Nth NSW sharks. Can they p!ss off already?

[Beanpole]

Yeah, what Nick said.
So I was out in the surf at Bondi this arvo. Shallow sandbanks going way out. Surf shit. Anyway this helicopter flies over checking out the scene. Because of the angle of the early afternoon sun a bit after the helicopter passed this shadow raced across the shallow water just out in front of me. Scared shit out of me for a second.

[alakaboo]

What would you have them do, Nick?

[alakaboo]

I think the posts on realsurf show that it's possible to embellish just about anything.

Fuck off cnut. I caught that spanish mack with my own line and reeled the thing in.

Methinks...

[Beanpole]

What would you have them do, Nick?

Watch Gardening Australia?

[tootr]

Take them off the protected list.
They’re not fcuking endangered, or even remotely rare.

[Thud]

no.

White shark habitat is inshore coastal, and trans oceanic-wide range of food sources.

Thanks Valerie

[foamy]

What we all know for sure is that more and more people are being killed in white shark encounters in Australian waters. And most of them are surfers.
DEMAND that the people spending our taxpayers money on pretending to look after this situation actually do what they say they are doing.

What would you have them do, Nick?

That’s what I was wondering. The simple solution would seem to be either:
- kill more sharks
- enforce less surfing

Note: 63 people died in Australia with covid on the same day of the tragic event at Little Bay.

[Yuke Hunt]

Take them off the protected list.
They’re not fcuking endangered, or even remotely rare.

And they never were.

[Cranked]

Here's a good summary of worldwide shark attacks. It includes trends which have mainly been down but have spiked up recently:

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark ... e-summary/

"Australia’s total of 12 unprovoked incidents was lower than the most recent five-year annual average of 16 incidents for the region. Six bites occurred in New South Wales, two of which were fatal. Four bites occurred in Western Australia, one of which was fatal. Single incidents occurred in Queensland and Victoria.”

"Following recent trends, surfers and those participating in board sports accounted for most incidents (51% of the total cases). This group spends a large amount of time in the surf zone, an area commonly frequented by sharks, and may unintentionally attract sharks by splashing, paddling and “wiping out.” Swimmers and waders accounted for 39% of incidents, with the remaining incidents divided among snorkelers/free divers (4%) and body-surfers (6%).

Risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely low
Short-term trends still show both fatal and non-fatal bites to be decreasing. The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide is extremely low, given the number of people participating in aquatic recreation each year. This year’s increase in fatalities does not necessarily constitute a shift in the long-term trends. Fatality rates have been declining for decades, reflecting advances in beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness.”

[Goanna]

Fatality rates have been declining for decades, reflecting advances in beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness.”

Yeah, they live... but it's not a *good* life.

I think at a certain point if we're just arguing statistics and data collection it's in poor taste. Most (if not all) of us would be aware of what happened from video footage by now, and it's very clear that the victim was hit once, maybe twice then finished off.

I work in healthcare, specifically surgery, and I see very traumatic scenes almost every day. For me, the footage isn't particularly confronting, it just serves as a reminder that we are not the infallible invincible beings that we purport to be. I'm aware that not everyone is as desensitised as I am so I must tread carefully, but every activity we do in daily life has a risk factor. If I'm the widest out in the bay at Snapper I'm putting myself at risk, if I'm in my steamer on an a-frame in deep south coast NSW I'm putting myself at greater risk. There have been days I've decided not to go, solo, because it's too risky. I don't know if this makes me a pussy or not but I think the over-arching message is that there isn't really a solution, it's about the risk magnitude you are willing to accept as a human being.

[Beanpole]

A lot of ocean swimmers in Sydney swim way out these days. Out near the shark bouys at Bondi which is still comparatively safe compared to where the guy that was taken was swimming.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Goanna]

The break is in the middle of a marine highway and you'd have seals and dolphins swimming inside you while you waited for sets.

Sounds like you might need to do some sphincter tightening exercises, or at least patch the holes in your wetsuit. Sounds uncomfortable.

Also I use far too few emojis to be Fong

[Cranked]

I'm way more paranoid about sharks and more so each year. When I first moved to WA 30 years ago there were no surfer shark fatalities at all so I surfed anywhere anytime.

When I retired 10 years ago I began surfing in Bali for six months a year and stopped surfing in WA at all because I couldn't be bothered with the inconsistency and crowds. With Covid I have no choice.

Like WA was, Indonesia has had no shark fatalities for surfers. I'm planning on resuming my six months a year in Indo in April and I'll stop surfing WA again.

[Cranked]

I could move from Perth to a better surf location in WA but I would much rather move to Indo. Unfortunately Mrs Cranked refuses to move anywhere so I guess the 6 months in Indo compromise will continue.

[Yuke Hunt]

I'm way more paranoid about sharks and more so each year.

You'll be fine, sharks don't ride bicycles.

The WA border restrictions are coming to an end, so you'll all die from coronavirus anyway.

[Cranked]

I'm way more paranoid about sharks and more so each year.

You'll be fine, sharks don't ride bicycles.

The WA border restrictions are coming to an end, so you'll all die from coronavirus anyway.

[steve shearer]

Here's a good summary of worldwide shark attacks. It includes trends which have mainly been down but have spiked up recently:

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark ... e-summary/

"Australia’s total of 12 unprovoked incidents was lower than the most recent five-year annual average of 16 incidents for the region. Six bites occurred in New South Wales, two of which were fatal. Four bites occurred in Western Australia, one of which was fatal. Single incidents occurred in Queensland and Victoria.”

"Following recent trends, surfers and those participating in board sports accounted for most incidents (51% of the total cases). This group spends a large amount of time in the surf zone, an area commonly frequented by sharks, and may unintentionally attract sharks by splashing, paddling and “wiping out.” Swimmers and waders accounted for 39% of incidents, with the remaining incidents divided among snorkelers/free divers (4%) and body-surfers (6%).

Risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely low
Short-term trends still show both fatal and non-fatal bites to be decreasing. The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide is extremely low, given the number of people participating in aquatic recreation each year. This year’s increase in fatalities does not necessarily constitute a shift in the long-term trends. Fatality rates have been declining for decades, reflecting advances in beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness.”

Risk profile can only be understood regionally, not globally.