf Craft
200m Leashed Dogs (Standard recreation Beach)
200m (Bather's line extends from Low tide mark)
400m JetSki from low tide Flagged Area
400m -800m Sharks (Mitigation)
2.5 km- Dog ban on Southern Points to Cooly Creek
5 km -Drone ban on Southern Points (Airport)

(Pause):
*Rest assured tbb has alerted fisheries about next distressing finding.

Fisheries: "Shark equipment has been at fatality site since 1968."
280m Snapper Rocks (GWS are permitted closer than Jet Skis)
190m Superbank (GWS are permitted closer than Leashed Dogs)

Tues: (hrs before) "Drums were checked (Re baited)"
Wed: (Morning) "Large Tiger Shark caught on Drum line"

[Factcheck] We know of Bait to Shark attraction at Fatality site!

tbb is saying that Sand Pumps push superbank as one side of Baited Mall.
Also the drop off (Food bank) gets deeper more vert each pump of sand.
Surfers are being pushed deeper & closer to Shark Bait Traps.
Broad bank drains into north Rip bowl now tiding with Hooked Bait swirls

How close before we push the stop button or kick the bait bucket?
tbb is saying we passed the stop button about 300m back.
All paddle deeper into Shark's bait trap more each day, all see & know it!

tbb feels it's better to alert surfers than ride your luck...Keep safe!
Thanx again Stu & swellnet for watching over the Superbank!

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 7:33pm

Google Earth 7/3/2014
Shows 8 Drum Lines as they are on Stu's Map
Drum 2 is being inspected & you can measure this as to new bank.
Drum 1 (Odd South Buoy) was moved towards the line.

booman is right to Question the Shark Nets.
Location is similar as in Stu's Photo.
But the 2 close Parallel nets rotate to align more W< > E

The W< >E Alignment would appear unnatural from the Headland.
Yes! As booman says, they would appear as if trailing inshore...(He's not mad!)
They are at right angles to other Beach nets & Parallel with main Drum-line.
The W< >E faces square to Northern Approach. Not as Stu's Map Shows!

They do tinker 10* north / back & forth on the east Buoys (see: WSL)
Two Kirra Drums match Stu's Photo also!

tbb thinks the lead east Buoys might get dislodged more.
When refitted may be slightly off mark (Within 10*) or....

tbb mentioned that WSL also get to pick & mix.(March dates)
Google Earth confirms that WSL move buoys.(+ pull sand Pumps)
WSL move the east Drum buoy back south or pair a rear guard.
There may be one extra to slot in, but nothing major.
Possibly complies to best contractual mitigation at that season.

Interesting that WSL can boss Qld Govt 1968 iconic safeguard.
In this case, lets hope all was returned to safe working order!

andy-mac's picture
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andy-mac Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:05pm

So heavy, so sad.
RIP.....

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:06pm

It will be interesting to see what the crowds like at first light tomorrow. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way to the poor man who passed away either.
Just curious to see if this has an effect.

fitzroy-21's picture
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fitzroy-21 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:09pm

I just heard on the news the beaches will be closed tomorrow GF.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:11pm

Fair call

benjis babe's picture
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benjis babe Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:13pm

and here we go again, was wondering why qld seemed safe, yet lots of attacks just around the corner. not so safe now... thoughts r with his family and friends

yorkessurfer's picture
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yorkessurfer Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:20pm

I saw on the news a mate of mine Kane who’s a clubby at the Greenmount Surf Life Saving Club was involved in the recovery/ resuscitation attempt. Must be a traumatic thing to be involved in for those who witnessed what happened. Sad news for the family and friends of the victim and the whole Gold Coast surfing community.

Robo's picture
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Robo Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:24pm

RIP. Guessing another 2-3m GWS.

Surfalot67's picture
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Surfalot67 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:34pm

So fucking sad. To all the good old boys, we surf together all the time, but hardly know each other’s name but this really hits home. Stay strong if you were out there or involved, the whole Greeny family is grieving tonight. RIP legend.

Shaun Hanson's picture
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Shaun Hanson Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:35pm

No good really sorry to hear ....this shit has got to stop councils and governments as well as poeple are to scared to make a stand in fear of upsetting voters or WWF ..fuk theres to many of the fkn things ...

donweather's picture
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donweather Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:37pm

I was staying in a high rise at BURLEIGH yesterday and today and was surprised at how close into the Gold Coast bay all the whales heading south were. I thought to myself gee if these guys keep going on their track they will go awfully close to snapper. Without a doubt I fully believe these sharks are following the whales on their seasonal northward and southward migrations. So the closer inshore the whales come the closer inshore the sharks also come.

My condolences to this mans family and friends.

Ben Harding's picture
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Ben Harding Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:00pm

funny you mention how close the whales have been tracking, we were just talking about that here at home...was watching my housemate at snapper end of july, late friday arvo, three whales not really going anywhere too fast, sitting 50m wide of the last head in line with the rocks. It was so surreal to see. Really made us think about what this means moving foward and what the repercussions are. Obviously isnt a backbeach where inaction may be perceived to be justified due to "nature/rarity", curious to see what the talking heads in govt do from here.

Rest in peace old mate.

Sheepdog's picture
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Sheepdog Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:50pm

I said this ages ago, when the japanese guy got taken at ballina. I pointed out some things old sea dogs like myself watch for, but got howled down. Baitfish, change of tide, sunset, rain and showers.
Anyhow, R.I.P old buddy. I hope his family can take solace he died doing what he loved. Better than many other ways of leaving this shit hole.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:38pm

sad news. condolences too his family, friends and the people who tried to save him.

etarip's picture
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etarip Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:38pm

RIP.
How crowded was it, and how close to shore?

Pt Danger's picture
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Pt Danger Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 11:22pm

Small crowd.About 20 guys on that peak. The deceased wasn’t out the furthest. He was on the outside of the peak, towards the end of the break. He may well have been paddling out.

crg's picture
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crg Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:42pm

Just heard from a mate who was in the water at the time and he said the shark had a crack at a second surfer straight after the first fatal attack.

Rojosh's picture
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Rojosh Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 3:36am

This is a fucking night mare

Dx3's picture
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Dx3 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:53pm

Awful news, Rest In Peace mate.

Fuck 2020 right off, bad year all round.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
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DudeSweetDudeSweet Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:54pm

Condolences to family and friends of the departed surfer.

scrotina's picture
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scrotina Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:02pm

really heavy news. ive surfed that sand at 1am under a full moon because i always felt so safe there. anyone know where i can find live updates as to which goldy beaches are closed / or will be closed tomorrow?

calk's picture
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calk Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:04pm

Awful news... Thoughts are with his family, friends and the surfing community.

Greenmount is such a beautiful stretch, particularly for the beginners and intermediates who can't hold their own further up the point.

Dan K's picture
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Dan K Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:06pm

Tragic...
Stab IG account put a webcam clip from CW on their feed and it was horrific. They (for obvious reasons) came under some heavy abuse for the post which they've now deleted. Without going into detail it looked similar to MF in Africa but after a break of about 8 seconds it turned on the poor guy a second time.

markxxx's picture
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markxxx Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:39pm

Yeah I saw that post, that thing wasn’t f******g around, brutal.

R.I.P. mate.

billie's picture
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billie Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:34am

Disrespectful to post that. Disappointing behaviour from STAB. A similar thing happened in an old ASL where a faded picture of Chesser? or Donny? at Waimea was published.

viccokook's picture
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viccokook Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:15pm

heavy news, RIP. One positive we can take out of these tragic events is that there are always heroes that go all in and risk their life to save fellow surfers in what must be the most traumatic of situations to be in. Whether its a natural human instinct or something innate in surfers i dont know but to put yourself in that situation, so so incomprehensible. makes you proud that we can react that way instead of paddling the other way in self-preservation. To all that risked their lives to try save this man eternal gratitude from me and i'm sure the whole surf community.

Albatross's picture
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Albatross Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:18am

Rip and condolences to family and friends ...

I surf between the Tweed Coast and Ballina daily , live across the road where Rob was taken , never seen such a concentrated distribution of sub adult whites as we have now .but never thought the super bank would end up with a white attack ..... there has been a dynamic shift in the marine environment since 2015 when Tadashi was hit then it just kept going ... in NNSW it’s almost when not if now ..... the lack of leadership in addressing the issue from surfing Australia is simply appalling.. are they not the peak body for recreational not just professional surfing.. the silence just screams self interest... ... full respect to those who intervened in the water and assisted , so heavy , it used to be flight but now it seems every attack triggers a fight response from those in the water ..

Take that video down Beachgrit , totally disrespectful FFS...

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:59pm

WA was similar, close encounters building late 90's, then 2000 attack on Ken Crew at North Cott and it was a different world thereafter...

Well said.

hamishbro's picture
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hamishbro Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:22pm

I agree with this comment. This is getting ridiculous it is patently obvious that GWS are breeding heavily as the smart lines are consistently tagging 2-3m whites and these juveniles are also responsible for these attacks. All of these attacks are preventable with real drum lines, there is nothing special about GWS any more than bull sharks and tiger sharks. Other than our own morbid fascination with king apex predators. Open to being wrong if it was another species but the pattern is clear.

Solitude's picture
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Solitude Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:28pm

Such a shocking and sad afternoon. All my thoughts and wishes to the family and friends. Same goes for those involved.

larry.lynch's picture
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larry.lynch Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:35pm

Great White sharks on the Gold Coast, that is new.
Talk to the older fishermen (yes fisherMEN) and they will tell you that Great Whites were rarely sighted, if at all. Now they are more prevalent in Northern NSW than other species. All the so called experts will tell you how and why that is. The fact is, they are in the water of the Gold Coast now- they take one bite and you are done, generally speaking.
Rest in peace - what a horrible way to go out.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:37pm

Our surfcam replays captured the attack, however we have made the decision to remove this video from our website. We will provide the video to the necessary authorities if requested. 

calk's picture
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calk Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:57pm

Ben - Beach grit have a post on their Instagram with the footage from your Greenmount camera. They’ve removed the same video from their article, but this post is still there.

I’m not sure if you are already aware, or can do anything about it.

eamonzie@gmail.com's picture
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[email protected] Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:28pm

Well done swellnet.

marto1986's picture
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marto1986 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:53pm

News.com are showing the footage and are claiming the couriermail got it from swellnet :(

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:37pm

So sad, condolences and best wishes to family, friends, rescuers and other surfers there.
For it to happen where it did, such a special place, is one of the greatest shocks.

udo's picture
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udo Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:51pm

RIP mate

fuck you Stab and Beachgrit if you posted the footage..what the fuck is wrong with you
Low Life Fuckers !

bluediamond's picture
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bluediamond Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:52pm

Agreed mate. Total disrespect to the family. Never read that rubbish anyway. Full condolences to the family and friends. That's really really heavy.

billie's picture
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billie Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:34am

I agreee

VicRhino's picture
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VicRhino Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:45pm

Horrific news. My condolences to his family, friends, rescuers and the QLD surfing community. I’ve always felt so safe out there.... maybe not so safe next time

Troz's picture
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Troz Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:46pm

The one survivor being the Port Macquarie attack. The others Kingscliff, Fraser island, Minnie Waters, Greenmount. Was the other one around Harvey Bay?

theblacksheep's picture
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theblacksheep Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:52pm

So 3 shark victims and 6 qld covid deaths. If we put even 10% of the cost of covid back into shark mitigation we would all get free sharkshields, shark eyes stickers, new smart drumlines and probably permanent jetski patrols.
Put the qld premier bitch on the case. She seems to like pretending she is saving lives....

tomjoad's picture
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tomjoad Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:50am

What a disgusting and incredibly stupid comment.

belly's picture
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belly Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:09am

Here here

backhand life's picture
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backhand life Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 4:21pm

On multiple levels, what a stellar guy

benjis babe's picture
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benjis babe Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 4:21pm

well said.... disgusting and stupid

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:02pm

That footage on the other website is heavy viewing. Incredible effort by those who came to help.
It looks like one guy saw what was happening and bailed straight in. No judgement from me whatsoever. It would be absolutely terrifying.
Rip poor guy.

