sharks holidaying in NSW

[alakaboo]

Surf ski training on Dec 30, we saw a 2.5 metre shark just inside the tip of Newport Reef (Channel Nine would have had it out around 4m I would reckon). Couldn't get a good enough look to recognise it but probably a bull shark or small tiger.

In the next five days, more people came to Newport Beach than had approached the water for the past six months. New Year's Day was insane, and Jan 2 featured Newport's version of a competitive ocean swim with around 700 competitors swimming a line that took 'em within 150m of the reef tip.

Not one shark sighting nor (of course) attack. Do you think that was because there were no sharks in the vicinity? Or was it because sharks, even potential man-eaters, hardly ever target humans?

Maybe it was because the shark came up to see what the commotion was, and saw a 900m long turtle with 2800 flippers?
Would scare the crap out of me...

[crabmeat thompson]

I'm pretty sure people would still surf.

I'd only need 1 or 2 others in the water and suddenly I have a 33% or 50% chance of being eaten. I can live with those odds.

[alakaboo]

I once got talking with three old fishos at Collaroy who said that if surfers knew how many sharks the fishos see off Long Reef, all the time, and how big they are, then the lineups would be empty between Narrabeen and Nth Head

I've done a few low-level flights from Fraser Island down to about Ballina.
Some days there was a shark about every 150m. About every 10kms, or at every headland and river mouth, you'd see something big.

It actually made me a lot less concerned.

[swvic]

I once got talking with three old fishos at Collaroy who said that if surfers knew how many sharks the fishos see off Long Reef, all the time, and how big they are, then the lineups would be empty between Narrabeen and Nth Head

I've done a few low-level flights from Fraser Island down to about Ballina.
Some days there was a shark about every 150m. About every 10kms, or at every headland and river mouth, you'd see something big.

It actually made me a lot less concerned.

Smorgasboarder mag had a 'bumper' shark story a couple of issues back. Has all the attack data. When, where, what species, fatal or not. They have it online for those interested.
http://issuu.com/smorgasboarder/docs/sm ... ode=window

[rangaman]

i remember when i was a grom, i was having lunch at the top of cronulla point and saw a shark about 2m long swimming under about 20 surfers, no body knew

[daryl]

i remember when i was a grom, i was having lunch at the top of cronulla point and saw a shark about 2m long swimming under about 20 surfers, no body knew

That's one good thing about surfing.

[Nick Carroll]

Surely the reason people freak out about sharks but don't think twice about the prospect of getting mashed in a car crash is that cars (and dying therein) are a recent chapter in our evolutionary history. Getting eaten by a large predator on the other hand is an ancient, deep-rooted and pre-rational fear. Hence the hysteria

Yes! This is easily figured out, even by people who work at newspapers etc.

However instead of reporting in context with the irrational thinking, they just dive on the irrationality.

Start viewing cars as machines driven by predators and see how long you stay on the road.

[chrisb]

[quote="swvic]Smorgasboarder mag had a 'bumper' shark story a couple of issues back. Has all the attack data. When, where, what species, fatal or not. They have it online for those interested.
http://issuu.com/smorgasboarder/docs/sm ... ode=window[/quote]

Good read. Apparently most attacks occur in the middle of the day however that is a worldwide statistic. The recent Sydney and near-Sydney (Avoca) attacks have occurred around dawn and dusk.
At least in the middle of a clear-visibility and sunny day you have more chances of spotting a shark before it attacks.

[mustkillmulloway]

its most likly a rougue.....most likly the same one that has killed in those horrific attacks in w.a of late ( yes sharks can swim)

would been the same one that attacked in yamba and d-bah lately

it want be happy till it kills

again

[marcus]

those statistics that say your more likely to be run over by a bus or whatever.. they count for the population as a whole, they dont count for the relatively smaller number of people (surfers) that regularly play in the ocean

[brendo]

funny this morning on the today show, the chopper had spotted 3 great whites, 2 over 4m at coppa.
im pretty sure that a/ great whites dont hang out together
b/it would be pretty well imposs to distinguish what shark it is when u are a farkin rescue chopper pilot.
c/over 4m? using what to gauge its lenght?
ive been down cronulla fisheries when they brought in a white, and about 5 of us a guess at lenght standing next to it. when we got out the tape measure we were anything from 1-3ft out. last summer i was workin there when they brought in a junior white. the guy on the boat said there was a monster lurking off the bra. had been for weeks, they couldnt get it. it was hanging only 200m off the beach. peak of summer. was kept on the hush. imagine if the terrorgraph got hold of that story!!

