Sharks in Bali

[chrisb]

I read a story once about a bodyboarder surfing Padang Padang alone. A huge tiger shark cruised towards him and then submerged: scared sh_tless he just waited for what he thought would be an inevitable and violent death. Frenzied activity commenced underneath him (no, I don't mean a bowel motion)and blood rose to the surface - apparently the shark attacked and ate a sea turtle.
I assume he then paddled quickly to shore.

[Cales]

I just got back from a couple of months in Bali and didn't see any sharks the whole time until the last week of me trip when i saw 4 sharks in 2 days... all pretty little though and i'm pretty sure they were reef sharks..

saw three as I was duckdiving a wave at serangan that was just about to break, looked to my left underwater and saw these three sharky looking shapes, when i popped up i stuck my head back underwater to look and i could see a white tip on their fins so i was pretty sure they were white tipped reef sharks... pretty freaky they were actually underneath the impact zone... i think they were only a metre or so long though...

the other one was way more freaky, just saw this fin pop up and wriggle off full Open Water style about 10m in front of me at Nusa Dua.. i was a bit freaked cause i've never seen a shark stick it's fin up in the water before but i was pretty sure that was what it was... asked local lad near me if he saw it and he though it was a dugong.. i told him there was no way it was a dugong or a dolphin and that was the end of that for a while until three of us in the lineup all saw this fin pop up and go hauling off... was pretty spectacular cause the sun was setting and the water was glowing orange and this fin looked kind of silhouetted as it hauled ass outta there... no white tip on that one but i don't think it was real big... i was in next wave anyway cause my chick was on the beach and it was gettin dark but the other lads stayed out...

saw some turtles and dugongs too...

[seahag]

Last time I was there I only saw sharks on land lol

[seahag]

having said that, well the lifestyle of a typical Balinese is pretty woeful compared to ours - the fact that someone can fly to another country and loaf around doing nothing (not have to wrrk anyway) for a week or more makes that person obscenely rich to a Bali local so who can blame them for wanting to get a cut

[Damien]

Referring to a couple of posts back.

What is it with all the bad stories about Lombok and Mawi in particular? Its like some sort of tradition developed amongst visiting surfers that crime, violence and now even sharks are really heavy.

I have been ripped off more times in Bali. After surfing Mawi extensively over many many years, i have never been ripped off or had anything bad happen except for a few beatings and hell hold downs on bigger days.

The only thing i object to is paying those extortionists at the boomgate at the turn off. I have never minded paying teh crew from the village on Mawi beach to look after your stuff. It is their land you ride through and they are poor subsistence farmers. 5,000 rupes or about 80 cents is bugger all to pay to not have your stuff ripped off.

On the other hand, the bad vibe is not such a bad thing to keep the crowds away. So dont go there, you will be mugged, beaten up, have all your gear stolen and have a good chance of getting chowed by a Tiger shark.

[ether]

Mawi is one of the most beautiful places I've surfed, and it's a decent enough wave, but I wouldn't go back. My experience there was of a place full of tension and bad vibes. The first day I took my girlfriend with me. She didn't talk to me for three days after. In fact I wouldn't recommend taking your girl to Lombok at all.

[nubby]

damien, there aint no conspiracy to keep mawi uncrowded....the sharks have always been there....but its a tense joint (in comparison to most breaks there) for a reason.......it wasnt always like that.......things started gettin heavy with the locals bout 95'/96' when soeharto informed the local villagers that thier valley would be playing host to a 5 star resort and golf course and that they would not be welcome. then the people of mawi banded together in what is an extreemly defendable valley and basically said "if you want it, you have to take it" and remember, this is back in the soeharto days, when no one f#cked with the gov, so there are some gnarly crew there.......the fall of soeharto and the economic collapse saw the demise of the resort plans, but not the mistrust of outsiders, townies, whiteys, whoever........hats off to em in my opinion, cause they are the only crew ive seen down that way fight of the spectre of manditory reposession of thier land. all the things i mentioned in my other post (apart from the sharks) are a result of this episode in mawis history....but you know, the list of 'bads' for all indo is pretty hefty if you think about it, but sayin that, it has never stopped me from goin there and never will. but certain spots can be extra gnarly and info is all you can arm yourself with over there.........

[Bananabender]

My mate and I were staying in the village near Deserts just after that Ozzie bloke nearly had his arm severed on the beach there. Anyone remember that, the pics in ASL were horrific.

