PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The winter season has arrived in Plettenberg Bay, heralding the arrival of some regular migrating white sharks who "officially" arrived on 28 April, according to shark experts.
Bitou Mayor Dave Swart issued an awareness notice on Monday 1 May of shark activity along the Plett coastline, in particular at the Lookout, Central, Robberg 1, Robberg Five, Solar and the Wreck beaches.
"Please take caution and notify your guests," Swart posted on WhatsApp.
Jaco Kruger, Plettenberg Bay NSRI station commander, said the awareness notice was issued early as part of the town's Shark Awareness Campaign and to be open in its communication with the public.
"The shark activity we're experiencing now is not unusual for this time of the year with the number of sharks being recorded being very low. It's the normal arrival for the winter migration of white sharks," said Kruger.
He said the normal procedures have been put in place, which the public should be made aware of, such as lifeguards posted at Central, Lookout and Robberg Five beaches during the winter period, as well as putting sharkspotters in place at strategic locations.
Kruger also issued an appeal to water sport enthusiasts to exercise caution when engaging in water-based activity, following a scare involving a paddler in a sea kyak offshore of the Beacon Island Hotel last Monday, 24 April. Fortunately, the paddler made it safely to shore without assistance.
He heaped praise on an eyewitness and "our dedicated Coast Watcher team" for their swift action, following the reports of the paddler appearing to be getting into difficulty.
The eyewitness called the NSRI Emer-gency Operations centre at about 18:00 and the Coast Watcher team immediately sprung into action to monitor the situation. Kruger said the NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew prepared to respond but "fortunately, the paddler was able to make it safely to shore without incident, and no assistance was required".
"We would like to take this opportunity to remind all water sport enthusiasts to exercise caution and to ensure that all necessary safety precautions are taken when engaging in any water-based activity," said Kruger.
He also commended the eyewitness for showing vigilance and urged members of the public to report any concerns about water safety to the NSRI without delay.
In view of recent incidents, he appealed to all boaters, paddlers, sailors and water sports enthusiasts to take advantage of the NSRI's smartphone app to enhance their safety while on the water.
"We urge all in-shore seafarers to download the NSRI RSA SafeTrx application and to use it every time they venture out onto the water," he said.
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