Australian Shark attack

It is often said that one needs big balls to be a surfer - metaphorically speaking. Surfers confront big waves that can dump them on a submerged reef, hold them under water for up to two minutes or toss them around as if they are in a washing machine with a surfboard. But even more intimidating than the big waves, are the big sharks. A modest-sized 4.8 metre (16 foot) Great White can bite with a pressure of three tonnes per square centimetre, and will tear out a chunk of flesh measuring 28 by 33 centimetres. It can detect a tiny drop of blood in 4,600,000 litres of water and once it decides to attack, it can move through the water at up to 80 km an hour.

Despite such intimidating figures, surfers don't show a huge fear of sharks. In fact, so unafraid do they become that they occasionally don't show caution when caution is due. One such example occurred in 2004 off Left Handers Bay on the Western Australian coast. Two teenagers, Cameron Rowe and Mitch Campbell, watched in horror as two sharks circled a man, then bit him in half. The boys subsequently paddled over to the man, pulled what remained of his body onto their boards, and paddled to shore. The next day they were back in the water surfing. Similarly, in 2005, a shark attacked board rider Simon Letch, off Sydney's Bronte Beach. After fighting off the shark by ramming his board in its mouth, Letch paddled to shore and informed the authorities about what had happened. He then got himself a new board, and once the beach had been reopened, returned to the water.

Although the surfer's lack of fear may seem insane to some, it is really nothing more than a sign of their rationality. Sharks only attack humans out of a case of mistaken identity. The sharks' digestion is too slow to cope with the human body's high ratio of bone to muscle and fat. The shark will generally leave once it realises it has made a mistake. For this reason, only about one third of attacks are fatal. Sharks frequently swim with surfers who are oblivious to their presence. As long as the shark realises that the surfer is not a seal, dolphin, turtle or big fish, or isn't provoked into feeding as a result of blood being in the water, it usually wont attack. An animal that shows no fear of it, and actually paddles towards it, goes against the shark's instinctual hunting triggers. It is unlikely to attack under such circumstances. (Of course if it does attack, the surfers find themselves in a bit of bother.)

The relative harmlessness of sharks is reflected in statistics. In Australia, an average of one person dies each year from a shark attack. Australians are twice as likely to die after being struck by lighting, 300 times more likely to to drown and 3,000 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident. For rational surfers, the fear of sharks is insignificant compared to the threat of: crashing the car on the way to the beach; drowning; being struck by lightening when riding a wave; being knocked unconcious by a big wave, or developing skin cancer from spending too long in the sun. If surfers cowered from the ocean for fear of a shark, they might stay in their room and suffer an increased risk of dying as a result of a painting falling off the wall and hitting them on the head.

Despite the irrational fear of shark attack, some residents in Australia's big cities have even gone to the extreme of erecting shark nets. This gives them peace of mind as they think they have a security blanket that sharks can't get through. In reality, shark nets are simply nets staggered at locations off the beach. As they do not reach to the ocean floor, or all the way across, they leave plenty of space for the shark to swim underneath or around. Jaws can still get them. Nevertheless, the net may reduce the risk of shark attack by catching dolphins, whales, and turtles that may come close to the beach. As their prey doesn't go to the beach, neither does the shark. Then again, a supply of feed off the beach is a way of attracting feeding sharks that would not normerly be in the area.

Although shark nets may decrease the number of sharks swimming with surfers, there are alternative methods to reduce risk of attack that don't involve the death of marine life. It is generally advisable not to go swimming when one is bleeding profusely or when the water is murky. Furthermore, sharks prefer to feed at dusk and dawn thus swimming in the heat of the day is a relatively safe bet. Powered boats may arouse the curiosity of sharks thus it is generally advisable not to swim behind them. An lone individual is more likely to be the victim of mistaken identity thus swimming in groups generally provides better protection. Flashing jewellry may give the impression of a wounded fish and provoke a strike. Staying out of the water is another option, but there is more to life than living in fear.

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The Sharks - The Sharks represent the Cronulla region in the National Rugby League.

Greg Norman - Known as the Great White Shark, Greg Norman was one of Australia's finest golfers. However, unlike a true Shark, Norman let fear get to him and so had a habit of choking on the big stage.

Industry

Shark watching - Scuba divers sometimes pay to watch Sharks from the safety of a Shark cage. The Sharks are attracted by pouring blood and fish into the water.

Fishing - Sharks are often caught for food.

Documentaries - Shark documentaries are one of the easier documentaries to sell to television.

Hunting - Great Whites used to be a prized trophy fish. Due to declining numbers, it is now illegal to hunt them in Australia.