Sharks in shallows on straddie

[plaztix]

Spent last week camping on flinders, had a ball as always and despite the fishing action being fairly average we still managed enough whiting and dart every day to keep the smile going.;)

I just wish i'd taken some heavy gear as on 2 separate days we spotted 6 - 8ft sharks cruising just behind the breakers. The first one was moving at walking pace and was almost underneath the breaking waves which made me think it may have been sick, which allowed me to convince myself and everyone it was alright to still swim as i thought it was very rare that sharks come in that shallow. :-X

2 days later my missus was just about to walk through the breakers when she turned and bolted back to the beach screaming shark. This day the water was clearer and the shark was moving a fair but quicker and slightly further out. Just after it passed in front of us it stopped and turned around and came back to straight in front of us and it was almost as if it could sense us as we were standing knee deep in the water. I knew there was no way it would cross through the shallow bank the waves were breaking on to get into the gutter we were standing in, but it knew we were there.:o

They both looked about the same size and were fairly standard looking sharks with slightly blackened fin tips but had a slight yellow ting to them and the forward dorsal fin was fairly rounded.

Anyone have any idea what they might have been?

We didn't let it stop us from swimming but were pretty careful about the time of day we swam and made sure someone was on the lookout.

[cuzzamundi]

Mate they sound like spinners to me...a common whaler found in thick numbers this time of year along our stretch of coast. You see them on the news every year when the media goes bezerk about how close sharks come to shore. They're harmless to humans mate. Woulda been fantastic watching them cruise around like that. Thanks for sharing.
cuzza

[Krashtackle]

I'm with Plaz...Sharks scare the clappers out of me :)
But I'm a chick..to be expected I guess..LOL

[greenie.77]

I'd have done a jesus.... walked on water!!

[honda900]

plaztix,

Mate, dont believe that sharks wont cross into shallow water, I for one have seen small black tips in the 2-3 foot range, chasing bait in the shallows until they have come out of the water and were rolling themselves off the beach back into the water, we sat and watched them for about 10 minutes going through a school of bait.

Regards
Honda

[plaztix]

plaztix,

Mate, dont believe that sharks wont cross into shallow water, I for one have seen small black tips in the 2-3 foot range, chasing bait in the shallows until they have come out of the water and were rolling themselves off the beach back into the water, we sat and watched them for about 10 minutes going through a school of bait.

Regards
Honda

Yeah, i have seen small sharks in shallows but this was not a small shark and the waves were breaking on a bank not more than 400mm deep. It would have had to beach it self and squirm across, meanwhile getting hammered by breaking waves which would have given us plenty of time to get outta there. ;) It would have been pretty friggin scary to see it do that and I still wouldn't swim in that gutter in low light:o

[Leighton]

plaztix,

Mate, dont believe that sharks wont cross into shallow water, I for one have seen small black tips in the 2-3 foot range, chasing bait in the shallows until they have come out of the water and were rolling themselves off the beach back into the water, we sat and watched them for about 10 minutes going through a school of bait.

Regards
Honda

We have seem Sharks Beach themselves at Fraser Is while herding up the bait.
Time to get a Dog Plaztix, send it in as a decoy

[straddie]

The really slow one couldn't have been a string of rays could it? They sometimes nose to tail one another and just cruise along. If it was biteys you are right they aren't going to bother coming over the bank if it is breaking sahllow. They will come in shallow but usually only when it is clean water.

Honda those small whalers are nuts and have put the wind up me a few times at night either running into my legs or hitting my feet as they chase bait in with the surge. Funny watching them trying to swim back down the beach with barely a few inches of outgoing water under them.

The good fun is when you are out on a wide bank and have to come back through a chest/kneck deep gutter to get back to shore with a munchy slipping along the outside. It gets you doing some quick calculations on what to do next :D

[plaztix]

The really slow one couldn't have been a string of rays could it? They sometimes nose to tail one another and just cruise along. If it was biteys you are right they aren't going to bother coming over the bank if it is breaking sahllow. They will come in shallow but usually only when it is clean water.

Honda those small whalers are nuts and have put the wind up me a few times at night either running into my legs or hitting my feet as they chase bait in with the surge. Funny watching them trying to swim back down the beach with barely a few inches of outgoing water under them.

The good fun is when you are out on a wide bank and have to come back through a chest/kneck deep gutter to get back to shore with a munchy slipping along the outside. It gets you doing some quick calculations on what to do next :D

:o especially when you stayed out that bit too late and your doing it in the dark :o:-[

No def not a ray. Both dorsal fins and elongated tail were clearly visible above the water line.

How big do whalers get?

[cuzzamundi]

Depends on the species, mate. we've tagged spinners up to 10ft, and i don't think THEY grow much bigger than that. Pigeyes and bulls can nudge the 13 foot mark, and they would be the biggest of the whalers from what i can gather. As far as anatomy goes, Tigers are the supreme of them all, and make any whaler look like a cute little kitten! When mr or mrs T comes in for a gander, you'll see what i mean...if you haven't already!
cuzza

[Dirtysanchez]

On the news today they claim they caught a 3mtr Bully in Sydney harbour, thats a 10 footer or near enough, that would clean out my duds if I was in the water :o

Bet your missus will never let you live that one down ;D

[samsnap]

And my Husband wonders why I hid under the Pillow the other night when JAWS was on - Nightmare stuff!!! The only thing I will do a complete GIRLY meltdown over - they scare me! Sammy x

[grave41]

Im with leighton as we have been able to pat them as they waited for next wave to wriggle back out at waddy pt a few years back. They also knew you were there and were watching you. I have watched one 9 ft hooked and played only to see it swim straight back [biting through the line] and just about beach itself to get a better look at us. They know!!
Graham