shark attacks

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Trant
Trant
NSW
601 posts
NSW, 601 posts
9 May 2005 11:30am
Considering the International Shark Attack File is based in Florida, it can be assumed that the stats will be skewed towards the US and Florida in particular. (They're more likely to chase reports from the US)

Poor reporting from other countries will make the stats dubious to say the least, e.g. I can't believe 50% of shark attacks in Oz are fatal.
Kitehard
Kitehard
WA
2782 posts
WA, 2782 posts
9 May 2005 9:44am
G'Day Uber,

Dolls Point is the mouth of Georges River and where the water runs out from Wooloware Bay and the river into the bay as you probably well know.

What you probably didn't know was that about 15 years ago, there used to be "Danger Sharks" signs all around the bay and right along the waterfront where Dolls Point is, to as far as McMoylans Point at Sans Souci.

Some 60 Years ago, Georges River was "infested" with sharks and you couldn't allow your dog to swim in the areas like around Picnic Point due to Sharks and the many attacks that happened on dogs, Horses and People at that time. Well, thankfully along came industrial growth and pollution which killed off most of the fish and therefor the sharks no longer had any food supply to warrant swimming the river for.

Commercial fishing in Botany Bay which allowed 20 to 25 trawlers to ravage the bay every night has also allowed the fish and prawn stocks to be decimated in the Bay and river mouth......Until now!. The commercial licenses were bought back by the government 2 years ago and we are now seeing prawns and fish life returning to the bay.

Add to this the pollution has been cleaned up significantly in the rivers which is allowing more fish to grow and live in the area. Living along the water and spending most of my time on the Bay, I, and possibly you too, have noticed the increasing amount of dolphin sightings in the bay. Dolphins mean fish supply, and dolphins and sharks have the same diet (most of the time ) in fact they can often feed at the same time, with the sharks cruising around beneath the dolphins scoring the scraps that drift down.

You might also be aware that there are still quite a number of sightings of sharks at the end of the Woronora river which branches off the Georges River, this is because sharks travel to the more brackish water at the ends of the rivers to kill off the bugs in their gills and gut when they are sick or unwell.

Personally, I reckon it is a matter of time before someone gets nailed in the Bay, and Dolls is a prime spot being the entrance to the river system with loads of juicy humans body dragging around looking for their lost board in a choppy, fast run out tide in a 25 knot Nor'Easter

Don't mean to be gloomy and negetive and certainly dont wanto to put the whammy on some poor soul, but it is all just fact and commonsense huh? Maybe something to think about when you body drag across the river in a run out tide with a bleeding foot!

There you go lads, that should thin the numbers at the point for yas!

Sorry Shannon, another book!

Good Winds
Uber
Uber
NSW
482 posts
NSW, 482 posts
9 May 2005 12:19pm
Kitehard Thanks mate i feel sick now Being a noob I was body dragging there the other night on my own at dusk. After reading that link you posted and this bit of general knowledge you have just stated I feel a little stupid. Lucky to not have been chomped.
However I was body dragging very close to shore in about 2ft of water. I was scared to go out any further by myself. Damn lucky i didnt.
Thanks for the info. I wont be doing stupid things like that by myself.
You also stated that there hasnt been an attack at Dolls Point yet right?
Kitehard
Kitehard
WA
2782 posts
WA, 2782 posts
9 May 2005 1:26pm
Hey Uber,

Take my post for what it is, a bit of light hearted info and a waffling mini history anecdote on the local area, conjured to provoke thought and perhaps discussion, nothing else. It certainly isn't there to scare you into another sport ...... or is it???? [}:)].

To prevent shark attack, your alternative is to give up kiting in the ocean/salt water, and head for the dams ...... although there are some huge eels about the place and I've heard it's gusty

Don't worry about it mate!

It's all good winds
Uber
Uber
NSW
482 posts
NSW, 482 posts
9 May 2005 8:11pm
Hey Kitehard,
Phew!!!! Its hard not to take your advice seriously! With your experience your one of the only good forum contributors worth reading. Thanks again for your input and I reckon I'll risk the chomp for the sake of my development in this sport. Sharks do freak me still but if its my day its my day!
gasman
gasman
WA
320 posts
WA, 320 posts
9 May 2005 7:02pm
quote:
Originally posted by dachopper

I have a new statistic for all you statistitions ( if thats what you call them )... I have more chance of being struck by lightening / crashing a car than being attacked by a shark... and yet i haven't crashed my car, or been in a crash, and havn't been hit by lightening but have been bitten by a shark..... so i'd better go get a lotto ticket!



I'M REALLY GOOD AT STATISTICS................does that make me a SUPERSTITION?
Uber
Uber
NSW
482 posts
NSW, 482 posts
16 May 2005 12:25pm
OMFG! I heard a guy on his bucks nite got chucked into the Paramatta River close to Parramatta city in Sydney and he got his leg chomped off by a Bull Shark or maybe a Grey Nurse! His whole leg chomped off!!!! His mates saw the shark swim off with his leg in its mouth.

Freeky!! Makes you think twice about doing crazy stuff when ur P!ssed.

Just did a google and found this great Study made for the 2000 olympics on shark attacks. If you Live and kite in Sydney areas its worth a read:
http://www.amonline.net.au/pdf/sharkrpt.pdf
Kitehard
Kitehard
WA
2782 posts
WA, 2782 posts
16 May 2005 10:38am
Hey Uber,

you gotta let the shark thing go mate or ya gonna freak ya self out. There have been a number of attacks in the Parramatta river and rivers off Sydney Harbour.

