Having fished in Weipa for the past ten odd years, we have noticed a change in behavior of sharks.

Initially, when tuna fishing, we would catch as many as ten tuna before the sharks would appear.

A few years back, this number became more like four or five fish.

Now, when you stop your boat, within a minute or so, two or three sharks circle below your boat before you even catch a fish.

What I suspect is that these sharks have worked out that boats stopping in open water means easy food.

My point is, that the spate of attacks in WA may mean that these sharks have worked out that these seals (surfers) don't swim very fast and as such are easy to catch and make a cheap meal.

It's just a theory.

rehctub,
I think you're spot on with that assertion that sharks are getting smart. It really scares me how tour operators teach crocodiles to jump & condition groupers to swallow anything that hits the water from a boat. When the first lot of kayakers & fishermen in little dinghies get taken by big crocs or a kid snapped off a duck board of a boat by a Grouper then the authorities as per usual will be "deeply concerned" again. Why aren't these practices hit on the head now ? Hasn't anyone got any foresight anymore ? Don't people realise that there are wild animals which have more brains than your average stubby guzzler ?

Greens are likely to be happy that the tourism industry in the West will suffer greatly due to our reluctance to cull killers. Sharks are also a good food source for humans ( at least for those not idiotic enough to believe that our ancestors came from the water).

You're right indi, I know of crocks attacking boats. In one case, a fishing guide we were using was almost taken from his dingy by a crock.

Training them to jump is just plain dumb. The trouble is, it's tourism and that's one industry that governments are scared to over regulate.

As for gropper, I can remember in the mid 80's when the boatys started to feed them off Hook Island. They even had names for them, Muari Rass as well.

But back to sharks, they almost beach themselves while chasing seals, but only in certain parts of the world, as they have learned how to catch them.

They most likely think that the seals in this area (surfers that is) are slow swimmers.

Surfers look just like seals from beneath and the attacks will continue as long a the surfers remain in the water.

Humans are stealing the sharks food.
The sharks are hungry.

The only good shark is the one in the frying pan.

Sharks have supposedly remained unchanged for some 250 million years. Humans are the Johnny come lately's especially since we are venturing more & more into their realm. Who knows what consequences there are from the noise, the pollution & general interference of the sharks' natural environment. Evolution is unpredictable & we just have to accept the consequences. Divers & swimmers have fallen victim to sharks but I do wonder if surfers are particularly vulnerable due their large numbers & sharks are beginning to sus them out.
Perhaps humans are unwittingly conditioning the large predators ?

Here's an article exploring possible explanations for increased shark sightings and attacks in WA.

http://www.coastalwatch.com/news/article.aspx?articleId=9660

Runner writes...."Greens are likely to be happy that the tourism industry in the West will suffer greatly due to our reluctance to cull killers. Sharks are also a good food source for humans ( at least for those not idiotic enough to believe that our ancestors came from the water)......Yes we are happy in many ways, like how they love to eat religious people most of all. Every time I hear a religious person getting munched on by the planets wild life, it makes me wonder where their all protecting god is:)

( Runner!...want some irony:).....the victim was a Christian:)....

Sharks are very important creatures for many reasons and not just for the frying pan like some think. Hasbeen being country land lover, wouldn't know a shark from a mullet, and just knowing the business end of a cow, doesn't make you any expert except in bullsh!T:)

Runner, I wouldn't use words your brain has no chance in understanding how the planet and you really got here, so put a sock in it:)

Has for the rest of your mumbo jumbo, if one enters the animal kingdom thinking I'll just be fine cause god will protect me, think again......lol

Oh dear.....lol

cc

It's an interesting idea. I'm afraid I can't find my sources, but I've read on a couple of occasions that shark attacks tend to be 'investigations' rather than 'dining'. That's why victims are rarely fully devoured - just given a good munch and let go. The sharks want to know what this thing in the water is (according to the theory). They want to know if it is good to eat. They taste it, decide it's not so great and swim on. Sadly, with their many teeth, their 'sampling' often has devastating consequences for the rejected meal.

http://tinyurl.com/76cnv8a

So basically Otokonoko, your quite correct. Humans as these really old creatures don't know, we don't taste as their instincts tells after they have had their first bite.
Rehubs theory is wrong...he writes.."My point is, that the spate of attacks in WA may mean that these sharks have worked out that these seals (surfers) don't swim very fast and as such are easy to catch and make a cheap meal....Humans are, when one looks at the time clock, which we arrived in the last 2 sec of the 24 hour model which this is based upon. When it comes to shark smarts, the Great White is really dumb. Tiger sharks come in at a close second, and it goes down accordingly. I have dived under surfers ( as one myself ) and I've seen reef sharks, black tips etc..right under them, and the surfers above, have had no idea whats under them. There's only three sharks that will have ago at you.