69longboarder's picture
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69longboarder Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:06pm

With deepest sympathy and condolences.
I hope your life was full of what you wanted.

Lottolonglong's picture
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Lottolonglong Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:18pm

I hope old mate got a couple of great waves before the attack, absolutely horrific for those involved, RIP

Supafreak's picture
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Supafreak Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:22pm

Totally agree black sheep , she’s about saving votes and doesn’t give a toss about everyday Australians

tomrnoir's picture
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tomrnoir Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:46pm

Absolutely shocking news, SEQ's track record was a sense of security - which has definitely been compromised with this happening. Thinking twice about dawn patrolling tomorrow. Rest in peace, mate.

udo's picture
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udo Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:08pm

Beachgrit finally decided to remove footage.

donweather's picture
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donweather Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:51pm

Most of the news sites have it now.

tomrnoir's picture
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tomrnoir Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:58pm

Disgusting the way this has been handled. Probably unavoidable considering the popularity of the spot & opportunistic nature of some, but still.

Rabbits68's picture
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Rabbits68 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:20pm

Incredibly sad news. RIP mate. Heroic efforts by all involved to help this bloke as best they could. Hope you all recover in time.

Mckenny's picture
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Mckenny Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:52pm

Thoughts are with his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Wondering whether the classification of the area as a world surfing reserve may allow more political will to attempt to better mitigate it happening again. Excerpt from them states "World Surfing Reserves, a program of Save The Waves, proactively identifies, designates and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and surrounding environments around the world. The program serves as a global model for preserving wave breaks and their surrounding areas by recognizing and protecting the key environmental, cultural, and economic and community attributes of surfing areas.". The environmental minister who has his name all over this, is our now health minister. Let's hope more can be done.

tomrnoir's picture
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tomrnoir Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:57pm

Footage of the buggy prior to being covered running on major news sites, wish I could unsee it.

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:37am

{RIP} Very frightful run for our eastern coastline.

There are many Cameras that operate this section of beach...
The footage is vital for many reasons being Qld's most rapidly changing beachscape.
Sand dry docks any SLSQ lifeline as Surfers are sandblasted toward Drum Lines.

You will hear lots from GC News / Media...but very little is accurate.
Goldie tbb feels the need to share local stats early...to clear the decks.
Sure! It will come across as cold but the lies are building faster than tbb can type.

There are no Shark Nets at Snapper, Greenmount or Cooly > See Kirra.
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/62412/shark-equip...

1962 Shark Control Program > 2020 is not Fatality Free.
Program must accept all failed Shark mitigation as aTotal.
GC Sharks boss all Waterways. The Surf is the least of our Shark concerns
None dare swim across our Rivers but 1,000's swim daily beyond Surf zones.

{Gold Coast Shark Fatalities}
{R.I.P}
1976 Southport Bar
1977 Southport
2002 Miami Lake
2003 Burleigh Lake
2020 Greenmount

1962 Shark Control Program > 2020 (Incidents)
( 29 ) Additional Gold Coast Shark Maulings
( 11 ) of these 29 incidents were around Coolangatta

2014 ~ 3.4m White caught at Roxy Comp site (One of the Largest in Program)
http://indosurflife.com/2014/03/great-white-shark-caught-meters-from-rox...
Crew may recall earlier Comp replays show a odd shark or two in the waves.
Because of this, WSL regard Snapper as Sharky & demand extra shark mitigation.

tbb has seen & warned of (2-3m) Sharks in Snapper line-Up..(None evacuate)
Sharks swim inside the line up thru the whitewater...looks real scary.

Still can't grasp that lead photo! Where's Rainbow Bay or Snapper Rocks?
https://www.swellnet.com/sites/default/files/styles/swellnet_thumbnail_2...

Drumlines don't appear to have relocated offshore as Sand Pumps push all wider.
These Drumlines seem to be the closest to ever increasing number of Surfers. Why?
All Whales and Sharks must thread a narrowing path closing in on surfers. (Not Safe!)

tbb believes the drumlines may even breach 200m Bathing Reserve safety...(Review!)
Also! If they are deemed too close & they don't comply...I bet they do by Tomorrow.
Looks like Snapper Rocks + Drumlines will likely be dry docked by years end anyway.

Whales used to bask in Rainbow Bay with a wide berth from Snapper to Drum lines.
Tired Seals used to refuge on Greenmount & Turtles forage on Reefs.

Southern Points, Reefs, Bommie marine-scape is now smothered & devoid of life.
Swimmers & Surfers now hitch Camel Trains over km's of once bountiful estuaries.

Crew here are keen to narrow down patterns in Shark Behaviour & tbb is the same.
Superbank is a packet of bait worms, the beginning is buried & it has no end...
Lets be honest! This tragedy may well have been diverted.
Eg: 10, 20, 30 years or more that spot was 5m deep mid ocean, no waves broke there!

Now the Bank Manager says we all must queue at his new sub branch only.
Cybernauts placing cups under ATM Sand Blaster & pull lever for daily withdrawal.

Pause! tbb spares a minute. {R.I.P} Surfer/s ...it really is all our worst nightmare!
As a Goldie Local tbb wishes to thank all helpers at the scene & joins concerned here!

Harsh reality of WSR Hot seat sets in...if it wasn't heating up already!

Sharky WSR buys exemption for WSL "Safe" Wave Pool Comp Thingy!
(GC Surfies luv Netted WSR) vs (Sunny surfies & Greenies No Nets in WSR)
Scomo is ready to blow WSR border town skyhigh... just because he can!
ALP need to sell a 'safe' Sharky WSR surfie seat for The Timeshare Trolley

Only that Qld long banked on a Safe WSR being Safe forever. (No Plan B)

Earlier Gold Coast Shark Stats / Dates / Locations....> swellnet
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2018/11/07/surfer-attack...

PS: This Ultimate Superbank Merch came on the market just yesterday...
Who saw this coming? [WARNING] This is the end!
https://agentletouchfunerals.com.au/product-view/waves-of-snapper-rocks-...

Ape Anonymous's picture
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Ape Anonymous Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:30am

Yes.
Whales have been swimming with surfers at Snapper recently -seen it with my own three eyes.
Big Tiger has always hung around Kirra reef -went under Ape at the Alley one evening while trying to get a backpacker out of the water on DUSK... safety first.
Ape had two bulls smell his ankles on DUSK at the Alley.
Big white @snapper eyeballed a friend through a wave face on DUSK -smile!
Tbb hit the drum line on the head.
DUSK during whale migration south -young ones in toe = juvenile whites, hungry.
Gruesome footage shows where it happened: on the top corner of greenmount -this is a spot where the sandbank drops-off and there's always bait fish swarming -right there.
Shark tower at greenmount not just a prop...
Tragedy -I knew the guy, always nice fella in the lineup
RIP

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zenagain Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:16am

It's heartening to read the condolences and respect from the crew here. We don't even have a name yet (maybe) but he will be missed. We for the most part probably don't know a thing about him but he is in each and every one of us. It's hard not to blame the shark but it was doing what it does- it's not malicious, it's not evil, it's just a fucking shark.

RIP old mate. I drank a toast to you tonight even though I never knew you.

Sheepy, this aint no shit-hole. You're looking at it the wrong way. This is all we've got.

Cherish it.

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Solitude Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 5:19am

Well said zen. Yes if anything things like this put a rocket up me to make the most of each and everyday.

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groovie Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:08am

R.I.P. & condolences to his family & friends. I've been surfing most of my life & have seen more sharks in the last 5yrs (usually juvenile GWS} than the previous 35yrs of surfing. Seems to me what used to be a rare event is now far more common place. 2 years ago surfing with a mate we experienced a drive by & attempted attack by a GWS( similar to what happened to Mick F) on my mate who was right beside me. Go back to 2016 (DEC1) & I was in the water an hour before another mate was attacked by a 4.5m GWS which he fought off to survive (very lucky)! Neither of these mates surf anymore but I still do as it is my church of the open sky. We take our chances every time we paddle out but the alternative (not surfing) isn't an option for me.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:40am

5pm, an hour before a neap low of around a half metre. Not much tide movement, two days before the last quarter moon.
Light SE winds, good viz, couple feet of weak trade swell.
No rain that day, few sprinkles in the preceding week.
1027 HPa barometer and steady.

Just a beautiful afternoon to pick off a couple of runners down the inside of rainbow into Greenmount.

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lostdoggy Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:40am

Condolences to family and friends. Thinking of the first responders and those at the beach also.

The bulletin says he was a long boarder.
That’s another thing you don’t expect.
I think this one must have had some size.

From the footage, sorry if I offend any for talking about this, but it didn’t look like a mistaken identity bite and spit/investigative incident.

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simba Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:09am

wonder if the shark is a serial offender............

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frog Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:33am

Thousands of tigers in India live around humans and even watch them walk by only feet away for years (infrared footage shows this). But if something shifts i.e. one might get old or sick and very hungry or just have a go one day on a quiet jungle trail and make a kill a new behaviour pattern emerges. Very often that tiger goes on to become a repeat offender. I have read of such tigers patrolling villages at night and ripping wooden doors down to get at the occupants. The same tiger can kill 10 -15 people in a short space of time. Once it is gone things settle down.

A repeat offender scenario is quite possible but is a very big ocean out there and not so easy to deal with as a tiger with a set territory.

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wax-on-danielson Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:52am

That’s what I was thinking.

When there were all the attacks at Ballina there was speculation it could be the same shark. Apparently the shark at Kingy was super aggressive and kept coming back, which sounds similar to this one and isn’t far away.

They were going to shoot the one at Kingy for fear to was dangerous and had a JetSki over it for 1.5 hours then lost it, must have been hard to find the right gun in time - or someone to shoot it.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:41am

he was on a mid length twin.

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mugofsunshine Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 3:33pm

Think we spoke about this before (you said you were self mitigating by riding longer) and I've always found it comforting not being on the smallest board in the line-up. Well that's been defenestrated.

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Supafreak Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:06am

With so many surfers and swimmers from snapper to kirra surely the council can have a full time drone keeping watch , the increased attacks this year in Northern NSW / QLD indicate two things , population explosion in GWS and decreasing food available due to super trawlers raping our oceans

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frog Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:20am

That shark would log the attack in its memory bank as a semi successful feeding attempt without much negative consequence to itself (no major fight back from the prey but a bite on fiberglass might register as a negative or maybe no more so than a seal's bones?). Predators are always cautious and weigh up risk and reward and learn every day. For this particular shark, surfers and swimmers have probably shifted a bit more from being viewed as weird and unfamiliar creatures towards being valid food options to consider in the future.