The attacks come almost always from bull sharks (bronzies), it's the same up in Gold Coast and Brizzie in the canals and waterways. Grey Nurses are usually smaller than 6 feet and it is rare that they attack people, in fact I think they have been put on the endangered species list up and down the NSW coast as they have been pretty much fished out, which sucks cause if you gonna be in the water with a shark of some type, let it be a Nurse!


You don't want to hear the story I heard last week from a surfer friend about the 5m great White off Hillarys 2 weeks ago (eyeballed hi from 1 metre away). Or the 4m Great White off Garden Island (WA) spotted by two divers a few days ago

it's winter, it's that time and it comes with the territory, just a pity we get such big whites over here .

Live and let live Uber. You're gonna give yourself stomach ulcers with ya worrying!
Uber
Uber
NSW
482 posts
NSW, 482 posts
16 May 2005 1:21pm
Hey Kitehard,

I know I know your right! But you know what? I cant stop. It fascinates me. I am not that freeked out yet cos I havent seen 1 up close but It does amaze me these freeky man chompers.

In a way I am trying to educate myself so I know what to expect if something does pop up. Also I love to hear the stories, Maybe I am a bit of a sadist.

You do have to admit it is an interesting topic for discussion. Plus the wind is crap in Sydney at the moment and staring at the arrows waiting for them to change is driving me crazy.

Oh yeah! Heres another Story there was a guy Kayaking in the harbour near Rozelle/Balmain and his Kayak got bumped then chomped by a sharkie from behind. He bashed it with his paddle and it swam away! Lucky it wasnt the front where his legs were.

Keep the stories coming!!
swinginginthewind
swinginginthewind
WA
281 posts
WA, 281 posts
16 May 2005 8:00pm
quote:
You don't want to hear the story I heard last week from a surfer friend about the 5m great White off Hillarys 2 weeks ago (eyeballed hi from 1 metre away).


Hey Darren,

was the Whitey out the back at the reef behind little island

or was it in at the "waves" that get surfed south of the harbour?

Went kiting on my own at Pinnaroo today , perhaps if I'd known about the munchie, I'd have invited others along to reduce the risk [}:)]


Kitehard
Kitehard
WA
2782 posts
WA, 2782 posts
16 May 2005 9:43pm
Out back behind the island on the reefs 200 metres further out. It was probably killing time waiting for those three fat seals to disembark the island and thought it would amuse itself with the surfers. [}:)]

I personally will be glad when all the seals rack off! I like surfing that reef and they make me nervous

Good winds
Bendy
Bendy
WA
13 posts
WA, 13 posts
17 May 2005 8:08am

I normally surf the offshore reefs north of Perth, sometimes solo, and the best thing about surfing Trigg on Sunday was that I could piss in my wetsuit for a bit of central heating (and be relaxed abobut it)!!!

I take the point made up above about how dilute the concentration of urine becomes, but I heard once on a radio doco that someone had researched and found that 80% of people attacked had pissed in the water beforehand...

So Uber and others - do what you want - don't worry about the buggers too much (better to live life and die rather than just to die eventually anyway) - but hang a leak before heading out.

Respect not fear is the go.
Alan
Alan
NSW
125 posts
NSW, 125 posts
17 May 2005 1:16pm
Hi Uber,
If you're facinated by Sydney sharks then there have been a huge number of sightings this summer. Great White caught off Cronulla, hammerheads everywhere, Jeff got bumped by a shark in botany bay etc. Plenty of wind last weekend in Sydney and at boat harbour a shark was sighted sunning itself just off the beach. I was told a guy went out to warn someone and the kites got tangled and both ended up in the drink. On Saturday two guys got tangled on the beach and got lofted over the sand bank. Seems to me the most dangerous thing around is another kiter. Anyway most kiters got out and called it a day. When I lived close to Wanda beach the alarms would go off but surfers never get out cos of a little shark...are kiters *****'s??. So Uber if your keen to see a shark and get hurled over a 30ft embankment with your mates join us at Boat harbour (and you pay $15 for the pleasure).
Uber
Uber
NSW
482 posts
NSW, 482 posts
17 May 2005 2:56pm
Hey Alan, Thanks for that info. Dirty Great White at Cronulla (Fek!) How big was the sucker? Why did they catch him? Did Jeff get a bump/chomp or just a bump?(poor bugger must of soiled himself)

Ive heard about Boat Harbour. It's good to go to in a SW right? $15 is that because it is privately owned or something?Or is it cos the entertainment is so good?Public liability must be a killer there. I will try to get around there sometime this Winter. However I am heading to Gold Coast next week to get some time up there.(Hope the wind and weather is good)

Being a noob kinda puts me off going to crowded places. Just in the beginning. When I get better I wont care as much.

Still I like to hear the stories of sharkies! Keep the stories coming
Alan
Alan
NSW
125 posts
NSW, 125 posts
18 May 2005 4:21pm
Hey Uber,
Can't quite remember how the Whitey got caught but it was at least 3M and was only a couple of months ago.
A member of a Game fishing club and he tells me he's often seen half a dozen Whitey's lined up chomping on a whale carcas only a few K's outside Botany and they're as long as his boat.

You should try boat especially in the winter where its great for SE/S and SW (although SW is gusty everywhere). Plenty of room for beginners. Biggest pain is the sand which sticks to everything and ****ers who only go 100m out and back.
Trant
Trant
NSW
601 posts
NSW, 601 posts
18 May 2005 4:56pm
quote:
$15 is that because it is privately owned or something


My understanding is that the beach isn't privately owned, but the 4WD park that you have to drive through to get access is. (Oh, and the new normal car park near the beach)

You don't have to pay $15 if you're prepared to walk a fair way, or get someone already in the park to drive out and pick you up.
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