Fishhoek Shark Attack

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As tweeted by Fishhoek resident Gregg Coppen:

He followed that up with this:

Emergency services just arrived. It must have been a person. The shark breached it’s head out the water no remains http://yfrog.com/1dronnpj

And then this:

We are dumbstruck, that was so surreal. That shark was HUGE. Like dinosaur huge. #sharkattack #fishhoek

Then later:

Helicopters are out and looking for any trace of the remains. Shark headed off Clovelly way #fishoek #sharkattack

This after a shark warning was issued earlier in the day (via http://www.sharkspotters.org.za/)

Wow. More on this developing story later, I’m sure.

UPDATE: Middle-aged man fatally attacked by shark 20m out at Fish Hoek – victim not found (via 567 CapeTalk)

UPDATE 2: News 24 report:

Ian Klopper of the NSRI told News24 that an intensive search was underway to locate the swimmer, but had so far yielded nothing.
A white male, between 32 and 38 years old has been taken by a shark and we have not been able to locate the patient,” Klopper said.
The identity of the victim is still unknown.

Other reports suggest that the victim’s wife was on the beach receiving counselling from emergency services.

UPDATE 3: Cape Times report:

The search has been called off for the night for the body of a tourist from the DRC killed in a shark attack on Tuesday afternoon at Fish Hoek beach on Cape Town’s False Bay coast.
Divers and rescuers from the police and the National Sea Rescue Institute stood down as the water turned murky in failing light.
There has thusfar been no remains found of the man who had been on holiday in SA for a month.

And 6000 miles… commenter accuses shark spotters of negligence & desertion.

UPDATE 4: Joyanne comments that people are still swimming at Fishhoek this morning, despite the “no swimming” flags flying and the ongoing search for the remains of the victim.

UPDATE 5: News24 weighs in with headline “Shark Rips Tourist Apart”, full of conflicting information and reminding us of previous False Bay shark attack in 2005 when a diver was also “Ripped Apart”.

58 thoughts on “Fishhoek Shark Attack”

  1. just spoke to allan from whale watchers-he said they’ve found half a body and the person was swimming of the catwalk

  4. Big insert on e-News (Channel 403, DSTV) just now. Must have been so bad to see this happen!

  5. Never nice, but I guess we have to respect that the sea is where the sharks are going to be!

    I lived in Durban back in the mid-80s, and there used to be shark nets up along the shoreline that ran parallel with the beaches. The sad thing was that the nets were catching all sorts of other, non-dangerous, sea life, that they decided to do away with the nets. It never put me off swimming in the sea – just made me never go out too far on my own!

    Amazing how instant Twitter can spread this news – reminds me of that crash on the Hudson!
    .-= Helga Hansen´s last blog ..Life is a rollercoaster… =-.

  6. Jane > Thanks for the update.

    Brian > Sadly, if not yet, I don’t think it’s far away.

    Hayley > Another huge coup for twitter. That’s how all the news services got hold of the story.

    Elize > Agreed.

    HH > There had been warnings, but visibility in the water was poor – black flag flying. The guy wasn’t a long way out.

  7. From what I can gather, it happened close to the catwalk where the red railing used to be, by the second subway. At that time, with the water height, it was between 1 and 1.5m deep.Speaking to folks who were there, there are a few things I`d like to point out.
    1—the famous black flag was up…..
    The interesting thing is that approx 2pm, someone was taking photos from close to where the shark spotter was supposed to be on the mountain. I`ll qoute her: “the water is clear-you can see even the kelp in the water.” She will be supplying us with a photo, but I must confess, looking at the picture on her camera, it most certainly was.
    Too many times we believe the shark spotters when there`s a black flag, but as someone who frequents the mountain, I also know that that is not always the case–it is much clearer from up there. I`ll post this pictures as soon as I receive them.
    I personally wonder if they do not use theblack flag as a type of “crutch” to keep them from being held responsible when something does happen.
    2– Approx 30 minutes before the attack, there was a shark sighting in the same area, and some folks rushed to get their children out of the water. In this incident, there was also no shark alarm, and where was the guy who was on ground level?

