135 replies to this topic

[Den]

I guess you all heard about the attack, Warnbro sound is quite enclosed so a shark could stay in there almost trapped for a long time, I saw a dorsal fin just past the weed line that looked about 3 feet tall near waikiki beach this winter which is a few KMs from the attack, I only saw it for a few quick seconds from a distance so I tried to pass it off as a possible mirage or funny looking wave. It may sound funny but after seeing it I had a strong feeling that an attack was going to happen this year in our Warnbro sound, and after the dead baby whale came into Safety Bay, with rumors of a GW in the bay this winter and other whites circling boats on the 5 fathom bank near Coventry reef I felt almost positive of an iminent attack.

I think leaving the shark to swim around with thousands of of swimmers, snorkellors, divers, kyakers, wind and kite surfers, using warnbro sound puts these people all in jeopardy. I understand caring for and preserving the environment but when you put the value of a shark before the value of human life I think we have taken a stupid turn in humanity.

I am sick of hearing the stupid generic term stated by so called "shark experts", that you have more chance of getting hit by a car, these statistics are not true, if you are in the water your chances of getting attacked are thousands of time greater than getting run over by a car if you measure the time you spend in a car compared to the time you spend in the water over your lifetime. Fact is that if we all spent the same time in the ocean as we do in our cars lots more people would be getting eaten.

I would like to ask all the people and so called "shark experts" giving stupid advice in the media who dont want it destroyed and think there is low risk of attack to let their family members go swimming in Warnbro sound, I wonder if they would advise them the same way they do to the general public? I would like that shark expert on TV let his wife and kids go swimming in the sound! I guarantee he would not allow it, but its OK for him to say to general public there is low risk of attack! To be frank Id like to have strong words with this frigging idiot.

(edited for spelling only)

[TWiST]

i 100% disagree with you, sharks are more valuable to the eco system then humans, if you swim in the water there is always a chance of it happening but how many ppl actually get attacked by sharks each year and how many ppl have died on the roads over the christmas holidays so far.

[Donna]

Hi Twist,

100% agree with you.

You can't kill certain animals because they do what comes naturally. The shark has not launched a personal attack on a humanity as such, this is something beyond our control. How many sharks would you have to "kill" to be able to control the situation or reduce the chances of shark attack to zero? (Which incidentally the risk is almost zero).

I agree with Den too. Comparing shark statistics to those of car accidents is really ridiculous. The risk of shark attack in Australia when you think of the amount of people who have entered the water over the last 200 years, is so minute it is not worth considering as a risk (less than 13 in the last 50 years)

The solution to managing any risk can be more about arming ourselves with knowledge about the behaviour of the shark, regular plane patrols during peak seasons and just generally being aware when we are on the shore and help out by looking for any shark signs and reporting them if seen. Even then, there will be that nexus when somebody will be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a terrible tragedy will occur.

We can't control everything. I think this is what actually annoys humans, the simple fact that there are some things beyond our control. I think humans would all be served better if we were a little more pro-active rather than re-active. This could improve outcomes for humanity on many more fronts than just shark attacks.

Regards,

Donna

http://www.news.com....05317-2,00.html

[Den]

Twist and Donna when you make your statements that sharks are more important than people are you saying that you would let your family member die to save a sharks life? if this is your true belief I can just say Im glad not to be related to you. Or do you just mean its OK to let this shark roam the metro and as long as its someone elses family member that gets sacrificed next? The question would then be what kind of people are you?

Although I hope it doesnt happen again, even though its likely this shark will kill again as its feeding in a very populated area, if it does happen I can only hope its next victim is one of the people who want to let it roam free in our metro area who thinks that this sharks life is more important than human life, at least they can get a chance to truely practice what they preach.!

Cheers
Den

[Fox]

Its the sharks territory, if the shark came on land, Im sure we would kill it..
Sharks dont know the difference between food & humans..

[FishGal]

Its the sharks territory...

This is the truth. Even Mr Guests family don't want the shark hunted down and killed. He himself knew the dangers of entering the ocean, according to his son who was on the news tonight. The risk is there, if you're not prepared to face it or risk possible injury or death by the creatures that call the ocean home, then don't go into it....

Give me a pool any day.

[westcoaster]

I actually agree with everyone who has commented so far.
However my opinion is that as humans are land base creatures and we choose to venture into another
animals domain the we do so at our own risk.
It is truly a sad day when someone is attacked and killed by a shark or any animal for that matter and I do sympathize with family members.
And I do speak from experience as I knew someone who was attacked and killed by a shark some years ago off Cottesloe.

