Great White Sharks in Old Fashioned Fishing Storyline
Great White Sharks are set to be the subject of an expanded shark-spotting programme which warns surfers and swimmers about their approach.
Trained spotters scour the ocean near popular beaches and sound the alarm if they see one of these mighty predators.
In the only programme of its kind in the world, South Africa manages to balance protecting the great white sharks and beachgoers alike and stress that people pose a far greater risk to sharks than the other way around.
With binoculars and special glasses the trained spotters stand on the hills surrounding popular beaches, sound the siren and clear the water of people when one is seen.
Most swimmers and surfers are grateful for the attention given to both their safety and to that of the sharks. Over the last three years the system has worked so well that they are going to adopt it on other beaches.
Many spotters come from disadvantaged or homeless backgrounds and it offers a real job incentive.
On average there is just one shark attack on humans per year in Cape Town and six in total in South Africa. However, the great whites continue to hit the headlines because of close shaves due to the increasing number of surfers and kayakers.
In the False Bay waters above Muizenburg last year, spotters sighted 165 great whites. So far this year 69 have been spotted, but this will increase rapidly with fast encroaching summer season.
Len Compagno, a shark expert who provided scientific advice to the 1975 movie “Jaws” says that “sharks don’t make a living preying on people. If they did we would have serial man-eaters out there”. Len has continued to regret the impact that the film “Jaws” had on public opinion.
Great Whites are the only shark species that survive in the freezing Atlantic seas off Cape Town. The number of great whites in South Africa is believed to have stabilised at around 1,200 since 1991, although these figures are unreliable due to the vast distances the sharks swim. There is a drive to tag the sharks in the waters around Cape Town to monitor their movements.
Can’t help thinking about the Cornish Huers around the turn of the 20th century. Just like the shark spotters they stood on the hillsides about the bays and shouted down to the people standing on the shore to warn them of the approach of the herring shoals. Just goes to show that good ideas never die!