    It seems evident that this disaster could have been prevented, since we have guys paid to actually watch our beaches. Besides the fact that the questionable black flag was up albeit the fact that the water was quite clear from the mountain, not once did the shark alarm go off.
    I personally feel that these shark spotting gimmicks should be investigated and that someone should be checking up on them more often.
    It`s a fact that they hardly ever seem to be on time in the mornings too, and this is also a major concern, because at any given moment, we could have up to 50 people in at a time between 7am and 8am, if not more.
    There is also a photo taken of the hut not long before the attack, which may seem to indicate that there was no one on duty?

    Yous are welcome to contribute to the discussion as we are trying to get the relevant parties to investigate these issues as I am not the only person who has made these and similar observations. We want Fish Hoek beach back, but strangely enough, the sharks may not be our biggest problem, but rather the false sense of security offered by those we trust to be on the lookout for us, the spotters.Now they will be on the lookout, but a little late, aint it?

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=232777507422#/topic.php?uid=232777507422&topic=12482

  8. Gerallt > Thanks for the comment. I think that questions must be asked, but I for one am going to refrain from passing judgment on the spotters just yet. Too much emotion, too much shock, too many pointing fingers to get relevant and accurate information right now, I think.
    The wind was pumping this afternoon and I could quite easily believe that water visibility was poor. In addition, there have been warnings all weekend and another today (see above) about increased shark activity. My main issue is whether that information is being given to people where it matters – at the beach.
    [name] was on 567 Cape Talk from the Shark Spotters. He claim they had evacuated Muizenberg a few times over the weekend and that people were angry with them and chose to ignore the warning siren.

    Whatever the outcome of the inquiries into todays attack, let’s hope improvements are made where necessary to try and prevent further incidents of this nature.

  9. The water was pretty choppy today but visibility was clear enough (and the shark was big enough) to see it quite clearly.

    I dont think we can put blame on the sharkspotters as its their call as to whether the black flag should be up or down and there is a lot of ocean to cover and many sharks at this time of year.

    The fact that the shark was spotted half an hour before and the other beaches were not warned is worrying. I also find it strange that the shark alarm was not sounded at all before, during or after the attack.

  10. Gregg > Interesting view. I think there’s going to be a lot of questions asked about this – and as I said – hopefully, some helpful answers to follow.

    Sleep well tonight.

  11. I agree-hopefully some helpful answers will follow.
    I also think we have got so comfortable-there has not been one attack since we have the spotters.

  12. I’m more than shocked by the fact that people get annoyed with the alarms and choose to ignore them… nothing like risking life and limb for a frolic and a tan, eh?

    Are the spotters you talk about professional lifeguards, or just people employed to spot sharks?
    .-= Helga Hansen´s last blog ..Life is a rollercoaster… =-.

  14. A truely tragic incident but there appears to be the usual hysteria going on on numerous sites.
    I’m sure the authorities will put out a statement once events have been established but here are a few impartial thoughts.

    I’ve been out to seal island several times with Rob Lawrence – not recently I admit (2003 last time) and the whites out there were averaging somewhere between 10 and 12 ft – formidable even if considered small compared to what these fish can achieve.
    If those specimens are still in the bay, they could be potentially bigger (although it is considered the biggest whites are in the med).
    In false bay, whites are the most likely culprit for an attack. I do not recall Tigers or Bulls (Zambezi’s) being present as the water is considerably cooler for those species.

    Several years ago, a white was routinely seen patrolling fish hoek beach – same time, every day and I have photos of simonstown harbour where another specimen put in an appearance (I never took the photos).

    This time of year, the sharks tend to leave seal island, out into the bay in search of migratory fish coming into the bay and these shoals can take a shark into human proximity moreso than winter months where they remain around seal island hunting the fur seals (plus considerably less people in the water).

    Despite the “nice” appearance of the seals, they can actually cause considerable damage to a shark with teeth and claws so given the choice, a white will sooner hunt fish. A white shark is a hunter/scavenger and losing an eye for example, would serious impair it’s chances of successful hunting.

    Humans are not a target prey of a white shark – this is proven scientifically so if this shark attack was about a food source – it is possible the shark is sick or injured and cannot catch it’s natural food source.
    On the flipside, the mistaken indentity is a possibility but this seems more unlikely as attacks of this nature tend to be the “hit n run” scenario where once the mistake has been realised, the shark tends to leave the scene.

    I’m sure Rob Lawrence / Chris & Monique Fallows will be called upon for their opinion – they’re probably the most experienced with the false bay white shark community and their experience is globally recognised.
    I’ll close by saying, please don’t blame the spotters or anyone else involved in whatever safety measures are in place – let the authorities investigate accordingly.
    Likewise we should avoid a which hunt for the shark – I know this is a really sensitive subject but unfortunately we’re in their terriortory and they’ve been patrolling these waters for eons.

    More importantly, just be safe at this time of year

  17. Firstly, my sympathies to the family of the shark attack victim.

    I feel it is unfair to blame the shark spotters for an incident of this nature. It is important to remember the rapid decline in shark attacks along our coast since the shark spotters were placed along our beach. As far as I know the shark spotters are also a non-profit organisation, who are doing a great service for all the beachgoers of False Bay.

    It is also important for people to put things like this into perspective. It may seem shark attacks are on the increase, however, there are a lot more people spending a lot more time int the water. With Great White Sharks now a protected species one would probably find there is also an increasing shark population. Then by adding overfishing to the problem one can start to imagine how complex it all becomes. But some statistics off the wavescape website (www.wavescape.co.za) should help put things into persepctive:

    Poisonous Snakes – 15
    Lightning – 200
    Drowning – 408
    Burnt To Death – 871
    Road Accidents – 10,000
    Murdered – 20,000
    Smoking – 29,000
    Aids – 370,000

    Let us not use these incidents to lay blame or create fear, but rather to show sympathy to the families and create a greater awareness for the many other species we share the planet with and the impact we are having on their world.

  18. Gerallt > Statistically, that doesn’t prove much though, because the attacks are so infrequent anyway.
    So now we remove the spotters for 5 years and see what happens (just kidding).

    HH > Not lifeguards. The lifeguards are a different lot. These people sit on the mountain (good view over the bay) and watch the water for sharks.

    Ro > If you can find the sea at Blackpool. Best to try at night when it glows slightly from Sellafield’s outpourings.

    cdactivist > This was an unusual attack in that the shark “came back” to take the rest of the body. And it was as big as a dinosaur. A big one.

    Darren > Thanks for your comment. I’m sure god will look after the bloke’s family as he looked after the bloke.

    Sanick > Good points, well made (albeit from a slightly biased source). 😉

  19. Was at Fish Hoek beach (as usual) first thing this morning with my son. The flags were up indicating that people shouldn’t swim (as they are all along False Bay this morning Mzb – Glen Cairn) as there is still a search on for remains of the man. There were a couple reporters and a TV camera and almost all the morning walkers were discussing the attack – and STILL there were 2 or 3 people swimming. I know we can’t / won’t stay out of the sea for ever but can they not at least respect the flags and the fact that there’s still a search on?
    .-= joyanne´s last blog ..10 Questions for Photographer and Cape Lover Andr? van Rooyen =-.

  20. Very sad for his family and friends, and very scary for the people that witnessed it. But I guess everyone is going to go at some stage. It is just a matter of timing.

    Not sure how much he loved swimming, but in our family we have always said that it is best to go doing something you loved doing than doing something arb like driving to work or crossing the road or something like that.

    However, I think I will stick to swimming in the sea here, and rather visit the winelands when in the Western Cape.
    .-= Pamela´s last blog ..Crafty little me! =-.

  21. joyanne > That’s simply foolish and disrespectful to the authorities. Isn’t there some bylaw about being stupid in a public place?I guess not.

    OL > You do that. Because we all know that there are no sharks in PE. *ahem*
    But agree that it would be nice to go while doing something you love.
    That said, a bit less trauma would also be good.