It was not mistaken identity or a check it out type mouthing. It was an purposeful attack of an unusual potential food source with intent to kill.

Most scientists who study GWS and understand animal behaviour would know the above is true but will stick to the party line of "mistaken identity" through what seems to be overwhelming peer pressure (and to ensure access to continued research funding) until the increasingly bold and growing juvenile GWS population around Australia forces everyone to confront a Reunion Island type scenario of very frequent attacks and tourism exodus sometime in the next decade.

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synchrodogcal Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:18am

condolences to the family

msm going all in on this today, stay classy channel 9, footage of attack on repeat, ffs

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H2O Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:33am

I''m no expert, but frogs rationale makes sense.
Very sad news.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:36am

True and Supafreak, there are no super trawlers operating in Australian waters.

there's been a big decrease in commercial fishing effort in NSW and with the establishment of marine parks a very big biomass rebound. There are abundant food sources available for white sharks. Especially inshore. White sharks, particularly during the juvey /sub-adult phase are primarily coastal/inshore species.

This is basic Biology 101, you can't have apex predators without abundant food during to sustain them. How the fuck do you think they get from 1.5m at birth to 3m?

as for the surf cam footage. Two words: surveillance capitalism. You want your smart phones and surf cam convenience then you can't cry foul when something like this happens. The time for out-rage is before the cams go in.
Otherwise, accept the reality of living in a surveillance society.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:39am

Who's this message directed at? The last para.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:07am

it's a general comment about surveillance capitalism and living in a surveillance state. Surf cams are part of that paradigm.

Private companies profiting off broadcasting public spaces.

When a tragic event caught by one of these cameras is loosed into the world it's too late to cry foul.

Thats an inevitable consequence of living in a surveillance society.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:16am

Gonna use the death to springboard your own peculiar POV?

Classy, Steve.

FWIW there are issues of copyright, the same as a photo of a public space, but more poignant is the one of decency. We made an early decision, one guided by morals, yet others - your paymaster among them - decided to lift the footage and run it regardless. Despite what you think it was illegal, and it was also in bad taste.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:26am

not my peculiar POV Stu, its the world we live in.

The Swellnet business model is based on surf cams for profit. It's not alone there. Surveillance capitalism. Thats your product.

it seems a bit rich to blame others when those surf cams capture a tragic event which is then inevitably broadcast to the world.
You can't put that genie back into the bottle and trying to take the moral high ground seems completely naive at best, assuming you are acting in good faith, which I believe you are.
How are you going to prevent it happening next time?

Swellnet is part of this machine and that machine has certain consequences.
Thats playing out every day all across the media and social media landscape.

Unplug the internet, turn off the cams?

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:33am

Fuck mate, blame?

There were 80 comments on Instagram telling Derek to take it down. The first however-many on the BG story said the same. The overhwelming majority of surfers were against it. He has volition you know.

And just to unpick one thread of your argument. "Thats your product," you say.

A product (vision of waves) that we sell, yet it was stolen to further someone else's 'product'. Galling when we pulled it for ethical reasons and he ran it for monetary ones.

I don't expect to convince you, so say what you will below but I'm signing off on it.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:45am

no worries.
You don't seem willing to engage with the bigger picture part of my argument: this is an inevitable consequence of living and being part of a surveillance society.

Cameras up everywhere recording things 24/7 and broadcasting it on the internet....you honestly think there are no repercussions or consequences to that when something newsworthy is captured?
Like I genuinely asked, how do you put that genie back in the bottle?

Relying on the moral integrity of editors/publishers at every single news source on the planet..........that doesn't seem a very good plan.

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factotum Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 5:49pm

A worthy debate. Dunno about the time and place though.

To be continued?

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bluediamond Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 4:22pm

Good on ya Stu and the team at Swellnet. Well said. Much respect and i'd hope if it happened to me my mum wouldn't have to watch it on the 6 oclock news because of someone trying to further their own weak agendas in the name of 'journalism'.

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Supafreak Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:56am

Super trawlers aren’t in Australian waters maybe ? But fish stocks worldwide are on rapid decline . I live opposite tweed river and it’s rare to catch a legal sized bream or flathead these days 30 years ago they were abundant and I wasn’t talking about surf cams , I don’t know why surf lifesavers who are paid to monitor the beach can’t have drones full time at every post , yes some have them but not enough.

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Robo Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:37am

His name is Nick Slater 46 according to news.com.au. Video in story too.

https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/man-dies-after-shark-at...

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cam costello Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:38am

R.I.P and condolences to family but to those inconsiderate fucktards out surfing this morning show some kind of respect when beach is closed it for a reason very disappointed in local surfing communities

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Robo Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:48am

edit, brain snap.

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goofyfoot Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:48am

Robo that’s extremely unfair. It could of been a 12 year old kid for all you know that watched a man killed by shark as long as a car. Pull your head in dickhead

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Robo Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:49am

fair enough, pulled it

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goofyfoot Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:53am

I initially thought the same thing when I saw it last night then realised you can’t tell if it’s a 30 year old man or a primary school aged kid.
Even if it was a grown man you never know how you would react in that situation.
You’d like to think you’d help but until it happens in front of you you just don’t know

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:04am

The proliferation of the footage is galling. Most of it is from one of our cameras, and as readers would be aware Ben made an early decision (see his comment above) to disable replays and remove the footage, ending the comment:  "We will provide the video to the necessary authorities if requested."

A decision made out of respect to the deceased's family and friends.

Unfortunately, before that happened one surf site lifted the footage and ran it under a sensational headline. They also uploaded it to YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, all using similar tags to draw people in. We asked them to remove the video but action wasn't exactly hasty. It took multiple emails for them to comply, by which time the MSM vultures had swooped on the carrion and lifted the video.

Said surf site then simply kept the same sensational headline but added a link to the video on MSM. Their delay in keeping the footage online worked a treat for their purposes. This was despite an overwhelming majority of commenters on their own site and on Instagram saying it was in bad taste. All that matters is traffic when you're proudly libertine.

It's a separate issue to the loss of life but as some people have already commented I think we need to clear up what happened.

Rest In Peace Nick Slater.

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Solitude Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:30am

.

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gsco Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:44am

"Ben made an early decision (see his comment above) to disable replays and remove the footage"

Umm...doing this is kind of pointless since anyone can in real time continuously download, compress and store all the footage from all your cams...

"Unfortunately, before that happened one surf site lifted the footage and ran it under a sensational headline"

Ummm...are you sure it wasn't already saved in real time as per above...?

Certainly does not seem morally acceptable of other websites publishing the footage for commercial gain, and swellnet seems to have taken the higher ground in this regard.

But the reality is swellnet is filming and publishing the footage in the first place, and consequently providing the opportunity for this kind of thing to happen.

Does swellnet have some kind of legal claim or copyright etc over the footage? It seems like this footage is immediately "in the public domain" with no claim over it by swellnet, and consequently "anyone can do whatever they like wit hit" regardless of whether doing so is morally palatable or not?

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:55am

So someone is downloading, compressing, and storing all the footage from all the cameras and then saving it somewhere at an extraordinary cost, for some inexpicable reason.

Seems likely...

"Does swellnet have some kind of legal claim or copyright etc over the footage?"

Yes.

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gsco Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:13am

"at an extraordinary cost"

umm...showing your (almost 0) IT knowledge there...nowadays website scraping and data storage, including of video footage, is down to a low cost fine art: it's very highly developed and done continuously in real time algorithmically at extremely low cost, including compression and data storage.

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thermalben Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:49am

Static content, yes.

Live video, much different.

Keeping mind mind that such a person (motivated to record all of our surfcams) would also be recording all other cameras from all other websites too, both surf and non-surf, in the extremely rare event that something noteworthy happens.

As the person who started the Swellnet website 20 years ago and has been responsible for building its entire infrastructure, and has subsequently had all manner of content scraped, saved, plagiarised, recorded and otherwise pilfered at some point in time, I have never been aware of anyone recording every second of every live surfcam.

The cost of the resources and bandwidth to achieve this simply outweighs any potential benefits, financial or otherwise. Especially when we provide that service (our replays), albeit with a time delay.

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gsco Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:55am

Having worked in hedge funds for about 20 years, including in China, which scrape, store and use in their algorithmic trading systems absolutely massive amounts of web data, including video footage, on a daily basis, I can confidently say you are very off the mark with each of your points.

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thermalben Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:56am

There's slightly more value in financial data than surfcam footage.

Can you point to a link where someone is saving all of our live surfcam footage?

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gsco Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:01am

What I meant is: One thing you said is:

"I have never been aware of anyone recording every second of every live surfcam."

Do you really think it is not possible to continuously scrape (or almost continuously: at discrete points with the time gap not discernible to the human eye) web video data with almost no chance of being detected?

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thermalben Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:06am

I didn't say it wasn't possible. I said:

"The cost of the resources and bandwidth to achieve this simply outweighs any potential benefits, financial or otherwise. Especially when we provide that service (our replays), albeit with a time delay."

Are you suggesting someone's been recording our Greenmount surfcam for more than 15 years (it went live in 2005), so they could access yesterday's unexpected footage without having to ask me permission?

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thermalben Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:12am

I'm also going to cease any further discussion of this point, out of respect for Nick.

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juegasiempre Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:38am

I work in IT but don't know everything, in fact, I claim supreme ignorance in a philosophical sense. But based on my observations and experience I will say that if you're uploading anything, anywhere, the only tenable position to take is to assume it's going to be stored and replicated indefinitely. This is what I will teach my children about data. You can't control it, short of storing it locally, securely and encrypted and even then it's not perfectly safe. If you're router has logs of incoming connections, you will see that many times a second there will be all manner of things probing, scanning and ultimately trying to gain access for advantage.

What you dismiss as unlikely I would argue would be incredibly likely, if not certain. Not having a go at you personally, or Swellnet, as I agree with your action to take it down out of respect to the family (even if I wanted to see it, just to make the unreal real). But I agree with some of the points about cameras, not even surf cams particularly, but any IP camera with outbound internet access being a massive double edged sword to society.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:55am

it would seem absolutely bizarre that swellnet would own the intellectual property of people surfing at a public beach, just because they happen to have a camera broadcasting it in real time.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:00am

Aside from the temporal, why's it different than a surf filmmaker shooting Snapper?

You might unwittingly appear riding a wave in a surf clip, but you don't own that clip. No-one does but the person who shot it.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:07am

sounds more like an ambit claim than some legally enforceable right- surf videos have at least some claim to being an artistic work and thus copyright.

Have you called Murdoch press, Channel 7, 9 ?
If it was that clear they'd pull it in a heartbeat rather than face legal sanctions.

footage is still all over the internet.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:15am

How much news is art? But you can't just lift someone else's story.

Feel free to debate that one into the ground. Hell of lot of emails and correspondence flying around behind the scenes.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:18am

someones else story?

Continuously broadcast surf cam footage is hardly a story. It's just raw data. A product of surveillance capitalism.

any response from the Murdoch media? 9? 7?

