Sharks - where do you stand (or swim)?

[portlock seagull]

I'm definitely team shark i.e. their habitat, enter at own risk, the chances are 72,618 times less likely than getting a ticket for Arsenal away blah blah blah.

I really cannot understand why, for example Down Under, they practically set up 'murder enquiries' when a surfer gets chomped. We surely all know by now it's a case of mistaken identity, that sharks don't patrol the ocean looking for humans because they can't get enough tuna & mayo etc. You're just unlucky, incredibly unlucky. That's all. But it shouldn't mean culls etc. Especially given 'the suspect' is likely to be hundreds of miles away before the posse is assembled, perhaps even in an entirely different ocean. I mean, be different if a Great White bit you in a shopping mall. That would be bang out of order, outrageous even and justifiably unexpected. But in the sea?

Ironically it's never been safer to go in the ocean because the Chinese keep frigging well eating them to the point of extinction - so why, after all those lovely Attenborough docs that portray sharks as they really are, are we still so damned afraid and wanna kill em out of misplaced fear?

#EatMinestroneInstead

 

[Hendrax]

mainly because they eat/kill people.

 

[portlock seagull]

mainly because they eat/kill people.

 

[Hendrax]

i'm not sure what your point is. you asked why do we fear them. its simple.

they can and do kill humans.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

A surfer was bitten by a shark for the first time a couple of weeks ago down here on Bantham Beach.
I reckon it was a Great White but the equivalent of The Mayor in Jaws said it was a Smoothound but I think he is gonna need a bigger boat.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

I've never hugged a tree, or worn socks with sandals - but in defence of the shark, we're in it's 'manor' after all...

We chose to develop our fins into limbs and trot around on terra firma, they chose to carry on swimming about. As mentioned, if you were casually wandering round Top Man and one of the buggers jumped out from between the formal shoes and the Jeans section and took your arm off, fair play - have it out with the pin-eyed lunatic.

Surf boards with arms and legs flapping either side looks like a seal, apparently. They eat seals.

 

[lawros left foot]

Over 100million killed every year, we're certainly winning the Shark Wars.

I agree with portlock seagull though, leave them alone.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I've dived dozens of times with sharks around - from white tipped reefs through hammerheads (now there's a strange-looking animal) to tigers, and never had the slightest problem or fright. Had to tap one on the nose once cos she was just a tad too curious, but that's it.

Was far more scared when a sea-lion swam fast straight for me, stopped about three feet in front of me, and blew bubbles right in my mask before swimming off.

Great whites though? Nah, they can just feck right off. Not going in the water with them, unless I'm in a cage.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I've dived dozens of times with sharks around - from white tipped reefs through hammerheads (now there's a strange-looking animal) to tigers, and never had the slightest problem or fright. Had to tap one on the nose once cos she was just a tad too curious, but that's it.

Was far more scared when a sea-lion swam fast straight for me, stopped about three feet in front of me, and blew bubbles right in my mask before swimming off.

Great whites though? Nah, they can just feck right off. Not going in the water with them, unless I'm in a cage.

I would have thought it was the HAMMERhead that blew bubbles.
Where's me coat.

 

[portlock seagull]

i'm not sure what your point is. you asked why do we fear them. its simple.

they can and do kill humans.

This threads clearly not for you...

 

[portlock seagull]

I've dived dozens of times with sharks around - from white tipped reefs through hammerheads (now there's a strange-looking animal) to tigers, and never had the slightest problem or fright. Had to tap one on the nose once cos she was just a tad too curious, but that's it.

Was far more scared when a sea-lion swam fast straight for me, stopped about three feet in front of me, and blew bubbles right in my mask before swimming off.

Great whites though? Nah, they can just feck right off. Not going in the water with them, unless I'm in a cage.

Lucky bugger, I'd love to see some of those species. Silkys are all I've seen of any real size. Did the cage thing in SA but had to abandon before left port cause of bad weather. They'd chuck us in with oceans apex predator but weren't going to risk a swell. V. frustrating.You're proof just how misunderstood they are i.e. lived to tell tale!

 

[portlock seagull]

I've never hugged a tree, or worn socks with sandals - but in defence of the shark, we're in it's 'manor' after all...

We chose to develop our fins into limbs and trot around on terra firma, they chose to carry on swimming about. As mentioned, if you were casually wandering round Top Man and one of the buggers jumped out from between the formal shoes and the Jeans section and took your arm off, fair play - have it out with the pin-eyed lunatic.

Surf boards with arms and legs flapping either side looks like a seal, apparently. They eat seals.

 

[Big G]

I'm definitely team shark i.e. their habitat, enter at own risk, the chances are 72,618 times less likely than getting a ticket for Arsenal away blah blah blah.

