30 November 2004

Great Whites have a lot to fear from humans

The fascination with shark attacks has for decades caught the public imagination. It has reached a crecendo once again. From Peter Benchley's 1974 novel Jaws to this summer's block-buster movie, Open Water, based on a true story of two divers stranded in a shark-infested ocean, the Great White has fascinated and terrified us.

With more and more people taking beach-side holidays, it is easy to get the impression that shark attacks are on the increase.

With no natural enemies, apart from killer whales, Great Whites are nicely tuned for a life at the top of the food chain - which entails a slow rate of reproduction. But with fishing and trophy hunting, this biological trait has turned into a serious disadvantage. One consequence is that their numbers have taken a nosedive.

In October, concerns over the survival of the Great White shark led to the World Conservation Union imposing strict controls on the international trade in its teeth and jaws - a measure opposed by Norway, China and Japan.

Read the full article at www.iol.co.za
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Great Whites have a lot to fear from humans

New biodiversity institute to be launched

MINISTER of environmental affairs and tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk is launching the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) on December 2.
Sanbi will replace the National Botanical Institute and build on the existing network of partnerships.

It will report to the minister on the status of biodiversity in the country and offer advice and information relating to the conservation and sustainable use of South Africa?s natural resources.

The launch will take place at the new Sanbi Biodiversity Centre situated within the Pretoria National Botanical Garden from 12h00 to 14h30
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New biodiversity institute to be launched

Cape Town beaches 'safe'

Cape Town - There's no guarantee on the Great Whites, but you should be safe from attack by E coli when you swim off Cape Town's beaches this summer.

Mayoral committee member responsible for storm water, Danile Landingwe, said on Monday the annual report on catchment and storm water management showed the city's water quality had been maintained at consistently high levels.

False Bay beaches achieved "93% compliance" this year, while the Atlantic coast achieved 82%.

"It bodes well for tourism that the monitoring results prove that our beaches are safe for bathing in the holiday season ahead," he said in a statement.

His spokesperson, Frank van der Velde, said the compliance was measured in terms of national and international standards that took a number of factors into account.

"One the most important in terms of safety is the E coli level, which is basically the result of sewage," he said.

Source: www.news24.com
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Cape Town beaches 'safe'

Storms cause KZN blackouts

Johannesburg - Several parts in northern KwaZulu-Natal and the midlands are without electricity after being hit by violent storms and heavy rains, the SABC reported on Tuesday.

Parts of Pietermaritzburg, Empangeni and Newcastle were without power.

Zanele Dlamini for Eskom said the problem was being attended to.

In the Eastern Cape, a freak hail storm caused damage to buildings and crops around Umtata.

Residents said hail stones bigger than golf balls broke windows and damaged roofs.

King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality spokesperson Sonwabo Maphoza said councillors were assessing the damage.

On Sunday night, seven people burnt to death when their hut was struck by lightning at Mombheni near Mandini.

Source: www.news24.com
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Storms cause KZN blackouts

29 November 2004

Sea-search for missing boy continues

Sea rescuers have been kept busy this weekend as two separate incidents occurred on the same day - one involving a boy who was washed off rocks near Hermanus and another where a raft was found capsized off Miller's Point.

In the first incident on Saturday, an eight-year-old boy from Mitchells Plain was washed off rocks near a beach between Vo�lklip and Grotto beach.

Lifeguards, together with National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) members and police officers conducted searches both along the shore and in the water. The boy, whose name was not given, was visiting the beach with his family.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: "Professional lifeguards assisted a crew aboard the NSRI Hermanus's Hunters Gold Rescuer boat in an all-day water-based search."

"A shore search was also conducted by lifeguards, rescue crew and police officers. The sea conditions were rough, with swells of two metres and southerly winds blowing at 30 knots."

Police spokesperson Billy Jones said: "Boland police were sent out and the boy was not spotted. We are going to continue our search both in the water and on land."

In a second incident on Saturday, Simon's Town NSRI members and the Red Cross Rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene of a capsized boat off Miller's Point. Crew members aboard the Spirit of Freemasonry were able to tow the 2,5m boat back to the NSRI base.

NSRI Simon's Town spokesperson Dave Roberts said: "The craft appears to be a river raft that has probably been adrift at sea for close to six months. There were no markings on the boat."

Roberts said that the boat was in a dilapidated state and had barnacles growing on the hull.

NSRI Simon's Town are investigating the boat's origin and suspect that it may come from another country.

Source: Cape Times
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Sea-search for missing boy continues

Raggy (Ragged toothed shark) project

Conservation today is about bridging the divide between human beings and the environment, to ensure long-term, sustainable solutions. The Green Trust has been a pioneer of this approach, and supports projects that encapsulate it. Diving with ragged tooth sharks is such a project.

