Shark Attacks Back On Again, any experiences out there?
Discussion
Sad to see we've had two fatalities in as many weeks. Last year we had five so I had hoped it would be better in 2013.
We're out in the water at least once a week and offshore monthly, in the last two years I've seen the following:
A bronze whaler up close - was about 5pm and we were waiting to film Humpbacks migrating when 6-7ft whaler went right under my Jetskis. This was off Avalon Beach.
A juvenile Great White at the entrance to Pittwater/Lion Island, again about 7-8ft with a smallish dorsal fin. Note there are seals here so not so strange.
And finally what I think was a Bull Shark in Middle Harbour near the old Naval base.
I also had an experience when wakeboarding at Surfers just near Stradbroke island (kinda offshore in the channel). While in the water I was 'bumped' by something in the leg. Luckily my brother was close at hand on a Jetski which I was on in 15 seconds flat!
We went back to Straddie only to be told by fishermen there they'd been chumming all morning (strong current). Still scares me thinking about it now!
Has anyone else encountered sharks in the wild?
We're out in the water at least once a week and offshore monthly, in the last two years I've seen the following:
A bronze whaler up close - was about 5pm and we were waiting to film Humpbacks migrating when 6-7ft whaler went right under my Jetskis. This was off Avalon Beach.
A juvenile Great White at the entrance to Pittwater/Lion Island, again about 7-8ft with a smallish dorsal fin. Note there are seals here so not so strange.
And finally what I think was a Bull Shark in Middle Harbour near the old Naval base.
I also had an experience when wakeboarding at Surfers just near Stradbroke island (kinda offshore in the channel). While in the water I was 'bumped' by something in the leg. Luckily my brother was close at hand on a Jetski which I was on in 15 seconds flat!
We went back to Straddie only to be told by fishermen there they'd been chumming all morning (strong current). Still scares me thinking about it now!
Has anyone else encountered sharks in the wild?
Snorkelling around between Manly and Shelly beaches saw a shark around 1.5m long about 2-3m below me. Lots of people in the water, snorkelling and diving, and all seemed calm so carried on to Shelly, though I was blowing bubbles at both ends.
Chatting to one of the old timers there it seems juvenile Bronze Whalers are very common in the area. Lots of swimmers in there every day and shark alarm is pretty rare.
Chatting to one of the old timers there it seems juvenile Bronze Whalers are very common in the area. Lots of swimmers in there every day and shark alarm is pretty rare.
It's a very sad story, the young chap is from where I am and it affects a lot of people. He was very well known and well respected and will be missed.
Not wishing to put a downer on the loss, there are a lot of others risks in the world that results in loss, I'm trying to say that tradegy happens and it doesn't involve a shark.
Sorry had to say that, but please post re other experiences.
Not wishing to put a downer on the loss, there are a lot of others risks in the world that results in loss, I'm trying to say that tradegy happens and it doesn't involve a shark.
Sorry had to say that, but please post re other experiences.
robm3 said:
Sad to see we've had two fatalities in as many weeks. Last year we had five so I had hoped it would be better in 2013.
We're out in the water at least once a week and offshore monthly, in the last two years I've seen the following:
A bronze whaler up close - was about 5pm and we were waiting to film Humpbacks migrating when 6-7ft whaler went right under my Jetskis. This was off Avalon Beach.
A juvenile Great White at the entrance to Pittwater/Lion Island, again about 7-8ft with a smallish dorsal fin. Note there are seals here so not so strange.
And finally what I think was a Bull Shark in Middle Harbour near the old Naval base.
I also had an experience when wakeboarding at Surfers just near Stradbroke island (kinda offshore in the channel). While in the water I was 'bumped' by something in the leg. Luckily my brother was close at hand on a Jetski which I was on in 15 seconds flat!
We went back to Straddie only to be told by fishermen there they'd been chumming all morning (strong current). Still scares me thinking about it now!
Has anyone else encountered sharks in the wild?
Simples, your in their backyard, deal with it & take the risk. Been in and around the water my whole life (over 2800 dives) and encountered hundreds of sharks without threat. And no you wouldn't have had an encounter with a juvenile Great White around seals, not really their cup of tea and certainly not for a juvenile, likely a Grey Nurse. We're out in the water at least once a week and offshore monthly, in the last two years I've seen the following:
A bronze whaler up close - was about 5pm and we were waiting to film Humpbacks migrating when 6-7ft whaler went right under my Jetskis. This was off Avalon Beach.
A juvenile Great White at the entrance to Pittwater/Lion Island, again about 7-8ft with a smallish dorsal fin. Note there are seals here so not so strange.
And finally what I think was a Bull Shark in Middle Harbour near the old Naval base.
I also had an experience when wakeboarding at Surfers just near Stradbroke island (kinda offshore in the channel). While in the water I was 'bumped' by something in the leg. Luckily my brother was close at hand on a Jetski which I was on in 15 seconds flat!
We went back to Straddie only to be told by fishermen there they'd been chumming all morning (strong current). Still scares me thinking about it now!
Has anyone else encountered sharks in the wild?
Was here for two years before I had my first shark experience.
On Xmas day 2 years ago me and the mrs were up at Seal Rocks on the mid NSW coast and about to go for a swim when a largeish, circa 10ft bronze whaler appeared in the channel a few yards from shore and stayed there for about 30 mins chasing fish.