They'd have access to expert copyright legal advice.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:21am

So why was your boss so keen to lift our 'raw data' and why was he so reticent to remove the non-story when asked?

No replies yet. Talking to other people first.

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billie Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:31am

This is the big, juicy shit. I'm glad it is getting talked about and I am proud of being part of the Swellnet community. I feel at home amongst respectful kindred spirits.

RIP fellow brother

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:38am

Other people?
why not go straight to the big fish if the copyright claim is so strong?

as for your first question, I have no idea. I'm a freelancer, I have no boss except the ATO, no input to any editorial decisions, but from a wild guess I'd say newsworthiness and the fact that it was in the public domain.
\

Surveillance capitalism has consequences as well as conveniences and I can't believe you would expect those consequences to be ameliorated by individual conscience in the modern media landscape.

If the legal case is so strong a five hundred dollar cease and desist letter would get immediate results.

the fact those videos are still live shows me the legal case is probably very weak to non-existent.

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donweather Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:51am

Steve and Stu. Both your behaviors on this page are appalling. Take your discussion somewhere else. Everyone on here is paying respects to Nick and you guys are rabbiting on about shit. Show some fcking respect FFS.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:07am

yeah, thats fair enough Don.
apologies to all concerned.

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Cetus Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:49am

I wouldn't get into it Stu ... you guys have done the right thing and there will be some hard questions asked of you and your business model, but now is not the time.

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ilaydown Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:21pm

The geriatrics at Stab uploaded the vid last night and blocked me for calling them out on it. Kooks

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nextswell Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:16am

Tragic. Always loved greenmount as a kid and surfed it a lot over the last 20 yrs. Always thought of as a safe spot. Old man was in North Kirra slsc through the late 60s. He knew the donigers and I’ve heard the story of the tiger attack back in the late 30s many times. Been a very long time since this type of attack.
There are opinions about time of day, high tide, full moon, dirty water and netted beaches. It was late but this attack is contrary to most of those points. There has to be more to it. Increased numbers and decreasing food source. Unfortunately due to the nature of the animal it’s hard to quantify.
Condolences and best wishes to the family to get through a tough time.

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Andrew P Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:49am

How tragic. Condolences to the family and everyone involved.

Thanks Ben for your respectful decision and quick action regarding the footage, and Stu for describing clearly the disrespectful, unethical and illegal behaviour of another sector of our community.

Looking at the bigger picture I'm feeling overwhelming rattlement.

Rattled cos Nick was out doing what he and we all love at a familiar and supposedly "safe" location.

Rattled that there seems to be a change in the abundance and behaviour of an apex predator that is resulting in numbers of interactions that none of us have known in our lifetimes.

Rattled (but unsurprised) that the mainstream media have exploited Nick's death with their typical lack of grace and aplomb.

But mostly,

Rattled that any person involved in promoting/reporting the culture of our lifestyle would choose to use the footage illegally for their gain. ("Person" is perhaps too nice a word for them).

Nick, may you be cruising the walls of a perennial Greenmount peeler wherever you are mate. RIP.

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calk Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:24am

So well put Andrew, I'm feeling very similar.

Make that a long Greenmount peeler without any drop-ins!

RIP Nick.

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AlfredWallace Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:03am

The only item that needs culling is ‘theblacksheep’. Get a grip fella, we ABSOLUTELY understand every time we enter the water there is an element of risk. Culling is not the answer.

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adam12 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:39am

Beachgrits' whole business model seems to be based on shark attack click bait so it is not surprising they callously stole that footage and monetized it. It's a shit website Steve and your talent is wasted there in my opinion. They kiss your ass a lot in the comments section too. "Oh Longtom, you're such a good writer." It devalues your work. My opinion.

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factotum Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 5:53pm

Seconded there, Adam.

The 'joke' wore off an age ago regards that site.

RIP fella.

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ryder Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:51pm

Totally with you on that... Beachgrit are a bunch of sensationalist oxygen thieves and you Mr Shearer come to this site with your bullshit. You’re a flog mate, no better than the wankers that pay you...

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Bob Sacamano Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:53am

RIP old mate.

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gomatix Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:03am

RIP Very sad and condolences to his family and friends. I was surfing at Snapper and there were a lot of people in the water. I always thought of that stretch as being safe with nets and lots of activity. The bulk of the surfers who were surfing were further out than he was which, with my limited knowledge on this, suggests unusual circumstances for a shark attack.

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Dan K Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:11am

In theory it makes the most sense however down here on the MNC all the juveniles are cruising inside the wave zone while everyone is out the back waiting for waves. It's an uncomfortable thought as that's where most kids and parents are pushing their kids onto whitewash.

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donweather Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:43am

It appears this shark picked him out away from the pack. Almost like a lion does on it's prey. There appears (in the footage) to be no one within a reasonable distance of him. He was way down the bottom and appeared to be separated from the pack. This scenario scares the crap out of me as it's exactly the way I surf on the Goldy....away from the pack.

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:49am

In the last attack at Bondi Beach, that involving Glen Orgias who lost his hand, that was how the shark operated. It was Bondi so the surf was crowded, but Orgias was away from the pack, and the assumption was that was why the shark chose him.

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ozracer Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:08am

RIP, very sad news yet again and condolences to family and friends. There has been an unfortunate increase of white shark attacks on the east coast over the past few years. While some will yet again state the obvious that we are playing in their domain it does not provide any solution and in the meantime, the frequency of attacks will continue. As a starting point, is it time to review the white shark protection that was introduced by humans many years ago as the desired results may have exceeded what was originally intended.

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booman Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:28am

"Smart" drum lines.

The "smart" is - Catch them and then Let Them Go! (with a badge that rarely shows their position).

Families before sharks, not just the tragedy, but the huge additional economical tourist hit the GC could take if it isnt seen to take action with reducing risk with culling (real drum lines with cull) and the reported big increase in big sharks seen over the last few years in the area.

"smart" drum lines is 100% marketing, but people are not that stupid.

Culling of big sharks is not a new thing, over a certain size and species in nets (if still alive) or on drum lines and they are done. People all over Australia have been paid to do this for years.

Pt Danger's picture
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Pt Danger Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:30am

Reasonably informative link reported about the government’s response atm https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12643548

Ape Anonymous's picture
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Ape Anonymous Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:32pm

Yes. The article mentions that bait fish were in the area.
Hanging around that "eddy" on the edge of the bank/rip on dusk in the whale migration season is akin to driving radically in traffic without a seat belt.
I've been buzzed there a number of times; turtles, sharks, jellyfish, you name it.
That spot is hazardous because one cannot see the bottom, although clear and (relatively) shallow water surrounds it, because of the turbulence.

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ojackojacko Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 2:24pm

>>"Hanging around that "eddy" on the edge of the bank/rip on dusk in the whale migration season is akin to driving radically in traffic without a seat belt."

Seriously mate? People have been 'hanging around that eddy' for decades. One fatal shark attack and it's the victim's fault?

RIP and condolences to family and friends - and all good wishes to all involved in the event.

Ape Anonymous's picture
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Ape Anonymous Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 7:14am

Yeah man. I've hung out in that eddy (and been buzzed by sharks there) -heaps, and driven radically in traffic, heaps -it's dangerous and stupid! There's a lagoon in behind the bank where all the bait fish sit, and then swirl in and out of that exact spot. If you were gonna get hit, that's where it would happen! I usually break-out of it and paddle wide for that exact reason -it's turbid, full of sea life and difficult to paddle through. 3rd generation surfer of that area (speaking), and that was one of my surfing buddies that got hit.

tango's picture
tango's picture
tango Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:44am

RIP, fella.

Everyone knows it could have been anyone.....There but for the grace of...

Pat on the back to those who assisted, especially in the water, what a full-on thing to do.

Cetus's picture
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Cetus Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:47am

RIP Nick and condolences to the family.

A tragedy for all, particularly the first responders.

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yvdreh Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:01am

Fucked up, RIP.

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spookypt Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:13am

Beaches must be open again? A at 11.12am Weds. Plenty of people at Burleigh and still a dozen plus or so at Snapper...

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stunet Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:18am

Annastacia Palaszczuk now saying a large tiger shark has been caught in nets off Greenmount Beach and pointing to it as the culprit, yet after analysing teeth in the board (not teeth marks, but teeth that came out) QLD Fisheries believe the shark was a 3.5 metre white pointer.

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donweather Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:38am

This is clearly the Gov's message to us all that they've now caught the shark culprit and Qld beaches are now all safe for us all again!!! Thanks Ana you are the best!!! There's an election in Oct you know!!!

tango's picture
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tango Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:49am

Govt would appear to be reminding everyone that the control program is still catching sharks - PR 101 - but I don't think the link is being pushed as you suggest, Stu and Don. Premier doesn't;t do it in this article which includes quote from relevant Minister making it clear the link is yet to be confirmed.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/tiger-shark-caught-...

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etarip Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:45am

3.5m is out of juvie size range, no?
So puts some doubt into any attribution for the attack as somehow relating to ‘confusion’ as a juvenile tries new food sources?

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:53am

sub-adult

Craig's picture
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Craig Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 11:58am

Interesting I didn't know the naming convention..

Sub-adult (sharks >2.4 m total length (TL) but not mature) and adult white sharks [females > 4.5 m TL (Francis, 1996) and males > 3.8 m TL (Pratt, 1996)]

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frog Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:49pm

I'll repeat one of the few options that could work to modify shark behaviour without culling:

Routinely set up dummy surfers and swimmers moored well off popular beaches with powerful electric shark repellent devices (bigger zap impact than the ones surfers and divers use) with long battery life and leave them to be visited by sharks. Any close approach would result in a very unpleasant experience to the shark that would not be forgotten.

Over time, thousands of sharks would be trained to be wary of shapes similar to humans and surfers. Electric fences on farms often work even when switched off due to memories of a past shocks.

Relatively easy to do and low cost. An underwater camera could record behaviour. Tagged sharks could also be studied to give the largely computer bound GWS scientists something useful to do. And, in this case, it could show cause / effect changes to behaviour in a measurable way that could test the merit of a specific approach rather than just building more general data on sharks that leaves options going forward so unclear. The technology now exists to do all this. It would be a very interesting project and a lot easier to maintain than the drum line approach i.e. change the battery every day or so and download the vision and have some software analyse the images.

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Ape Anonymous Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:26pm

Problem: sharks can detect electromagnetic fields. Thus can detect the difference between electric-shock Joe and average-mmm-tasy hamstrings Joe

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 1:57pm

Sharkbanz split the pack on Ocean Swim Events.
tbb initially thought these were Comp entry bands...not so...

Group 1) Compulsory BYO Sharkbanz or no Ocean entry (Norm)
https://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/resources/The%20Big%20Swim%202014%20...
Nutrigrain


Obamabanz
https://www.sharkbanz.com/blogs/news/president-obama-wears-sharkbanz-dur...

Group 2) No hurting Sharks on Ocean Swim Event - Ban on Banz

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FrazP Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:26pm

Tbb - on a fishing trip at Albany Island Cape York the owner was screaming about those bands saying they attract sharks. He showed me off the wharf and they were attacking it.

Not an opinion- just saying what I was told and saw. Surprised me.

