AfricanDiver.com

Tourist attacked in shallow water

A Zimbabwean tourist on a month-long holiday lost his life in a shark attack in Fish Hoek, Cape Town.

“Lifeguard Frederick Wagenvoorde was on his tower and saw lots of splashing and thrashing around in the water, and then a lot of blood,” said Colleen Saunders, regional co-ordinator for Life-saving, Western Province.

The attack happened at 3.15pm. Other bathers were unaware of the attack until lifeguards signalled to them to get out of the water.

The man’s partner was on the beach but, it is understood, did not see the attack.

Three craft from the National Sea Rescue Institute, a dinghy from Western Province Lifesaving, a helicopter and about 15 lifeguards combed sea, air and land yesterday in search of the victim.

His body had not been found by late last night.

“The man has been identified but [his] family has not yet been notified,” Saunders said.

The man, who lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was due to spend a month in South Africa with his partner before leaving for the UK.

One of his two daughters lives in Kenya and the other in the US.

They had not been told of their father’s death at the time of going to press last night.

The NSRI’s Ian Klopper said the man was standing chest-deep in the water adjusting his goggles when he was dragged below the surface.

“The man’s partner was here but we have sent her home. She is very shocked but is remaining hopeful, but the outlook does not look good,” Klopper said.

Eye witness, Sally Wentworth, who lives on the mountainside overlooking the beach, said she heard shouting, looked outside and saw “red in the sea”.

“At first it looked as if there were dolphins, a flurry in the water. Then I saw something floating in the water, obviously the body, and the shark’s fin coming up, well above the water. It was not a nice thing to have witnessed.”

Wentworth said the attack was over in about three minutes.

“We normally hear the siren [sounded by shark-spotters, warning swimmers to leave the water] but not this time. The black flag was out indicating conditions were too difficult for shark-spotters to see into the water,” she said.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen, of the Save Our Seas Foundation, said the attack was the first indication that sharks were in the area.

The NSRI put out an alert on Monday to warn surfers and swimmers about increased shark activity in False Bay.

In 2004, regular Fish Hoek beach swimmer Tyna Webb, 77, was attacked by what was believed to have been a Great White shark. Her body was not found.

Alison Kock, director of research for the shark-spotting programme, which records behaviour and movement of the sharks, said the previous attack on a swimmer was in 2007.

“We have daily sightings but attacks are pretty rare,” he said.

Click here for source

Cape Town’s disaster management warned bathers to be on the lookout for great white sharks who traditionally cruise that stretch of the coast for a nibble at this time of year.

“The appearance of white sharks is normal during peak summer months in Cape Town near in-shore areas, as these sharks are known to hunt and feed along this stretch of coastline at this time of year,” spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said today.

The sharks have not been seen coming close to the beaches or near swimmers. Shark spotters have seen them along the False Bay coastline between Sunrise Beach and Fish Hoek.

Bathers and swimmers along the False Bay coastline are urged to be cautious and to adhere to the safety warnings of shark spotters.

When the spotters sound their alarms to warn of shark sightings near to bathing and surfing areas, bathers and surfers must leave the water immediately until the danger passes.

Information on recent shark movements in False Bay is available on the Shark Spotters website sharkspotters.org.za

Click here for source

LIFEGUARDS at East London’s Nahoon Beach had to hoist the shark warning flag yesterday after a surfer claimed he was knocked off his surfboard by a shark.

Buffalo City Municipality’s amenities programmes manager Keshav Panday said the surfer had been paddling out when he was bumped by what could have been a great white shark.

The surfer, who was alone in the water at the time, warned lifeguards and others on the beach of the possible danger.

The flag was immediately hoisted to alert everyone.

“We can confirm that a great white shark was spotted in Nahoon Beach by a surfer. The two bumped into each other but nothing happened to the surfer,” said Panday.

“We quickly erected those flags just to warn people that they must be extra careful in that area as the shark might be still around,” said Panday.

The surfer who claimed to have had an encounter with the great white could not be reached yesterday.

Click here for source

George - Photographs of a huge Great White Shark being dissected at the Point in Mossel Bay caused a stir around the country this week, with people sending the pictures around by e-mail.

“The shark of about 4.3m, which was dissected on Friday in Mossel Bay, landed in nets of the Natal Sharks Board at the Zinkwasi beach in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Dawie Zwiegelaar of the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Mossel Bay office on Wednesday.

According to Geremy Cliff, head of the Natal Sharks Board, the female shark was weak but alive, when it was found. It was also marked.

“Staff from the Sharks Board tried in vain to free her, but she was clearly confused and was found dead in the nets early the next morning.”

Cliff said the shark was dragged to the beach and taken to their head office in Umhlanga to be cut open as part of their research into feeding and reproduction.

Filmed

At the request of British documentary film production company Windfall Films, it was decided to keep the shark until the film crew could film the dissection in Mossel Bay.

According to Dr Ryan Johnson, head of Ocean Research in Mossel Bay, Windfall Films wanted to film in the area due to the natural beauty. Windfall Films was busy with the second series in their popular programme Inside Nature’s Giants.

The shark was dissected on Friday at the Point by staff from the Sharks Board.

The photographs that created such a buzz were taken at the time.

“It isn’t one of our sharks, we don’t have such small sharks,” joked Zwiegelaar on Wednesday.

Source: - Die Burger

So here it is, our first anniversary issue. We can’t believe it’s been a year already. Where has the time gone? 7 issues have gone by in a blur. We hope you enjoy the magazine as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. We have a fascinating article by Gordon Hiles on filming great white sharks in the early days. Andrew Woodburn takes us to his favourite dive spot at Pomeme, Mozambique. The Moving Sushi team educate us on fishing regulations in the EU and Dr Lynne Hepplestone de-bunks the medicinal myths of shark cartilage. DAN medical and DAN research offer fascinating insights into diver safety. And as usual we feature stunning photographs. Enjoy the read.

Click here to download

The regulating of whale watching and shark cage diving businesses will begin this month. The Environmental Affairs Department has said it will begin issuing permits in accordance with the two boat-based activities gazetted last year.

A fee of R8 249 which will be required with each application will be non-refundable.

Under section 13 of the Marine Living Resources Act, the permits will be allocated for a maximum period of one year and re-allocated each year for five years from the date of the initial allocation.

“(The policies) are aimed at providing and improving regulatory and compliance frameworks in each sector, growing both sectors through the allocation of a greater number of permits and transforming the industries.”

White shark cage diving will be restricted to Seal Island in False Bay, Dyer Island in Gansbaai, Quoin Rock at Quoin Point, Seal Island in Mossel Bay and Algoa Bay while boat-based whale watching will be allowed in 27 different coastal areas.