Most people fear and hate sharks. But the reality is that sharks have far more reason to fear humans. Over 71-million sharks and their relatives, rays, are killed in commercial fishing activities each year. This does not include those taken accidentally as by-catch and those thrown overboard.

The risk of extinction is high for many species of sharks and rays. They are used for their meat, fins, cartilage, leather, oil, gills, jaws and teeth. Sharks are slow growing, produce few young, and can take many years to reach sexual maturity. They are extremely vulnerable to over-fishing and once a population has been severely exploited, it could take decades for it to recover, assuming it recovers at all.

Fortunately there are growing numbers of tourists wanting to see sharks in their natural environment. Scuba-divers in particular seek out opportunities to dive with sharks of various kinds. But diving with sharks is risky ? for both the divers and, to the surprise of many, the sharks themselves.

Divers come from around the world to South Africa to dive with sharks, such as the ragged tooth shark, CarchariasTtaurus (or ?raggies? as they are locally known). Despite their large size and fearsome rows of sharp teeth, raggies are docile and allow divers to approach within a few metres. In winter and spring, ragged tooth sharks can be readily seen on the Aliwal Shoal ? a submerged reef on the east coast of South Africa, 50 kilometres south of Durban.

Raggies are fascinating creatures. Mothers give birth to two live young which spend their first few years in the waters of the Eastern Cape. When they?re old enough, the youngsters join the adults on the annual migration up the east coast to northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique. On the way, they spend some time at offshore reefs such as the Aliwal Shoal, where they may engage in courtship and mating.

In recent years, concerns have been raised that the raggies are being disturbed by diving activities at the Aliwal Shoal. Local operators and researchers have realised there is a need for more information about the raggies and their habits. A project currently being undertaken is looking into the impacts of scuba diving in this area.

The raggies can be individually identified by the cuts and notches in their fins, in addition to the spot patterns on their flanks. Photographs of these sharks taken over the past few years show that many of them repeatedly return to the Aliwal Shoal, but there appear to be fewer every year, although there is no known reason for this.

Some raggies have also been tagged with radio tags (pingers), which give off a high-frequency signal the sharks can?t hear, but which is detected and logged by underwater receiving stations. This helps us track the 24-hour movements of individual shark, in order to determine whether they are being disturbed, and move away when divers approach the caves and overhangs where the raggies rest during the day.

Globally the ragged tooth shark is currently listed as ?vulnerable?, although our raggie population in South Africa appears to be stable. Provided fishing restrictions remain, and scuba divers follow responsible diving guidelines when diving with raggies, our ragged tooth sharks should be safe for future generations of divers to enjoy.

For more information contact:
Mieke van Tienhoven
E-mail: raggie@posix.co.za

Prof. Vic Peddemors
E-mail: vmp@pixie.udw.ac.za

Website: http://sharks.csir.co.za
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Raggy (Ragged toothed shark) project

Ragged toothed shark facts

Ragged toothed sharks (Carcharias taurus) are called sand tiger sharks in the USA and grey nurse sharks in Australia.

Raggies can be recognised by:
- their two dorsal fins - they are of almost equal size - which is unusual in sharks.
- the top lobe of their tail is larger than the bottom lobe.
- the open mouth bearing rows of sharp spikey teeth
- their choice of habitat - reef structures, caves, overhangs, gullies.

Raggies are considered globally "vulnerable" as they are not as commonly found as they used to be.

In South Africa, raggies are found along our east coast from Cape Town all the way to southern Mozambique. They move up from the Cape waters in late winter to early spring, along the coast of KwaZulu Natal, towards Mozambique.

Raggies grow to about 3 metres in length: males - 220-270 cm total length and females 300 - 320cm total length.

Adult males can be recognised by the pair of claspers below their belly - check between the pelvic fins.

Two raggie "pups" are born every two years. The pups are born live and are about 1 metre in length at birth. While in the uterus, these pups eat the younger embryos, and eggs - a phenomenon called adelphophagy.

In Australia
In New South Wales, Australia, raggies are "critically endangered". Between 300 to 500 sharks are estimated to remain in the wild.

Fines of 220 000 Australian dollars can be imposed on anyone harming a raggie.

There are strict fishing and diving restrictions proposed to conserve the Aussie raggies.
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Ragged toothed shark facts

Whales beach en mass off Australia

Hobart - A second pod of 17 whales has died in a mysterious mass beaching on King Island in the Bass Strait off Australia's south coast following the fatal stranding of 80 whales and dolphins at the weekend, wildlife officials said on Monday.

Another 50 pilot whales were also reported to have stranded themselves on Maria Island, some 500km away to the south east of Australia's island state of Tasmania.

Rescuers were on their way to the area to try to drag the mammals back to sea, a spokesperson for Tasmania's environment department Warwick Brennan said.

