Tell me how many people are killed by sharks while being under water with them. You're not going to find a very big number at all. Yeah, those people trying to hand feed them are asking to get bitten on the arm but other than that its not all that dangerous. Sharks don't prey on humans. Attacks are based on mistaken identity. When we are on surf boards we look like seals. Thats why, when people die from a shark attack, its not becuase they were "eaten alive" it is from blood loss. The shark takes a chunk off your body (arm, leg, etc.) then it realizes you aren't what it wants and swims away. If a shark wanted to, it could eat a human in a few bites, but it chooses not to. They aren't as evil as the media portrays them to be.
I agree with shark hunter too - but as he mentioned - only if the number of attacks increase. as of now, I wouldn't stark culling.
Haven't watched the new episodes of Shark Week yet, not sure if I will, kinda played out at this point, but I wonder how many people watch that and then go surfing and worry about sharks the whole time. I think it's interesting that we enjoy watching how dangerous they are and then turn around and play in their domain, just an observation, I guess it increases the thrill factor knowing you could possibly get eaten alive HAHA
Divers have been attacked by sharks before. Look at the statistics. Also, an attack is NOT always about being mistaken for a seal. Tiger sharks are the dumpsters of the sea and WILL eat you alive if the make a go at you. Bull sharks are the same way. The hunting pattern of the white shark is one big ambush bite, then they swim away and wait for the animal to bleed to death before feeding. The propoganda that you've been fed has made you not realize this. It's all about making the shark seem less "guilty". Honestly, who cares about the reason. A person bit in half is a person bit in half. Also, do people think it's a good idea to feed sharks while diving? Really? Let's let a large dangerous predator associate people with food? Stupidity. Swimming without a cage with a great white shark is extremely dangerous. The fact that you would say it's not dangerous kind of construes a lack of common sense on your part. Sort of like people who keep tiger/lions as pets and think it's perfectly safe.
Yeah, not really. Maybe a thrill factor if you lack survival instinct/common sense. I don't find that to be thrilling anymore than running across the Serengeti with pork chops wrapped about my body. I think my survival instincts are still intact unlike some people. Darwinism I guess.
Different strokes for different folks I guess, some people like having close encounters to get their blood flowing, I'm not one of those people, just an observation.
This has always been a hot topic. But I like reading the different point of views. Just hope that GWS don't get a taste for people like the Bull Sharks at Reunion Island seemed to have done.
I don't think killing the sharks is the right idea (though I'd rather a shark die than me). There really aren't that many Whites up there. The problem is they are all hunting along the beach, because that's where the food is. Whites normally hunt from the deep. It's crazy that they swim in 3' of water. The problem is with the seals. They have let that population skyrocket and it's only getting bigger. If there weren't so many seals there the sharks would move offshore and eat fish, like they usually do.
^^ +1 Intelligent post from Sharkhunter. Don't overanalyze this sh*t. If you notice a continous growing pattern of risk that is of great harm or injury to people, that can be controlled or lessened within a small area (very small in aspect of areas inhabited by GW's) - you should.
Yeah of course they have been attacked divers before. I'm not saying that sharks only attack by mistake. They are, like you say, wild animals. Even the nicest dogs attack people. My only point is that sharks are just like any other animal. They aren't out to kill humans, but they do have natural instincts to hunt for food and protect their habitat. I just don't think that it is right to go out and hunt/kill sharks just because they have attacted us before. With that logic we would be killing dogs and monkeys and lions and tigers and bears oh my. It is a part of nature that we have no right to be messing with. And I will completely agree with your last statement. People who hand feed sharks are out of their damn minds. Like you said, "associating humans with food", is a big no no. I don't believe that it isn't dangerous at all. Being around any wild animal is dangerous no matter how you look at it. All I'm saying is that is isn't as horrible as the media and movies like Jaws portay it to be. There are two extremes to this. Those who think that sharks are the most evil, man hunting monster on the planet, And those who think that sharks are cute and cuddly teddy bears that you can play with. I like to think that there is a happy medium. They are a fierce predator but not exactly a human-hunting monster.
Any time humans attempt to control nature, bad things usually result. We've purposely introduced various insects, reptiles and rodents, etc. into environments to solve a problem. Many times the solution later becomes the problem (frog infestation, lady bugs, long-horn beetles, rats...). I'm more in favor of letting nature take its course. The seal population is crazy so let the GW's prey on them. It might be 5, 10, 20 years from now, but eventually the seals will move and the sharks will follow them. Killing them is very short-sighted...take a longer term view of the issue and you might find that killing 20 sharks does nothing. Not for nothing, but are GW's even a legit concern on the east coast? I believe NorCal has an issue, but east-coasters should be more concerned with Bulls. I'm not worried about one GW attack, especially when said attack involved someone swimming over 100 yards off shore. That's just ignorant. Come on guys, live and let live. Let's all hold hands and sing kumbaya together.
Agreed, there are only a handful of fatal shark attacks in the last few years, nothing too alarming in the grand scheme of things. I mean, more HUMANS kill other humans than any other animal in the kingdom. So by others logic, we should just start killing off the human population, since they are obviously the most aggressive species toward humans. Pretty sad that our own kind is more of a threat than any other animal ever created.
HAHAHA, I mean lets get rid of all vehicles too, along with fast food, cigarettes, alcohol, any and all sharp objects, maybe that'll cut down on fatalities too?
^^^^ a world full of under-weight tweakers who can't get their nicotine or alcohol fix would be a dangerous place to live. I think I'd rather Rochambeau a great white over who gets to take the next wave.
Killing a seal to solve the shark problem is such a crazy idea. But, you know...we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy.