[nubby]

no way! did ya see me mate stayin out there with the indos with a stack of yellow guns?......he told me that dude CHASED the indos into the bush tryin to get his stuff back!!!!!! thats when they got him, insane.

[Bananabender]

Is your mate a crusty wiry old sea dog that stays in the village a few months a year and surfs with an obscene poo man stance? If so, yes we met him and he's still got my Rid and walkman batteries. We stayed with some family callled the Dilis. Mr Dili was a champ and his missus cooked us rice and fish every night. Although it was more rice than fish often enough. Lovely people, sorted em out generously before we left.

Yeah I heard that bloke chased them. Kind of an odd thing to do to a group of people brandishing machetes.

[Bananabender]

the list of 'bads' for all indo is pretty hefty

part of the attraction .. adventure. sounds corny but shit aussie can get a bit 'white bread' sometimes

I agree, how many crew only see Indo from the deck of a yacht. Kinda detracts from the experience of travel if you ask me. I know it has its place for those that have tons of cash and not much time, and for accessing otherwise inaccessible spots, but gimme the overland adventure any day.

[Damien]

Fair enough Nubby. I didnt realise about the history from the Suharto days. I have always been treated pretty well by the locals that live out in the village near the break pretty well. I suppose they know my face and know i am a harmless git who just wants to surf their wave. And i tend to give the security guys ciggies and buy pineapplies off the old woman who looks like she is 100 years old which tends to make them fairly friendly towards me.

Your right there is a lot of heavy scenes in Indo generally. I have been fortunate to have done a lot of overland travel through Indo and have never had too many problems. Although i did sh&t myself when i turned up overland at scar reef when the locals were all on the beach with their machetes trying to scare off the boats. They explained their beef with the mainly balo crewed boats to me which was reassuring cause thirty pissed off guys waving machetes and yelling abuse is a bit freaky.

[nubby]

that sounds pretty gnarly! machettes and yellin are never a good combo....and crew do seem to be cooler when ya go overland and spread the cash out a bit eh, and yeah i always hit those parkin dudes up with like 5000 when the ask for 1000 and then give em a wink and tell em to buy their missus sumthin nice, it usually goes down sweet, and ive never had me car broken into. one time a parkin dude even waded out on the reef one arvo when he saw me go down on a bomb and then saw half me board wash up on the reef, i finally get in and he runs up to me and grabs me and spins me round lookin for cuts n stuff, he was freakin out, too cool!

[mad]

Sounds like the biggest sharks are two legged outta touch touro's

[Nikko]

ive never had me car broken into. one time a parkin dude even waded out on the reef one arvo when he saw me go down on a bomb and then saw half me board wash up on the reef, i finally get in and he runs up to me and grabs me and spins me round lookin for cuts n stuff, he was freakin out, too cool!

Good onya Nubb's; says alot for your style.

Oh, yeah; No sharks?
How stupid are you...

[matt...]

water variety:
MAKO
TIGER
HAMMERHEAD

& shitloads of reef sharks...

never seen one myself over there, though...seen a few snakes but, they just pop their head up, have a look, then piss off...

one hung around a bit at Impossibles....

[oldman]

In one of my previous lives I was a guru type and spent 4 months in ubud studying and teaching a form of yoga.

The locals filled me in a bit on the 'vibe' thing. You can take it or leave it.

Many of you would know that Bali is the only hindu part of indo, all the rest being islamic. Except, except, regardless which one they are, they are also all animists in one form or another and this is the real power in the local religion. They believe in the spirits, they have the local 'medicine' man who does occasional medicine but spends much more time dispensing curses to those who don't appease him.

All those rituals to the gods you see are only vaguely hindu, and in reality are much more directed towards the local spirits (rather than garuda, the most prominent hindu god). They genuinely fear the spirits will attack and harass them, and I and others I have known have had some exceptionally weird experiences in the middle of the night. At the time I was living a pure vegetarian no intoxicants lifestyle, and no I wasn't on the mushies.

Anyway, all the locals believe Lombok is full of evil spirits. They don't like going there at any time. There are dark secrets going back god know how long, and if you're not too obtuse you will pick up a 'vibe' in most parts of Indo and it is a very dark experience. No sweetness and light going on in the subtle realms there.

Of course, you don't get the feel at all in the thriving bustling towns like Kuta, but go out to a quiet part of anywhere in Bali or Lombok, put the mushies and the dope and beers on hold for one night and sit quietly, and see if you can pick up the vibe.

Only for the strong willed though. No spiritual pygmies please.

As I said, take it or leave it.