  22. Ongoing topic of reliability of shark spotters
    I would just like to add some more info re. the shark spotters, that has come to light.
    1—One of the regular morning swimmers has told me of 3 occasions he has been up to the shark spotters hut on the mountain, and found the guy asleep (Quote –Mark)
    This same info has been confirmed by other sources (Quote Ricky)
    2—The neighborhood watch, when patrolling mountain, just before the attack, have photos indicating visibility in the water was clear, from mountain-yet a black flag?
    3—The same person has a photo indicating no one was at the shark spotters hut-this about 1 hr before the actual attack.
    4—Another gent (pony tail-did not get his name), who has just got back from being away, found a shark spotter, back turned to the beach, busy on his cellphone-not a call, but I`ve been told, Mixit
    5—Another reliable source from Kalk Bay, David, found a guy fast asleep with his binoculars and two way radio—it looked like he was passed out from a heavy party. Note, this person was on the Kalk Bay range overlooking Kalk Bay, and not Fish Hoek.

    My point is that this tragedy could have been prevented had the people we trusted been doing their jobs. If this were a bus tragedy and people were injured due to the drivers negligence, he would be questioned.Should we just sweep this all under the rug? It`s amazing what is actually coming out now. I think a lot of folk are looking for answers.

  24. gerallt > Interesting allegations. I’m sure you are going to raise them with the parties involved?

    Tara > Ooh no. Not when there’s people being “RIPPED APART!”. Sharks make for good headlines and good reading stats. I should know – big traffic generator. 🙂

  25. I have family in south africa so visit reguarly. Many times i have driven up the mountians and the shark watching huts have been empty. A family member drove past once near to fish hoek and the shark watcher was asleep!!!

    I never go into the sea apart from at boulders beach where you are protected.

  26. If people would like to lay the blame for this incident on the Shark Spotters then lets think about it like this.

    – Do you pay a fee or do you donate to the Shark Spotters project or do you feel that it is a service you should enjoy the benefits of but not have to pay for?

    I think this question is important on a few levels. Like any other service, if you are not paying for it in any way are you entitled to complain (apologies to those who do donate)? If funding is an issue (which would not suprise me) then surely the Shark Spotters are unable to perform as efficiently as possible, in which case will the people of Cape Town step up to the plate and assist with the project, through funds or volunteering their time? Or, will we simply enjoy the benefits and criticize whe things go wrong?

    The Shark Spotter do not make any gaurantees and are trying to do their best to make the beaches safer, for people. I do not see people holding the traffic department responsible for every road death.

  27. Love it how people always want to place blame somewhere.

    Yes, there are measures in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening and in this case the measures failed. The next step is to find out WHY they failed and then work on sorting that out. It’s not about blaming, it’s about IMPROVING the process. If it is indeed the case that the spotters are not reliable enough, then a new system of recruitment/monitoring/whatever needs to be thought out.

    The stories about people chosing to ignore sirens, etc are a worrying precedent and something does need to be done about that – the warnings are there for a reason and if those people get into difficulty, they could needlessly endanger other people who now have to go rescue them.

    Having said that, if the black flag was up, he really shouldn’t have been swimming… and there are signs at the beaches alerting you to that. At the end of the day, you are in the shark’s territory and you need to realise that there’s a certain risk involved everytime you get into the water.
    .-= RichSch´s last blog ..RichSch: @brendavos I’m sure it’s nothing some Jik wouldn’t fix? 🙂 =-.

  28. Rose > I think that’s a bit over the top, but thanks for info on spotters

    Anonymous > Well said – and I agree. However, if the spotter is on duty, and the public are told that the spotter is on duty (as they were yesterday), then the public have the right to expect the spotter to be on duty. Not asleep or on MXit as has been alleged here. Of course, indirectly, we do pay for the spotters via our City rates.

    RichSch > Actually, the black flag kind of absolves the spotters: “Shark spotter on duty, but visibility is poor. Difficult to determine if there are sharks in the area.” (as per http://www.flickr.com/photos/6000/4228464290/sizes/l/in/set-72157622954045143/) – however there are allegations that visibility wasn’t poor, so why was the black flag flying if that were the case?