1..is the bull-shark.

2..the tiger-shark...

and three, is the Great White.

All of us must understand, these animals are 100's of millions of years old, and when you go into their world, your rules don't count.

Now, there are 7 billion of us invading territories only some understand, and in knowing that, please be very careful.......because you wont get a second chance.

They have a right to be here, so to cull is out of the Question.

Understanding is the key, not revenge.

RIP for the young man.....and I'll light one candle in respect.

c

Otokonoko, what you say is correct to a certain extent, however, the sharks you are referring to are usually Bull Sharks, and they are in fact responsible for most deaths.

However, Seals are not bull sharks staple food, whereas they are when it comes to Great Whites, which often eat the humans they attack.

Surfers with their board (under belly) and their arms and legs paddling (flippers) look similar to a seal from beneath.

Plant. You say my theory is wrong.

Well firstly, you are entitled to your opinion, however, surfers have been surfing for a hundred odd years, so how do you explain the increase in attacks in recent years?

Sharks are not dumb, like most animals, they learn over time.

As for your crack at has been, may I suggest that some of the nature programs are very informative and even farmers have access to quality television.

Finally, whaler sharks, hammer heads, even wobbly gongs are guilty of attacks on humans.

Perhaps it's you who should do your research before shooting someone down.

There is a very good doco on great whites, shot in South Africa, where they drag a rubber seal behind a boat.

What happens to this dummy is amazing as it gets attached again and again, simply because it looks like a seal.

In another one, great whites have learned to patrol a narrow channel, which is the only escape rout for seals, under attack from killer whales.

It proves to me that they do learn, as they don't do this elsewhere.

BTW, they only patrol this channel during breeding season.

The only comment I can make is a juxtaposition.

The sanctity of a single life drives us to destroy or hunt to extinction any wildlife that takes a human life, regardless of the animals intent or negligence on the part of the human victim.

Humans destroy more humans for no reason than wild creatures, who have no reasoning and work on instinct. It is appeasement rather than management that drives the thought behind culling sharks when they take a human life.

I go diving occasionally & sharks & crocodiles are my only concern. I speak with others who spend as much as 6 hours diving on a daily basis & they all say they have really no issues with sharks.
This is very similar to professional drivers who are not involved in road accidents..
Are such incidents really just unfortunate accidents or is there a kind of formula ?
Would culling sharks & crocodiles be akin to culling drunk drivers ?
Could a sharks have varying degrees of intelligence like humans? Is it possible that wild animals can have a nasty streak like some humans ?
Interesting indeed.

Butcher,

With the conservation laws, sharks are on the endangered list not humans.

If you're 1.6kms out at sea you run the risk
of shark attacks. Perhaps humans need to look
at their own behaviour instead of blaming
an animal in its own habitat for behaving
naturally. If you're not prepared to run
the risk of shark attacks - stick closer to the
shoreline.

'If you're 1.6kms out at sea you run the risk
of shark attacks. '

Lexi the guy eaten at Cottesloe was about 10 -20 metres from shore on Perths most popular beach.

Lexi, my understanding was that this latest attack happened just 200m from shore, it was 1.6km from a popular beach. That was my take on it.

Indi, divers are very different to surfers, that in they are on the surface.

No doubt, if you have dived yourself, you would have seen another swimmer/diver on the surface and they look nothing like one under the water.

It is this that I see as the basis of my theory of surfers being mistaken for seals and the like.

sonofgloin, I'm not sure about sharks, but crocks are getting out of hand and something has to be done to cull them. Not eradicate them, just some reduction, especially in the more popular areas.

I have fished in many areas, in some places the crocks are flighty, while in others they are bold.

The feeding of them and making them jump is the biggest worry.

There was a boom in crock meat sales, but like most game meats, the fad died.

You are right there, runner. For some reason it seems sharks are coming closer to shore recently. Perhaps it's down to currents and feeding imperatives?

It's a bit freaky for me as I spent a good deal of my teen years sitting on board around Cottesloe. In fact, the little reef near the groin at Cottesloe is where I first learned to "stand up" on my board - sort of like a nursery for learners. It's strange to imagine a Great White in those waters.

Well firstly, you are entitled to your opinion, however, surfers have been surfing for a hundred odd years, so how do you explain the increase in attacks in recent years?

Well thats quite overly well known. As human beings grow, to feed a population of seven billion, the over fishing is causing starvation, not only for the poor sharks, but seals, dolphins...etc. Japan is culling whales for science (if one believes that ) tuna stocks are only now 10% of what they used to be and sharks are the vacuums of the sea in many cases.

Rehub...once the food chain is damaged and people are entering the water for all sorts of reasons, this will account for the increases of fatalities as we invade waters without being real about what humans are doing.

These animals have to eat, and since humans are the cause for their hunger, well.....the rest is quite understandable, don't you think?

In 20 years, I've only encountered one tiger shark while sitting on a shallow reef, and only reason why Iam here is because of depth of the water. Sitting in less than 3 feet of water made it visible and you can tell the size of the shark by measuring the dorsal fin to the tail. This female Tiger shark was at last 5 metres long and when its 15 feet away, the shock of its size, let me tell you, these creatures are enormous.

So, another point to remember, is where they are most commonly found. WA, SA, tassy waters are all hunting grounds for whites and if your surfing or diving, or if your really stupid:)... you can have lots of fun being towed behind your boat on boogie board....or shark biscuits as real surfers like to call them:)

Like I said Rehub, people need to think about what their about to do when playing in the sea.

They will bite you.

cc

My apologies folks. I did make a mistake
and quoted the death of Peter Kurmann (March 31, 2012)
who was killed 1600m off Stratham Beach.

However, I still believe that humans should take
responsibility for their behaviour when it comes to
going into an animal's natural habitat. Unnecessary
risks should not be encouraged such as swimming in
murky waters, or early in the morning or late at night,
and so on.

In other words don't go in the water.

9am surfing, what precautions do you take. Any surfer is fair game.

when one considers how inquisitive & trusting whales have become in the past 20 years it may also be similar to sharks. Years ago these animals were hunted so much that you couldn't even get to see one. Since hunting has stopped the animals have less fear & venture closer. I have been watching a crocodile for about 20 years now from when it first went to a small beach at about 2.5m long. Now at 4m plus it actually comes around within ten metres to check out any new boat. No fear at all. They are getting more trusting & that in turn makes them more dangerous.

Lexi...hi

Its interesting in what your've presented...My apologies folks. I did make a mistake
and quoted the death of Peter Kurmann (March 31, 2012)
who was killed 1600m off Stratham Beach.

Great Whites hunting stratagy is...to hit the pray from beneath:)

So, we should kill all that kills us....Ok:)....Not sure where your going with that and just maybe a world with nothing in it, will serve us well.

cc

Runner and all religious people...Question?.....Didnt god make all the creatures?....well whats your problem in living with all of them?

The book missed that one:)

They say commonsense is hard to find now days...

cc

Poirot

As you know Cottesloe is to Perth what Bondi is to Sydney. I swam there 2 days after the last death. It was certainly hard to believe the great white had come so close however its not the first time. Tourism will be totally shot if the deaths continue. Certainly one of Perth's major attractions is having a swim for up to 9 or 10 months of the year.

runner,

There's nothing to say that this behaviour will continue indefinitely - that sharks will be more commonly encountered close to shore in the long term.

Re: Cottesloe....we lived five hundred metres up the road from that beach in the early to mid seventies. I practically lived at the beach when I was that age - in all those years I can't recall any shark alarms while I was in the water.

"There's nothing to say that this behaviour will continue indefinitely.....and both of you are quite correct:)...its just the bigger picture thing.

Be at peace:)

cc

rechtub commented:

"I have fished in many areas, in some places the crocks are flighty, while in others they are bold.

The feeding of them and making them jump is the biggest worry."

My wife and myself both worked for a tour operator out of Darwin and one attraction that concerned me was the Adelaide River Jumping Crocs.

I, like you, believed that the practice of teaching crocs to leap out of the water after food was utter stupidity and would lead to the death of some unfortunate fisherman reeling in a barra. It has never happened and croc experts put it down to the rather dumb reptile possessing just enough intelligence to recognize and differentiate between the engine sounds of different boats.

