Who is scared of sharks?

[reelemin1974]

I just read about the spearfisherman and was wonderinghow many fishermen are scared of sharks? I for one am, I know the statistics and realise it is quite a bad day that sees you attacked y a shark, but I guess seeing how many sharks there ae in the sea makes me think twice.:o

[jtpython]

I am extremely nervous when it comes to sharks seeing what they do to a fish and how quick they move is frightening .
Imagine if anything happened while you were out fishing and the thought of floating in the water at the distance and the depth of water we are in leaves me with the idea i wouldn't last long at all.
And when i use to spear i was always looking more behind me and to the sides then looking for fish lol
JT

[Leighton]

Pussy cats

[Sea-Dog]

Pussy cats

What's that shark chewing on - anchor rope?

[nigelr]

I have no problems with sharks, if I see one when I'm in the water, I come in.
No problems!
It's the one you don't see thats' the problem...............
Bottom line to me, if a shark wants to eat you, you are almost certainly going to die. The speed and strength of sharks when in attack mode is terrifying indeed.
Fortunately this is very rare, but it happens every year somewhere in Aus.
Sharks are inquisitive critters and fortunately most encounters with humans, they are just checking us out. I've had that happen while spearfishing, 8ft whaler.
I did not enjoy the experience. I faced him off with the speargun, fortunately he swam away. I left the water immediately!
Many experienced spearos consider them no different to dogs, but personally, I'll leave them alone, thanks! Hey, it's your ocean, Mr. Sharky!
Cheers.

[TonyM]

I'm a bit like jtpython - when I used to spear I spent a lot of time keeping an eye out and more than a few times cut the leg rope to my float to let them have the fish I'd speared rather than me after seeing them circle a few times

Nowadays I wouldn't be in the water with a speared fish if you paid me to do it - I very much respect sharks and some of the big Tigers and Hammerheads you see while fishing at times puts it in perspective I reckon :o

I still swim in the salt occaisionally but only in clear water and never present myself as a bait in murky water especially not around dusk/dawn next to a deep channel like some tourists at Kingfisher resort do :-X

[snelly1971]

I dont dive, but I love sharks....Nothing better than when you catch something decent in size and have to wrestle it into the boat,....Lay on it on the floor of the boat , trying to cut its throat to bleed it out.....


Mick

[tunaticer]

When I'm swimming or diving and see a shark I always get a start and it takes a few seconds for the initial adrenaline rush to settle. I relax and calm myself down and watch the shark trying not to get into its personal space. Once i see the shark is merely inquisitive and quite relaxed I am happy to stay there and watch him. If he is agitated i slowly back away from him and leave the area. Only had two sharks out of a few dozen that have been noticeably agitated or cranky and I've gotten away from them. One a little over a metre long and one whaler about 2.5m long.

Jack.

[Wahoo]

when we dive we get a few come up to us, they hang around a bit and you get one or two get a bit close, just push them away with the tip of the gun and they go away, they are only 4-5 foot black tips, but i must say if a rather large one hung around i would most likely shoot off back to the boat


Daz

[NAGG]

I just try not to think about it !

I don't want it to go the same way as my fly fishing up the Snowies ..... & being so paranoid about snakes:anxious: :wreck: :wreck: ...... to the point of not enjoying it!

Nagg

[Horse]

They never used to worry me as I had only seen the Reef Sharks while diving. A few years ago outside Lady Musgrave I had a visit from a solid 3m Tiger. He sat out wide for a slow pass or two then slowly came closer to within 10m then turned and swam away. I never got overly scared and was back in the water 30mins later and speared for the rest of the week.
My next trip I spent more time looking around and did not enjoy the experience and have hardly dived since

Cheers

Neil

[TonyM]

They never used to worry me as I had only seen the Reef Sharks while diving. A few years ago outside Lady Musgrave I had a visit from a solid 3m Tiger. He sat out wide for a slow pass or two then slowly came closer to within 10m then turned and swam away. I never got overly scared and was back in the water 30mins later and speared for the rest of the week.
My next trip I spent more time looking around and did not enjoy the experience and have hardly dived since

Cheers

Neil

I think that's what they call delayed shock! ;D

Sounds like a smart choice to me Neil. When we're teenagers we're bullet proof, and then one day sanity kicks in (at least a little bit) ::)

[Simmo2]

Not so much scared, but appreciative, aware, respective.
Same as I am about the ocean, Mack trucks and bus drivers....