[Gavin]

I can understand both sides of this argument and while I don't think (IMO)that either side is 100% correct in their attitude I still believe killing the shark would be unhelpful.
The risk of shark attack is extremely low even if the above quoted statistic is false you must agree that you have less chance of getting bitten by a shark during a swim than you had of having a car accident on that particular drive to the beach(that roughly evens the time factor).
If there is another attack in this area soon there is just as much possibility of it being a different shark so killing this one may be of no help at all. Warnbro sound is not that enclosed and it has been proven that these sharks are migrating so it is as likely as not that that particular shark won't be here tomorrow but others will have entered the sound(there may even be multiple sharks in or near the sound now).
I dive regularly in the ocean myself and I can't say that this attack doesn't worry me- it's just human nature but the only practical solution I see short of staying out of the water or eradicating all large sharks is to simply dive during the times when attacks are least likely. That means avoiding early morning and late evening.
I've noticed several time when I've been diving at Ningaloo all day that when the sun starts going down you start seeing sharks darting around the reef and it's time to get out

[Den]

Even Mr Guests family don't want the shark hunted down and killed.

What gives them the right to alone make this decision? are they the only people who live in this area? their family member is dead, there is nothing we can do for him or them, but we do have a chance to reduce the chances of this happening again by either radio monitoring this sharks movements and/or killing it if it or any other man eater that continues to stay in populated metropolitan swimming areas.

I used to snorkel, spearfish and swim in warnbro sound,waikiki and safety bay about 300 days a year, even on murky days in winter, I used to snorkel alone hundreds of meters out from the beach, I used to get circled by large stingrays while I speared octopus, sometimes I'd have 3 or 4 really large rays circling me. I stopped about 5 years ago because of the shark issue, white pointers are top of the food chain, and now with long term protection together with their whale food sources are growing in population and just becoming too common. I do not believe for one second the scientists who say they are rare, people are spotting them all the time around Perth metro they are now at a point where I think attacks will become fairly common. I'd say if I continued with my previous water activites I would have been eaten for sure by now, I now get chills thinking about being out alone in that murky water!

I think culling a few white pointers a year that come into the metro beaches would have no effect on the population of these sharks, and I think this shark should of copped a 303 smokey through the head.

Cheers
Den

[dazzabozza]

radio monitoring this sharks movements

That's a good idea. At least it shows that the authorities are looking out for everyones well being. Might not help when the next shark comes along though...

My thoughts on the matter. I do share Den's concerns about making the beaches safer for our kids etc but where do we draw the line? Who decides what is safe? "Fear based" culling is definitely not a good idea and that has resulted in the extinction (or near) of many predatory animals around the world.

As humans we're all going to have different perspectives on what is safe & unsafe and different reactions to that. As an extreme example my Mum would prefer I stay in the country because the risk is too high (in her opinion) to travel overseas due to terrorist activity. In my opinion I say take risks and live life!


Daz

[Iamsam]

What gives them the right to alone make this decision? *EDIT* and/or killing it if it or any other man eater that continues to stay in populated metropolitan swimming areas.

so what we should just kill any shark that may come in brief contact with humans? Well hell why stop with sharks, why don't we just kill any animal that "might" attack a human, i mean look at all the deadly snakes in the metropolitan area, everyone of them must go as well, in turn screwing up the whole food chain, why can't people just understand that we are a guest in the animals domain, if we respect them there should be very little issue, 1 shark attack every couple of years really isn't that bad, in comparsion with the many other unnecasiery deaths each year

[TWiST]

all i can say is killing a animal in revenge or in a preemptive strike is pointless, sharks dont understand revenge they see food.
i see it as killing the rottwieler down the road because it has the potential to hurt someone, instead of teaching ppl how to avoid getting hurt

[Donna]

Twist and Donna when you make your statements that sharks are more important than people are you saying that you would let your family member die to save a sharks life? quote

Den, at what point did what I wrote state that sharks are more important than people, or that I would let a family member die to save a shark's life?


Or do you just mean its OK to let this shark roam the metro and as long as its someone elses family member that gets sacrificed next? The question would then be what kind of people are you? quote

What kind of person am I? I have no wish to sacrifice anything or anyone, in fact I don't have that power, neither do you or anyone else. No-one knows the day or the hour.

Sharks roam this area today, yesterday, tomorrow. Many of my friends sail this area many times a week, and see many sharks out by the sisters. It is not rare. Sharks patrol these waters....

Although I hope it doesnt happen again, even though its likely this shark will kill again as its feeding in a very populated area, if it does happen I can only hope its next victim is one of the people who want to let it roam free in our metro area who thinks that this sharks life is more important than human life, at least they can get a chance to truely practice what they preach.! quote

So now you want to pick and choose who lives and who dies based on who agrees or disagrees with you??

Den, are you serious?

