SHARK PHOTOS

A photo that Sam Cahir took looking down the throat of a mako shark at the Neptune Islands can be found at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/gallery-e6frea6u-1226503105233?page=7 . There are 10 shark photos in total. Neither the newspaper nor the web page indicates that Sam was in the safety of a cage at the time of his 2-hour ordeal.

Recent shark sighting at Streaky Bay

My old (recent) boss was out fishing at Streaky Bay recently when this shark swam between their boat and a neighbouring one. The shark appears to be much bigger than the other boat.

A diver swimming with a great white

Great film footage of a diver swimming with a great white can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f59UG-Qz-I4&feature=player_embedded

The naming of the Great White Shark

Wikipedia in regard to the naming of the Great White:

Carolus Linnaeus (a very interesting Swedish botanist) gave the great white shark its first scientific name, Squalus carcharias, in 1758. Sir Andrew Smith gave it the generic name Carcharodon in 1833, and in 1873, the generic name was identified with Linnaeus’ specific name and the current scientific name Carcharodon carcharias was finalised. Carcharodon comes from the Greek words karcharos, which means sharp or jagged, and odous, which means tooth.

South Australia shark attack - near Streaky Bay

A man has been bitten on the arm following a shark attack at Streaky Bay in SA. At about 2.40pm it is understood the 48-year-old local man was surfing at Back Beach. The man has been taken to Streaky Bay hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

(Source: http://www.sapolicenews.com.au/component/content/article/4-news/9125-shark-attack-near-streaky-bay.html )

SHARKS CAN JUMP QUITE HIGH

Sharks can jump quite high out of the water as demonstrated in some short video footage of a ‘flying’ mako at http://video.adelaidenow.com.au/2260998870/Is-this-really-happening?area=videohighlights1

SHARK SWIMS OFF WITH A DIVER’S CAMERA

Check out the short video footage of how a shark swims off with a diver’s camera at http://video.adelaidenow.com.au/2260957753/Shark-eats-camera?area=videohighlights2

SHARK WEEK ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL IN AUGUST

Shark Week is celebrating its 25th anniversary on the Discovery Channel (August). Shark Week is featured on the Discovery Channel this month. “Air Jaws Apocalypse” will be shown at night on 12^th August. It sees Chris Fallows returning to Seal Island, South Africa to see what has been happening with a 14-foot great white named Colossus. “Shark Fight” on 14^th August focuses on shark-attack survivors who ended up as shark advocates fighting to save the animals from extinction. In “Great White Highway” on 15^th August, Stanford marine-sciences professor Barbara Block shows off new tagging technology that tracks great whites in real time. “Adrift:47 Days with Sharks” on 16^th August is about people surviving 47 days on a raft in the "shark infested waters" of the Pacific after their plane crashed. 

MORE THAN 100 WHITE SHARKS TAGGED

More than 100 white pointer sharks have been tagged as part of a WA Government-funded program to monitor their occurrence off of metropolitan Perth beaches.

Sharks won't be used to attract tourists to WA

According to the following report:-

“SHARKS WON'T BE USED TO ATTRACT TOURISTS

Shark cage diving is unlikely to go ahead in Western Australia because of fears that operators could lure in more sharks to the area. Fisheries Minister Norman Moore today announced that regulations were being drafted for a ban on targeted or dedicated shark tourism ventures in the state, including cage diving operations. "I have decided that Western Australia will not be the place for shark cage tourism, like those currently operating in South Australia and South Africa," Mr Moore said. "While such ventures may generate direct or indirect economic benefits, there are also concerns that sustained activities to attract sharks to feeding opportunities have the potential to change the behaviour patterns of those sharks." The minister said South Australia and South Africa had cage diving operations at specific sites where white sharks were known to group together, but WA did not have any known areas where sharks congregated. "Lack of such sites in WA may result in operators wanting to maximise berleying and baiting to attract sharks to meet tourist expectations, which may have unwanted consequences," he said. "CSIRO research at shark cage diving sites in South Australia found that white sharks in the study area changed their distribution to align with areas of active berleying and, while there was no determination from the study about the longer term effects on shark behaviour or outside the study area, I would prefer to take no risks until more is known. With four fatalities in WA from shark interactions, since last September, the Government is not willing to allow any ventures that may raise even greater public fears than already exist." Mr Moore said no applications for shark cage diving ventures in WA had been made.”

(Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/travel/travel-news/sharks-wont-be-used-to-attract-tourists-20120708-21oza.html )

SA SHARK DIVE LICENCES

The South Australian Department of Environment has now become the “Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources”. It has therefore changed from DENR to DEWNR. The following reportwas found on the DEWNR website: -

SHARK DIVE LICENCES OFFERED (Date posted: 29 June 2012)

Three licences to allow tourism operators to continue to take tourists cage diving with great white sharks have been offered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) today. Under new licensing arrangements for this tourism activity confirmed in May this year, three licences were offered to Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions, Calypso Star Charters and Shark Cage Diving Pty Ltd (a joint venture between Adventure Bay Charters and McMahon Industries). DENR Chief Executive Allan Holmes said the three operators were offered their new licences today. “Each of the operators will need to comply with all of their new licence conditions from July 1,” he said. “This will include the revised condition that two days each week must be free of shark diving activities. Consistent with proposals received during the EOI process, Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions and Calypso Star Charters will be allowed to use berley. The joint venture will be allowed to use acoustic attraction methods.” Mr Holmes said the new licence conditions would balance the need to protect sharks from activities which might adversely impact on their behaviour, with the need to ensure the sustainability of the South Australian tourism industry.”

(Source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/Home/Full_newsevents_listing/News_Events_Listing/120629-sharklicences )

Steve talking about shark shields

Steve featured on ABC TV's 7pm news on 16th June 2012, talking about shark shields. (He had already been heard on ABC Radio previously.) It can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAwLsR5Yt0I

SHARK TOUR OPERATOR DAYS REDUCED

The licences of Port Lincoln shark-diving businesses will be renewed, but the number of days they run tours has been restricted. In March, the State Government said it planned to cut the number of shark diving tourism operators because the practice was changing the animals' behaviour. However, yesterday the Environment Department said it would renew the licences of Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions, Calypso Star Charters and Adventure Bay Charters for another five years. Under the new licences, they will be restricted to operating no more than five days a week. This will cut the total number of days they can run tours by 105 days. There were previously no restrictions on how often they could run tours. Environment department chief executive Allan Holmes said the decision followed a review of cage diving activity and its impact on shark behaviour. "It was decided it would be possible to award three licences for shark related tourism activities, while still minimising the impact on sharks from these tours," he said.” (Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/shark-tour-operator-days-reduced/story-e6frea83-1226358202932 )

NSW ACTS TO PROTECT HAMMERHEAD SHARKS

The Humane Society International (HSI) has welcomed the listing of two hammerhead shark species in NSW under the Fisheries Management Act 1994, following an HSI nomination. The great hammerhead shark has been listed as vulnerable and the scalloped hammerhead shark as endangered under the Act. 

GREENS CALL FOR REMOVAL OF SHARK NETS ON NSW BEACHES

The Greens in NSW say that shark nets on the state’s beaches are ineffective and should be removed. They say that the nets are damaging to the environment and up to 50% 0f shark entanglements occur on the beach side of the nets.

'Shark attack' term is misleading

According to http://www.braidwoodtimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/shark-attack-term-misleads-people-expert/2410515.aspx?storypage=1, 'shark attack' term is misleading.

AERIAL SHARK PATROLS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

There will be hourly University SA fixed-wing weekday shark patrols until April. The patrols will fly from North Haven to Rapid Bay, South Australia daily between 11am and 8pm. If a shark is spotted by the patrol, the plane will circle and sound a siren to warn people in the water. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter surveys the coastline as far as Goolwa & Victor Harbor on weekends and public holidays.

DOZENS OF HYBRID SHARKS DISCOVERED OFF OF AUSTRALIA

The world's first hybrid sharks have been discovered in substantial numbers off the coast of Australia, and scientists say it may be an indication the creatures are adapting to climate change. Further details are included in the February issue of our SDFSA Bulletin. (Source: http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/02/scientists-dozens-of-hybrid-sharks-found-off-australia/ )

DOG PLAYS WITH SHARK ON BEACH

On Boxing Day (26/12/11) an orca (killer whale) attacked a group of sharks in shallow waters at Blues Cliffs Beach in Southland, New Zealand. An orca was seen thrashing around off the coast before a wounded shark floundered into shore. When the shark neared the beach, a dog jumped into the water and began playing with the shark. The incident can be seen at http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8396492/dog-plays-with-shark-wounded-in-orca-attack. The shark disappeared back into the sea with the high tide.