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.