renth

Did anyone see the thing on the news in WA last night about the 5 great white sightings near Perth beaches recently?

Colin Barnett, the Opposition leader, is advocating killing them on the spot despite them being a protected species.

Apparently the aerial patrols start in November but they are thinking about starting them in September now.

They showed some footage of a MASSIVE great white being pursued by a fisheries department boat, I think this was the one that killed the bloke at Cottesloe a couple of years ago.

I don't fancy coming across that big bastard on my Sunday morning surfing lesson.

owieb

Yeah I saw that Renth, and the article in the West this morning. Some guy going on about how he was terrorised by a shark whilst on his jet ski off swanbourne!

So long as they keep away from Pinaroo Point where I go kiting I'll be happy.

renth

You mean this one:

http://www.thewest.com.au/20031031/n...sto115026.html


:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

Matt & Jo

Yikes, that's a bit scarey!!!!

Did not see the news, but heard on the radio that the patrols were starting on Saturday.

I used to be really brave and go into the sea up to my knee's but after reading that I am going to just paddle from now on!!!!

I have been the same since seeing Jaws....

Jo x:scared:

renth

Classic quote from the canoeist who was harassed by a great white that "looked like an aeroplane"

"It was so wide it looked like an aeroplane going under the ski - the noise of the water was just phenomenal," he said.

"For those who think we should keep these sharks, I invite them to come and join me for a swim at Cottesloe."

downunderpom

I'm curious how anyone can be 'terrorised' by a shark when on a jet ski that will leave any shark in the ocean standing in the water?

Put the sh*ts up him, yeah, but 'terrorised'?

The shark's in its natural environment. He's not. Anyway, having nearly had my head taken off by an irrisponsible jet skiier when coming up from a dive (despite having a bloody great SMB (surface marker buoy) in my hand, I have little time for jet skiiers. Divers often refer to them as 'rats of the ocean'.

(Now THAT should stir up some reactions!! )

renth

It wasn't a jet ski it was one of those skinny canoe things, surf skis I think they are called.

downunderpom

I stand corrected!

Hasn't it been proven that the majority of shark attacks are because of mistaken identity? that they don't actually like the taste of humans (although where they got the taste testing done....)

owieb

Yeah that was my mistake in the original post. I still think surf ski's are jet-skis!

Some friends said to us one day that they had just bought a couple of surf-skis and I thought great can't wait to go out on those. Then they rock up with a couple of canoes and I'm like wheres the engine!?!

owieb

Apparently they like the surfers because when they are paddling on the board they look like turtles from below. Though why a shark would go for turtle I'm not sure.

renth

I believe what Great Whites do is hit the intended pray with a massive "exploratory" or "killer" bite. Then go back to eat if it tastes OK, like seal, for example.

The problem is this massive initial bite is usually enogh to do serious or fatal damage, to seals and people.

downunderpom

Don't you like crusty pies?

owieb

In Perth people seem pretty responsible. They have dedicated areas (on the river and the ocean) for jet-skis, water skiing etc and people do tend to stick to them.

There's so much water for everyone to use they make sure that whatever your water pursuit there is somewhere for you to do it.

Plus people tend to know which spots are used by which type of people.

owieb

No I like soft squadgy ones!

downunderpom

You've just triggered my memory - the USB for Perth shows large areas of the Swan marked off as 'jet-ski areas'.

Pity they don't do that in the UK. That's where I (and some of my dive buddies) have come close to being decapitated.