I do triathlons so regularly train and race in the sea. One race was in Port Stephens and about 300m off shore a juvenile great white about 8ft long swam under me
I sh*t myself, stopped swimming for a moment and latched onto a group of other swimmers. I swam as fast as I could and was b8ggered for the bike/run legs 
Swam over a Wobbygong in Woolongong harbour but that doesn't really count.
The last shark I saw was in Sydney Harbour at Spit. It surfaced next to a boat and dived down qucikly. Too quick to tell what it was but looked smallish, maybe 6ft or so.
On Xmas day 2 years ago me and the mrs were up at Seal Rocks on the mid NSW coast and about to go for a swim when a largeish, circa 10ft bronze whaler appeared in the channel a few yards from shore and stayed there for about 30 mins chasing fish.
I do triathlons so regularly train and race in the sea. One race was in Port Stephens and about 300m off shore a juvenile great white about 8ft long swam under me
I sh*t myself, stopped swimming for a moment and latched onto a group of other swimmers. I swam as fast as I could and was b8ggered for the bike/run legs Swam over a Wobbygong in Woolongong harbour but that doesn't really count.
The last shark I saw was in Sydney Harbour at Spit. It surfaced next to a boat and dived down qucikly. Too quick to tell what it was but looked smallish, maybe 6ft or so.
We used to dive with them around Rabaul PNG, & even 4 meter & above never showed any interest in us. The first couple of times I was plenty nervous, but the old hands slowly convinced us there was no problem.
I used to skipper the odd reef fishing trip, out from the Whitsundays, mostly just a couple of nights. At spring tides, most of the usual good spots stop working for a couple of hours either side of high tide.
At these times we would work isolated coral bommies [an acre or two usually], coming straight up out of 280Ft of water. These would produce trophy fish, Mouri wrasse, barramundi cod & such, but you would be lucky to get even 4 or 5 aboard, before you started getting only heads. It takes a fair sized shark to bite straight through a 50Lb fish in a single snap.
There was also an 80 Ft deep ridge, coming up from the same depth, about 4 miles back towards the islands from the reef, where you would get 100Lb turrum, & trevally, but only a very few, before the sharks made fishing impossible, & you just got heads. You would have to move half a mile or more to get any more aboard, & the sharks were around again.
We carried 3Ft long 6" plastic pipes, with a glass bottom. When put in the water these acted like a glass bottom boat for coral viewing. I had one made with a mirror, & a 45 degree bend, to allow me to look under the boat. When anchored up for the night in a lagoon, usually by about 3.00PM, the tourists would want to go for a swim. I would never let any go in the water, until I had used my "downward periscope" to check there were no sharks lurking under the boat, in it's shade.
No fishing was allowed at all while people were in the water, we often caught 8Ft & above sharks from the boat anchored in a lagoon.
In my young & silly days I used to swim ashore from my yacht in places like Camp Cove, & Store Beach, in Sydney harbor, there is no way I would do it today.
I used to skipper the odd reef fishing trip, out from the Whitsundays, mostly just a couple of nights. At spring tides, most of the usual good spots stop working for a couple of hours either side of high tide.
At these times we would work isolated coral bommies [an acre or two usually], coming straight up out of 280Ft of water. These would produce trophy fish, Mouri wrasse, barramundi cod & such, but you would be lucky to get even 4 or 5 aboard, before you started getting only heads. It takes a fair sized shark to bite straight through a 50Lb fish in a single snap.
There was also an 80 Ft deep ridge, coming up from the same depth, about 4 miles back towards the islands from the reef, where you would get 100Lb turrum, & trevally, but only a very few, before the sharks made fishing impossible, & you just got heads. You would have to move half a mile or more to get any more aboard, & the sharks were around again.
We carried 3Ft long 6" plastic pipes, with a glass bottom. When put in the water these acted like a glass bottom boat for coral viewing. I had one made with a mirror, & a 45 degree bend, to allow me to look under the boat. When anchored up for the night in a lagoon, usually by about 3.00PM, the tourists would want to go for a swim. I would never let any go in the water, until I had used my "downward periscope" to check there were no sharks lurking under the boat, in it's shade.
No fishing was allowed at all while people were in the water, we often caught 8Ft & above sharks from the boat anchored in a lagoon.
In my young & silly days I used to swim ashore from my yacht in places like Camp Cove, & Store Beach, in Sydney harbor, there is no way I would do it today.
Edited by Hasbeen on Thursday 5th December 10:41
Colinbentley said:
Don't blame the sharks. If you swim in the ocean it's a chance you take. I hate this reaction of "cull the sharks". Poor bloody sharks are just doing what comes naturally. If you don't want to get bitten......stay on the land !!!!!!!!
I dont think anyone here has suggested that?Colinbentley said:
Don't blame the sharks. If you swim in the ocean it's a chance you take. I hate this reaction of "cull the sharks". Poor bloody sharks are just doing what comes naturally. If you don't want to get bitten......stay on the land !!!!!!!!
"Won't somebody think of the sharks!"
But seriously on that issue there's some interesting stats for QLD vs NSW. QLD using around 300 baited hooks plus offshore nets and NSW using only nets.
Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff