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Last week saw another case of a human in the wrong place at the wrong time ending up a victim of an attack nothing short of anyone’s worst nightmare. The incident occurred in Gracetown, an area well known for large shark activity and for large waves. As a popular surfing spot, Gracetown has for years been considered a risky spot to surf. Why the area along that stretch of coast rates as a high risk for sharks comes back to a simple measure of food availability. The entire stretch of coast between Dunsborough and Augusta is like a shark supermarket where seals, large fish, whales and other sharks are readily available and close to the shoreline. Areas like The fact is, even if you were attacked by a shark, you will be reassured to know that out of the 725 attacks ever recorded in Generally, humans who are fatally attacked resemble their target prey within that specific area. When we wear dark wetsuits and fins and flop around in shallow water we certainly look a lot like a seal or turtle. On the morning of the latest attack a number of sea lions were spotted close to shore. No doubt, the shark had been hunting the shallow waters for them throughout the morning and instead came across a lone surfer. Many reports since the attack have debated the need to hunt down the shark responsible for the attack. Going further, some local surfing identities have blamed environmentalists for the attack, claiming that the ban on hunting the ENDANGERED Great White sharks has caused an out of control number of man eaters along our coasts. This is ridiculous! The Great White Shark is an animal to be admired and deserves the respect and admiration as a supreme marine species that lives in a world very different to ours. We are the ones who have driven them almost to the brink of extinction and we are the ones who enter their world for recreation. Just a little more understanding about them as a species will go a long way towards reducing our chances of being attacked, and will no doubt start to change society’s perceptions of them as simply a random killing machine. How can you avoid an attack? Knowing that sharks attack humans often on the surface, in shallow water and when they are confused as their target prey species, the following is a general guideline for minimizing an attack:
Look out for Turtles! Finally, after months of waiting, the first stranded Loggerhead Turtle for this winter season has found its way to the Dolphin Discovery Centre (DDC). The little guy, now named Franklin, was found on Yallingup beach last Friday and rushed to the Centre by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for rehabilitation. Although it is great news that this little guy now has a chance, there may still be many more that require rescuing so please keep your eye’s open next time you are walking along the beaches here in the south west. Why they need rescuing in the first place has everything to do with a warm current called the Leeuwin. This current flows continuously from the north, along the Western Australian coast before turning eastwards towards the Great Australian Bight and Tasmania. Flowing stronger during the winter and spring months, the Leeuwin current acts as a marine highway for many tropical and subtropical marine species looking for an easy way to relocate or colonise to new areas. It is also warm and full of plankton, providing the perfect environment for animals like Loggerhead Turtles to spend their early life immediately after hatching. The challenge for them is not so much the current itself but rather how to make it there alive and intact. The high mortality rate suffered by newly hatched marine turtles has been well documented, falling prey to just about every carnivore bigger than they are both on the beach and in the water! Once they have made it offshore, and into the warm, plankton filled waters of the Leeuwin current they can then relax and enjoy the benefits until they are larger and better prepared for life closer to the coast. Just for the record, marine turtles like the Loggerhead can live over 130 years, grow to 2 meters in length and weigh in excess of 300 kilograms! Food for thought should you consider keeping one as a pet! Unfortunately for animals like the endangered Loggerhead Turtle, travelling the current can also pose a significant risk. Winter cold fronts from the Antarctic can blow them out of the Leeuwin Current and into the colder waters of the south west and great southern. Weak and unable to catch food, the turtles eventually wash ashore where they soon die of exposure or from predation, or like Franklin are found in a desperate state. If anyone does find a turtle on the beach in the next few months, please don’t throw them back in or take them home to look after. Instead, bring them to the DDC where they will have a warm, saltwater aquarium and up to 3 months of specialised care before they are strong enough to return to the wild.
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