Socalseakayak wrote: >This is my first post and I am a relatively new to the >sport, a beginning?kayaker of just under 1 year. I was >reading about the shark attack G'day and welcome! Hope the following notes help. They've been gleaned from conversations and occasional observation rather than a scientific study. Sharks I've encountered have either been curious or scared or on one occasion trying to get out of our way while we were surfing. However, I've never knowingly kayaked with a GW, and probably wouldn't know I had until after it attacked. Other sharks would probably bump your boat first. Following are some places and times to possibly avoid rolling or swimming if sharks live in your paddling area. - seal colonies. - dawn or dusk which are feeding times for some sharks - Murky waters especially in estuaries or lagoons for example after rain. Sharks can get confused and aggressive in murky water. Such places could be more dangerous than open sea. - Talk to the local fisherman and find out where the sharks tend to feed and hang out, I seem to recollect that rivermouths and points are popular feeding places, then avoid entering the water in those places and avoid the fisherman when they're fishing. A number of Aussie surfers have got away from sharks by punching them on the nose, but I suspect these were the smaller ones. Don't be put off. You sort of get used to the smaller sharks after a while but I wouldn't go rolling in places they frequent or go swimming with them especially if dressed in a wet suit that might make you look like a seal - can't understand why we don't lose more surfers in their wetsuits. After all that I've got much more reason to be scared of an unpredictable off shore wind and of the other drivers on the road to the put in. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Apr 29 2008 - 02:07:26 PDT
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