Did the Sharks Get the Memo?
Belmar Jetty
Brian is one of the guys I know from surfing. Some of my friends and I were out, at the end of the jetty (pictured above) when he came paddling around it and announced, "Just so you know, the reason I'm on this side, is because there are sharks on the other side of the jetty."
I wondered if the sharks got the memo that, THAT was THEIR side of the jetty.
We all have rationalizations. Some of us rationalize about the calories in food, the level of danger, or our impact on our loved ones. I rationalized that, even if the sharks migrated the one minute it would take for them to get from the other side of the jetty to our side, I'd be safe.
I reasoned that the sharks would attack the people on smaller boards, like Brian's board, not my 9' vessel. This is because the sharks don't see people on surfboards, neither of which they consider edible. They see the silhouette of something that looks like a seal, which they consider delicious. They would go for a seal they could take out in one bite, not a huge, 9' seal, which is what I looked like from under the surface.
(Never thought I'd say that.)
Back to Brian. It was disappointing that he'd been displaced by sharks since he was an annoying wave-hog. My friends asked about the sharks - how big, what kind, etc. Brian wasn't sure about the type, but said the sharks were about 5' long. Maybe less.
We all shrugged and looked for the next wave. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Surfers don't worry about sharks. We just don't. Yes, there are famous cases of people losing a limb, like Bethany Hamilton (Soul Surfer), or almost losing a limb as was a situation, with Mick Fanning.
Mick Fanning was in the World Tour finals at J-Bay (Jeffry's Bay in South Africa). A 3-meter great white shark went after him. The shark missed Mick's leg and got the leash attached to it. The leash was severed by the shark, but not before pulling Mick under the surface. Mick jumped away from the board and started to swim. The jet skis came to the rescue and the shark took off. Since this was the final heat of a big contest, it was all captured and can be viewed from on YouTube.
So, from this, you may imagine that some surfers worry about sharks. They do, but not enough to keep them out of the water. Bethany still surfs and it's amazing to watch her paddle and surf with one arm. Mick went on to compete in the World Tour in the next few years. Admittedly, he had to ease himself back into the water, especially at J-Bay.
Should we be worried? Non-surfers remind me that there is a great white shark breeding ground right off the coast about 50 miles north of where I surf (off of Long Island).
According to Wiki-answers, a reputable source (maybe), there are 50 to 75 shark attacks per year in the world; 16 of them on surfers. According to the same source, lightning strikes 100 people a year in the US alone. In other words, it's more likely for someone to get struck by lightning than a surfer getting attacked by a shark.
For the record, we don't tempt fate with lightning. We get out of the water - at the last possible minute.
I digress. Here are the Precautions: avoid surfing at dawn and sunset when sharks feed and get away from your board if there are sharks sited.
I guess the point is, that we tend to believe "it won't happen to us." We rationalize. We do it with health, safety, environment - everything. For me, I'll be surfing with Brian. This way, if there are sharks, they'll get him first.
I wondered if the sharks got the memo that, THAT was THEIR side of the jetty.
We all have rationalizations. Some of us rationalize about the calories in food, the level of danger, or our impact on our loved ones. I rationalized that, even if the sharks migrated the one minute it would take for them to get from the other side of the jetty to our side, I'd be safe.
I reasoned that the sharks would attack the people on smaller boards, like Brian's board, not my 9' vessel. This is because the sharks don't see people on surfboards, neither of which they consider edible. They see the silhouette of something that looks like a seal, which they consider delicious. They would go for a seal they could take out in one bite, not a huge, 9' seal, which is what I looked like from under the surface.
(Never thought I'd say that.)
Back to Brian. It was disappointing that he'd been displaced by sharks since he was an annoying wave-hog. My friends asked about the sharks - how big, what kind, etc. Brian wasn't sure about the type, but said the sharks were about 5' long. Maybe less.
We all shrugged and looked for the next wave. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 |
| Bethany Hamilton |
 |
| Mick Fanning and the Shark |
So, from this, you may imagine that some surfers worry about sharks. They do, but not enough to keep them out of the water. Bethany still surfs and it's amazing to watch her paddle and surf with one arm. Mick went on to compete in the World Tour in the next few years. Admittedly, he had to ease himself back into the water, especially at J-Bay.
Should we be worried? Non-surfers remind me that there is a great white shark breeding ground right off the coast about 50 miles north of where I surf (off of Long Island).
According to Wiki-answers, a reputable source (maybe), there are 50 to 75 shark attacks per year in the world; 16 of them on surfers. According to the same source, lightning strikes 100 people a year in the US alone. In other words, it's more likely for someone to get struck by lightning than a surfer getting attacked by a shark.
For the record, we don't tempt fate with lightning. We get out of the water - at the last possible minute.
I digress. Here are the Precautions: avoid surfing at dawn and sunset when sharks feed and get away from your board if there are sharks sited.
I guess the point is, that we tend to believe "it won't happen to us." We rationalize. We do it with health, safety, environment - everything. For me, I'll be surfing with Brian. This way, if there are sharks, they'll get him first.
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