He said the success of the rescue operation would depend on the condition of the animals and the depth of the water.

Brennan said rescuers had counted the bodies of 55 long-finned pilot whales and 25 dolphins stranded on a remote beach of King Island between Tasmania and the Australian mainland.

Local police herded a further 30 dolphins and 12 whales out to sea late on Sunday.

It is not known why the mammals are stranding themselves but a team of scientists has gone to King Island to help with post-mortems as part of the process of trying to discover a reason.

Locals first noticed the stranded animals on Sunday afternoon and immediately pitched in to try to save them.

"It is quite grim," Brennan said. "You've got a large number of spectacular animals that are dead on the beach. There are some baby whales as well, so it's not a pleasant sight."

The weekend stranding was the second in a year involving bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales on Tasmania's west coast.
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Whales beach en mass off Australia

27 November 2004

Operation Neptune back in full swing

Police appear set to continue with the anti-poaching unit Operation Neptune in the Southern Cape until the end of March.

This comes after the Cape Times ran articles on Monday about Operation Neptune's decision to pull out at the end of this month. With such a pull-out, perlemoen poaching at the behest of Chinese Triads and other crime syndicates could have rocketed.

The department of environment's marine and coastal management (MCM) and the Overstrand municipality's nature conservation department said on Thursday that there had been discussions with police and it had been resolved that Operation Neptune would stay in force until the end of March.

Source: www.iol.co.za
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Operation Neptune back in full swing

26 November 2004

Great Whites from a surfer's point of view

When Alex Macun was killed by a shark while surfing off Ntlonyana on the Transkei Wild Coast on June 29, 1982, it was the first time that someone relatively close to me had been taken. It was also the last. Alex and I were at school together, and although he was two years ahead of me, his younger brother, Ian, and I were close friends.

That I have only ever lost one acquaintance to a shark attack is in itself statistically significant (Tyna Webb's daughter and son-in-law are old friends of mine, but I had never met Tyna herself). The reason I say that is because I have been surfing and diving for over 40 years now. I began diving and surfing not long after I learnt to walk.

Most of that surfing and diving has been either in False Bay, in the Atlantic waters between Kommetjie and Cape Point, and in the waters between Rooi Els and Betty's Bay. Yes, I have seen sharks. Yes, I have had one or two close encounters, but never of the dangerous kind.

I have lost a number of friends to other causes: some have been journalists who have been killed in the line of fire, others have died in car accidents, one has been murdered, I lost two friends in one plane crash. But Alex is the only one to have been taken by a shark - and the overwhelming majority of my friends, acquaintances and family members are regular users of the sea, and are thus vulnerable to shark attacks.

That is why I was delighted by the way in which this newspaper chose to cover the astonishing photographs taken by chief photographer Andrew Ingram this week. In a helicopter flight over False Bay, Andrew photographed 11 great white sharks within four kilometres of each other. The sharks were concentrated in a stretch that includes some of the Cape's favourite surf spots, including Sunrise Beach, Surfer's Corner and Kalk Bay Reef.

It would have been all too easy to run a hysterical report along the lines of "False Bay teeming with great whites" and thus feeding into the atavistic fears of regular users of the sea. Instead, the Cape Times article was a sober and dispassionate piece of reporting, quoting shark experts as saying the high concentrations of sharks and the almost negligible number of attacks was further evidence that great whites do not naturally feed on humans.

My favourite quote in the story was from a shark expert who said: "if sharks really wanted to attack people, Muizenberg corner would be a yum-yum factory." Certainly, taking out a surfer at the corner would be a lot easier for a great white than it would be for your average lion trying to take an impala at a water hole.

So I will continue to surf, although my diving days are over because of dodgy eardrums. But even in my diving days, I was much more scared of getting tangled up in kelp, or being dashed against the rocks, or getting my arm trapped in a cave in search of crayfish, than I ever was of sharks. And when surfing, it is the catastrophic, consciousness-inducing wipe-out, or the uncontrolled aggression of other surfers that is far more of a worry than the sharks.

Even so, like every surfer, there are certain precautions I take: I don't surf near open river mouths, or sewage outlets. I don't surf after sunset (well, if the surf's really pumping, I do), and I never, ever, not in a million years, say the word "shark" when I'm in the water.

Surfers, you see, have this unshakeable belief that to use the word shark while out in the backline is inviting an attack. So we talk about "the men in grey suits" or the "Johnnies". My nine-year-old son learnt this the hard way. We were surfing together at Arniston, and it was getting towards sunset.

"Dad," Zac said to me, "don't the sharks start feeding near sunset?" I firmly admonished him to never use that word in the water because it was bad luck. He fell silent, then, in a tremulous little voice, said: "Dad, please can we go in, I'm getting really scared of those things whose name I'm not allowed to mention."