  29. I am just concerned as a regular swimmer, that despite all our safety issues in place, it still happened. This, in the light of plenty of witnesses to the allegations I am making, is a serious concern. I`ve actually received the photos indicating the water visibility was clear, contrary to the black flag and claims that it was not clear.
    I`ll quote a family member:
    “Thanks for the interesting posts. The guy taken was my cousin, his name has
    not been released as yet as family are flying down there today from all over
    the world. We cant bring him back but awareness would be a great start.”
    Also the neighborhood watch member:
    “These photos were taken just after 2pm today while we were doing Neighbourhood Watch Patrol. There were no ‘spotters’ at the sight which is why I snapped their hut. The water was clear – as the photo shows.
    I shall send the photos taken afterwards later.
    later:
    These show that the water was clear when observing from near the ‘lookout hut’ – will send in high res if you need.
    Said photos will be avail on:
    http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=232777507422&view=user#/group.php?gid=232777507422

  30. From what I’ve read, the swimmer was 100m ? from shore. Even if the warning had been given, would he have been able to reach safety before the shark reached him? My daughter and I enjoyed the surf off the KZN South Coast a few days ago ; we were shoulder height in the water most of the time but I have no doubt that with the existing conditions we wouldn’t have been able to get out of the water faster than a predatory fish could swim

  31. Gerallt > I think what may become of this is a more formal sharkspotting service. If the allegations you present are true, then questions need to be answered. But by whom, to whom, I’m not sure.

    Mary > It depends. If the visibility WAS good (as has been alleged) then the red flag would have been flying – since sharks would surely have been spotted. That being the case, he probably shouldn’t have been out there.

  32. Just this morning we had people insisting on swimming despite the beaches all closed between Strandfontein, near Gordons Bay, and Glencairn near Simonstown.
    Unfortunately some folk insist on ignoring sirens.
    All of these issues are being taken up with the relevant authorities, namely Save our Seas and KEAG, who are responsible for these activities.
    Comments:
    –Mary–no red flag was up. I agree that it should`ve been up. Only the black flag was up.
    –RichSch–(quote)…” if the black flag was up, he really shouldn’t have been swimming… and there are signs at the beaches alerting you to that.”
    Problem is we`ve been addressing issues relating to the flag situation for a few weeks already and plenty of folks have been questioning the black flag being up on various occasions when water was clear.
    Here is a response we got:
    “The flag will only go up on the beach once the spotter is up in the mountain. The flag signifies that a spotter is on duty watching the water.

    If the flag goes up before 7am – bonus! The spotters are early!

    If the flag goes up after 7am, it means that some type of problem has been encountered. I would guess that on days when it is only 10-20 minutes late going up, it is normally a case of waiting to get the radios from the law enforcement buildings, or a delay in getting all the equipment together and going up the mountain. On days when it has been longer, i.e. an hour or more, that is normally a personnel problem. If one of the spotters does not arrive for some reason (happens rarely), the other spotter cannot do their job properly as there is no one putting up the flags, or responding on the radio if an animal is seen. Therefore they must wait on the beach until another spotter comes to partner up with them.”
    I fully agree with you and I quote:
    The next step is to find out WHY they failed and then work on sorting that out. It’s not about blaming, it’s about IMPROVING the process.
    It`s like saying we wont go on roads again because of an accident. No. We need to look at what happened and look at ways of preventing a repeat, and to improve it. I do confess I`m adressing the issue of a failed system with much determination, but it`s been a few years with no attacks here, and we want to make sure that this just doesn`t have to happen again. I also think we`ve got so comfortable with this system working that we`ve let our guards down. Unfortunately, even though folks will still swim here, there will always be that nagging suspicion in the back of their minds, wondering if it will happen again. It happened with all the fail safe measures in place.

    Obviously, we endeavour to be on duty from 7am every morning, and if you feel that the flag is going up late on a regular basis then please do let me know and I will investigate further.

    This is the response we got to them hardly ever being on time and the black flag query about 2 weeks ago.