A mate and myself tested this theory in a tinny on numerous occasions by fishing close to the area that the Adelaide River Queen stopped to feed the crocs - the beasties never made a move until the larger vessel entered the area.

diesel

the beasties never made a move until the larger vessel entered the area.
diesel,
that just proves the point that the wild predators are successfully being conditioned. The jumping crocs are deliberately taught albeit by exceptionally stupid people. The Great Whites are being conditioned unwittingly by the increasing number of surfers encroaching in more remote locations. Just you wait for the first youtube clip of a tourist being snapped off a boat by a jumping croc. It'll go viral in 5 minutes.

Only idiots swim in the sea.

Dear plant 3.1,

I don't understand the point that you were trying
to make to me. At no time did I suggest we kill
any animal. On the contrary - I've clearly
stated that humans have to take responbility for their
actions and not blame the animal when they venture into
its domain.

Kindly read my posts prior to responding to them.

humans have to take responbility for their actions and not blame the animal when they venture into its domain.
Lexi,
Are you advocating humans stay in their houses because an animal could get them ?
Imagine not doing any farm work because a snake could get them or no building because a funnel web could lurk between the timbers, or whatever other deadly creatures there are.
I like bush walking & in my part of the woods I encounter massive boars & crocs & sharks, stingrays, snakes & box jelly fish. Nobody is forcing me to venture there & I accept that one day things may not turn out in my favour. I would definitely be grateful if I was rescued after all I pay for permits & licenses etc. Think about those who make a living out of what I do for a hobby. They're not allowed to defend themselves because some knee jerk do-gooders in the cities support gun laws which only protect criminals but not a decent bloke in the bush of a National Park. I recall a 5 year old in Townsville a while back. He caught a Taipan & when it bit him he had the sense of chopping off it's head for the doctors to identify it. The EPA decided not to prosecute the kid for killing a protected snake. I wonder how much flak the one Public Servant would copped from the others for being sensible.

Dear Individual,

Please re-read my previous posts.
Because it appears that you've got
NFI as to what I'm trying to say.

Lexi,
It doesn't really matter what precautions you take with wildlife because as much as some people like to believe that there's some merit in doing this & not doing that. Wildlife will always get the upper hand over a human if the human is alone without a weapon.
It always amuses me when you watch a documentary about humans with wild animals. They never get the safety crew into the picture & so some people think that animals can be less dangerous than is believed.

I can't vouch for this but I read it somewhere.

Famed shark hunter Vic Hislop, who has a shark museum at Hervey Bay, was setting drum lines off a Gold Coast beach and was approached by two board riders who asked him what he was doing. He told them he was setting drum lines to catch sharks.

One said "How do you know there are sharks here"

Vic said "You can taste if they are here"

"How?"

"Put your hand in and scoop some water and if it tastes salty there are sharks here"

Am told by locals there are plenty of bull sharks in the Parramatta and Georges Rivers, that help local councils keep the stray dog population under control. Swimming there not recomended

Dear Individual,

I agree with you that animals will usually get the
upper-hand - its for that reason that you don't
put your hand into a lion's cage or poke a snake
with a stick or go swimming several kilometeres from
the shoreline et cetera.

Dear Banjo,

I've made a note of your story, "If its salty..."
Great story!

Since a surfer in a black wet suit looks like a crippled seal it could be worth trying yellow or blue wet suits. If sharks don’t mind a yellow wet suit and there is no difference in the attack rate we can try something else. I can remember the time when after a shark attack every hoon in town climbed into their tinnies with a carton of VB and set out to kill every shark they could lure, bait or attract. I would like to think we have progressed from that.

Sillier, I believe the color theory has been tried before without much, if any, success.

If you have ever dived before, most objects on the surface have more of a siloete type of appearance when looking from below.

It's more the surface activity that attracts sharks, among other things.

We notice, again while blue water fishing, that bait schools on the surface attract many speicies, including sharks.

My bet is these sharks are frequent visitors to this steady of beach and, so long a the food remains, so will they.

It seems ironic that the majority of shark attacks (from great whites) occur in seal populated areas.

My theory again is that these sharks think these surfers are either slow swimmers, injured, or both.

Oh...I've forgot one more important thing:).....going by yourself(on a surfboard or shark biscuit, is just asking to be eaten.

Take my advice....when you go into the sea.....take 6 for you:)

At least you will have a one in six chance of not being a hot lunch:)

I wonder why fish swim in schools?.....lol

cc

Plant, there would be literally thens of thousands of surfers in the surf, around the world at any given time.

The way many, like yourself carry on, any I'll informed person could be forgiven for thinking these sharks patrol every square inch of ocean beach awaiting for a surfer to jump in.

Thats simply not the case.