Source: Cape Times
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Great Whites from a surfer's point of view

Good shark reporting

There is nothing at all new in the presence of large numbers of these giant sharks close inshore in False Bay.

Fifty years ago, as a reporter on the Cape Times, I recall that we frequently quoted light-aircraft pilots who had spotted large concentrations in the bay of what, at that time, were known as Blue Pointers.

The dramatised term "Great Whites" was invented by some film producer, with box-office takings in mind.

Tragic as the recent attacks on humans have been, these surely point to the need for further research, and for greater caution and vigilance, rather than the mindless slaughter of these creatures in their natural habitat - as has been called for in outbursts of mass hysteria.

Source: Cape Times
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Good shark reporting

25 November 2004

Humans are not on sharks' menu, says expert

Large numbers of Great White sharks are swimming just beyond the False Bay breakers, close to swimmers and scores of surfers. These sharks have daily opportunities to attack people.

That fact that attacks are very rare proves that the sharks have little interest in hunting humans and gives lie to the current hysteria about shark attacks, say experts.

Read the full article at www.divesouthafrica.co.za
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Humans are not on sharks' menu, says expert

24 November 2004

Deep cave-dive to recover body

Dani�lskuil - Specialised equipment will be used early next year to bring back the remains of a young man who drowned in Bushman's Cave near here 10 years ago during a deep-diving adventure.

Team co-ordinator Derek Hughes of Johannesburg confirmed on Thursday that Captain David Shaw, 50, an Australian pilot with an airline in the Pacific, will tackle the daunting task of retrieving the remains from a depth of 271m. Shaw found the remains of Deon Dreyer, 20, of Vereeniging on October 29 on the uneven bottom of the freshwater cave.

Read the full article at
www.divesouthafrica.co.za
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Deep cave-dive to recover body

Demise of Operation Neptune leaves big gap

Fearing the worst, the Overstrand municipality's nature conservation arm, as well as the environment department's Marine and Coastal Management (MCM), are "gathering forces" to tide them over what they say is the busiest perlemoen poaching season from December to February. This follows the local police's withdrawal of the marine anti-poaching unit Operation Neptune next week, which could see an increase in poaching, plundering the future of the country's perlemoen stock.

Read the fill article at www.iol.co.za
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Demise of Operation Neptune leaves big gap

Elephant seal avoids rush-hour traffic

Blaaubergstrand residents have received an unusual visit from an elephant seal that wandered in from the ocean and onto a street, causing a stir among motorists making their way to work.

Table View police spokesperson Jakkie van Litsenborgh said: "The seal was spotted by one of the residents who reported it to the police. Members of our Crime Combat Unit were dispatched to the scene. The seal had made his way along the pavement and into Popham Street."

Litsenborgh said the seal had not been in danger.

"It was rather early in the morning, so traffic wasn't a problem for the animal to deal with."

People driving to work actually stopped to have a look at the seal and others made sure they drove slowly and didn't injure the animal."

"A few passers-by also assisted the policemen with the seal."

"They were able to guide it back to the ocean without harming it."

"It was returned to the water within 30 minutes."
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Elephant seal avoids rush-hour traffic

23 November 2004

Operation Zembe update: Divers find ancient homes

Cape Town - International divers have discovered several cave sites along the Cape Peninsula coast where ancient lost civilisations might have lived.

The team embarked on their search earlier this month after Dr Bruno Werz, a marine archaeologist, found a prehistoric axe, that could be 1.5m years old, in Table Bay nine years ago.

Read the full article here: www.divesouthafrica.co.za
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Operation Zembe update: Divers find ancient homes

Beaches closed after shark sightings

Sightings of several sharks cruising fairly close to shore along the False Bay coastline caused the temporary closure of some beaches at the weekend.

Senior law-enforcement inspector for the City of Cape Town Arnold Roberts said beaches from Muizenberg to Fish Hoek were temporarily closed on Friday and Saturday as sharks were sighted by spotters and law-enforcement officials along the False Bay coastline.

The first sighting, about 9am on Saturday, was of a shark that Roberts described as "huge and clearly visible".

He said it had been seen between St James and Bailey's Cottage, where there had been a few surfers in the water.

The shark was moving towards Surfer's Corner in Muizenberg, and Roberts estimated it to be, "six metres long". He said it was seen "hugging the rocks" about 100m from the shore and was "a beautiful thing to see".

Roberts said that despite the fatal shark attack on Sunny Cove resident Tyna Webb last Monday at Jagger Walk "the normal, average crowd" of beach-goers had continued to frequent popular bathing spots like Fish Hoek, St James and Muizenberg.