[onerabbit]

Yes, I am scared of being eaten by a shark, I couldn't think of a worse way to go.

This summer would make 6 in a row with no swim in the ocean.

I've caught some big ones, seen really big ones, had 'em look at me as they swim past the boat...........................nuh, I can live without sharks.

Muzz

[FNQCairns]

Had some news today about a good fun time some blokes had out at the reef spearfishing, I used to spearfish SEQ often hardly ever saw a shark (they saw me I am sure), like watching them from the boat though, badly would like to spearfish the reef, between stingers and sharks, think I would take my chances with the sharks which reminds me I still haven't bought a divers knife.

Bloody hell what a choice, sharks or stingers....possibly a misguided Croc, think I will stay in the boat:)

Cheers fnq

[Sea-Dog]

I used to be OK with them as a kid.......

Then I got a job working trawlers out of Bundy years back.

I saw enough of the things to make me paranoid when I'm in the water.

One I saw one night off Fraser Island had a head that was more than two feet wide, without any exaggeration. Have caught them at 12'4" with a head a little more than half of the width of the Fraser Island one.

It makes for an eerie experience when you get one of the net ropes around the prop out at sea at night and have to go for a swim. <Shivers at thought> :(

I didn't actually go over at night - much to the skippers annoyance. I waited 'till morning. :P

[George E]

What's that shark chewing on - anchor rope?
Water skiier;D .
Whenever I see a waterskiier I say "livebait trolling".;D

[roz]

Sharks don't worry me at all, I've seen them while I've been snorkling & can't understand all the fuss.

Just lately I've been unlucky enough to hook up to the odd one, & not wanting to lose 200 meters of braid, try and bring it up and cut the leader as close as possible, that imo, gives the shark a better chance of survival and saves me money.

I think all the hysteria surrounding sharks is totally unwarranted. More people die from eating shark than the other way round.

When you think about it, we really should be a lot more frightened of driving on the highway;D....

cheers r.

[kingtin]

I once saw a mutton bird taken right at the back of the boat............fair put the shits up me. Some may remember an old thread whereby someone was asking about mistakes made when launching etc.

On this occasion, at a particular beacon, a dearly departed Ausfish member was wrestling something that bit him off, or was otherwise lost to his tackle. I was pretty close to him and was so intent on what he was doing that I hadn't noticed the water lapping at our feet. We had traveled from Scarbie with the bungs out and on coming to rest had started to fill up!

The foster daughter drew this to my attention, the fact that there was water lapping at our feet, and I asked her to check the bungs. She dropped into the water without question and on replacing the bungs whispered to me, "Dad, I am on my periods". Never again do I want to experience what I experienced then!

kev

[Leighton]

What's that shark chewing on - anchor rope?

nope, they are a tourist attraction in South Africa.
A multi million dollar business. There are the arguments over there that "chumming up" ( burley ) the sharks gets sharks use to humans therefor increasing the risk of shark contact.
Regardless of if it does or doesnt, we had an awesome day on the boat. It was fantastic to see them up close.
Might be the next tourist attraction for the Bay.


I also herd of shark catching charters down the coast in the Nerang, from what I was told locals cracked up about burleying up the sharks

[wags on the water]

Not a huge fan of swimming with sharks. If they don't come into my bathtub, I won't go into theirs.

Yes, that's why I bought a boat. So I fish in their bathtub.;D

Cheers,

Wags

[Cobia Kid]

I voted "Yes, but I will still swim in the ocean..quite nervously"
Was at a wreck off turkey beach (nautilis) when we were bringing pan size
treveors to the surface when nearly every one was followed up by a 2.5m - 3m
bronzie. I kept saying it was a huge cobia because thats what i truly believed.
the beast finely got hooked and stole 30m of line before we dropped it. we
deicieded to leave and use the float to drive the anchor off. Soon after i find
myself jumping in the water to get the anchor rope from around the prop off.;D
all i could think about was that "cobia" takeing one of my legs off.
A minute in the water felt like a good hour when every bit if swell nearly took you under the boat.
The more i think about it that cobia was almost certinaly a shark!!:-/ :-/
Cheers jamie

