Encounter with White Shark
Leaves paddler rather white
Meetings with toothies are to be expected, but in reality most if not all, are quite mundane and benign: around PE it basically doesn’t involve more than catching the odd small shark, being taxed, or hooking a bigger shark and having your hook-snoot part within seconds. So long as you aren’t doing anything silly or deliberate, any interest they may have in you is fleeting. No problem.
However, spending as much time on the water as I do, I guess that on the balance of probabilities, at some point I'll have an encounter with the apex predator, where I’m no longer the hunter and become the object of interest.
Last Saturday the usual crew of three were fishing behind Suicide Reef on the Wildside, together with an anchored ski boat for a few hours. Between us all, there was a fair amount of bait going down, caught fish struggling, barotraumas fish needing help going back down and a big geelbek being taxed at the boat by a bronzie. There were alot of jappies (seabirds) sitting on the surface; and the water warm & particularly clear.
The Event
“Whale!†warns Brendan. Yip, I seen it too; we’re alert, prepared for its next breech to ensure we stay out of its path, but nothing. Weird, huh? Turns out to be mistaken-identity...big time!
I’m paddling back to the safe point, Brendan’s gone ahead, and Binks a few hundred meters behind. I’m nicely in my groove, paddling hard, good speed and rhythm, checking my landmark occasionally, basically daydreaming. I vaguely become aware of a splashing sound behind me, that sort of cavitating sound reminiscent of pulling your hand through water real fast, and I wonder why the stern of my ski would be making that sort of noise, with that, I catch a wake-up and spin around: there is a big shark right at my stern, and I mean right on my tail, dorsal fin fully out of the water. I freeze; it glides past my ski within arm’s length on my right. It is a Great White, no mistaken identity this time, estimated at 3 – 3,5m; certainly not one of these 1,5 or 2m juveniles, but a bit shorter than my EVO 430.
My mind is racing: “just chill, sit tight and it’ll loose interest†I tell myself. It turns under my ski’s nose, comes back checking me from the port side a meter below the surface. Anxiously I scan all around; it approaches from the rear again, dorsal cutting the surface and passes real close on my right again, I see its big black eye checking me out, I notice the raggedy trailing edge of its dorsal fin, the two striped sucker parasites tucked in at its second dorsal, scars and marks on its body, particularly around its pectoral fin, possibly from entanglement, I’m intrigued with how its body joins the tail.
I’m thinking “I need to take a picture, this is once in a lifetime stuff†but I’m afraid the commotion of parking my paddle, opening the hatch, getting the camera, taking it out of its bag will increase its interest, besides I need to be fully focussed on the shark and not be caught unawares while stuffing around with trivialities, anyway how much longer is it going to be around, right? Well the third run was exactly the same as the previous two. I’m worried that because its interest hasn’t diminished, that it will escalate – I feel like I’m being sized up and stalked. I have no choice, just poker-face this thing out although I’m on the verge of freaking out; the best defence may be a good offence, but I decide to hold back till the last possible moment, and then give it my all – a premature offensive may just get me into more trouble.
After a total of 5 or 6 identical runs at me it disappears, just as Binks arrives within shouting distance – he’s wondering whether I've lost the plot just sitting there with my paddle at the ready. We waited a bit and moved off, but the next half-kilometre was nerve-wracking: did I wait long enough for it to go away or is this going to start all over as soon as I move again? My head whips around, eyes like saucers, at every splash or sound, but thankfully that was it, and we beat a grateful retreat to the safety of Mahogany Reef (Noordhoek Ski-boat club bar).
I subsequently heard that Wildside divers club divers were buzzed the same morning by a 3m great white in the same vicinity, adding credence to my encounter.
What the Experts say & avoiding confrontation
A few years ago I read South Africa’s Great White Shark by Thomas P Peschak & Michael C Scholl, and found it interesting – especially the bit about avoiding bites. Since the encounter, I’ve revisited this, and Steve Warren (Sealine) put me in touch with the local Bayworld shark guru’s Drs Smales & Dicken who also provided great advice and perspective – many thanks. Here’s some pointers based on their expertise and my experience:
· Like any individual, White sharks character varies from one to another, and an individual’s mood may vary from day to day, but as a whole, they are generally described as, curious, cautious and clever rather than mindless aggressive monsters. The experts described the behaviour I experienced as curiosity.
