The " Shark " Enigma !

This week a swimmer was taken by a shark at a beach in Byron Bay and this became the headline news story in Australia.  It will certainly enliven the debate on whether we need shark nets to provide swimmer safety off our beaches and whether the setting of drum lines is a practical way of culling big sharks.

The very thought of being attacked in the water by an animal with razor sharp teeth sends a chill through most swimmers, and yet the risk is infinitesimal compared to the chances of death by many other causes - which we accept unconditionally.   The odds of dieing in a fatal car accident comes high on that list and there are more people who are murder victims than shark victims when it comes to death analysis.

The man who died at Byron Bay was simply having a morning swim just fifteen metres off the beach. His timing and choice of place were unfortunate because they converged with the random wanderings of a three metre White Pointer shark looking for breakfast.   The swimmer was wearing a black wet suit - and it is likely that the shark mistook him for a seal, one of that predator's main food items.

Shark attack seems to be entirely random.   We are warmed that early morning and early evening are times of great danger because they coincide with the shark meal habits and overcast days may have a bearing on this animal's ability to recognise the difference between a human and a seal.   It is also unwise to approach if sharks are engaged in a " feeding frenzy "on the carcass of a dead whale or other sea creature.   But in the end, it all seems to be a matter of luck.   If you bump into a very hungry shark - or one who is curious about the taste of humans - you become a statistic !

That raises the question of who has "right of way "in the sea. Clearly, humans are at the top of the pecking order in the food chain and we lord it over all the land animals on this planet.   A man with a gun can easily conquer a Bengal Tiger or a Lion, considered the pinnacle of the animal pecking order. That dominance is not so clear when it comes to encounters in the sea.

Scientists assure us that we disrupt the animal food cycle at our peril.    Should we manage to eliminate sharks from the food chain it could have a catastrophic effect on the world food supply because the sea is a critical source of food for much of humanity.  That seems to indicate that there must be limits on shark nets and drum lines, and that we must make personal decisions on the degree of risk we are prepared to take when we enter the sea.

That is very much a personal decision.  Many people consciously decide to take the safe option and only bathe where barriers prevent the entry of sharks while the board riding fraternity are usually back in the water and seeking the perfect wave within hours of a fatal shark attack - and the odds are very much in their favour.

There is a saving grace for those with a love of bathing in the sea.  It seems that there is safety in numbers.   There has never been a shark attack on the crowds bathing between the flags on a beach under the control of the Surf Lifesavers.