[laney]

only going bavk a few years ago i would skirf anywhere in any river and wouldnt bother me when i fell off and would be floating around waiting to be picked up.

these days i am a lot more picky towards the water i swim in/kneeboard in. after having a 1.5 to 2m shark only 10m from my tinny in one of the mermaid waters canals during the day smashing up some type of fish on the surface has certainly reinforced my awareness. ill still swim in the broadwater and the likes though. clear water is fine, dirty murky water will get my thinking twice

[JEWIENEWIE]

I honestly feel it is the land based sharks that we need to be wary of in todays society.
Jewie

[el_carpo]

It's completely goofy for me to say this as I live far away from any ocean, but yeah, I'm scared of them too. I see them at the local public aquarium here and they just "look" like trouble.

It's funny, every time I visit the shark tank there, I always watch and see that everyone first looks at the sharks, then immediately look to see how thick the glass wall of the aquarium is. ;D


I guess once you've seen the movie "Jaws", that's it!

You watch that movie too often and you'll be taking a shot-gun into the shower with you "just in case." ;D;D;D


Pretty neat-o hearing your guys' shark stories. :thumbsup:

EC

[GAD]

I will swim in the sea , more nervously , now but it wasn't always the case , was always cautious after having Jaws scare the c--p out of me as a kid but got over it, just got a fright ,then an other good scare and haven't enjoyed it since as I spend more time looking out with nervous apprehension ,so I don't spear anyore .
Occassionally I can be conned in to swimming off the boat and had to check the bungs for a mate the other month and yeah he'd left one out so screwed it in and got back on board , not long after got a 6 ftish hammer head swimming around the boat , and it hung around the boat for a while , made me think then .
Yeah I'm scared of sharks.but they are where the fish are so will have to live with them .

Greg

[charleville]

I grew to like Paul Keating as our treasurer and then prime minister but that does not mean that I would want to socialise with him. ;D ;D ;D


Likewise, since having a boat over the past six years and seeing and catching a fair few sharks in Moreton Bay, I have overcome my intense fear of them and I have come to really like seeing them. They are such beautifully purpose-designed creatures.

However, seeing where I have caught them and the numbers of them and the untold numbers of freight trains that I have hooked but never been able to see the colour of, there is no way that I would ever set foot into Moreton Bay or any other salt water either, unless it is a lifesaver-patrolled, shark plane patrolled or netted beach.

Every now and then I see people on kayaks out in the middle of the Bay and I say to myself, "You guys are mad!"

Likewise, I see people swimming at places like the appropriately named "Shark Spit" where the water colour is awesome and the island is idyllic to look at and all so inviting for a swim but where I have caught a few sharks and been broken off on both 30 lb and 50 lb line several times close into the shore. I also see people waist-deep netting in the shallows and I am not sure that I would want to do that there either.

Nor can I understand people swimming at Horsehoe Bay at Peel Island right beside the Rainbow Channel, renown for some big , big sharks.

What also worries me is that people will let their little kids go for a swim at the southern Manly boat ramp. Apart from the fact that they are a nuisance when bringing the boat into the ramp, I have seen a lot of big fish heads and frames just dumped by thoughtless fishos in the shallow water beside the ramp and I often wonder if that might bring in the grey suits. It is common to see dolphins cavorting within Manly boat harbour so I don't see why a few Noahs wouldn't also from time to time.

[Hot_Snappa]

Personally I have absolutely no fear of sharks. I have been diving and fishing for for about 40 years and have seen my share of the creatures. As others have said, if a shark wants to take you, you don't stand a chance! And as has also been previously said, most of the time you won't see the shark that takes you!
Having said all that, statistics show that you have so much more chance of being killed in a car accident (or probably doing anything for that matter)........amazes me why people aren't terrified of driving on the roads! How many deaths each year in Australia from shark attacks? Very few if any most years!
If you are scared of them , don't go in the water - simple remedy I would have thought!

Just my thoughts;)


Dave

[Flex]

If less people were scared of sharks more people would die from sharks.

