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Surfer fatally bitten by shark off Australia's east coast

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27 Comments
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“Yeah, it will change the fabric a little bit for a little while in EB, that’s for sure,” 

And then we’ll all go back to normal and it will not have made a difference. So, it doesn’t really matter.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

I love surfing, body boarding and body surfing with hand fins. Never ran into a shark at Kugenuma, but in Florida all the time.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sad. Sharks generally do not attack humans - we're not yummy. But if you're wearing a black wetsuit, you look a lot like a seal, which are yummy., So keep that in mind when you choose your wetsuit coloring.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Black suits help to keep you warm when the sun is out. I use gray and red usually so I stand out from the crowd.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Even if it’s off our pristine coasts of Hawaii, California, Florida or Australia, sharks are essentiallycolorblind’. Looking up from below at you in your wetsuit atop a board makes you looks like a yummy seal or sea lion.

1/15/2020- https://www.sharkophile.com/2020/01/15/new-study-finds-sharks-are-essentially-colorblind/ -

Kugenuma[??]:have to consider the daily wave/water quality scale rated on surfinginJapan.com:

“Water Quality: 4-6 (1=clean; 10=turds in the lineup)”

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

LagunaToday  03:25 pm JST

Sad. Sharks generally do not attack humans - we're not yummy. But if you're wearing a black wetsuit, you look a lot like a seal, which are yummy., So keep that in mind when you choose your wetsuit coloring.

This is repeated on every tv program related to sharks and shark attacks. And it is indeed a fact.

But what is never mentioned is that a surfer/swimmer on the surface with the sky behind them always looks black regardless of color of wetsuit, when seen from below. This holds true in both moonlight instead of sunlight.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Notice the new terminology? It wasn't a shark attack. The surfer was fatally bitten. Completely different!

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

@Kyaku: Sharks keep away from Kugenuma because the river that runs into it smells like chemicals often and tons of Japanese garbage rolls in during storms.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Haven’t’ surf ‘down under’ and to be honest, the great whites there and South Africa are frightening. Will ‘stick’ with my ‘Aloha’ state and Florida’s SE coast where first learned to surf. (No waves and way too many hammerheads and bulls in the Gulf of Mexico.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Some good advice? According to another[?] “local” @4:33pm, forget about small sharks giving an occasional barney bump to those sunfried, expat hodads that lurk in that murky water. They [?] wrote that Kugenuma is “smelly, filthy with garbage and chemicals” and potentially, cancerous.

*- @Kyakusenbi_Arimasu 4:33p: “Sharks keep away from Kugenuma because the river that runs into it smells like chemicals often and tons of Japanese garbage rolls in during storms.” -*

Persons with pre-existing health conditions should perhaps stay out of that water, too.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

New South Wales state is under a coronavirus lockdown but people can leave their homes for exercise, including swimming. People from the same family can go to the beach for Father's Day.

Not much of a lockdown then is it?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

BigYenToday 04:03 pm JST

Mr Kipling:

Notice the new terminology? It wasn't a shark attack. The surfer was fatally bitten.

What, you think this is some kind of woke shark thing? Read a bit further.

"He said it was the first shark attack in the community that he and other locals knew of."

It was reported a couple of weeks ago that shark "attacks " would no longer be referred to as attacks. It gives them a bad reputation as they usually aren't attacking but just checking out whats going on. Unfortunately sharks check stuff out using their teeth.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Oh, come on! Sharks have 200 million years of evolution and a sixth sense. They do not mistake surfers for seals. The attacks are are territorial and/or interfering with its hunting. Sharks do not hunt and eat humans. Even in this attack the surfer was only bitten once on the arm. It’s just that a shark bite causes so much tissue damage most victims die of blood loss before they can receive first aid. I had a 4m great white shark swim right underneath me surfing off Philip Island near Melbourne. There is a large seal colony there. The shark was not interested in me. He knew I was there long before I saw him. He wanted a seal. It just confirms that sharks do not mistake humans for seals. It was the luckiest day of my life.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Notice the new terminology? It wasn't a shark attack. The surfer was fatally bitten. Completely different!

The word attack is used 3 times in the article, bitten 2 times. You’re looking for trouble that doesn’t exist.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Re ‘bitten’.

Quote: he had a critical arm injury and could not be revived,

Actually he had his arm ripped right off. I do think the language in this article has been softened.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

 It just confirms that sharks do not mistake humans for seals

Your personal experience confirms it ay....

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Think it was you who had the “sixth sense@Dothehustle 6:54pm! Your personal account was harrowing:

*- “ I had a 4m great white swim right underneath me surfing off Philip Isl. near Melbourne, a large seal colony there…not interested in me…knew I was there long before I saw him. He wanted a seal. It was the luckiest day of my life.”*

Agreed, right “lucky” you were.

- “ He wanted a seal. It just confirms that sharks do not mistake humans for seals. It was the luckiest day of my life.” -

But, that seems ‘anecdotal’ while the science & evolution you cited seems more ‘practical’ advice. So, both your experience and biology dictate why the many inexperienced and unskilled should perhaps not be in the water. I’ll just stay in the boat and have a Tooheys when ‘down under’. - Cocktails, anyone?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I’ll just stay in the boat and have a Tooheys when ‘down under’.

A Tooheys or two, rather than a tooth. Wiseman, very.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_and_Co.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Lived in Australia for three years. The vast majority of people swim and play in clearly designated areas that are protected with shark nets, patrolled by lifeguards and helicopters. You're more likely to drown than be attacked by a shark. Sadly surfers and advanced swimmers aren't provided the same protection probably because there's too much area to patrol. Choppers will give surfers a heads-up if they see a shark near them but that's about it. At your own risk.

Sharks don't hunt and eat humans? Really? They are apex predators and if hungry enough will hunt and eat pretty much anything. Of course there may be easier prey than a human but if you're alone in the water for an extended period of time in unpatrolled waters, assuming they don't hunt and eat humans would not bode well for you.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

MilesTeg

Sharks don't hunt and eat humans? Really? They are apex predators and if hungry enough will hunt and eat pretty much anything. Of course there may be easier prey than a human but if you're alone in the water for an extended period of time in unpatrolled waters, assuming they don't hunt and eat humans would not bode well for you.

Most sharks will completely ignore humans. I have dived with sharks in a feeding frenzy and none were close to attacking me or my dive buddies. That was because they were reef sharks. Only a few breeds will attack humans: Great White, Oceanic White Tip, Tiger, Bull and Mako.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've been out in that area of sea on fishing trawlers at night.

I've seen 50, 60 sharks following our boat when pulling the nets up...

It's a strange feeling to have that many anamals following you.

It's probably more dangerous driving to the beach for a swim but every now and then whenever I'm in the ocean I get a similar feeling....

RIP old mate .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sharks have been around for many millions of years. They are well suited to their environment. That doesn't mean I have to like them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Shelley Beach is my home beach in Oz, I have a house 10 minutes walk from the sand.

Surfed there over a thousand times and never saw a shark.

The village of Emerald Beach is close knit, 99% like to surf and swim.

This will hurt for some time.

Shark attacks have greatly increased in Australia over the past 10 years.

I dont know the reason, but note for about 20 years the Great White has been a protected species in Australia

Snakes are also protected.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Some species of sharks and snakes should be protected the same as any other less cuddly members of the animal kingdom.

It won’t stop mindless yahoos; the highly endangered Japanese Crane gets shot by farmers. But there should be penalties.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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