He said that beaches like Surfer's Corner, main and east beaches at Muizenberg and Sunrise Beach were all closed at different times at the weekend due to other isolated sightings. Swimmers were cautioned by lifeguards and municipal officers to leave the water until conditions proved safe, said Roberts.

He noted that people's attitudes had changed, "especially since the incident with teenage surfer JP Andrew from Lakeside earlier this year". JP lost a leg in a shark attack at Surfer's Corner, Muizenberg.

Swimmers and those visiting beaches had become more aware and careful of the possible danger in the water, said Roberts.
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Beaches closed after shark sightings

22 November 2004

Operation Zembe update: Prehistoric site found in underwater cave

A team of international scuba divers have located an underwater cave which reveals "promising signs" of prehistoric human activity.

Maritime archaeologist Dr Bruno Werz described the site in False Bay on the Cape coast as "worthy of international exploration and excavation".

Read more on this at
www.divesouthafrica.co.za
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Operation Zembe update: Prehistoric site found in underwater cave

If you hear a siren, get out of the water

Lifesavers at Fish Hoek and other beaches are stepping up their safety measures to prevent further shark attacks.

This follows the fatal attack on 77-year-old Tyna Webb of Fish Hoek a week ago and numerous shark sightings off the Fish Hoek, St James and Muizenberg shores since then.

However, lifesavers warned on Sunday that swimming while drunk would be a bigger killer this summer than sharks.

Read the full article at www.iol.co.za
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If you hear a siren, get out of the water

Perlemoen slaughter reaches a crisis point

In the battle against poaching, there are good guys and bad guys. Some police officers have been suspended for perlemoen poaching, and last week three Marines were suspended for transporting abalone. An uphill battle against perlemoen poachers rages on. It is reaching a crisis point.

Read the full article at Dive South Africa
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Perlemoen slaughter reaches a crisis point

Plenty more fish in sea, says marine expert

South Africa's offshore resources have never been in a healthier state, with the fishing industry bringing in a record total allowable catch of more than 500 000 tons of sardines, pilchards and round herring.

Read the full article here: www.iol.co.za
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Plenty more fish in sea, says marine expert

Fish Hoek lifeguards launch shark watch

The Fish Hoek Surf Life Saving Club has set up a permanent shark watch to patrol the beach and scare off sharks that have caused panic among swimmers.

On Saturday, there were at least three shark alerts and people were told to get out of the water when a 3m shark was spotted about 100m offshore.

The shark watch initiative follows the fatal attack on Fish Hoek resident Tyna Webb, 78, this week.

Read more on www.iol.co.za
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Fish Hoek lifeguards launch shark watch

19 November 2004

Sharks still 'haunt' Fish Hoek

"Had it not been for two seals close inshore, a shark would certainly have attacked another swimmer today," said fisherman George Cameron, who saw them being eaten.

Cameron, a seine fisherman, said he saw a shark of about three metres attack and eat two seals near Fish Hoek beach on Thursday afternoon.

The attack was in the same area where Mrs Tyna Webb, 78, was attacked and killed by a 6m shark. Webb's body has vanished and only her bathing cap has been found.

Apart from the shark at Fish Hoek, two others were spotted at Glencairn earlier in the morning.

Martin Williams, chairperson of the Fish Hoek Life-Saving Club, said: "One was a big shark and the other one somewhat smaller.

"There were no lifesavers to warn swimmers and there also are also no shark nets to protect bathers."

Blew whistles to warn swimmers
The shark that attacked the seals was seen about 13:50 at Fish Hoek.

There were about 30 bathers in the sea when it was spotted by the trek-fishermen from their observation post on the mountainside. The warning signal was sounded shortly after the shark had been spotted. Two lifesavers sprinted down the beach and blew on their whistles to warn swimmers to leave the water and the shark warning flag was hoisted.

A second shark was seen near the beach about an hour later. According to the fishermen at the observation post, the shark swam around in circles for about 10 minutes before it left the bathing area. The fishermen said they have seen six sharks close to the Fish Hoek and Glencairn beaches since the attack on Webb.

According to Linda Schmidt of Fish Hoek, the presence of sharks in the water does not deter her.

New buoys are being installed
"I keep on swimming and have confidence in the ability of the trek-fishermen to spot the sharks and sound a warning to protect me."

Apart from the newly established co-operation between the seine fishers, lifesavers and police to prevent shark attacks, new buoys are being installed to demarcate the swimming area, says a Fish Hoek Lifesavers Club statement.

During the festive season a helicopter will fly spotting patrols up and down the surf to warn bathers of shark activity. The lifesavers' rubber dinghy will also be used for regular patrols and be on the lookout for sharks.
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Sharks still 'haunt' Fish Hoek

18 November 2004

Sea conditions may have drawn shark to shore

How much is known about the behaviour of sharks and what conclusions can be drawn after the fatal attack of swimmer Tyna Webb of Fish Hoek?