It's my opinion when you see a big shark in the water for the 1st time(3m+ shark) it often scares the crap out of you for life.

My experience was fishing in 3m of water in a shallow sandy bay, rocky headlands etc up north QLD, catching some nice jacks off the rocks. When we saw a shark longer than out 4m tinny circle directly below us 3-4 times...screw that! watch was so shallow you could see the bottom easily and no more than 40m off the shore

[rando]

Yep
They scare me "shipless". ;D The older i get the less i enjoy being in the sea.
These days I cant relax when im in the salt, always worried what is "out there"
but its reassuring to know im not the only big sheila , on the boards::):D

[Local_Guy]

i still surf in the same spots where i have heard of tigersharks swimming between swimmers. the trick is to not try and think about it when your in the water, but i always have one eye out just in case. (same goes for crocs when i'm up in the creeks)

respect their territory and you should be ok.

[baitwaster]

I'll jump in the drink if it is absolutely necessary, but usually I stay out of the water, and they stay out of my boat. - It's a good system and we are all happy this way

[Sea-Dog]

Personally I have absolutely no fear of sharks. I have been diving and fishing for for about 40 years and have seen my share of the creatures. As others have said, if a shark wants to take you, you don't stand a chance! And as has also been previously said, most of the time you won't see the shark that takes you!
Having said all that, statistics show that you have so much more chance of being killed in a car accident (or probably doing anything for that matter)........amazes me why people aren't terrified of driving on the roads! How many deaths each year in Australia from shark attacks? Very few if any most years!
If you are scared of them , don't go in the water - simple remedy I would have thought!

Just my thoughts;)


Dave

Hey, I'm scared of being run over too. I just don't lay down for a rest where I suspect there may be big nasty vehicles. I will cross over the road after looking both ways though. :P

[bungie]

According to Dame Edna Everage,


In Australia, it’s considered quite lucky to see a shark.
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Bloody unlucky if you don’t see it :)

[el_carpo]

This just in. Roy Scheider died. He's the actor from the movie "Jaws." He played the main character sherriff. No, the shark didn't finally get him, it was natural causes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23102484/

[Local_Guy]

sad day, a great actor will be missed.

[Dirtysanchez]

Agreed, he was a good actor.

I have surfed quite a few beaches in NSW as a younger man and have had one or 2 occasions where large grey shadows passed by under me or near me.. One time it was close enough I felt the back passage loosening and I seriously thought I was going to deploy a natural brown deterrent, but I caught a wave right about the time I was going to freak out and I made it back to shore..

Dropped the board on the high water mark, and headed for the bushes in the dunes to...you know what

[Hot_Snappa]

Originally Posted by Hot_Snappa http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=763317#post763317)
Personally I have absolutely no fear of sharks. I have been diving and fishing for for about 40 years and have seen my share of the creatures. As others have said, if a shark wants to take you, you don't stand a chance! And as has also been previously said, most of the time you won't see the shark that takes you!
Having said all that, statistics show that you have so much more chance of being killed in a car accident (or probably doing anything for that matter)........amazes me why people aren't terrified of driving on the roads! How many deaths each year in Australia from shark attacks? Very few if any most years!
If you are scared of them , don't go in the water - simple remedy I would have thought!

Just my thoughts;)


Dave
Hey, I'm scared of being run over too. I just don't lay down for a rest where I suspect there may be big nasty vehicles. I will cross over the road after looking both ways though. :P

Fair enough, just don't go in the water, don't drive a car, don't lie down on the road...stay at home eh!::)

[Little grey men]

lllllllllllllllllllll

[mad_pierre06]

Saw Jaws at a young enough age to permanently imprint a fear of these things. As I've grown older, this has changed to a healthy respect tinged with slightly pathological fear in certain circumstances. Was on a charter back in the mid 80's, and on the way back from outside, we stopped at the wrecks at Tangalooma for a swim. Had been in the water enjoying ourselves when someone calls out from the boat that they could see a hammerhead swimming around about 30 or 40 feet away. You've never seen half a dozen blokes move so quick, and the fellas who had swum over to one of the wrecks refused to get back in and come back to the boat. :D Could still see him circling after we were back in the boat, looked to be about 8 to 10 feet.