Ape Anonymous's picture
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Ape Anonymous Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 7:18am

Of course they attract sharks -its an electrical signal -"hmmm... what's that?"
Maybe if sharkie comes in close inquisitively to have a look, then gets a zap on the ol' nostrils -bad shark, bad! But if a school bus is coming at full speed without breaks..... time to get the children off the crossing -that stop sign ain't gonna work!

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ilaydown Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:17pm

The geriatrics over at Stab had to audacity to post the fucking cam footage on their Instagram yesterday. Told them it was poor form and the cunce blocked me for it, then pulled the clip down. Absolutely piss poor form.
RIP Nick Slater

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tango Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 12:26pm

I don't mean to jump the gun with disrespecting how recently this occurred, but the hysteria at these times is always a worry re culling/controlling sharks.

I think it's important to remember that GWS research still has a lot to learn about the biology of the species across the different populations/sub-populations which appear to exist around the globe. Everyone is punting that this shark was 3.5m long, but that's only an approx length. Males are supposed to reach maturity (become fecund) around 3.6-3.8m while females are bigger at maturity. It could have been a "juvenile" white, but also note that growth rates appear to differ in different places (eg Japanese population has been found to grow more quickly - https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/pdf/MF10130). And it can't be a magic length-driven point in a shark's development where it makes different decisions about risk/reward and prey - one day its juvenile, the next it's adult.

It's a tragic event, but the armchair experts and other speculators really don't do the discussion much good without knowing a bit about the work that's been done.

Here's a couple of good references setting out some of the knowledge and perspectives out there for the inevitable discussion about what to do in response.

https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/6eb72ed4-a3fa-4604...

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environm...

It's a dreadful thing to have happened, but it still needs to be kept in perspective around the level of risk we accept in life. If we had the same level of tolerance for traffic deaths as we do shark deaths you'd never get behind the wheel or go near a road. Most people who have a close encounter don't seem to call for a shark-free ocean. Quite the contrary - they appreciate the role of sharks in the marine and inshore coastal ecosystem and accept the sheer numbers game for what it sadly is.

Best wishes to family and friends in dealing with this all.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 1:12pm

I guess its the change in the risk profile that counts Tango.
And quite clearly the risk profile has changed radically.

And the car analogy is a particularly poor comparison because govts and car manufacturers spend billions at every level trying to make driving cars safer.

Have you actually read all the material in the links posted above?

I have. The first one is clearly out of of date (2013) and does not take into account the high amount of data since then.

As for the senate inquiry......alot of that expert testimony is very, very weak. More assertion than actual evidence.

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frog Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 1:11pm

Yep, we all sense the risk profile shifting and have Reunion Island as a worst case scenario to hint at the future. Reunion has not shifted to just a small % increase in risk from swimming and surfing that can be lived with. It was a quantum leap to moderate to high probability of not surviving a routine surf. Just like if when driving to the shop in a certain locality you had a high chance of being killed on the way home could not be treated as a statistic to live with. Nor can what happened in Reunion.

I accept my risks and my kids don't surf. But I can imagine the mums and dads worrying all along the Aussie coast.

But more of a concern is that a major imbalanced surge in a large apex predator population (like bull sharks in Reunion) could lead to a quantum behavioural shifts towards more confidence and aggression. This has been seen many times in land predators. This is only speculation but is a reasonable probability. Whereas most models or commentary assumes straight line risk curves based on past data.

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tango Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 3:00pm

I'm not disputing the increased incidence of interactions with sharks that has occurred up north, FR, but I think it would be interesting to see some proper risk work done on the actual risks as they stand rather than the observed increase in attacks. Risk profiles relate more to the individual's appetite for risk as opposed to the risk itself or the threat posed by it, and I'm not sure there's been a blanket change in peoples' individual risk profiles in response to the attacks. There certainly seems to have been a change in the likelihood of interaction with sharks, which affects the assessment of the risk, for sure. Regardless, it would be interesting to find out what people actually think with something more than anecdote.

I think you may be missing the point when you write off the car analogy. The common issue is residual risk, not the work that has been done in risk mitigation. After all that work to make cars safer there is still a residual risk, and it's that risk which drives the choices of the individual. Just like shark risk mitigation and its residual risk.

I haven't read all the information in the links I posted, but have read large parts in detail and scanned through the remainder. The reason I posted them was not to put them up as the latest and greatest, but as pretty clear products which set things out logically and build cases with a lot of baseline information and, in the case of the Cttee work, an airing of many different points of view, which is what underpins all manner of assertions. By the way, the 2013 Issues Paper may not have some of the more recent research included, but it does contain a wealth of GWS information which people who don't understand the basics of shark biology could use as a valuable foundation.

If you have access to "the high amount of data since then" perhaps you could post a couple of links to it so we might all benefit. I've tried searching NSW Fisheries and CSIRO but can't see anything which throws out that 2013 work.

Frog, I think your point about the behavioural change is a good one - obviously spec but it would be great to see more work around it. Given that the social and environmental values at risk are so high in deciding what the best way forward is, I can't understand why governments aren't throwing far more more research $ at it.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 1:14pm

at the time of the attack yesterday my son and his mate were surfing alone in windslop on back bank reforms ......I was very edgy.

ignorance is no longer bliss.

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truebluebasher Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 1:19pm

Today's Gold Coast News...

http://www.mygc.com.au/southern-gold-coast-beaches-closed-as-shark-hunt-...
http://www.mygc.com.au/gold-coast-shark-control-program-undergoing-inspe...
http://www.mygc.com.au/tiger-shark-caught-in-gold-coast-waters-following...

Most Local Sharks trace, bump and bite paddle craft.
More than tbb's GC incident list (above) possibly 100+ locally.
1000's of similar Paddle craft attacks World Wide (Internet is awash with Oar/Shark)
The craft are FADS (Fish Attracting Devices)
Trollerz / Training Clubbies speak of being stalked as a shark magnet.

Others note to back off on Oars as it disorientates the Shark.
Imagine 3 Paddle Craft trail (Resembling diving Birds / Bait ball stream)
swellnet footage shows 3 large ocean side paddle craft closest to Attack ?

One Ocean paddler could bring the Boy'z to the yard, 3 would disorientate a shark
A review should consider obvious anomaly...The 3 should inform of trail timeline.

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truebluebasher Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 2:02pm

{R.I.P} Nick

Above: tbb argues the need for webcam footage for Shark Mitigation
Surf patrols evolve but in doing so relay real life drama or increasingly tragedy.
Patrol towers >Spotters >Surf Boats >Choppers > IRB >Jet Skis >Surf cams >Drones

Every Council & Govt have a duty to record deadly hot spots eg: Red Light cameras.
Law encourages Company Drivers to film their own horrific accidents...
tbb cringes with horror at edited Urbnsurf Promo vidz..(That crash'up'derby Carnage!)
Cue: Gif of Stu head butting the Urbnsurf Pool...Sorry Stu, tbb was outvoted!

swellnet & crew know this is not the 1st live incident of recording a fatal shark attack.
9th Feb 2015 Ballina...(Coastalwatch live stream) Details...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2946663/Fatal-shark-attack-took...

It's likely that drownings have been filmed by Southern Gold Coast cams.
Many Surfer < > Jet Ski incidents or Boating disaster on the Bar are adding up.

There is no doubt Ben is OZ #1 Eyes on our Ocean...tbb is in awe of Ben's awareness.
Recently tbb saluted Ben / swellnet for hooking up with Gold Coast Council.
Straight up another reason to protect City image...
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2020/01/13/photos-nothin...
https://www.bluecoastconsulting.com.au/news/2020/7/20/keeping-a-close-ey...
There's no half measures as Toni the Palmy GWS also comes with the Territory.
All here know of recent {RIP} Olympian's tragedy unfold at Palmy Reef. (Wot Choice?)

There is none better suited or trusted in the world than our #1 swellnet.
They prove that - right here & now with Stu speaking openly not hiding the fact.
This Gold Coast surfer motions for #1 swellnet for our frontline.

Is there a line in the sand so to speak...
tbb is biased by swellnet crew as we all see the need to protect our natural seascape.
None here endorses uncaring media to pimp Web Cam Shark Porn...Well, wot then?

Let's say webcam footage was of a VIP > Trial for next 5-10 years > Company gone!
Just for simply providing a community service....
Ben copped it for not playing the Covid Cop. Damned if you do & damned if you don't.
100% support again swellnet...can't be easy with said tragedy playing out!

WSR / Whale Watching / webcams / Drones / Go Pro all need a code of ethics.
Govts feed marinelife endless mindless selfie acid tabs at seaside Rendezvous.

This WSR surf break is a [ NO FLY DRONE ZONE ] (SLSQ abide by CASA)
Additionally SLSA Drones have a pre-set 400m range (By Law)...
Superbank is beyond "pre programmed SLSA range" in a NO FLY Drone zone.
https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/sites/site.test/files/Standard%20Opera...

WSL (Only after 5 years) Secured (Qld's 1st & Only Southern WSR Drone License)
No! They haven't had a chance to use it as yet! re: Corona Corona Outbreak.

South Africa are re-deploying Headland Spotters with Top Gear.
Again! Superbank distances itself & lessens sight angle with each pump of sand.

Superbank grows evermore distant from > Spotters / Drone / SLSQ Rescue
Only got Baits / Surf cams
24/7 visually polluting Blimp cam...(Sightseers are not keen on Blimp bossing sunrise)
Blimp would be lofted high in the Wind Rose giving a shaky distorted view!

Sonar proves useless in shallow surf zones.
WA Shark mitigation...
(Big seas wash up receivers)
https://www.sharksmart.com.au/news/flotsam-jetsam-and-shark-data-recording/
2020 Trial - 10 went offline (Lost?) + 3 network shut downs..
It seems the Network must be (Deactivated) to install new receivers.
This is not from any report ...info is gathered from Sharksmart ("Trial") updates!

Pt Danger's picture
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Pt Danger Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 3:03pm

Yes that’s good a lot of common sense in that comment. Swellnet know a heap about the break as well as the communication network and its potential. Best option and more likely to sense the responsibility than a university grant, as good as they would be, but the accountability to the surfing community would deepen Swellnet’s involvement.

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blowfly Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 3:04pm

"ABSTRACT: Shark attacks are rare but traumatic events that generate social and economic costs and often lead to calls for enhanced attack mitigation strategies that are detrimental to sharks and other wildlife. Improved understanding of the influence of environmental conditions on shark attack risk may help to inform shark management strategies. Here, we developed predictive models for the risk of attack by white Carcharodon carcharias, tiger Galeocerdo cuvier, and bull/whaler Carcharhinus spp. sharks in Australian waters based on location, sea surface temperature (SST), rainfall, and distance to river mouth. A generalised additive model analysis was performed using shark attack data and randomly generated pseudo-absence non-attack data. White shark attack risk was significantly higher in warmer SSTs, increased closer to a river mouth (<10 km), and peaked at a mean monthly rainfall of 100 mm. Whaler shark attack risk increased significantly within 1 km of a river mouth and peaked in the summer months. Tiger shark attack risk increased significantly with rainfall. We performed additional temporal and spatio-temporal analyses to test the hypothesis that SST anomaly (SSTanom) influences white shark attack risk, and found that attacks tend to occur at locations where there is a lower SSTanom (i.e. the water is relatively cooler) compared to surrounding areas. On the far north coast of eastern Australia—an attack hotspot—a strengthening of the East Australian Current may cause white sharks to move into cooler upwelling waters close to this stretch of the coast and increase the risk of an attack."
https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v631/p165-179/

The rest of it is restricted but even this bit is interesting stuff.

donweather's picture
donweather's picture
donweather Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:38pm

"White shark attack risk was significantly higher in warmer SSTs"

"On the far north coast of eastern Australia—an attack hotspot—a strengthening of the East Australian Current may cause white sharks to move into cooler upwelling waters close to this stretch of the coast and increase the risk of an attack."

