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Urgent shark warning for Cape Town

  • Spy Dude
    August 2007
    Urgent shark warning for Cape Town
    Staff Writer
    August 22 2007 at 09:48AM

    Great white sharks have been spotted close to the False Bay coastline for the first time since June, and the city has issued an urgent warning to all beach and ocean users of the seasonal increase in great white sharks along Cape Town's inshore areas.

    Gregg Oelofse of the City of Cape Town's environmental resource management department said two sharks had been spotted since the weekend.

    "Although white sharks are present in our waters all year round, we are approaching the time of the year when the possibility of encountering one of these animals is much greater," Oelofse said.

    In the Cape Peninsula there have been 28 documented shark attacks since 1960.




    According to scientific evidence, sharks change their habitats from predominantly using the seal colony in the winter to predominantly using coastal inshore areas during the summer.

    "Over the past five years, the period of mid-August to the end of September has recorded the highest numbers of interactions between white sharks and recreational users.

    "The Shark Working Group would thus urge people using the ocean to be extra vigilant over the next few months when the highest occurrence of inshore white shark activity is expected."

    Oelofse said the seasonal change was not unique to False Bay.

    "Similar behaviour is recorded in Gansbaai, Mossel Bay and even in California. In fact, anecdotal evidence from fishermen and military exercises suggest that this trend was documented in False Bay since the early 1900s," said Oelofse.

    The city council has adopted a five-year funding programme for the shark-spotting programme, which is unique in the world.

    "(On Monday), shark spotters recorded a shark sighting at Fish Hoek beach just after midday - the first in the area in months. A shark was also seen this past Saturday near Sonwabe beach, halfway between Strandfontein and Muizenberg.

    "People are encouraged to use areas where shark spotters are on duty and to ask them about recent sightings and activity. They should also read the shark-spotting signs and acquaint themselves with the four flag warning system and use of a siren to close off the beach," says Oelofse.

    Shark-spotting programmes currently operate seven days a week, from 8am to 6pm, at Muizenberg corner, St James beach, Fish Hoek and Noordhoek (The Hoek).

    From October the shift will be extended to 7pm.

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30 Replies


  • August 2007
    there was a shark at caves saterday, like the 5th one this year!
  • JmoJmo
    August 2007
    I heard that recently some guys got chased out the water at Sunsets by a 5m whitey... Thats a looooong paddle to freedom!

  • August 2007
    Hmm interesting.. so it would out from 1960 and 28 shark attacks in the Cape Peninsula an average of

    1.6 attacks a year.

    that aint that bad considering you arent in the water everyday and how many people there are in the water with you most times or in the water a day in CapeTown, possibly a few thousand? So makes your odds of getting bitten 1/1000 everytime you go for a paddle? Now thats pretty good odds id say..

    but ja getting stuck out in Sunsets with a 5m whitey is the last place you want to be as you just cant turn around and catch anything in...
  • razorrazor
    August 2007
    1960 to 2007 = 47 years
    Um how does 28 attacks in 47 years equal 1.6 attacks per year?
    If my maths dont suck its 0.59 attacks per year Razz

    My maths probably suck though so someone else work it out Razz
  • Rashieq
    August 2007
    razor wrote:
    1960 to 2007 = 47 years
    Um how does 28 attacks in 47 years equal 1.6 attacks per year?
    If my maths dont suck its 0.59 attacks per year Razz

    My maths probably suck though so someone else work it out Razz

    i think u spot on there hey, cause if its 1.6 attacks / year then it should be more than 47attacks for the period. i got confirmation from an actuary too :lol:
  • Spy Dude
    August 2007
    Why do we calculate it from 1960, what makes 1960 special? Is that when we started recording shark attacks.. cos thats utter rubbish.... Shark attacks have been recorded at fish hoek beach as early as the 20's.

    Why not calculate the No of shark attacks from say 1990....

    or say calculate the no of shark attacks from when God created the earth till now.

    or how about this... pre cage diving 19?? - 1990 and then post cage diving
    1990 - 2007

    or .... i can go on

    I got an A in statistics back in the day... numbers are all reletive.