· Great Whites would be stimulated by movement, commotion and light/reflection and attracted to bodily fluids, fish parts and struggling fish – stop fishing and move off slowly if they are around.
· They often approach from behind – keep an eye on them. Stop paddling and stay still if you are approached.
· Circling in tightening circles is fairly normal behaviour, as is bumping and mouthing, which is a sensory thing for them.
· Avoid engaging the shark prematurely or unnecessarily – the reaction itself may knock you off your ski and stimulate it into an aggressive response.
· Keep something between you and the shark - like your paddle – and if it is necessary to engage the shark because of bumping and mouthing – pushing them away with a well directed deliberate prod or push, or a single smack on the snout would be preferable than blindly beating and flailing away, which is more likely to excite the shark.
· There is safety in numbers – Binks’ arrival and the shark’s disappearance is probably not coincidental.
· In future, we’ll probably stick a little closer together when fishing and on the move.
· Rather not dangle your feet in the water to slow your drift in the wind. Also don’t chum and avoid cleaning your fish on the ski at sea.
· Avoid fishing in know white shark hotspots, seal colonies and around factory or effluent discharge plumes.
According to ORI’s data, a 3m White shark weighs in at 419kgs.
Parting shot..
Well there’s no Evo for sale, and in the balance of probabilities it’s highly unlikely that I have similar experience anytime soon ….. but for you guys.. ..Happy fishing...hehe
Seriously though, we are guests on the home turf of some apex predators, and while it’s one thing to read about and give advice from behind the pc, it’s an entirely different matter being up close and personal doing the stare-down to see who blinks first...
It was reassuring to be able to base my response on some proven research, and I still believe that if you actually survive the journey to the launch-site accident-free, then you’ve got the dangerous part under your belt already.
Regards Fredsta
Leaves paddler rather white
Meetings with toothies are to be expected, but in reality most if not all, are quite mundane and benign: around PE it basically doesn’t involve more than catching the odd small shark, being taxed, or hooking a bigger shark and having your hook-snoot part within seconds. So long as you aren’t doing anything silly or deliberate, any interest they may have in you is fleeting. No problem.
However, spending as much time on the water as I do, I guess that on the balance of probabilities, at some point I'll have an encounter with the apex predator, where I’m no longer the hunter and become the object of interest.
Last Saturday the usual crew of three were fishing behind Suicide Reef on the Wildside, together with an anchored ski boat for a few hours. Between us all, there was a fair amount of bait going down, caught fish struggling, barotraumas fish needing help going back down and a big geelbek being taxed at the boat by a bronzie. There were alot of jappies (seabirds) sitting on the surface; and the water warm & particularly clear.
The Event
“Whale!†warns Brendan. Yip, I seen it too; we’re alert, prepared for its next breech to ensure we stay out of its path, but nothing. Weird, huh? Turns out to be mistaken-identity...big time!
I’m paddling back to the safe point, Brendan’s gone ahead, and Binks a few hundred meters behind. I’m nicely in my groove, paddling hard, good speed and rhythm, checking my landmark occasionally, basically daydreaming. I vaguely become aware of a splashing sound behind me, that sort of cavitating sound reminiscent of pulling your hand through water real fast, and I wonder why the stern of my ski would be making that sort of noise, with that, I catch a wake-up and spin around: there is a big shark right at my stern, and I mean right on my tail, dorsal fin fully out of the water. I freeze; it glides past my ski within arm’s length on my right. It is a Great White, no mistaken identity this time, estimated at 3 – 3,5m; certainly not one of these 1,5 or 2m juveniles, but a bit shorter than my EVO 430.
