Tag Archive for 'sharks'

Experts Recommend Fighting Back If Bitten By A Shark

Published on February 15, 2010 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: .

Try and remember to do this the next time you find yourself attacked by a shark:

A shark expert says a 60-year-old woman who repeatedly punched a shark to save herself from its attack on the weekend probably surprised the animal into letting her go.

Sydney woman Paddy Trumbull was attacked by a shark off Dent Island in the Whitsundays in north Queensland.

She says she began punching it on the nose as it bit her on her leg and buttocks.

The Queensland Shark Control Program’s manager, Tony Ham, told ABC News Breakfast sharks generally do not expect their prey to turn around and strike back.

“It’s a good strategy and one that’s been used by a number of shark attack victims in recent times,” he said.

“They [the sharks] get a bit surprised I think, and one of the bonuses of today’s modern life is that humans are far more aware of what they can do for themselves.  [ABC Online]

I have always been told to not only punch a shark on its nose if attacked, but to try and poke its eye out as well.  Good to see that this lady survived the attack though.

Great White Shark Caught Off South African Coast

Published on October 31, 2009 in Africa. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Take a look at the size of this shark caught in South Africa:

PHOTOS that are being circulated of a monster Great White shark, taken at Mossel Bay, are not a hoax. And what’s more, the massive shark was an adolescent, and was caught off the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

Yesterday, Craig Harris of Dirty Harry Fishing Charters told The Witness that waters around the north coast are teeming with sharks, including Great Whites.

He said previously it would have been unusual to see one Great White every three years, but he has seen four this year already.

Harris said he recently witnessed an astounding incident in which an enormous Great White robbed fishermen of their catch.

The Witness tracked down fisherman Gary McLoughlin, who said the incident occurred while he was on his paddleski fishing in the waves of Zinkwazi about three months ago.

“We had hooked a barracuda and were fighting it, when a massive Great White shark, about three-and-a-half to four metres in length and weighing between 600 to 700?kg, breached the waves and grabbed the barracuda.”

He speculated that it could have been the same shark that was photographed.

McLoughlin said the shark breached right up out of the water five or six times trying to remove the lines from the fish.

Commenting on the shark in the photographs, Geremy Cliff, head of research at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, confirmed that the 4,3-metre shark was caught in the shark nets off Zinkwazi beach on August 31.  [

Monster Shark Feeds On Dead Whale Off Queensland Coast

Published on October 26, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

It looks like this shark is having a feast for himself over in Queensland:

Whale carcasses left to rot in south-east Queensland’s Moreton Bay could be attracting a monster shark believed to be lurking in the area.

A three-metre plus white pointer caught on drum line off Stradbroke Island was found dead and covered in massive bite marks last week.

Queensland Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said the bite marks had a radius of 50 centimetres and the distinctive triangular shape of a white pointer.

“The experts believe it would have taken a white pointer at least five metres long to cause this kind of damage,” he said.  [ABC News]

You might want to wait for a few weeks before swimming in this area.  ;-)

Sydney Surfer Attacked By Shark

Published on March 2, 2009 in Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

I have to agree with the local surfers in the article that say surfing at dawn or dusk just isn’t a good idea:

A TEENAGE surfer mauled by a shark off Sydney’s northern beaches is recovering well in hospital after four hours of surgery on his leg.

Andrew Lindop, 15, was attacked by a shark, believed to be about 2m long, during an early morning surf with his father off North Avalon beach yesterday.

The 6.45am attack prompted renewed warnings about swimming and surfing at dawn or dusk, which are prime feeding times for sharks.

Local surfers said yesterday’s conditions had made an attack more likely.  Warm waters and coastal rains had attracted large numbers of baitfish to the area, bringing predators with them, The Australian reported.

I guess this will only feed the debate on whether sharks really are on the rampage in Australia?

Are Sharks Really On the Rampage in Australia?

Published on January 21, 2009 in Australia in the News and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , .

According to TIME magazine they are:

A surfboard with a shark bite in Binalong Bay, off the Tasmanian coast in Australia's far south, on Jan. 12 Tasmania Police / Reuters

Swimmers at Australian beaches are usually reassured by statistics that indicate they are more likely to be struck by lightning than chomped by a shark. But after three non-fatal shark attacks in the country in less than 48 hours and a deadly one last month, some are wondering if the odds have changed — and whether Australia’s efforts to protect sharks are to blame.