    Heck its just a warning.... although i do feel for any water fotogs dangling their legs in the channel at Kbay....

    Do you ever get that feeling you are being watched..... :shock:

    dum dum.... dum dum..... dum dum dum dum dum dum
  • Rashieq
    August 2007
    Big brother is always watching 8),so either watch or be watched. :lol:
  • Kieron Dunn
    August 2007
    1960 was the year that Great Whites became a protected species, i think>>
  • bboard1
    September 2007
    I spotted a shark out at Ansteys in the bluff about a month ago. think it was a small raggy but it didn't bother anyone. needless to say i was on the beach in about 30 seconds.
  • lyle
    September 2007
    has anyony tried using a sharkshield whilst bodyboarding? el has many shark scares and ive seen stand ups using them,and ive tried one on on dry land but never surfed with one.looks like could get in the way of spins.
  • ronald911ronald911
    September 2007
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ_8dLnN8aE
  • kimon
    September 2007
    Spy Dude wrote:
    I got an A in English back in the day... numbers are all reletive.

    Reletive? I dunno about that A buddy. Anyway spy you still haven't gotten back to me about our mission.
  • Spy Dude
    September 2007
    ooooo you sneaking little llandudno bodyboarder. Kimon dude you are putting words in my mouth :wink: I wrote STATISTICS AND NOT ENGLISH YOU CHOP :shock: If i was thabo youd be fired right now.

    I am training for our mission boet... i have to loose about 15kg and master yogo for suppleness if i am going to compete with you on that wave.

    No worries, planning on hitting that side of the world tomorrow late morning, but most proberbly head further south than anything else.

    cows go mooooooooooooooo
  • JmoJmo
    September 2007
    I like the sound of that mission... fill me in Spy 8)
  • Spy Dude
    September 2007
    only if you can headbutt a hammerhead mr moo :wink:


    ducks go quack quack quack...... :roll:
  • kimon
    September 2007
    ha ha ha. well get with the the exercise regime you ballie. 15 kg can be lost in 3 days i hear.

    anyway i'm a kook so it don't matter.
  • Spy Dude
    September 2007
    Hey bru, i might be from the Cape Ekse, but i dont smoke Tik and thats the only way you gonna loose weight so fast.. or you could make like the female of our species, demand to get taken to a super expensive resturant, order the most expensive meal on the menu, eat only half it, toss the remainder in the bin and then goto the bathroom and throw up the rest....and then shnaaaaaaaaarrrf a line to regain the order.

    oooo i love the taste of bile on a chicks breath right after supper.

    :shock:
  • Spy Dude
    September 2007
    sharks go chomp chomp chomp
  • JmoJmo
    September 2007
    I haven't met a hammerhead before but I arm wrestled a Great White once...
    Does that mean I qualify to inherit all your ballie secret spot knowledge?

    BTW, whats with all the pre school song lyrics?
  • kimon
    September 2007
    could be he is on tik after all.
  • Spy Dude
    September 2007
    Mr mooo... you know all my secrets, the moss grows on the southside.

    Windmeuls go pomp pomp pomp....
  • the king
    September 2007
    hahaha swak...joo you musnt tune him so much...its not his fault he a special aneredxic...hell probably never get a girl frend with all his rings and no brains...isnt that painfull enough...but personally i think that you should go back to school and come back having learnt a few disses and knowledge that tik is not good for you...otherwise.. :shock:
  • kimon
    September 2007
    fully bru. i completely agree with you.

    spydude will NEVER get a girlfriend. not now that he's happily married.
  • the king
    September 2007
    bra...i wasnt talking about him..I was talking about u!!!hahaha

    guess you are on tik afterall...dont even know when we are talking about u!!???!!? :lol:
  • kimon
    September 2007
    oh, got it. you funny guy!
  • bboard1
    September 2007
    :shock:
  • the king
    September 2007
    ja bra im also shocked
  • Marthinus
    September 2007
    "the king", Roger, seriously dude...
  • ronald911ronald911
    October 2007
    ......
  • hof
    October 2007
    what the fuck are you doing ronald? thats someones kid and your posting that shit on here? have some respect.

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