Attacks on surfers (by great whites) are generally site specific, which lends to the theory that sharks have learned where and when to hunt them.

If I were to advise anyone on what not to do when it comes to surfing, i would suggest the following.

Don't enter the water pre dawn or dusk.

Don't surf anywhere near where seals frequent

You see fishing, that's serious fishing, provides an insight to many habits of fish and sharks alike.

Water temp, the sun and the moon phases all play a crucial role in feeding patterns.

They all have one thing in common, they eat when they need to, not simply when food is available. However, just like killer whales have learned to hunt seals in certain parts of the world, by beaching themselves, I recon sharks are learning where an easy meal can be had.

Crocodiles were jumping long before humans reached Australia. As a way of reaching birds and possums on low branches hanging over rivers. Even specially trained animals are only generally taught to perform natural behaviours on demand. The exception being perhaps Dolphins who can execute original synchronous acts on demand. Those guys are smart!

Sharks get smarter as they get older and there was once an old white pointer in the Tasman Strait known as Barnacle Bill who was estimated to be around 6 tonnes. Local fishermen were terrified of him. The shark fishing world record holder caught him but the fish broke the line. This was an unusual case. The older sharks tend to live in much deeper water. Coastal sharks are usually young and prone to making mistakes like confusing surfers with seals.

Ofcourse thats not the only reason they attack people. Just like people each shark is different. Occasionally you do get Rogues that develop a taste for human flesh. Its rare. Humans aren't really fatty enough for their liking. Ofcourse if a shark is hungry enough he will eat anything. Since seal numbers have grown this hasn't been such a big problem but ofcourse the shark numbers have also grown. More sharks increase the chances of shark attack.

Sharks could be getting more interested in eating humans. Evolution dictates that a major food source will always create predators. Eventually. This is a major problem in biology. Vats of harmless microbes will often spontaneously evolve a predator microbe in their midst and the whole vat has to be thrown away.

PU commented:".......an old white pointer in the Tasman Strait known as Barnacle Bill who was estimated to be around 6 tonnes."

I just love a good fish story - a 6 tonne pointer? I don't think so. Actually, the shark you are referring to was called Barnacle Bill and then renamed Barnacle Lil by Alf Dean (hero shark fisher from the 50's) after he recognised it to be a female. He estimated her to be around 20 feet or approximately 6 metres, not 6 tonne.

diesel

Crocodiles were jumping long before humans reached Australia.
Parallel Universe,
That can't be disputed because it's more than likely right. The problem from my perspective & from having seen more crocodiles in the wild & up close in one night than most people would see in a lifetime that they are being coached to jump way more than is normal for them. Once some of them spread into other areas they'll continue to leap up when a non-coached croc very likely wouldn't. I have never seen a crocodile leap up in 30 years but that doesn't mean they don't. I have as have others, seen crocodiles leap off high banks right over a dinghy & belly-fop into the creek but not leap up.
I have seen groupers that have been coached & they show up as soon as you stop the boat. Groupers in other areas don't.
I can't help thinking that conditioning wild animals does have an impact on safety for boating & bush walking. The Adelaide River outfit is doing the wrong thing in my book & so do some operators on Cape York. Just look at how shy whales were until recently & now the come right up to the boats. What's stopping a predator from doing the same once they realise there's no danger ? A predator shark which has experienced burley or chumming from shark cage dive boats will not think twice about homing in on a diver. In some States of the US chumming is actually illegal & so it should be here too.

Indi, it's the old saying, that for every action, there is a reaction, and it's the reaction that can be dangerous in many cases.

There us enough evidence to prove to me that sharks and crocs learn new ways to hunt.

I have witnessed first hand how sharks have learned in less than ten years that boats starting and stopping in blue water means an easy meal may be on offer.

I'll have to dig up that book now. 'Whale of a Tale' I think it was called. The shark fisherman had broken his own world record several times as I recall it. First to catch a two ton white pointer and then I think maybe he caught around 3 tons before the sport was banned. I think he was talking about 6 tonnes weight. It was the biggest shark he ever saw. One funny bit of trivia springs to mind. Back in those days they got rid of unwelcome sharks by throwing a quart of kero over the side. Excellent shark repellant but not considered environmentally friendly enough nowadays I'm sure.

Crocs could certainly learn to associate boats with food and remember jumping to be the way of getting at it. I took a ride on the Adelaide River Queen some years ago and watched an old man croc struggle to get half his body out of the water. He must have weighed a ton. Ruled that end of the river. The little crocs had no problem.