Australia’s summer of shark terror began on Dec. 27, when local banker Brian Guest went missing while snorkling off a beach south of Perth in Western Australia. A search located a few tattered pieces from a wet suit belonging to the 51-year-old. Authorities concluded that he had been killed by a large white pointer shark spotted near the beach.

That attack was followed by several more. On Jan. 11, a man surfing near Fingal Head in northern New South Wales was bitten on the thigh. Jonathon Beard, 31, made it to shore and survived after his friends used the leg rope from his surfboard to stem the bleeding.

The same day Hannah Mighall, 13, was surfing in Binalong Bay off the Tasmanian coast in Australia’s far south when she screamed and was dragged under the water by what authorities suspect was a large white pointer. Her cousin paddled to the injured girl and dragged her to safety while being circled by the shark. On Jan. 12, a man snorkeling in a tidal lake in New South Wales was bitten on the leg, probably by a bull shark. Authorities reported that the man punched the shark in the nose and made it to shore with about 40 puncture wounds. All of the victims are recovering.

According to records kept by Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, 193 people have been killed by sharks in Australia over the past 200 years, averaging about one per year. [TIME Magazine]

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m sure not worried about getting attacked by a shark while swimming in the ocean.  One person a year on average gets killed by a shark out of all the people who go swimming in the ocean every year, those are odds I like.

Here is the best explanation I have seen for the recent number of shark attacks:

Researchers play down the significance of the unusual spate of attacks. They point out that more people are entering the ocean, increasing the chances of an encounter. “The human population is expanding at a rate of knots,” says Rory McAuley, a senior research scientist with the West Australian Fisheries Department. “Not only is it getting larger, it’s getting more dispersed, so people are getting into the water over a greater area of the shark’s range. It’s probably likely to expect to see an increase in shark sightings and attacks.”

So I am not about to stay out of ocean out of fear of being attacked by a shark, what about everyone else?

Great White Sharks Spotted Near South Australia Holiday Spot

Published on November 10, 2008 in South Australia and Wildlife. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

I don’t think this is too much to get alarmed about considering how remote and depopulated the community of Streaky Bay in South Australia is:

HUGE sharks chasing fish and cruising off holiday beaches pose a threat to swimmers as warm weather draws sunlovers to the coast.

Police in South Australia renewed warnings to swimmers at the West Coast holiday spot of Streaky Bay, where a monster great white has been seen cruising close to shore, The Advertiser reports.  The 5m shark had been seen in the water around Streaky Bay township and Little Islands for the past three weeks, police said.

Today’s warning follows an incident yesterday in which a man in a dinghy was attacked by a shark while fishing off North Haven at Gulf St Vincent.  [The Advertiser]

Here is a map to give everyone an idea of how isolated the community of Streaky Bay is:

The Streaky Bay community of just over 1000 people is on the edge of one of the world’s most isolated areas, the Nullarbor Plain and is over 700 kilometers from the major South Australian population center of Adelaide.  Considering how rare shark attacks are combined with how few people actually use the beach in Streaky Bay, I wouldn’t expect anyone to get eaten by a shark anytime soon.

Crocodile vs. Shark in the Northern Territory

Published on May 23, 2008 in Northern Territory. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This is quite a picture of what happens when a crocodile meets a shark:

THERE’S no need to be scared of sharks when you’re in the Northern Territory – the crocs usually get to them first.

Paul van Bruggen snapped these amazing pictures of a 2.5m saltie dining out on a shark on the banks of the Daly River, The Northern Territory News reports.

“We went past one section of the river and we heard some splashing,” he said.

“We looked across and saw a shark’s tail coming up out of the water and then a crocodile’s head came up and grabbed it.”

Mr van Bruggen said the crocodile knew exactly what it was doing, dragging the shark on to unfamiliar dry land before finishing off its prey.

“How smart is the crocodile? It if was you or me it would be dragging you in to drown you, but it takes the shark up on dry land,” he said.

The fisherman, who was on the Daly River last Friday for the Barra Classic, said the crocodile definitely wanted shark for dinner.

“We were about 15 metres away and it didn’t bat an eyelid,” he said. [NT News]