Don't these two statements contradict each other?

Distracted's picture
Distracted's picture
Distracted Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 6:50pm

Also not sure how they link the EAC and cooler upwellings. Upwellings are associated with the nor’easter which ramp up in spring, when the EAC is not doing much.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:09pm

I had a quick scan through some of the parameters they measured.

seemed to have very poor predictive power when set against reality.

2015 we were heading into El Nino, 2020 we are heading into La Nina.

the common denominator is large numbers of juvenile/sub-adult white sharks as revealed by tagging and aerial surveillance.

blowfly's picture
blowfly's picture
blowfly Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:23am

Not really. The point is that where the water is generally warmer they are more likely to move into the cooler upwellings. It makes sense to me as they will have a fairly narrow preferred temperature band within their broader temperature range.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:52am

haven't been any cooler upwellings this winter BB because there have been no northerlies/ekman transport.

hence, poor predictive power.

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tomrnoir Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 4:12pm

An ex-Cab local once told me that not a whole lot of people surf Salt regularly anyway, and I'm not sure if people returned to Speed's too quickly after the incident in 2015.

But yeah, look - I really don't understand the mindset of those surfing Snapper today.

Would've felt safe out there this morning with all the patrols - though the eeriness of it all is the main deterrent for mine. The scenes/reminder of it all I'd have found very daunting.

Not all people think the same, I guess. Alex was a weak 2ft this morning but my adrenaline gauge was riiiiiiight up.

333's picture
333's picture
333 Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 5:48pm

Every shark attack is so sad. For the individual attacked, the Sharks that get the blame, and all those traumatised in the event. May Nick and his family find peace.

I just wanted to shout out to the swellnet admin. Don't listen to the haters, you did what you could. you can't be held responsible for the behaviour of others. You've done the right thing, what you can to remedy the situation. It raises a lot of ethical questions around technology for sure, but everyone has an individual responsibility to each other. Whoever skimmed the footage is a disappointing example of humankind. So much of this discussion is a repeat of what feels like only a few weeks ago. There is mud slinging from both sides, those pro and anti cull, drum lines etc.
Just try and remember that both people and animals are dying, all the time. Please respect that loss for what it is, tragic, devastating, and for those involved irreparable.

Walk around G's picture
Walk around G's picture
Walk around G Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 5:56pm

Down here in Vicco, its difficult for me too fathom, that whole bay is soo shallow?
Beautiful sand, crystal clear warm water, crew everywhere, it always felt so safe and inviting whenever I've visited on holidays.

Unfortunatly and obviously, some bloody big fish can apparently cruise undetected into the very shallow water and inflict the unthinkable in a blink of an eye.

I'll be nervous on my next deep dark channel paddle-out down this way that's for sure.

All the best to you Nick and your family.

RIP, fello surfer.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:30pm

It does seem incredible doesn't it WAG, you're right, when you think of the goldy its all crystal clear water in boardies and you imagine you'd see something coming from miles away.
Whereas down here you're often surfing in deeper turbid water next to large channels and can't see shit most of the time.
It's very sad

ozracer's picture
ozracer's picture
ozracer Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 9:30am

Hi Walk Around, same with Byron Bay, its shallow too and the attack on the swimmer around September 2014 occurred at Clarkes Beach in shoulder depth crystal clear water by a big white shark. He was pulled to shore by a super brave person(s) while the shark circled but tragically, the victim did not survive. The police chopper circled overhead and should have taken the shark out but as the shark is listed as endangered and protected it was reprimanded and escorted out into open water, a pathetic response. This was to be the start in a series of white shark attacks in the area, the next being Ballina in February 2015 on a hot clear summers day near Lighthouse Beach. The victim was hit by a sub sized shark and had no chance. The attacks have rolled on with some breaks however, they have ramped up again this year and will no doubt continue until something less passive is rolled out to manage white shark numbers.

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:15pm

Qld & Gold Coast surfers wish to thank our neighbours Tweed & NSW Police.
Thanx for ignoring the politics of the day & stepping up when it counted.

WSR Flagship shows a sign of respect for Surfer Nick ..Take a bow Tweed...(Salute!)
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/791a381277514b1dbb9fcc566873bc70
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/3e7bf4db258008878796e8097b780f67?wid...
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/607217995eed1f5cb04cdc308ac77245?wid...

boogiefever's picture
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boogiefever Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:42pm

I remember a shark discussion recently... Perhaps after the kingscliff fatality that someone posted the journey a tagged shark had taken over the past couple of years... Basically travelled half of australia. Anyone know where/how i could find it again??? Cheers in advance.

calk's picture
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calk Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:03pm
boogiefever's picture
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boogiefever Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:22pm

Yes! That last instagram post is it!!! Amazing visual of their territory....cheers calk.

calk's picture
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calk Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 12:48pm

No worries, glad I could help.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 5:33am

that Nature article co-authored by Paul Bucher was awesome.

that's some of the new data I'm talking about .

Paul is the head of the DPI smart drum line program.

Craig's picture
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Craig Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 7:53am

Very good paper and a much clearer idea on the migration and residency patterns throughout the seasons.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 8:19am

yeah, whats interesting to me is how he mentions that site fidelity and also the possibility of range expansion of the nursery areas.

that would go some way to account for the increase in juvey/sub-adult sharks in this area.

Norm de Ploom's picture
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Norm de Ploom Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 9:45am

Note the Evans Head tagging in particular has caught a number of pretty small (1.6 to 1.8m) fish recently. Can’t have been dropped very far away.

tango's picture
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tango Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:03am

A good paper and very interesting findings, but also important to note the potential biases the tagging regime may have introduced to the work. There is still a lot of unanswered questions.

Speaking of which, I still can't understand how this new information nullifies the bulk of the information in the 2013 Issues Paper, though, Freeride. If you're going to try and shoot people down, as per your earlier comments, it's often better to do it with a bit of evidence otherwise it could be construed as "more assertion" - your quote.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:21am

it doesn't "nullify the bulk of the information" which I never said.

It brings things up to date, it adds important new information such as site philopatry, seasonal aggregations, possibility of range expansion.

I wasn't trying to shoot you down Tango, just saying that there is obviously something shifting wrt white shark spatio-temporal distributions and behaviours.

Those old papers don't really reckon with those empirical facts because they happened after they were published.

the new information does.

thats just how science works, and should work.

agree there are lots of unanswered questions still including possibly some of the basic biological facts about white sharks.

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 12:53pm

FR if you had your own web page where you examine the data (and how it's changed) - and then postulated at the link between this and all the anecdotal evidence, that would be awesome. You would be able to do this very well.

tango's picture
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tango Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 2:01pm

Had you actually said that, FR, I'd have no issue. But this is the wrong place to argue when a bloke's just lost his life, so I'm out.

udo's picture
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udo Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:03pm

Was it Betty ?
CSIRO site.

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goofyfoot Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:11pm

Thought you were learning last week?

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boogiefever Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:23pm

?????

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Scott Dawson Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 7:58pm

As tradgic as this is I definitely do not want to see a cull of gws or any other sharks. It’s horrific for the family and everyone involved but we know who’s territory we are entering going in the ocean

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davetherave Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:00pm

I was there that arvo.
Finally after a while i ventured back north to see my friends
Bit of a wonk thru the line up. I checked it twice. For the last twenty years i had swum with an old bloke,
john Cunningham, the life guard centre on cooly beach is named after him.
so i got distracted.
otherwise,that would have been me, standing on the bank,in that exact position in shoulder deep water.
i love you nic slater. thank you brutha
.your passion and your ultimate sacrifice shows how wonderful surfing really is.
one breath away from death, one breath away from fame, but always one breath away from immortality and the in same breath,
life loves you.
i love life and life loves me.

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davetherave Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 8:16pm

biosphere works in unity,
all aspects of that are obvious in regards to us- human beings
all harmonious evolutions are based on changing patterns without trauma
sending love to stu and freeride, both great men who are passionate but the e you transmit around your family is more important than the frequency you transmit about your facade.
love you both, thanks for being in my life, davetherave

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truebluebasher Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 8:42pm

tbb seconds what brother Dave is on about...pass the vibe on, just flow.

Likewise, be real cool to bodybash with local legends Dave & John!

Yes! That Rip Bowl can tire out the best, at the moment it's boiling.
As Dave points out, with no board your gonna end up right there!
It looks like a load of fun, it does....but looks can be deceiving.

Best to avoid the ocean side of the lineup thru the rip bowl.
Most boardriders are flat out stroking onto a wave thru here.
Step off that bank & it could be 10-20m of sheer exhaustion...gone for good!
It's like a bowl of quicksand...if you're heavy or weak don't fight it, relax on yer back.
You must wait for ocean cycle to settle...can last for 4 or more sets...then trawl in...
Could just as easy be a drowning there...take care along that wayward stretch.

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davetherave's picture
davetherave Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 7:26pm

thanks tbb
as you can gather from my post's, this really rattled me as as i was oh so close to going out and bodysurfing in that exact spot. But i had a really weird feeling not to go, almost a vomit type reflex.
Hence, why i was so upset when i heard the news.
What i was trying to get across is that something like this should be a reminder of the importance of our love for family, our kindred spirit of surfing and our love of sharing the swell energy of the wind across our seas.
we cannot stop what others do, but we can decide how we will be or react.
once again, thanks to Nick Slater for a life of loving surfing and we are all sad to see this happen and my love goes out to those close to you remaining here on Planet Earth.
Whale numbers have increased, gws numbers have increased, surfing numbers have increased, do the maths, but also include the collective consciousness that we all know that sharks have attacked people in the past, are attacking people now and will attack people in the future.
from april to october, full time drone monitoring from double island point to newcastle.

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dromodreamer Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:32pm

The arguments don't matter anymore
The shore from the sand
Not so far from where I stand
Maybe the moon has answers
Maybe the sun seeks to hide the pain
It's all the same
In fair Verona where I lay
I see not pain
I see every rainbow
Asking me
We all live
We all die
None of us in vain
But the tears we cry don't dry
They become the belief
We shall not
We cannot
Ever give in
Amongst the he said
Amongst the she said
My opinion null and void
The noise of the silence has always been the same.
I long not for death
But to live my life bravely
To say in my last moments
I am here
I have arrived
Sharks can't take that.

dromodreamer's picture
dromodreamer's picture
dromodreamer Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:32pm

The arguments don't matter anymore
The shore from the sand
Not so far from where I stand
Maybe the moon has answers
Maybe the sun seeks to hide the pain
It's all the same
In fair Verona where I lay
I see not pain
I see every rainbow
Asking me
We all live
We all die
None of us in vain
But the tears we cry don't dry
They become the belief
We shall not
We cannot
Ever give in
Amongst the he said
Amongst the she said
My opinion null and void
The noise of the silence has always been the same.
I long not for death
But to live my life bravely
To say in my last moments
I am here
I have arrived
Sharks can't take that.

