8 minute read
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
We take a deep dive into white shark activity along our coastline and show how awareness of their habits and habitat can go a long way to saving their and our lives. By Cherelle Leong
PLETTENBERG BAY ON THE Garden Route is a prime holiday destination, with kilometres of pristine white beaches, excellent surfing and a host of other outdoor activities and attractions to explore. So when news circulates that beaches are temporarily closed because of increased shark activity in the area, people tend to be concerned. It’s a very common human reaction. Sharks have been unfairly represented as creatures to fear by Hollywood and mainstream media for decades. The sensationalisation of shark incidents unfortunately has been perpetuated into our psyche in a negative way. While it’s understandable to feel this way, the reality is that humans are a far greater threat to sharks than sharks are to us. One only has to look at an area known for its dense population of sharks to understand why.
Gansbaai is a small town in the Overberg on the Western Cape coastline known for its large population of white sharks. For years this is what made the sleepy fishing town a major tourist attraction – the opportunity to be submerged in a cage and encounter white sharks up close, underwater. It’s a thrilling and fascinating experience. Many who have completed cage dives come away awed by the magnificence of the white shark. But it’s not just a tourist attraction. The shark encounter charters also participate in shark research, recording the number of sightings and sizes of the sharks that are seen. This information is shared with various research groups and organisations involved with monitoring shark populations and behaviour around the globe.
Between 2011 and 2013, shark sightings increased steadily, signaling a healthy population. But after 2013 the data shows a different story – a steady decline in shark sightings. This is cause for concern on several levels. From a human and local economic perspective, it has a big impact. Gansbaai is an out-of-the-way destination that’s on the world tourism map only because of the shark encounters. The industry contributes an estimated R36.5 million in annual revenue excluding complementary hospitality revenue such as accommodation, transport, guiding or dining out. In 2016 a 21-day absence of shark sightings was estimated to have caused a loss of R1.5 million for the region.
These were the findings of a study conducted by the University of Exeter published in the South African Journal of Science in 2019. The study sought to review the data and try to find an explanation why fewer sharks were being seen. Observations were made of significant ecosystem changes. However, the human factor showed to be far more influential regarding the 69% decline in white shark sightings over that four-year period. Overfishing, illegal fishing and bycatch (when sharks are accidentally caught in trawling and fishing nets) have had a significant impact on both white sharks and their prey, resulting in a decline in numbers.
Independently, more recent reports of a pair of orcas predating specifically on white sharks in the False Bay area have been confirmed. Nicknamed Port and Starboard, because of the shape of their dorsal fins, these orcas have a habit of targeting white sharks for the purpose of feeding on their livers. This grisly theory has been backed up by the discovery of several white shark carcasses in False Bay and more recently by drone footage filmed near Gansbaai of an orca hunting and killing a white shark. The white shark is viewed as an apex predator and this unusual behaviour by orcas has marine scientists looking more closely at factors that could be influencing orca behaviour as well as the impact on white shark populations. It could also account for the reduced sightings of white sharks in False Bay and more frequent sightings further up the coast towards Plettenberg Bay.
White sharks have been recorded migrating as far as Australia and back to South African waters, and are known to be present all along the South African coastline. Testament to this is the large number of white sharks reportedly killed in shark nets by the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. Between 2013 and 2017, this caused a reduction of 64 in the overall white shark population. Considering that at its highest the white shark population was just over 550 individuals, this loss is significant. While it’s important to keep swimming beaches safe, there is a strong realisation among marine scientists that unless fishing practices change and environmental management strategies change, there is a very real threat of extinction for the white shark.
Following the increased white shark population and recent shark bite incidents, the Bitou Municipality is engaging with a number of stakeholders to find a solution. It’s not an easy task. There are many concerns from various entities and communities and there is no simple solution. Some of the considerations under discussion are whether to install barriers that would prevent sharks from entering the swimming areas. However, the type of barrier cannot be one that could trap and further reduce shark populations, as this would hinder conservation efforts. In Fishhoek, experiments were conducted in 2021 with an alternate type of barrier that could be deployed or removed as needed. Alternative technologies include electromagnetic pods that repel sharks and barriers that resemble kelp forests. In Cape Town, Shark Spotters has partnered with the local municipality to man lookout points above Muizenberg, Fishhoek and Noordhoek beaches. From these elevated vantage points it’s easier to spot white sharks and alert bathers and surfers to the presence of sharks in the area. This is done by way of flag signals and announcements from lifeguard towers.
There is an urgency to find a solution. Plettenberg Bay is known as a beach destination and having safe swimming areas is critical to keep attracting holidaymakers. But there is an element of beach safety that rarely makes news headlines and puts far more holidaymakers’ lives at risk than increased shark activity in an area. That is drowning as a result of people being caught in rip currents.
On almost a weekly basis NSRI bases around the country receive calls reporting people being swept out to sea. It’s one of the reasons the Pink Rescue Buoys were initiated. Having a rescue flotation device on the beach, freely available for anyone to grab and assist someone who is in difficulty, is saving lives. The statistics on drowning are alarming, with an estimated 1 500 drowning-related deaths occurring in South Africa each year. Compared with the number of fatal shark incidents that have occurred, rip currents represent a far greater risk to beachgoers.
These statistics align with international findings. In the US, the Florida Museum, which houses a global record of shark incidents, lists 17 more probable causes of death. There’s a 1 in 5 risk of heart disease, a 1 in 7 risk of cancer, and a 1 in 3 306 risk of drowning. Comparatively, the risk of a fatal injury resulting from a shark incident is 1 in over 4 million.
One of the reasons for this is that, as humans, we don’t naturally share our habitat with sharks. They live in the ocean while we mostly reside on land. Yet swimming, surfing, paddling and sailing are all activities that are enjoyed on coastal waters – and that does place us in their habitat. Raising awareness about sharks and their known whereabouts is important, especially when larger concentrations of white sharks are confirmed in specific areas. At the same time, we should remember that there are far more dangerous elements to the ocean that are responsible for significantly more deaths. It’s not uncommon for fishermen to be washed off rocks by big surf or for people who think they’re safely standing in the waves to be pulled out of their depth by rip currents. These incidents happen swiftly and frequently have tragic outcomes. As measures are put in place to create safe swimming areas, it is important to take a holistic view of water safety, factoring in the risks, frequency of incidents and likelihood of them occurring. This approach can help ensure that resources are concentrated in the areas that can have the greatest impact on saving lives.
Every death is tragic, whether by drowning or because of a shark incident. The higher concentration of white sharks on the Garden Route increases the statistical chance of shark encounters occurring. Equally, an increase in the number of holi- daymakers increases the risk of potential drownings. Finding a solution that saves lives while still allowing people to enjoy the beach and seagoing activities is important. It will require close collaboration among all stakeholders. Specifically focusing on education and increasing public awareness of potential dangers of an area goes a long way to reducing incidents. Most swimmers and surfers are aware of the risks of the ocean and are conscious of the fact that they enter what is essentially the natural habitat of many marine species including sharks, seals, dolphins and turtles. The majority of encounters occur without incidents or injuries. Respecting the ocean and its inhabitants and being cautious when there’s a known risk can make a significant difference in saving lives.