I really cannot understand why, for example Down Under, they practically set up 'murder enquiries' when a surfer gets chomped. We surely all know by now it's a case of mistaken identity, that sharks don't patrol the ocean looking for humans because they can't get enough tuna & mayo etc. You're just unlucky, incredibly unlucky. That's all. But it shouldn't mean culls etc. Especially given 'the suspect' is likely to be hundreds of miles away before the posse is assembled, perhaps even in an entirely different ocean. I mean, be different if a Great White bit you in a shopping mall. That would be bang out of order, outrageous even and justifiably unexpected. But in the sea?

Ironically it's never been safer to go in the ocean because the Chinese keep frigging well eating them to the point of extinction - so why, after all those lovely Attenborough docs that portray sharks as they really are, are we still so damned afraid and wanna kill em out of misplaced fear?

#EatMinestroneInstead

Another disgusting attitude of mankind!!!
We go into the water, the sharks natural territory (not ours) and any attack on humans, we somehow decide to have the devine right to somehow define it as some brutal attack on humans....and then justify culls in sharks to make it safer for us to swim/surf in their habitat!
Quite how anyone who swims or surfs in any areas that are known to be the natural habitat of sharks has any recourse for any incident in which they get bitten/attacked is beyond me!
You choose to enter those waters...down to you mate!

 

[The Clamp]

I've never hugged a tree, or worn socks with sandals - but in defence of the shark, we're in it's 'manor' after all...

We chose to develop our fins into limbs and trot around on terra firma, they chose to carry on swimming about. As mentioned, if you were casually wandering round Top Man and one of the buggers jumped out from between the formal shoes and the Jeans section and took your arm off, fair play - have it out with the pin-eyed lunatic.

Surf boards with arms and legs flapping either side looks like a seal, apparently. They eat seals.

I Saw that Billy Connolly sketch too. Nice rip off.

 

[So.CalGull]

A question that has followed where ever I travel too.

Done a ton of surf based trips from the early 90's and having been a super keen paddler along our gloriously windy and odd colored watered coastline. I choose to travel to places where our toothy friends hangout. Saw many while sitting in a line up in Fiji, oz and South Africa, and have now been living in So. Cal for the last 17 years.

The last 2 years since El Nina (the lady version of El Nino) we have had an influx of Stingrays that normally come inshore to bred once a year for 6 weeks, they normally hump, birth, feed and leave in that time, but due to overly warm waters, they have stayed put for 2 years, in that time they have bred at least 6 times making their current population the largest we have ever seen, yay good for them...except our chums in grey feed off these little stingy fellas and have since made their breeding grounds close by.

One female came inshore, gave birth to 10 Jr. Great Whites, which already come out at 2 foot long and hungry, they feed on the Stingrays and grow to 6-8 feet in one year. 5 of them left, the mother and 5 of the more homely ones stayed, so we now have a protective mother, and 5 x 8 foot long Junior Great whites cruising the line up from Seal Beach to Trestles.

We have had more beach closures in 2 years than the previous 50 years put together due to Shark sightings, and not because the Sharks are man hunters, they are getting so big now that the Stingrays are not enough protein for them, so they start investigating others means of food, as in humans, whales and anything that looks tasty.

Following natures trail, the waters should cool this year back to normal temperatures and the Stingrays should leave, and the Sharks should follow, but you just know that there is that one stubborn (probably female) irrational, non conformist and grumpy smiler that will hang around and do something that will cause hysteria.

Fan of them, no. Respect them because they were here first and the ocean is their yard, yes.

Occupational hazard.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

I Saw that Billy Connolly sketch too. Nice rip off.

I've never watched Billy Connolly in my life apart from on some documentary about Scotland. My Nan used to like him though..

Which sketch have I ripped off? I'd like to see it.

 

[sydney]

great whites , tiger sharks , bronze whalers and very occasionally mako sharks and hammerheads are a potential threat to humans.......these are not affected by the shark fin trade which apparently removes 6-8 million sharks from our oceans every year.......their fins and tails are cut off and they are thrown back into the sea to drown and their perfectly edible meat to rot........it's a lot like cutting a pigs ears and legs off and just leaving it to die.......disgusting practice , trully disgusting.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Surf boards with arms and legs flapping either side looks like a seal, apparently.

I've been to Sea Life a number of times and I've never mistaken a seal for a surf board with arms and legs flapping. Has anyone else?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Sharks taste nice.

Flake is yum.

 

[portlock seagull]

I've been to Sea Life a number of times and I've never mistaken a seal for a surf board with arms and legs flapping. Has anyone else?

Drink more, it's uncanny thereafter