My mind is racing: “just chill, sit tight and it’ll loose interest†I tell myself. It turns under my ski’s nose, comes back checking me from the port side a meter below the surface. Anxiously I scan all around; it approaches from the rear again, dorsal cutting the surface and passes real close on my right again, I see its big black eye checking me out, I notice the raggedy trailing edge of its dorsal fin, the two striped sucker parasites tucked in at its second dorsal, scars and marks on its body, particularly around its pectoral fin, possibly from entanglement, I’m intrigued with how its body joins the tail.
I’m thinking “I need to take a picture, this is once in a lifetime stuff†but I’m afraid the commotion of parking my paddle, opening the hatch, getting the camera, taking it out of its bag will increase its interest, besides I need to be fully focussed on the shark and not be caught unawares while stuffing around with trivialities, anyway how much longer is it going to be around, right? Well the third run was exactly the same as the previous two. I’m worried that because its interest hasn’t diminished, that it will escalate – I feel like I’m being sized up and stalked. I have no choice, just poker-face this thing out although I’m on the verge of freaking out; the best defence may be a good offence, but I decide to hold back till the last possible moment, and then give it my all – a premature offensive may just get me into more trouble.
After a total of 5 or 6 identical runs at me it disappears, just as Binks arrives within shouting distance – he’s wondering whether I've lost the plot just sitting there with my paddle at the ready. We waited a bit and moved off, but the next half-kilometre was nerve-wracking: did I wait long enough for it to go away or is this going to start all over as soon as I move again? My head whips around, eyes like saucers, at every splash or sound, but thankfully that was it, and we beat a grateful retreat to the safety of Mahogany Reef (Noordhoek Ski-boat club bar).
I subsequently heard that Wildside divers club divers were buzzed the same morning by a 3m great white in the same vicinity, adding credence to my encounter.
What the Experts say & avoiding confrontation
A few years ago I read South Africa’s Great White Shark by Thomas P Peschak & Michael C Scholl, and found it interesting – especially the bit about avoiding bites. Since the encounter, I’ve revisited this, and Steve Warren (Sealine) put me in touch with the local Bayworld shark guru’s Drs Smales & Dicken who also provided great advice and perspective – many thanks. Here’s some pointers based on their expertise and my experience:
· Like any individual, White sharks character varies from one to another, and an individual’s mood may vary from day to day, but as a whole, they are generally described as, curious, cautious and clever rather than mindless aggressive monsters. The experts described the behaviour I experienced as curiosity.
· Great Whites would be stimulated by movement, commotion and light/reflection and attracted to bodily fluids, fish parts and struggling fish – stop fishing and move off slowly if they are around.
· They often approach from behind – keep an eye on them. Stop paddling and stay still if you are approached.
· Circling in tightening circles is fairly normal behaviour, as is bumping and mouthing, which is a sensory thing for them.
· Avoid engaging the shark prematurely or unnecessarily – the reaction itself may knock you off your ski and stimulate it into an aggressive response.
· Keep something between you and the shark - like your paddle – and if it is necessary to engage the shark because of bumping and mouthing – pushing them away with a well directed deliberate prod or push, or a single smack on the snout would be preferable than blindly beating and flailing away, which is more likely to excite the shark.
· There is safety in numbers – Binks’ arrival and the shark’s disappearance is probably not coincidental.
· In future, we’ll probably stick a little closer together when fishing and on the move.
· Rather not dangle your feet in the water to slow your drift in the wind. Also don’t chum and avoid cleaning your fish on the ski at sea.
· Avoid fishing in know white shark hotspots, seal colonies and around factory or effluent discharge plumes.
According to ORI’s data, a 3m White shark weighs in at 419kgs.
Parting shot..
Well there’s no Evo for sale, and in the balance of probabilities it’s highly unlikely that I have similar experience anytime soon ….. but for you guys.. ..Happy fishing...hehe
Seriously though, we are guests on the home turf of some apex predators, and while it’s one thing to read about and give advice from behind the pc, it’s an entirely different matter being up close and personal doing the stare-down to see who blinks first...
It was reassuring to be able to base my response on some proven research, and I still believe that if you actually survive the journey to the launch-site accident-free, then you’ve got the dangerous part under your belt already.
Regards Fredsta