Anon E Mouse

I read somewhere that more people are killed over here by vending machines falling on them (f**king machine, gimme my choc, thump thump, shake, aarrggh, splat) than are taken by sharks and crocs.

Kinda puts you off Cherry Ripe....

Ceri

Bull sharks do take people close to shore... they are not so oceanic/pelagic like the Great White or Mako (Mako are deep water/off shore) . They (Bull) are the most dangerous out of all the sharks because of their habitat (I.e they are found in most places) and are responsible for the most attacks on humans. They come up into our rivers and are also found in fresh water too. Here in Brisbane you can find them up in the fresh too.. near Ipswich (part of the Brissie river... where it turns fresh).

Around Brisbane Bull sharks are pretty common during the summer months (I have caught them close to where people have been swimming), the Brisbane river, Logan and GC canals are full of them.
.Around Logan and the Brisbane river kids catch the young/small ones.. about 3 to 4 foot sharks each summer on light gear .. there is quite a "sharkie" "angling following" here among some of the kids .

Most shark attacks take place in less than 6 feet of water. ... close to the shore.

The chances of it happening to you are extremely low.. 100% agree with you on that one. Most attacks usually can be avoided... don't swim at dusk, night or very early morning before sun rises... don't swim where there is a load of bait fish , don't swim in murky water and don't swim in a burley trail (Ie near a fisherman who is burlying up ... chumming to the Yanks, or rubby dubby to you brit's ) . Sounds totally obvious but you'd be surprised at some dopey people.

There were two people last year who were taken by Bull sharks in the GC canals (stupid place to swim) - one swimming in the night, the other early morning.
stick to beaches which are patrolled and your chances of being attacked are very low.

When people get attacked it always hits the headlines.. so it sounds as if it's dangerous out there... millions of Australians enjoy the sea without any prob, chances of attack is very low. You're more likely to get killed by electrocution in your home.

Cheers

Thought I'd paste the story on the Bull shark attacks that happened in the GC below (note it's Bull sharks in the photo .. not "Bull whaler" - no such thing, they are two different families (Bull and the Whaler family, the news has probably misquoted the man, he probably said Bulls and Whalers.. I'm picking hairs again )




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QUEENSLAND NEWS


CANAL terror . . . Joel Newton, 5, with the three bull whaler sharks caught in Burleigh Lake after Saturday's fatal attack. Picture: Geoff McLachlan

Ferocious killers lurk in their hundreds in the canalsPhil Bartsch 10feb03 THE sharks are deadly reasons why people swimming in Gold Coast canals are risking their lives.And there's plenty more – hundreds, say the experts – where these three came from. The bull whaler sharks were caught in a net set up in Burleigh Lake by the Department of Primary Industries after Saturday's shark attack which took the life of Queensland lawn bowls legend Bob Purcell. The body of Mr Purcell, 84, was found floating in the lake a few hours after he went for his regular early morning swim. So ferocious was the attack, his lower right leg was left "hanging by muscle tissue" and a 20cm chunk of flesh torn from his calf. "The ferocity of one of those sharks to almost rip a leg off and to do the damage I saw – there would have been an immense struggle," said the DPI's Gold Coast shark catcher Craig Newton. He said he believed a bull whaler shark "probably about 2.1m" was responsible for the attack. Experts believe hundreds of the sharks – also known as river whalers and zambezis – have made the Coast's manmade waterways their home, entering them via the Nerang River. "They can swim in and out as they please - they only need three feet of water," Mr Newton said. "But it's such a vast system and there's so many fish in there, there's really no reason for them to leave once they're in there." A post-mortem examination of Mr Purcell's body is expected to be conducted today. It is the second fatal shark attack in Gold Coast's waterways this summer. In December, the body of Beau Martin, 23, was found in nearby Miami Lake with a large piece torn from his left leg. He had vanished after going for a late-night swim with a friend. Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk is expected to have discussions this week with the Gold Coast City Council to consider any possible measures to help prevent further attacks. In the wake of the latest attack, the DPI placed six baited drum lines and a 124m-long net in Burleigh Lake in a bid to catch the shark responsible. Early yesterday, three female bull whaler sharks – measuring from 1.54m to 2.25m long – were pulled from the net and their stomach contents examined. No trace of human remains were found. But Mr Newton – who pulls in about 150 sharks a year from the system of nets and baited drum lines off Gold Coast beaches – is confident "there's bigger ones in there". Bull whaler sharks can grow up to 3m. He said the only way to prevent shark attacks in the canals was "not to swim in them". The shark net and drum lines are expected to remain in place at Burleigh Lake for up to a week.

Don

Ceri,

Maybe I should have stressed 'not likely' - what you say is true but (you concur) the likelihood of a shark attack very low, particularly if basic precautions are taken.

UK newspapers' silly season story was the hunt for a great white off Padstow. Highly likely there are more than occasional great whites off the UK coastline - they are caught in the Mediterranean every year and the temperature range off the UK is typical of what great whites tolerate. But most people don't lie awake at night worrying about it and neither should the Aus-bound.