Despite all the theorising and the often emotive debate surrounding the attack and the seeming increase in the number of attacks around the Peninsula over the past few years, these questions still require answers.

Read the full article here: www.divesouthafrica.co.za
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Sea conditions may have drawn shark to shore

Cape Peninsula launches projects to curb shark attacks

In the absence of what they say is any effective official reaction or response to Monday's fatal shark attack at Fishoek, Cape Peninsula residents and organisations have launched their own initiatives and using their own funds in an attempt to prevent further fatalities.

Read more here : www.sabcnews.com
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Cape Peninsula launches projects to curb shark attacks

17 November 2004

Facts about the Great White Shark

The Great White Shark:

  • Immediately swims away from its mother after it's born
  • Reaches maturity about 9 years after its birth
  • Has litters of about 7-9 pups
  • Is between 12-16 feet long, and can grow up to 19-21 feet
  • Has about 3 000 teeth, the first two rows used for grabbing and cutting prey
  • Has a dull, grey colour back and a white underside
  • Is the largest predatory fish in the ocean, and the top predator of the sea
  • Feeds on sea mammals, especially sea lions and seals
  • Counts on the element of surprise as it hunts
  • Usually positions itself underneath its prey, swims upward at a fast sprint, bursts out of the water in a leap called a breach, and falls back into the water with its prey when hunting
  • Doesn't chew its food, but rips off chunks of meat and swallows it whole
  • Lives in all coastal temperate waters
  • Can be found in water as shallow as three feet deep
  • Can be found on the coastlines of California to Alaska, the east coast of the USA, most of the Gulf coast, Hawaii, most of South America, South Africa, Australia (except the north coast), New Zealand, Mediterranean Sea, West Africa to Scandinavia, Japan, and the eastern coastline of China to Russia
  • Can last a month or two without another big meal after eating a seal or a sea lion
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Facts about the Great White Shark

Panic attack

The hysteria around shark attacks never ceases to amaze me. They hardly happen in South Africa, and when they do we have to endure countless extreme over-reactions.

Inevitably, in Cape Town, there'll be debates about whether we should put up shark nets or not, and make the choice to blithely overlook the fact that they kill all kinds of other sea creatures. Including those cute dolphins.

Read more at www.news24.com
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Panic attack

Call to hunt down 'rogue shark'

Cape Town - Pressure was mounting on Tuesday for authorities to declare the shark that killed an elderly Fish Hoek woman a "rogue shark" and for it to be killed.

Fish Hoek residents feel the shark that attacked Tyna Webb, 78, has tasted "human flesh" in the past. They are afraid it will come back to the area and take more innocent lives.

Read the full article at www.news24.com
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Call to hunt down 'rogue shark'

Marine experts reject calls for shark nets

Emotions are running high after a shark killed an elderly woman in the Fish Hoek bay on Monday morning, and calls for the shark to be killed and for shark nets at swimming spots are on the rise.

But Marine and Coastal management (MCM) said it would not hunt down the shark that killed 77-year-old Tyna Webb because it could not be sure of killing the same animal.

MCM is also unlikely to put up shark nets in False Bay, which experts have described as expensive death traps for large numbers of sea creatures.

Read the full article at www.iol.co.za
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Marine experts reject calls for shark nets

Search for shark attack victim called off

The search for the remains of shark attack victim Tyna Webb has been called off, with a beach walk by law enforcement officials and lifeguards turning up nothing on Tuesday morning.

"We called off the search... We found nothing," confirmed National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

Webb, 77, was attacked and killed by a great white shark while swimming off Fish Hoek beach on Monday.On Monday a sea fisheries vessel, two lifesaving boats and a helicopter combed the sea for her body, with police divers later joining the search. Only a red bathing cap, believed to have belonged to Webb, was found soon after the attack, which has stunned the Fish Hoek community.
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Search for shark attack victim called off

16 November 2004

Tips for avoiding shark attacks

  • Avoid swimming with an open wound, as sharks can detect blood.
  • Don't swim at dawn, dusk, and at night when sharks are most active.
  • Avoid swimming in the vicinity of open rivers.
  • Don't swim alone, always swim in groups.
  • When visiting an unfamiliar area, always ask for local advice.
  • Be cautious, especially when spear fishing.
  • Obey instructions from lifeguards and other beach officials.
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      Tips for avoiding shark attacks

      Five new sharks halt search

      Cape Town - The search for the body of shark attack victim Tyna Webb has been scaled down to foot patrols along the Fish Hoek beach and catwalk.

      Craig Lambinon for Sea Rescue told News24 on Tuesday police divers would not return to the bay to look for the 78-year-old woman's body. He said he was satisfied that a thorough search was conducted on Monday, with a rescue helicopter and the NSRI's boats, harbour patrol and police divers combing the water and the beaches for any sign of the body.

