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