Quint's picture
Quint's picture
Quint Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 9:37pm

Revelation 6:8

Godspeed Nick.

dromodreamer's picture
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dromodreamer Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:02pm

Appreciation to swellnet and the community. We (I) believe in waves. Politics are for politicians. Thank you for being the people who we (hopefully I ) are.

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dromodreamer Wednesday, 9 Sep 2020 at 10:02pm

Appreciation to swellnet and the community. We (I) believe in waves. Politics are for politicians. Thank you for being the people who we (hopefully I ) are.

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truebluebasher Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 12:04am

Working WSR Shark Timetable is dedicated to Nick Slater {R.I.P}

Many known shark attractants can hide before us, only to reveal after tragedy.
tbb may have listed a few but was equally surprised at how many group in no time.

Tweed River Dredging is midway thru Massive 110,000m3 Nutrient Rich Upheaval
Nutrient rich 12ML Sewage release floods this lineup each low tide
Sand pumping is rapidly pushing the sand bank against a row of Baited Drum Lines
Superbank now has a machine edge Drop Off creating a fast Gutter for Marine life
Sept Whale Mums & Calves thread this Snapper exit before their run South.
The lower tide exaggerates the fish drop off, Sharks trapping prey against vert bank.
Almost like a Plateau but fish pressed by waves until a north release point in the line.
At time of attack - Surfer was closest to release point into deep drop off Rip Bowl.
3 'Long Oar' bait trawling Paddle Craft arrive at Attack scene at very same time.
The attack location was nearest this circulating boiling Rip Bowl at dusk if you like..
Witnesses say 50-100 birds Flocked the scene...seemingly as if Rip Bowl is alive.

3.5m Great White Shark had more than enough invitation to be in that location.
Note: This List won't grow any smaller any time soon, but does change with tide...etc
tbb reminds that even with that list above...would that stop any of us? No! Not really!

tbb is not shocked! It's more about locking in a Rock Solid Shark Timetable.
None can promise that, but with Huey's finest as our leading light we can try.

tbb happens upon (Transition Timetable) reflecting the Nature of Sharks...

Predators as you'd guess naturally wait for the wind to blow their way.
King Tide- changes / Full -New Moon / Dusk-Dawn / Drop off - ledges / Outfalls

Dusk and Dawn ( Is this old thing really still a thing...Well - Yes & No.)
Sharks use Sunset & Sunrise Behind them to blind prey by masking their girth.
It is said sharks sense larger, above water prey are vulnerable with lower sun.
eg: A bird being caught of guard by surface glare > 2,000 kg beast as a hairline sight.
Day < > Night fish do startle one another but are generally smaller darting fish.
Night time sees Bull Sharks & more 'Schools' of Smaller Gummy sharks inshore.
So yes! More inshore Sharks at night but smaller...not sure if that makes crew safer!

tbb best clear up the different tides for different beaches but will add on this in time.
Sharks can quick press fish into ramped nooks as they race with fast incoming tide.
These nooks can be corners of breakwalls of Sloped beach corners of Headlands.

Note: Fishing Port Trawler / Dredge / Pumping Timetables

High tide creatures must evacuate roosts-Rock-Scapes with Shark ever lurking.
Good example being waves outing camouflaged seals/birds on Bommies or outcrops.
The seals actually wait until the high tide to plan their part hidden escape.

With leisurely out-flowing tide Sharks gate the River payload down the beach.
Down to (mid tide) Lagoons and out onto (Low Tide) Gutters

Note this rapid transition Point transects sprawled Surfers in beach Break lineups.

From here the Sharks retreat to sandbank Drop Off waiting for last of the scraps.
One can imagine the fingerings being hosed from corners of a tray into the sink.

Change of Low tide brings sewage outfall baitfish cafe to the outer banks.
Further out Big city Wastewater / Desal outflows also turn over a food court.

Low tide change (re: High tide beach press) Sharks bundle fish against drop off bank.
Noting that incoming Banks & Lagoons fill faster into Bigger Harbours & Ports.
Meaning the fish are ever rapidly escaping as to lazy retreating tide pooling of fish.
Sharks chase at speed- the bigger game into thru the gutters.

Take note that more Fishermen bury-slow release burley to pool incoming catch.
Incoming (Usually arvo) Middle breaks near Fisherman may be booby trapped!

Nothing humans have ever put in the ocean repels Sharks.
Of growing concern is that everything we ever put in the ocean invites the Sharks.
That's another list that's monstering out of proportion in recent times.

The point here is to both question & deviate from tbb's timetable.
Mostly because it's a generic intro timetable not localised to link varied coastlines.
The crew made inroads into a Super Rad Ballina Timetable...within time each will link.
We all learn more if crew question each other...we've come this far & that's a start.

The more we study Sharks the more surprised we are.
To learn Sharks can locate & befriend us both on land & sea is astounding.
The more we respect their world the closer we get to feeling free in the ocean.

Huey's finest taught tbb & crew everything we know, we are forever indebted!

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blowfly Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 9:29am

Great stuff tbb.

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freeride76 Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 5:30am

thanks TBB....there was a lot of useful info in that.

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robert.kitchener Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 6:19am

R.I.P bud.
Sand has shifted far out from the rocks.
Must be deep off the bar.
I have surfed many of years, once I thought saw shark underneath me.
Very bad news got me thinking & thinking.

aussieguy's picture
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aussieguy Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 9:25am

Came across this interesting site which is a database of shark attacks.
http://www.sharkattackdata.com/country-overview/australia

Interesting to read of the presumed drowning/shark attack of Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967.

Like Walkaround and Goofyfoot, I'm a year round Vicco surfer and comfortable with that dawn surf in turbid waters, so can't imagine you wouldn't see something big coming your way when up north in clear waters. But I'm learning from others that those sharks are smart buggers and use sunglare etc to their hunting advantage. And I thought they were just mindless eating machines!

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tango Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:07am

AG you should check the recent drone footage of the white hanging almost under some crew in Sth Africa in pretty clear water when they had no idea it was there.

aussieguy's picture
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aussieguy Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 9:29am

F** me tango. Look how big it is compared to the surfers. How could they not see it?

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Walk around G Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 11:15am

Must be hidden by the sun glare surely? Oldgoaty would've seen it otherwise, although he sure was focused on catching that wave regardless of any etiquette constraints ;/

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yorkessurfer Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 11:07am

I’m a subscriber and I can’t access Jono’s link either?

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Jono Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 11:11am

Sorry, brain fade, didn't realise the replays weren't public.

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Jono Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 11:18am

Here it is again, replays link will now work (sorry for confusion Udo):

I've been watching the 10 minutes leading up to the attack trying to see if there was any strange activity around that eddy. Can't see much detail but can see a lot of lucky people drifting solo through that part of Greenmount into Cooly. Quite eerie viewing...

https://www.swellnet.com/surfcams/greenmount/replays#/2020-09-08/924415

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calk Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 12:46pm

Another tiger shark was caught and killed by fisheries off Snapper this morning. That's two large/+3m tiger sharks on successive days, but not the species they are after...

No drumline activity from any of the whites, similar circumstances as earlier in the year when a +4m GWS was sighted close to shore on numerous occasions between Currumbin and Palm Beach. I think they gave up on that one.

http://www.mygc.com.au/3-4-metre-shark-caught-in-same-spot-as-tuesdays-f...

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DudeSweetDudeSweet Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 1:00pm

Not sure what killing the tiger sharks is supposed to achieve beyond political optics.

calk's picture
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calk Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 1:07pm

Until they catch a GWS, I'm not sure it even helps the politicians...

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Shaun Hanson Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 1:18pm

Fuk theres a lot of experts out there with theorys and opinions ...all i know is that everybody is commenting about how many whales there seeing and how close in they are ....you would have to assume theres sharks with em ...food chains ??

Dan K's picture
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Dan K Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 2:10pm

It probably weighs in to an extent for sure.....but that doesn't explain why locations such as Forster, Evans Head etc have GWS tags pinging almost daily whether its whale season or not. Nothing wrong with everyone throwing their two bobs worth in though surely?

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frog Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 8:07am

Some GWs routinely follow the whales. Divers have noted that after whales pass by or large pods of dolphins, some GWs are often not far behind looking for opportunities. Others hang around reliable food sources for long periods. If your surf spot sticks out into the north south ocean highway or has good fish life it would get lots of visits. Some deeper bays with fairly barren sand bottoms would be safer. They develop their own approach depending on genetics, place of birth, early success is feeding, observation of their peers and elders.

I pulled up at Hastings in north NSW a few years ago and saw a funky empty reef breaking every now and then off the headland. There were surfers around but no one considering it. It looked like a classic high visit spot for any shark moving along the coast. So imagining the spooky feeling of being out there alone, I drove off and I think I ended up at Salt! Felt safe there then - not so much now....

Overall though, we all sort of know where risks are higher even without all the science. But all the reports, info and data have just dispelled the illusion that they were somewhere else, not in the surf zone or way out to sea that many of us had for decades.

As for the Greenmount attack, birds diving and lots of fish around, was a clear signal to all. Often there is no signal.

bonza's picture
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bonza Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 2:26pm

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/shark-blog/2019/01/the-tru...

oldie but a goodie - non tech discussion from expert.

willibutler's picture
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willibutler Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 10:20pm

Some useful information is this. Where can you find these kind of write ups from GG

calk's picture
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calk Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 9:19am

Hi Willi - Here's an article that plenty have found valuable:

https://www.surfersjournal.com/editorial/the-archivist-george-greenoughs...

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bbbird's picture
bbbird Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 10:22pm

Its a sad situation & never want it to happen. RIP.

The SEQLD/ NNSW coastal water temp map has cooler waters inshore and southern current off Pt Danger this week.
http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/idyoc300.shtml?region=SEQLD...

George G's observations of close encounters is worth reviewing ...at a later date.
http://www.georgegreenough.com/sharkfiles.html

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 11:02pm

Link to Georges site may be better in the how to prevent Attacks article than here?

I focus's picture
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I focus Thursday, 10 Sep 2020 at 11:27pm

Deepest condolences to family and friends for the tragic loss.

To those that stayed and went to help big shout out, courageous souls, hope you are OK.

FrazP's picture
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FrazP Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 8:03am

GG's article is an interesting read. A number of encounters around this time of year, a number of his 6 encounters in same year which is telling when GG had been surfing for decades.

Only mentioned tide in one and that appeared to be incoming approaching high.

Let's hope that after this spate of tragedies we start to get better funding for more and better research and better solutions/mitigation (whatever they may be). Not sure what we do short term.

Thoughts go out to Nick and family.

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freeride76 Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 9:54am

Those encounters George had now seem especially prophetic of what was to come.

they all pre-dated the horror run that started Sep 2014.