      A person close to the investigation said police divers were ordered out of the water at about 14:00 when five sharks were spotted in the bay. "Some of those sharks were very close to surfers," he said. He said there was a slim chance of finding the body.

      He said the water was very clear on Monday, and helicopter and rescue boat crews, who spotted the sharks, would also have spotted a body. Lambinon said law enforcement and lifeguards would patrol the beach and catwalk and monitor the situation.

      "We are not going to handcuff people who want to swim. They are doing so at their own risk. But then again, they have been doing so all along. "Bathers and surfers must be aware of the danger, and must keep their own vigil.

      He said although it was not unusual for sharks to be close inshore according to the Natal Shark board, the shark that attacked Tyna Webb was behaving out of character.

      "According to the history of shark attacks, it is unusual for a shark to attack a human being more than once. Usually it would give one bite, probably thinking it's a seal, and then leave the person alone. "One theory is that the adrenalin a human produces puts off the sharks. "In this instance, the shark apparently attacked three times," said Lambinon.
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      Five new sharks halt search

      Shark hunting 'not a solution'

      "You are more likely to win the lottery than be attacked by a Great White shark," says Dr Len Campagno, a shark expert at the South African Museum, after the attack on Tyna Webb in Fish Hoek.

      He said sharks did not chase people. "If that were the case, there would have been a shark attack almost every day."

      Read the full article: www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/messages/35.html
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      Shark hunting 'not a solution'

      Latest Shark Attack Statistics in South Africa

      October 2003: David Bornman died from injuries inflicted by a great white shark at Noordhoek.

      April 2004: John Paul Andrew (17) lost his right leg to a great white shark while surfing at Muizenberg in the Cape. His recovery was considered a miracle after his heart stopped on the beach and he was only resuscitated later in the emergency room. He has since received a prosthetic leg and has started surfing again.

      Later that month, a fisherman came face to face with a breaching great white whose eye was just centimetres from his own.

      In June 2004, Nkosinathi Mayaba was killed by a Great White near Gansbaai.

      August 2004: KwaZulu Natal fisherman were terrified when a great white shark jumped out of the water and attacked their ski boat. Later they found teeth marks on the back of the boat and a bent propeller.

      October 2004: SA Masters surf champion Wayne Monk had his right foot tugged on by a ragged-tooth shark at Jeffreys Bay. Monk suffered five bites on the top, and two underneath the foot.

      ----------------
      According to Natal Sharks Board statistics, there have been 71 shark attacks in Cape waters since 1990 - seven fatal. In KwaZulu-Natal there has been one fatality in 16 attacks since 1991.
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      Latest Shark Attack Statistics in South Africa

      Killer shark may have been aroused says expert

      The behaviour of the Great White shark that attacked swimmer Tyna Webb three times before it dragged her under the water appeared to be that of "a very determined and motivated shark", according to Geremy Cliff of Natal Sharks Board.

      Read the full article here:
      www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/messages/33.html
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      Killer shark may have been aroused says expert

      Shark Attack - Eyewitness reports

      An elderly Fish Hoek woman is missing after being attacked by a shark off Jagger Walk early on Monday, in full view of horrified onlookers. Read the latest reports from eyewitnesses.

    • The shark is bigger than the helicopter
    • All that was left was a red cap
    • Witnesses tell of shark victim's last seconds

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      Shark Attack - Eyewitness reports

      15 November 2004

      Woman missing after shark attack in Fish Hoek

      A Metro emergency helicopter despatched to the scene of an apparent shark attack at Fish Hoek Beach, outside Cape Town, returned to base without locating a woman who was apparently attacked by a Great White shark early on Monday morning.

      Read the full article at www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/messages/29.html
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      Woman missing after shark attack in Fish Hoek

      Underwater Hand Signals

      Hand signals remain the most widespread method of underwater communication despite fancy devices that allow you to actually talk with and listen to other divers, providing they have compatible equipment. You could spend big bucks on this type of equipment or indulge in dive slates. For safety purposes, you should still recognize the common hand signals, a form of sign language.

      Read more at: www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/messages/28.html
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      Underwater Hand Signals

      04 November 2004

      South Africa woman breaks world scuba diving record

      South Africa woman breaks world scuba diving record
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      South Africa woman breaks world scuba diving record

      Dive South Africa is proud to be part of Operation Zembe

      Dive South Africa is proud to be part of Operation Zembe
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      Dive South Africa is proud to be part of Operation Zembe

      03 November 2004

      No shark cage? Hogwash, says operator

      Shark tour operator Andr� Hartman, who was bitten by a baby Great White shark on the foot at the weekend, says allegations that he is operating without using a cage are "hogwash" and are just rumours put out by rival operators.

      Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) are investigating claims that Hartman was operating without using a cage, which is one of the conditions stipulated in his permit.

      MCM communications officer Carol Moses said an investigation was under way regarding the allegations.

      "He allegedly transgressed the conditions of his permit issued by the department. When we issue a permit there are certain conditions," said Moses.

      Responding to the investigation, Hartman said he suffered a stroke earlier in 2004 and there was "no way I am going to jump into the water".

      "The claim is a whole lot of hogwash," said Hartman.
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      No shark cage? Hogwash, says operator

      02 November 2004

      Shark attack: Official probe

      Cape Town - Marine and Coastal Management has launched an intensive investigation into an incident over the weekend when a shark-diving operator was attacked by a shark, allegedly because he was "doing what he wasn't permitted to do".

      Andre Hartman, 52, was bitten on the foot in Gansbaai while his leg was apparently hanging over the side of his boat. He was busy chumming - luring sharks to the boat with bait.

      For more information, read the full article at www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/messages/27.html
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      Shark attack: Official probe

      01 November 2004

      Shark bites cage-dive operator

      Cape Town - A world-famous shark expert and cage-dive operator had a close call on Sunday when a Great White shark bit his foot.

      Andr� Hartman, 52, was busy chumming - trying to attract sharks - during the incident.

      According to JP Botha, a colleague who was on the boat with him, Hartman sat on the boat's engine and dangled his foot over the side of the boat.

      Botha and Hartman were taking clients from the Czech and Slovak republics for a dive with the sharks.

      "Andr� watched how a shark approach the boat and then swim away. He looked away for split-second as someone on the boat spoke to him," Botha said.

      "When he looked in the direction of the water again, he saw the shark going for his foot.

      "After a stroke in January that affected his right leg, he couldn't move it as fast as he had to. For this reason he did not get his foot out of the water in time and got bitten by the shark," Botha said.

      Botha said Hartman was not seriously injured, although the wound bled a lot. According to Botha, everyone on the boat stayed calm during the incident.

      "We were about 2 km from the dock. We were back in a flash, and Andr� was taken to the doctor's rooms.

      Freak accident
      The doctor treated Hartman's wound and he was sent home with 20 stitches to his foot.

      According to Botha, Hartman wanted to go out on the boat again on Sunday. "He has to rest for a full week, however, to give his foot the chance to fully recover."

      Botha, who describes the incident as a "freak accident", believes it's the first time in eight years that something like this has happened.

      According to him there is no "logical connection between the throwing of bait" and what happened to Hartman.

      There was an uproar earlier this year about the use of bait by shark-cage divers.

      Those opposed to the use of bait are of the opinion that cage divers endanger the public because sharks start associating people with food.

      It is feared that this could lead to an increase in shark attacks.
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      Shark bites cage-dive operator

      Body of diver found 10 years on

      Danielskuil - Almost ten years after a young man drowned in a deep dive attempt in the Bushmen's Hole near here, an Australian diver this week found his remains on the uneven bottom of the freshwater cave.

      Mr David Shaw, 50, now from Hong Kong, also set a new world deep dive record of 271m with re-breather apparatus (where the same gas is re-used after it has been purified by chemicals in the cylinder).

      The finding of the diver's remains came three days after Verna van Schalkwyk, 34, an information technologist from Johannesburg, became the first woman in the world to dive to a depth of 221m here - the deepest dive for a woman so far.

      She also established a new record for women in cave diving and is the woman who has dived the deepest in water at this altitude.

      Mr Derek Hughes, team coordinator, said yesterday Shaw went into the pool at 07:00 on Thursday.

      "Dave then looked for the steepest descent and went down a further 10m and then moved 20m horizontally.

      "While moving his light beam around, he saw the diver's remains down the incline.

      "He then decided to end his own effort and swam towards the spot.

      "According to his depth gauge it was at 271m.?

      On his way to Welkom on Friday, where he was to be treated in a decompression tank for pains in his arms, he said the remains of the diver was lying on its back.

      "It was clad in a diving suit, complete with diving gear and diving goggles. I could see the bones of the skull.

      "I could not move the skeleton from its watery grave as the oxygen cylinders were embedded in the mud.

      "I then took a rope, tied it to the diving suit and also to a calibrated line.

      "It took me nine hours and 30 minutes to reach the surface."

      Shaw spent five and a half hours in the decompression tank on Friday as prevention measure against the possibility of "the bends" (caisson disease).

      Shaw is a captain of a passenger airline in the Pacific and will fly back to Hong Kong on Monday after a ten day holiday in South Africa.

      Hughes said after ten years the remains of the diver were now connected to the surface with a line.

      "We are almost 100% sure that it is the body of Deon Dreyer, 20, of Vereeniging.
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      Body of diver found 10 years on