Regards,

Donna

[TWiST]

i would hold nothing against the shark if one of my family was taken, if you feel that you are more then likley going to get eatin while swimming in the ocean, then dont go, simple, dont kill everything in the area you plan to go swimming in just coz you have a irrational fear of an animal.


education is the key to living without fear

[Myxoe]

If you go swimming in the ocean, your getting into the sharks territory...people should know the risks!
If people dont like the fact that the sharks live in the ocean and the small chance a shark attack may occur...get a swimming pool!!!
Its not like the shark came on to the land and ate the guy, it was where it belonged, killing it is not going to bring the guy back!!!
Look at it this way... People kill people...people know what they are doing....do the murderers get killed??? NO!!! so why on earth would you kill an animal that has mistaken a human in the water for food???

[Sazabi]

It's a tragic incident either way you look at it. Put it this way, if the authorities and so-called "expert" decides not to pursue the shark and people still go into the waters, then it is a risk they bear themselves. Perhaps this it will be like one of those black spot roads, where more people have to die until it reaches a bureaucratic number for any action to be taken. By action I do not mean going out there to kill the shark, perhaps some early warning system, perhaps enclosing the area, lot's of perhaps, and lot's of $$$$ to be spent.

Human go into a territory that is untamed by humans...(yes the sea is still untamed) then there are always risks of death, whether by drowning or shark attack or stingrays or boat mishaps or whatever.

my 2 cents

[Den]

Den, at what point did what I wrote state that sharks are more important than people, or that I would let a family member die to save a shark's life?

Hi Donna

I made the comment that human life is more important than a sharks life, Twist replied that he 100% disagreed with me and then made a comment that a sharks life is more important than a human life, you followed and said you 100% agreed with Twist.

i would hold nothing against the shark if one of my family was taken, if you feel that you are more then likley going to get eatin while swimming in the ocean, then dont go, simple, dont kill everything in the area you plan to go swimming in just coz you have a irrational fear of an animal.

education is the key to living without fear

Twist it must be easy for you to make your comments when you live in Ellenbrook, might as well be the moon, I wonder if this happened in your backyard would you have a different attitude? Im educated enough to know that leaving a man eater in the metro area is not a good idea.

So now you want to pick and choose who lives and who dies based on who agrees or disagrees with you??

I think its only fitting that if this shark does eat another person it should be a person who supports it being allowed to swim freely in populated areas, and not some poor unwitting child or fool who thinks its safe to swim in our bay after listening to bad advice from so called "shark experts" in the media who tell everyone the same old misguided cliches about the odds of attack.

We have about 22million people in this country and about 12million registered vehicles with about 20million people on the road each day either as a driver, passenger or pedestrian, put that number of people in the water every day for the same amount of time and I can guarantee you shark attacks will outnumber road deaths 100 to 1 or more. So the reality is while you are in the water chances of shark attack greatly outweighs your risk of getting in a road accident.

PS Im putting steel mesh suit and shark repellent on even while taking a shower from now on.

Cheers
Den

[TWiST]

mate i may live in ellenbrook now but its not were i have lived my whole life i surfed for quite a few years and i was in the water morning and nite everyday ive seen sharks while surfing and it didnt phase me one bit. just dont act like a seal, just keep calm and its nearly always fine

[Den]

just dont act like a seal

Is this the advice you give to all water users? Can you please explain how not to act like a seal? Seems whatever a person does in the water they are either mistaken for a seal or turtle when taken by a shark, there is no fact behind that theory which is nothing but scientific speculation, anyway what help is that to swimmers?

When I was in Safety Bay primary school my brother and I were friends with a kid we called Smitty, you may remember him on the news a while back, dont think he was acting like a seal when he got taken on his surfboard not long ago, maybe he was mistaken for a turtle? or maybe the shark thought he was a hungry jacks whopper? what difference does it make?

ive seen sharks while surfing and it didnt phase me one bit.

Twist I doubt you have never encountered a hungry white pointer while in the water, if you did you would not be here. This isnt a little reefy or bronzy you find in the surf break, its a huge animal that is a proven man eater, it a perfect eating machine and makes no mistakes, its not just looking for whale carcasses, seals and dolphins, it has already and will likely continue to hunt people for food.

Smitty was attacked out of the metro area so not much we can do about it, thats the sharks place, but I have a different opinion when it comes to places where we people live, this is our place and we humans have a right to be here safe and at the top of the food chain and I dont feel guilty about wanting that one little bit, if you disagree, all I can say is Id like to have one of you people as my swimming and snorkelling buddy so if we see a shark you can put yourself in front of it to practice what you preach.

Too many enviromental extremist nuts try to make us feel guilty for being on the planet, they try to devalue human life and have influenced public opinion and government policy enough to where a sharks life has become more important than a humans, I know its important to protect the environment, but it makes me sick at how extreme and stupid our society has become in many ways.

Cheers
Den

[TWiST]

i never said i had seen a GW in the water with me, i just think as a human race we should adjust to the conditions not change the conditions to suit our needs