[daryl]

[quote="swvic]Smorgasboarder mag had a 'bumper' shark story a couple of issues back. Has all the attack data. When, where, what species, fatal or not. They have it online for those interested.
http://issuu.com/smorgasboarder/docs/sm ... ode=window

Good read. Apparently most attacks occur in the middle of the day however that is a worldwide statistic. The recent Sydney and near-Sydney (Avoca) attacks have occurred around dawn and dusk.
At least in the middle of a clear-visibility and sunny day you have more chances of spotting a shark before it attacks. [/quote][/quote]
Dr K swore by a reference which I promptly forgot,
that the dusk thingo is a myth

[bumfluff]

Not one shark sighting nor (of course) attack. Do you think that was because there were no sharks in the vicinity? Or was it because sharks, even potential man-eaters, hardly ever target humans?

Meanwhile, what was it, 40-odd people died on Australian roads?

But Nick, ya gotta keep it in perspective.. People are on the roads several times a day, sometimes ALL day, yet the majority of Aussies rarely go to the beach.

The stats on drownings compared to shark deaths is a more accurate one because it's pound for pound.

I agree with your sentiment however, that shark attacks in general are extremely rare and unfortunate..

[Nick Carroll]

those statistics that say your more likely to be run over by a bus or whatever.. they count for the population as a whole, they dont count for the relatively smaller number of people (surfers) that regularly play in the ocean

Around 15% of the Australian population, 3 million-odd, regularly visit the beach each year. A wild guesstimate would put the permanent, regular surfing population of Oz at around 300,000. On average, one person has been killed by a shark in Australian waters per year for the past 50 years.

By contrast, there are around 19 million motor vehicles registered to travel on Australian roads, and around seven million Australians (35-odd%) are licenced to drive 'em.

Driving on the road is a purely human activity defined by clear cut rules, by which most people abide most of the time. Despite this, over a thousand of those seven million-odd and associated passengers are killed each year on the roads, and many more thousands (I think last year it was 51,000) are terribly injured, often paralysed for life or suffering incapacitating brain injuries which cause them against their will or desires to become a permanent burden on their families and the Australian taxpayer.

However you try to figure it, by human-hours, sheer numbers, whatever, driving is a far greater threat to Australian life and wellbeing than sharks. It just doesn't push the same emotional buttons. Unless you can bear to hold the road death of a close relative or friend -- which I'm sure most of us have experienced or will experience at some point -- close to the surface of your thoughts.

Next to all that the whole Shark Terror thing is just spittle in the wind of cheap media bs.

[Damage]

First communism. Now sharks. Keep trying Marcus.

[Quangers]

Well put NC.
Still, slow summer time news programs need to be filled with something. Hopefully it will help to keep numbers in the line up down.

[WANDERER]

Start viewing cars as machines driven by predators and see how long you stay on the road.

I've seen a documentary like this "When Cars Attack"

[swvic]

Dr K swore by a reference which I promptly forgot,
that the dusk thingo is a myth

Myth might be related to fact that we're not all super-keen 1st lighters. Most people in water after dawn & before dusk.

Next to all that the whole Shark Terror thing is just spittle in the wind of cheap media bs.

Yes, it is. However, having had a real close look at a monster when surfing, I have a bit of a phobia. Lessened somewhat over time, but when I paddle 1 km out to sea across deep, deep water and then a playful baby seal pops up beside me, I still get a bit fcuken spooked. Worse thing is, particular place is a right and I'm there because I'm with a dickhead natural stance fcuker I loosely refer to as a mate.