I love these beautiful creatures, absolutely perfectly designed killing machines when in action, I will go for a swim at the beach, but there is no way in the world you'll catch me swimming at dusk/dawn, or any other times/places where it is known that they prefer to hunt. And jumping off a boat in the middle of the deep blue for a freshen up is way off the menu.

[Bubba Gump]

I love sharks, beautiful animals in my opinion. I have never thought I was scared while out on the water, but if I were face to face with one I may be a little scared then!

[JRBK]

My Dad is the guy who was the only survivor in the late 70's, floating in the ice box after 30 odd hours in moreton bay after their boat got hit by the Japanese freighter ship. The 2 other guys on board got taken by sharks, one out of his hands.
Think i've taken on board a fear of sharks after nearly losing a father at a very young age.

Mark..

[el_carpo]

I remember reading your post of that story about your Dad's survival, Homerjrb. It takes a lot to make my eyes tear up but that story did it. One of the most powerful stories of self sacrifice and friendship I've ever read.

[mattooty]

I've seen quite a few BIG sharks at spots i surf, dive, swim and fish at. They're always there and with the number of people who swim there, i really dont think about taking a risk. I just go in, and i will continue to enjoy myself in the drink until i get taken, at which point i give you all permission to laugh and yell "i told you so"

I agree el_carpo, that story was a chilling, powerfully written story of self sacrifice!
To anyone who hasnt read it, its worth doing a search for it.

[Leighton]

I've seen quite a few BIG sharks at spots i surf, dive, swim and fish at. They're always there and with the number of people who swim there, i really dont think about taking a risk. I just go in, and i will continue to enjoy myself in the drink until i get taken, at which point i give you all permission to laugh and yell "i told you so"

I agree el_carpo, that story was a chilling, powerfully written story of self sacrifice!
To anyone who hasnt read it, its worth doing a search for it.
Can anyone help out with a good place to start searching or a title?

[el_carpo]

Can anyone help out with a good place to start searching or a title?

:-/ I can't find it either now. I would think that it has to be the same story but I couldn't find it under Homerjrb's list of posts. Maybe he used a different user name then? Whatever the case, it was about how his friends sacrificed their own safety to allow him to have a chance. I don't want to go into the details of the story because it's not my place to do so but it would be a good book or movie though a tragic one.

[Noelm]

I guess what it comes down to is the simple fact that if you are in the Sharks World, like in the water half drowned, then of course you will be packing death, but reverse the situation and lets say a big Shark is on shore to be weighed (say), then you would think nothing of being very close to it, and might even give it a kick or a "pat", but you would never do that in it's domain would you?

[harry_h01]

el_carpo

Homerjrb is my younger brother.

I wrote the original story of our dad and the episode in Moreton bay.

Last year was the 30th aniversary of the incident.

Harry

[tigermullet]

My Dad is the guy who was the only survivor in the late 70's, floating in the ice box after 30 odd hours in moreton bay after their boat got hit by the Japanese freighter ship. The 2 other guys on board got taken by sharks, one out of his hands.
Think i've taken on board a fear of sharks after nearly losing a father at a very young age.

Mark..

I remember that day well. One of the other blokes was the cousin of our next door neighbour and we heard of their fate on a Sunday morning. That tragic tale scared the living daylights out of me. Needless to say, our neighbours were very distressed. I have never forgotten the courage displayed by all three.

Had the weather cleared the day before they might have been found before the attack. The weather on the Friday and Saturday was bad and it was a surprise to wake up to a clear, cloudless day on the Sunday. I think most were caught by surprise and boats started out on the Sunday much later than usual.

[deadbeatloser]

i have been a mad keen surfer for 30 years now and hav seen many sharks whilst surfing over the years.. when your times up its up..

dbl

[reelemin1974]

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=481258#post481258

Thats the link to the shark story......sad

[Colo77]

Have only ever jumped in the water outside a couple of times but never saw a shark. I guess they were always in the back of your mind though. Coral, bommies and fish soon take my mind off it until I swim out near the edge of the deeper water where you can't see anything but the bottom dropping away and endless ocean in front of you. i turn around quick smart.
I have some mates who spear fairly regularly and sharks don't seem to bother them. I guess you get used to them after a few sightings and get to relax and enjoy seeing such creatures now and then.