George, who spends so much time surfing alone on the back banks down from Lennox or outside Wategoes was really the canary in the coal mine when it came to increased white shark activity.

a lot of people were kind of in denial about it.....despite his excellent record taking of the encounters.

He's modified his behaviour- rarely surfs those back banks anymore. I won't go near them. Too risky.

But they love cruising the sandbar edges along the Points too.

FrazP's picture
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FrazP Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 11:01am

Seems so freeride.

The regularity of the pings off Crescent now is a bit scary.

Hard to believe GG had surfed for decades in the Nth coast area and no contact. He then has a 2003 encounter, and then multiple spring 2007/08 encounters. Has to infer something about numbers increasing.

A mate of mine lives in the Lakes/Forster area and we used to regularly surf beachies mid week alone. Hardly ever heard of a shark encounter until a few years back. Now the stories from that area are regular and numerous.

Certainly been enough to get me to curb where and the way I surf. Gone from not worrying about sharks one bit, to being front of mind every sesh.

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Dan K Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 4:53pm

Yep, unfortunately I think it's not a matter of "if" but "when" down here I reckon, especially at Tuncurry Beach. Only a couple of weeks back a young local guy paddled over the top of a wave and landed on one on the other side. After a fair bit of rain so water was pretty murky. Supposedly dragging his hands on its body as he tried to paddle away. Fuck that.

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Distracted Friday, 11 Sep 2020 at 2:57pm

Those encounters written up by George are pretty interesting and how he managed each situation. Although they’re the ones he did see, sure there were plenty more that cruised past and he never knew they were there.
Recent attacks appear to have been a complete surprise to the victims and no opportunity to take any action, apart from being generally aware of surroundings and conditions.

Rojosh's picture
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Rojosh Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 3:45am

Can somebody please explain to me why we are protecting an apex predator. Seems to me we are letting this happen to our friends, with out much being done that has any affect

simba's picture
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simba Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 7:40am

Sean Doherty on the other site...CW....has written a great article and worth a read.

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calk Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 9:30am

Really good article, thanks for pointing it out!

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Robo Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 8:47am

Yep after reading that article, Get rid of the scientists and let the fisherman loose, problem solved.

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Shaun Hanson Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 8:50am

Rojosh... isnt it a strange mind set ..i absolutely agree with frogg on the association angle with sharks .. ....if a seal gets to freindly at filleting area rangers put it down ..same with agressive dogs ...crocs but GWS gets of scott free with public support ...

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Rojosh Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 2:29pm

The CW article sent a chill up my spine with the Greenough quote ... it happend in a kids play ground ..

From the comments above ,It had 2 goes at the deceased and then had a charge at another surfer , this is not an animal making a mistake .

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Robo Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 12:57pm

Just checking the Greenmount surf cam, there is 3 or more guys sitting right where it happened in 1ft slop. Some humans are dumber than GWS.

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 3:16pm

Yes RIP. but also, chill the f#@k out. There are sharks in the water. They prey on mammals. We are mammals
If you're not prepared to take the incredibly small chance of getting bitten, don't go in the water.
All these clowns who feel the only sensible response is to eradicate marine life need to pull their heads in. We have no greater right to the ocean than the creatures that actually live there.

Rojosh's picture
Rojosh's picture
Rojosh Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 8:15pm

I’ll put my hand up and be the number one clown ... I support a cull , funny how you can have your opinions but others can’t have there own .. check the video below , and tell me where the imbalance is ?

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 8:58am

More cameras leads to more footage. This is called 'anecdotal' evidence. Using this method, you would get the result that before the invention of the camera, there were no sharks at all.

If you want to know how shark populations are changing, you need to do a scientific study. Or ask somebody who has.

A Queensland shark control programme study recently found that large shark species numbers have declined by 75-92% in the past 50 years

Rojosh's picture
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Rojosh Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 11:36am

And more forums lead to more dimwits having a platform to go on with mindless garbage ..

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 12:13pm

Such a classic point and so well made

Rojosh's picture
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Rojosh Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 1:05pm

Gee that stings You sure got me there

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Dannon Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 4:55pm

Arh Kev, people can come up with statistics to prove anything.
45% of everyone knows that...

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Kevchecksurf Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 3:29pm

And gg's 'encounters'?
6 times a shark swam past him. That he saw. That's all that happened.
Kudos to him for not embellishing his story, but regardless of his inner monologues where he is a hero staring down a monster, these are simple sightings.
I don't see any relevance. Had he seen 6 large buses parked at a surf break, would we then form a mob and go hunting buses?

frog's picture
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frog Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 6:44am

Kev,
Brilliant, perceptive analogy. Forthwith, I shall now view all large sharks as presenting no more danger than a parked bus and ignore them.

Rojosh's picture
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Rojosh Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 11:37am

Hahah yes

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 12:15pm

This is the approach im suggesting. I would suggest that if one is heading straight for you that you get out of the way tho.

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 12:20pm

Interesting comparison- buses kill 5 people for each shark fatality. The danger is real!

frog's picture
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frog Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 1:06pm

As george greenough's tales illustrate, all the talk of dangers from bee stings, buses and lightening strikes mean nothing if a 10ft Great White is heading straight at you. Especially if there were multiple events in a few months. Or if your kids are surfing a north NSW beach break most days.

The odds are low but seems to be on the rise is the issue.

Kevchecksurf's picture
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Kevchecksurf Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 2:32pm

I couldn't agree more. If there's a 10ft white heading straight for you then action needs to be taken. I dont think you should be on your phone arguing about it. Just get out of there!

If, however you're not even in the water and have never even seen one, then you should certainly consider what the relative dangers are before hunting any keystone species to extinction.

Troppo's picture
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Troppo Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 7:05pm

Whoa!! no shortage of sharks!

udo's picture
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udo Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 4:33pm

Faarrk...

CMC's picture
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CMC Saturday, 12 Sep 2020 at 7:52pm

Get the chinese fishing boats here now!!
Two birds, one stone!!

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truebluebasher Sunday, 13 Sep 2020 at 6:56pm

cd...that is mindblowing but it makes sense...

Polynesians used to signal sharks from canoes
Trade Ships used to feed injured slaves to trailing sharks
Dolphins trail boats & Sharks trail, bump & bite at paddle Craft.
Basically the craft is stirring up dinner.

Everything we build or put in the water attracts sharks. Everything!
All the weirs & Swamp reclamation has us sharing the dwindling resource.

Photo of all 3 recent GC Shark attack sites will put GC view into perspective.
Noting the 2 smallest oceanside lakes are 25km from ocean (The weir is centre left)
N < 2002 Miami Lake >2003 Burleigh Lake > 2020 Rainbow Bay > x| border |x nsw
https://www.skyepics.com.au/image/aerialphotoQLDAustralia-13465-46.jpg
Lake Orr in right foreground is Shark Central ( The ocean is much much safer by far )

Next Photo is in reverse showing the tidal weir flowing to largest man made Estuary.
#1 Bullies ~M1 Reedy Ck /Lake Orr Left |[ Bond Uni Weir ]| Right Goldie Canals > Sea
https://www.skyepics.com.au/image/aerialphotoQLDAustralia-12074-02.jpg

tbb lives 25km from Seaway & Reedy Creek has just as many large Sharks.
Hi-Rise Shark Hunter reels 'em in from 6th story balcony while watchin' TV.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/high-rise-shark-hunter-warns-of-danger-2...
https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/queensland/signs-warn-of-shark...
https://www.facebook.com/9News/videos/shark-warning/914551648934244/

Gold Coast Shark Fear factor is ever Lakes / Canals / Rivers / Broadwater / Creeks
Qld & GC Authorities & Locals advise visitors to swim in the surf to avoid Sharks.
Visitors naturally have a complete opposite view of Shark Danger Zones.
Locals freak & scream when the visitors go to dip their toes....NO! NO! NO!

Rainbow Bay is about 1000 x safer than 'Mankind's greatest Estuary'... Lake Orr!

frog's picture
frog's picture
frog Monday, 14 Sep 2020 at 6:48pm

Stand up paddle board lessons and hire at Macintosh Island in with scenic waterway with tours past some of the mansions owned by the Gold Coast rich and famous. Lots of marine "organisms" to observe and potentially interact with eh TBB.

FrazP's picture
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FrazP Friday, 18 Sep 2020 at 8:27am

See a board bitten at Cabarrita yesterday and another surfer bumped by what is said to be 5m GW at Burleigh.

Wow.

extradry's picture
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extradry Friday, 18 Sep 2020 at 6:05pm

A tooth was stuck in the foil at Caba .
I guess they will test it?
Witnesses say 4m shark,

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Blowin Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 1:47pm
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Sprout's picture
Sprout Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 2:20pm

"The shark was shot after the fatal attack but was still alive, he said."
https://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/man-killed-in-shark-a...

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 3:02pm

I remember when WA National parks tried to shoot a croc which was lying motionless on the beach at Waroorra station.

They winged it and it got straight back in the water . Dang !

Kellya's picture
Kellya's picture
Kellya Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 3:17pm

Does it say anywhere what sorta shark?

Blowin, a croc at Waroorra? That would have been a sight!

Jamyardy's picture
Jamyardy's picture
Jamyardy Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 7:39pm

I would never of expected to see a croc at Warroora, Sad news for the Broome man, RIP.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 8:09pm

Yep. Crocs at Waroora. Surprising what the currents bring. Remember that couple died whilst snorkeling there and it turned out to be irukanji .

Barra are not unknown in Exmouth gulf by any means.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Sunday, 22 Nov 2020 at 9:08pm

Crocs at Warroorra means there has been crocs at Gnaraloo too yeah? It’s not that far up the coast

jacksprat's picture
jacksprat's picture
jacksprat Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 4:49pm

Simple solution to this dilemma. If you do not think it is worth the risk, don't surf. I you do think it is worth the risk, go ahead. But remember, it is not a bad thing to admit you are scared.

willibutler's picture
willibutler's picture
willibutler Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 5:50pm

https://www.facebook.com/100000301773487/videos/3735691319784224/
idk if anyone can see but someone spotted a shark causing through snapper lineup?

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 5:57pm

Content is private?

willibutler's picture
willibutler's picture
willibutler Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 6:05pm

ill film and send to your instagram not sure how else to show

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 6:12pm

Thanks, got it, here it is. Dugong? Doesn't look like a shark but solid and not like a dolphin either..

Walk around G's picture
Walk around G's picture
Walk around G Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 6:46pm

UFO.......Wait, ....USO! That's really unusual, whatever it was, it's using the pressure wave so perfectly and effortlessly, that was some seriously sublime subsurface surfing =0

D-Rex's picture
D-Rex's picture
D-Rex Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 10:11pm

Japanese mini-sub?

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Tuesday, 24 Nov 2020 at 10:23pm

NZ Fur Seal.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021 at 8:44am

I honestly don't think they could cram in anymore absolute BS into a single article.

I wish mainstream media articles written by fcuking kooks with transparent agendas would quit these blatantly anthropomorphic shark articles.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021 at 8:50am

I’d half typed that exact response before losing interest

frog's picture
frog's picture
frog Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021 at 8:22am

"Papastamatiou has seen sharks bail out of charges just because a turtle glanced up and spotted them." evidence for using Shark Eyes stickers.