  33. Chinese Baked Shark

    Ingredients
    3 Shark steaks (the younger
    The shark the be
    White cooking wine
    Green pepper
    Mushrooms (the more the
    Hoisin sauce (or whichever
    Chinese sauce y
    Various spices
    Onion

    Preparation1. Make sure the steaks are fresh (frozen shark can be used as a retread rubber). Marinate them in a few spices and 3-4 tablespoons of wine per steak for about 2 hours. 2. Saute your veggies with some butter and wine and add the chinese sauce. Bring to a simmer and add about a cup of wine and then turn the heat down to low. 3. Now, butter the bottom of your baking dish, add some fresh veggies to the bottom of the dish if you want (I make a different variation of this each time I cook it). Put the steaks in and then pour the sauce on top. Bake at 180 =F8C for about 20 minutes Authors Notes: My father does alot of off shore deep sea fishing and usually has alot of small sharks in the freezer that usually get dumped on me since Ive found some rather creative things to do with good shark steaks (besides stir fry). I dont know if chinese food I usually serve them with some stir fry vegetables and rice. You can also make it an Italian dish by substituting tomato sauce for the hoisin sauce. Difficulty : easy. Precision : no need to measure

  34. If it is the case that the wrong flag was flying then it’s definitely an issue that needs to be resolved in terms of how/when the flags are updated. You might find that the flags are only changed when someone actually signals a change, as opposed to “ok, it’s a new day, what should the flag be?” kind of update (if that makes any sense).

    Either way, anything other than a green flag means that caution should definitely be taken. Having said that, I think by the time you actually see a shark it’s a more than likely a little late…

    Let’s all wait for some sort of official review of exactly what happened before we start throwing stones.
    .-= RichSch´s last blog ..RichSch: @andrew_cpt @jontyfisher Probably has more hair than his old man too…. =-.

  37. Gerallt > Regarding the black flag – what is the difference TO THE SWIMMER if the black flag is flying vs no flag? In one case, the spotters are saying that they cannot see; in the other, that they are not there. Either way, it is then the swimmers’ decision to go into the water, knowing that there is no-one spotting or there is no-one able to spot for them.
    (I recognise that there is a difference in the situation if a spotter is being lazy by just putting the black flag up to avoid having to work.)

    Wu Li > That sound Luv Li.

    RichSch > But if the spotter sees the shark, then it’s probably not too late. As I said – I think the best thing that could come out of this is the formalisation of the spotters employment. However, there are a lot more pressing things to spend money on in and around Cape Town.

    Pamela > And not so much publicity. All a bit embarrassing.

  40. Anonymous > Thanks for the link. An interesting read. Nets are a non-starter (can you imagine a whale calf stuck in there – OUTCRY!!!).
    So it’s spotters and rapid medical response. Not that the latter would have done any good yesterday.
    All of which brings us back to the debate – what was the water clarity like yesterday afternoon?

    Tara > You’re missing out… Spoilsport.

  41. I think, Shark Spotters, like anybody are open to human error. We have seen it a hundred times, anytime anything goes wrong, it is usually due to human error or arrogance. So I feel that by implmenting more controls and measures on the spotters, we are creating more admin than is needed, for what cannot be a fail proof system, the answer now is to look to technology. However, having said that, the money we would probably spend on technology would be enough to fund more spotters on duty at any one time, creating less opportunity for human error. I also feel, as some people seem to be implying, the spotters on duty at the time should take some responsibility, is a crazy idea. Where would you even start? What amount of repsonsibility should they be liable for?

  42. This is so shocking and scary…apparently the poor guy was only waist-deep…is this true?

    I often swim that far out in Fishhoek and Clovelly and Muizenberg.

    How deep can one safely go into the waters where sharks don’t venture?

    Any experts?

    Thanks.

  43. Anonymous > I agree. My only issue is that if the shark spotters SAY they are on duty, then they must actually BE on duty, black flag or not. But this is a one-off. How many attackes have they prevented previously? We’ll never know.

    Sue > I believe he was chest deep (last report was 1.5 – 1.8m). And it was very unusual for a shark to come in that shallow. That said, it did and he’s gone.
    Sharks have an intense dislike of sand, so you are at least safe on the beach.

  44. Here is the latest re. the queries posted and yes, we are getting responses from the relevant authorities involved.I can also keep you guys updated too, if you wish.

    I`ve been talking with a lot of folk on the catwalk and beach, and I think it would really be a good idea that someone from KEAG or/and Save Our Seas come round and talk to people, who are there looking for someone to talk to.I find a lot of issues are coming out which people originally found was not so important, but the sum of these issues leads to a disturbing few thoughts:
    –people question why folks swim when black flag is up. You only need to ask the people to find out how disillusioned they have become with the reliability of the famous black flag and the shark monitors
    –people who have been approached by “the person in charge” are not very convinced he is actually interested in or aware of what is going on.