[jacobvz]

I am not really afraid of sharks. I am wary of them.
However when kitted up with a scuba tank and underwater camera on the great barrier reef my reaction was to get closer for better shots.
Granted only white and blacktip reef sharks but still. (could not get really close unfortunately :-)
The lonely giant barracude I saw sitting on top of a bommie in Thailand struck more fear in me as they can aggressive unlike the majority of sharks. I used the zoom to the max and still it looks miles away


Jack

[Cammy]

im ok when i can see the sharks and i can easily just get out and run away, but if im in the deep and cant see sharks im very wary!

Cammo

[reidy]

Good day all,
4.1m tinnie+16 foot white=fear fear fear fear fear fear agghhhhhh i need a new pair of pants
Cheers
Reidy

[Nicko]

Would there be some sharks 3m + that linger around coochimudlo island in the moreton bay?
Because my tinnie is only 3.55, and it'd be scary having a shark near the size of your boat come by.

[bigdonk]

I go surfing over at south straddy , its a bit scary when paddeling over for a pre dawn surf befour work.. I've caught some pretty seizy Bull sharks of the Nth wall so i know they are there...

Cheers BD

[Blackened]

Would there be some sharks 3m + that linger around coochimudlo island in the moreton bay?
Because my tinnie is only 3.55, and it'd be scary having a shark near the size of your boat come by.

G'day

Think bigger than your boat, and then some.

Whats scarier IMO is having a blooody whale surface inside the bay, meters from you when you're cruising home in a 12' tinny.

And yes, there has been humpbacks off of coochie this last season


Dave

[kingtin]

G'day

Think bigger than your boat, and then some.

Whats scarier IMO is having a blooody whale surface inside the bay, meters from you when you're cruising home in a 12' tinny.

And yes, there has been humpbacks off of coochie this last season


Dave

I was in kingtin (21ft) when I saw a whale at E4 beacon very early morning. Went over to get a shot but it dived and so I sat there waiting for it to come up. Up it came, not 20yds away and to tell the truth ............I cacked............To feel the wash and hear the blow on a calm silent morning is awesome, but also gives you the willies...........what if it had been nearer? I dread to think what it would feel like in a 12 footer. Wouldn't have missed it for the world though................aren't us Queenslanders blessed? :D

kev

[SASSYJNR]

we had a 3m mako eat every snapper we hooked up at my (secret) spot at the 36's off the gold coast for about 30 mins, it was geting aggressive, rammed my motor, i have a tiller steer and the tiller arm nearly broke my leg, but anyway, we had to move so headed out further to about 290ft deep, about 20 mins away, we dropped lines and the mako had followed us the whole way, we knew it was the same one by the scars on it, i am not scared of them, but then again ive never been froced to swim with them
another time at the carbrook boat ramp i had to put my boat in to rescue a mate who's motor had broke down, i must have been hungover or something because when i went to push the boat off the trailer i had forgotton to take off the bar that holds the motor up, the boat had gone too far back to drive yp the ramp and fix so i had to go in and fix it, no problem.
i cam back towing my mates boat and one of the blokes on the bank fishing said that when i walked out of the waist deep water he saw a large fin slowly follow me up the ramp, that gives me the shivers, to think i was that close. we used to ski in the logan as kids and no way in the world would i let mine do it now

[Reel Nauti]

People that insist on comparing the incidents of shark attacks to car accidents amuse me. If everyone commuting from Bris to Bribie on Friday night had to swim instead of drive, what do you think would happen. Car accidents would most definately be down, but shark attacks.......?

Dave

[TimiBoy]

A cousin of mine was eaten years ago off the Eyre Peninsula, surfing. I had a brush too, when I was on a sandbar at Point Soutar on the Yorke, many years ago. They came and got us in a boat, as a 14 footer (I never saw it) lazily circled the bar eyeing us kids off.

The chance of dying in a road smash may be higher, but I'll take that chance. I'd rather my last view of the world was of the radiator of a Mack truck than the gills of a Tiger from the inside...

See my Signature!

[johnny roger]

these killing machines have no remorse or pity. i say start the culling! along with the bloody crocs!