* November 6, 2000: Businessman and father-of-three Ken Crew, 49, died after his leg was torn off by four-metre white pointer in waist deep water 10 metres off shore at North Cottesloe beach. * July 10, 2004: Surfer Brad Smith, 29, is attacked by two sharks believed to be a great white and a bronze whaler while surfing a popular reef off Gracetown. But eliminating some of these big man-eaters that are obviously lurking around way too close to the shore will make the waters a bit more safe, at least to an acceptable risk.Īnd if you don't think there is a problem in WA with an apex predator species that is flourishing in numbers, to the point of being almost out of control, because it has been wrongfully accorded "protected species" status, I will sign-off now with these few facts to consider (apologies and heart-felt condolences to all the families mentioned). We acknowledge that death by great white is a possibility for anyone who enters the sea. Surfers and other informed ocean users are not calling for the senseless culling of as many sharks that can be killed off the WA coastline.Īll I and many others who have enjoyed working and recreating in the West Australian coastal region for many years are asking for is the government to do the right thing and help implement a well-thought out plan with a determined effort to eradicate a couple of big rogue white pointers that have quite obviously developed a taste for human flesh in recent years. So please, for those wanting an informed opinion, listen to the experts like Hugh and Leo. In the attack at Wedge Island, the guy was completely consumed, as well… gone after two hits."
"If you'd blinked your eyes, you'd have missed it. The shark hit him in the middle, ate one half, turned around, ate the other half and that was it. They were like the one where Geoff Brazier was killed at the Abrolhos Islands north of Perth. "Those five attacks were chillingly similar. "Now this is a large shark capable of eating the whole lot… and may have been the same shark."
And the fifth one, if they hadn't managed to get his remains into the boat instantly, I'm sure would have gone too. "Two of the victims were swallowed totally, two were bitten completely in half. We know it was a big shark involved in each attack," he said. "The five attacks we had in WA from 2011 to 2012 had a very similar modus operandi. That said, Hugh reckons there are still some cases of rogue sharks or cyclical attacks by the same animal. Speaking in Perth magazine Starfish Hugh acknowledged that great whites were pretty much always on the move and covered great distances. He reckons recent moves to limit fish catches have dramatically increased the number of all species, particularly sharks, and they were venturing closer to shore because there was more for them to eat.Īnother West Aussie whose experience I value greatly is world-renowned diver, ocean photographer and author Hugh Edwards. These packs consist mostly of tiger sharks, bronze whalers, black tips, sandbars and hammerheads.īut Leo is also seeing big great whites weekly. He doesn't swim in the ocean any more because of the "packs of sharks" numbering up to 40 following commercial vessels daily. Leo reckons the number of sharks has increased "tenfold" in the past five years. I have known third-generation rock lobster fisherman Leo Sgherza since I was a kid hanging around at my cousin's place in Fremantle. If you don't agree then please at least take the time to read the comments from two very experienced ocean men, both veterans in their chosen field, who provide chilling accounts of the growing number of sharks in WA waters. I don't have much time for well-meaning but largely misinformed and sentimental types who are opposed to getting rid of a couple of big rogue great whites that, in recent years, have developed a taste for human flesh.
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