    Here are some of the issues I heard today. I have been given permission to use their names, once again.
    1–Eddie and Marita—why are the shark spotters patrolling and sitting in the park behind the railway line and the restaurant, and not on the beach?–this is a regular occurrence.
    2–Alf and Rose—they were walking on highway road, just below shark spotters hut on mountain, when they saw this great big shark coming down catwalk, near old changerooms, and there were two swimmers who swam right past it, towards the bouy. Alf used his cell to contact Pat Stacey of Kalk Bay,to do something.There were plenty of swimmers in water and it was high tide.THE SHARK ALARM DID NOT GO OFF. The shark eventually left again.The water was clear.
    On being approached by the guy “in charge”, Alf was asked what time this was. He replied 3:30pm and the guy “in charge” of the spotters said:” oh, that is the time we changed guards”
    I`ll quote Alf:”I`m sure if I had said 2pm, he would`ve said the same thing”
    –Another lady, I do not have her name here right now, but she is a regular bather and is willing to come forward, would like to know why she sees them leaving long before 6pm in the afternoons, from the mountain.She has asked them already and has not got many convincing responses.
    –Another lady, Kay, says she is willing to say what is going on up there too.This was relayed to me by another person, and not herself.

    People are not too confident in the dubious black flag that is almost always up, despite how clear the water is, or the so called shark spotters, that do not seem to be very reliable or interested in what they are doing.
    I`ll quote quite a few folks I`ve spoken to==The black flag is being used to keep them from having to do their jobs and also from any responsibility as a result of this carelessness.

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=232777507422#/topic.php?uid=232777507422&topic=12482

    There`s a book called “Shark attacks in South African waters”
    It relates various stories like the one of a school teacher who was attacked in knee deep water in Simonstown. People are under the impression they are safe in shallow water. Not neccessarily.

  46. The whole shark spotting initiative is actually brilliant, I say. The fact is that we are surrounded by the mountains and we can use that in the prevention of such occurrences. I think we are very fortunate as I do not think there are many other places that can utilise such natural facilities.
    It`s just like having one or two bus drivers being negligent doesn`t make the whole bus service bad, having one or two bad apples amongst the spotters doesn`t make it all bad. Believe it or not, I fully support it, and I`m sure I can speak for many others that despite recent events, also do actually support it.
    I just think we`ve got a weak spot, or link over there in that part of the chain. I think the powers that be need to look at these weak spots and look at what can be done to improve what is essentially a really good idea.
    Yes, I do feel what happened could have been prevented if the whole issue was managed properly.
    Just like we all learn from our mistakes, I believe the whole shark spotting initiative could look at possible loopholes too. With the course of time, a lot of regulars started seeing these problems and unfortunately are not so convinced that the shark spotters on duty are very reliable and actually interested. We see these problems and realise that the visitors are also exposed to them. Case study-look at what just happened.
    I`ll quote a comment made on Facebook:
    “I’m not making excuses or trying to blame anyone. All I ask is that awareness of issues is raised; action taken to rectify the problems that are identified and hopefully no-one else will be attacked. One will never have a 100% safe situation no matter what the conditions. All we can do is minimise that risk and if you as a group take those steps in a positive way it can get better.
    If a resident notices no-one in the hut don’t just shrug your shoulders, phone the people in charge and get it resolved. Without the community policing the system and reporting issues you might as well not have it at all.”
    Unfortunately, I think too many of us have just been shrugging our shoulders up till now.
    But, I think things are going to change. We`ve got some great beaches here, and we want visitors to once again feel safe and that any measures in place are not just gimmicks, but are actually tried, tested and reliable.

  47. I just made a 4000 word post which I lost….. Perhaps for the best?

    In Summary:

    What do you reckon a shark spotter earns? Not that it should determine how good he is at his job, I’m just curios… Say R100 per day.. Or a more lucrative R1000 per day? It is afterall life or death stuff this.

    I’m wondering if its such a vital role, why dont they have an airconditioned office? Why are they made to sit in a HUT on a sandy path?

