It's amazing, isn't it, how sharks do come to shore. I've always thought they wouldn't (come to shore) even after watching some documentaries that feature sharks in shallow waters off south africa. Hmmm, luckily I've never been bitten by one!
Yeah, especially the Great White Shark and the Bull Shark species. The Bull even swims up rivers into lakes where it feeds and lives for a few years, then returns to the sea to reproduce, since it can't breed in freshwater.
South Africa and the Farallon Islands near the Calif. coast are great for fish, seals and great white sharks, people have to be very careful there. No shark actually eats humans, they just take big bites as a taste, the bite severs an artery or simply removes flesh, so the victim needs immediate help, which is hard to get from shore. Also surfboards seem attractive to big sharks.
Sharks detect prey via both eyesight and electrosensors, in slightly muddy water (after rains) they can't differentiate between human and seals, and simply bite the moving thing.
Aside from the G W Shark and B shark, most other sharks never bother humans at all, and can't even bite a person since their mouths and teeth are so different.
Shore sharks are in the shallows during the migration period when huge schools of migrating fish draw the seals, both of those draw the sharks.
It's lot more dangerous walking across the street around auto traffic than swimming at the shores though, except right at the max migration period.
Have you been to So Africa? Do you do much swimming?
Right. That was quite an informative comment there that you've left me with! I never knew about the muddy water and the migration bit. So, thanks!
I have never been to South Africa. But I did a fair bit of swimming in Maldives and bodyboarding in Tassie.
"It's lot more dangerous walking across the street around auto traffic than swimming at the shores though" - well Kenji says that to me pretty often! Not exactly the same way but the point is there. Well, I agree with it that there is more danger on the road than there is with swimming but 'things' do happen. And I know each time Kenji says that, it is only because he wants to surf!
I envy swimming in the Maldives, so gorgeous coral and fish, I heard so many good things about that area.
Is the seawater in Tassie quite chilly? Did you and Kenji have to wear 3mm or 5mm wetsuits there?
Snorkeling around pulau kepas T'ganu was so nice, water temperature was my favorite, and the coral and fish were stunning, and no worrying about sharks.
Maldives was pretty. I haven't seen anything like it until today. There were sharks in its water, no doubt, but I didn't come across them at all - I consider myself lucky. Erm, I didn't come across sting rays either, so that was good. With regards to sting rays, I got a bit scared of them since the death of Australian Steve Irwin (do you know this guy?). Anyhow, got a bit sidetracked here, where was I...
Tassie waters - sometimes sharky but real chilly. Yes, we had to put on wetsuits - mine was 3mm, Kenji's thicker - whenever we go surfing/bodyboarding even during summer time. Kenji would wear almost every gear he had from head to toe. It was crazy!
Snorkeling in Trengganu, pulau kepas? Hmmm, I've heard of Pulau Redang (I think). Saw P. Redang from a brochure and thought it looked good, too, for snorkeling. No sharks in P. Kepas? Mmm, sounds inviting... :)
5 comments:
It's amazing, isn't it, how sharks do come to shore. I've always thought they wouldn't (come to shore) even after watching some documentaries that feature sharks in shallow waters off south africa. Hmmm, luckily I've never been bitten by one!
Yeah, especially the Great White Shark and the Bull Shark species. The Bull even swims up rivers into lakes where it feeds and lives for a few years, then returns to the sea to reproduce, since it can't breed in freshwater.
South Africa and the Farallon Islands near the Calif. coast are great for fish, seals and great white sharks, people have to be very careful there. No shark actually eats humans, they just take big bites as a taste, the bite severs an artery or simply removes flesh, so the victim needs immediate help, which is hard to get from shore. Also surfboards seem attractive to big sharks.
Sharks detect prey via both eyesight and electrosensors, in slightly muddy water (after rains) they can't differentiate between human and seals, and simply bite the moving thing.
Aside from the G W Shark and B shark, most other sharks never bother humans at all, and can't even bite a person since their mouths and teeth are so different.
Shore sharks are in the shallows during the migration period when huge schools of migrating fish draw the seals, both of those draw the sharks.
It's lot more dangerous walking across the street around auto traffic than swimming at the shores though, except right at the max migration period.
Have you been to So Africa? Do you do much swimming?
Right. That was quite an informative comment there that you've left me with! I never knew about the muddy water and the migration bit. So, thanks!
I have never been to South Africa. But I did a fair bit of swimming in Maldives and bodyboarding in Tassie.
"It's lot more dangerous walking across the street around auto traffic than swimming at the shores though" - well Kenji says that to me pretty often! Not exactly the same way but the point is there. Well, I agree with it that there is more danger on the road than there is with swimming but 'things' do happen. And I know each time Kenji says that, it is only because he wants to surf!
I envy swimming in the Maldives, so gorgeous coral and fish, I heard so many good things about that area.
Is the seawater in Tassie quite chilly? Did you and Kenji have to wear 3mm or 5mm wetsuits there?
Snorkeling around pulau kepas T'ganu was so nice, water temperature was my favorite, and the coral and fish were stunning, and no worrying about sharks.
Maldives was pretty. I haven't seen anything like it until today. There were sharks in its water, no doubt, but I didn't come across them at all - I consider myself lucky. Erm, I didn't come across sting rays either, so that was good. With regards to sting rays, I got a bit scared of them since the death of Australian Steve Irwin (do you know this guy?). Anyhow, got a bit sidetracked here, where was I...
Tassie waters - sometimes sharky but real chilly. Yes, we had to put on wetsuits - mine was 3mm, Kenji's thicker - whenever we go surfing/bodyboarding even during summer time. Kenji would wear almost every gear he had from head to toe. It was crazy!
Snorkeling in Trengganu, pulau kepas? Hmmm, I've heard of Pulau Redang (I think). Saw P. Redang from a brochure and thought it looked good, too, for snorkeling. No sharks in P. Kepas? Mmm, sounds inviting... :)
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