    Are there SLA’s in place? Shark spotters need to spot every shark, 100% of the time within 30 seconds of them entering the bay area? Are they meant to be 100% effective? Surely not? If they were I imagine the correct funding would have been in place, and the correct spotters employed to sit and stare diligently out into the blue?

    Do they get toilet breaks? Or do they need to wait until 15h30 when the spotter is changed? Who watches while they have breaks?

    What training is given? What qualifications are required before you can become a shark spotter?

    Lastly, how long would it have taken for the shark to get from deeper water (where he wouldnt have been spotted) to where the attack took place? (In the area where he could have been spotted)

    Its tragic that a man died…. But can you really lay the blame at the hut of the shark spotter?
    Oh wait.. the huts always empty or the occupant is asleep.

  48. Next time there is an accident on the roads maybe the traffic department should be blamed. I mean they are supposed to keep us safe right, enforce the traffic laws? Or for every crime committed blame the neighbourhood watch. It is their jobs to watch over us right?

    People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions. There are sharks in the sea, especially in False Bay at that time of year. People choose to go swimming, that is their decision. Yes, you hope you will be safe, yes he was a tourist. I am sure that quite a bit of the blaming the shark spotters comes from people who have probably never been in the sea.

    So if I get bitten, who do I blame. We don’t have spotters. But then as you pointed out 6K – we don’t have sharks…
    .-= Pamela´s last blog ..In real life! =-.

  49. Gerallt > So now it’s the apathy of the residents who never reported the missing spotters?
    I must say that you seem to come down very heavily on the spotters. What experience do you have of spotting?Is it easy? Well paid? Worthwhile?

    Jpd > So many questions. I too would like the answers.

    Pamela > Well, actaully yes. There’s always someone to blame. Few things are ever really a true accident.
    But also agree that if you put yourself in a dangerous situation, you must take the consequences.
    Just would be nice if there was more information to make the judgment as to how dangerous a situation you’re putting yourself into.

  50. To formulate the shark spotters in an effective manner, if their current methology is failing, then my initial thought would be to incorporate the process with the lifeguards.
    After all, they are their to preserve life.
    It would be highly political to implement change though.
    That said, last time I was in Fish Hoek, 2003 (live in the Uk now), the guy in the hut was there to spot shoals for the net fisherman and sharks were an afterthought.
    Do those guys still net Fish Hoek bay?
    I’ve seen those nets come in carrying very desirable targets for a white, including rays, small sharks and large fish species.
    When Tyna Webb was attacked, it was alleged she was warned a large shark was seen the previous day following a net in.
    Those nets are huge so the commotion of a catch would be irresistable to anything in the area.

    Commenting on the depth of the attack, it would take a desparate or possibly inexperienced juvenile specimen to come into waste deep water – the fish would be seriously risking beaching and the subsequent damage.
    Bulls and Tigers go shallow but whites tend not to and this attack has all the hallmarks of a white shark. the geography alone suggests that – bulls and tigers are not known around the cape.

    a 5m white would have a width of a picnic bench so do the math – waste deep does not equate.
    if you want to see the residents of false bay up close and personal, have a look at http://www.apexpredators.com

    At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter about the details, other than the authorities need to quell any localised hysteria as that could damage tourism etc which clearly is not good at this time of year and the economic climate – every dollar counts as they say.

    Best way to stay safe is to only go shallow and in good visibility – The guy in the hut can only do so much but if a white has intentions, it can come out of the depths extremely quickly – they do not tend to head straight in from open water like a guided missle either – often they patrol the coast line and from simonstown round to fish hoek has some fairly deep water close to shore – likewise in the other direction to mzb.

    Incidentally I took a Fish Hoek lifeguard out to Seal Island in 2001 and until a 12footer swam down the side of the boat and yes, the picnic bench reference is no exaggeration, she refused flatly to believe there were even whites in the bay – she quit soon after !!!

    BTW my post above was not me (?!)

    “cdactivist > This was an unusual attack in that the shark “came back” to take the rest of the body. And it was as big as a dinosaur. A big one.”

    Anyway I can tell you ten to fourteen feet is the benchmark for these waters. The odd specimen bigger but check the footage online of the white attacking a tethered shark in the med – that was big!

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