GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - After footage of a great white shark swimming between a group of surfers in Plett has gone viral with tones of doom, one of the surfers involved has come forward expressing her dismay at the manner in which the incident, which she has described as calm, has been depicted.
The encounter, which was caught on drone footage captured by Plettenberg Bay local Zach Berman, took place late in the day on Tuesday 23 June and showed a sizeable great white shark swimming among a group of six surfers and paddlers.
But according to Caitlin Judge, a local biologist and conservation communicator as well as an avid surfer who was in the water at the time, the brush lasted no more than 30 seconds and is nothing she hasn't experienced before.
"I have had numerous encounters where they are visibly close by and probably many more I won't know of. This isn't abnormal. Plett is a great-white hot spot and they naturally aggregate here," Judge explained.
'Sharky season'
"Most surfs you have here in winter ('sharky season'), they will be around. It becomes the norm to see them at some point in this time. Some very close, some not. We are aware of who we share the ocean with and mostly all encounters are of the same nature as the drone footage – very relaxed."
Judge expressed her dismay at the manner in which the encounter has been painted on social media.
"In nearly all articles we were 'lucky to be alive after a terrifying life-or-death encounter we will never forget'. I'm so disappointed that this is still the main narrative for the species," she said. "This could have been a great opportunity to highlight a very calm interaction which is much more the norm than any attack – a chance to work on reframing the identity and fear-culture we have unfairly placed upon the species for years."
The number of shark attacks is extremely low, as demonstrated by records from the International Shark Attack File (Isaf), the world's largest and most extensive catalogue of shark attacks since records began in 1905.
According to its database, there have been only 57 unprovoked shark attacks* between 1905 and 2019 in the entire Western Cape. That translates to roughly one attack every two years.
Effect on community
According to Sarah Waries of Shark Spotters, a Cape Town-based shark safety and research organisation, the reason shark attacks attract so much attention is because of the effect they have on a community. "Even though they're very rare, when one does happen it affects the entire community because then boat clubs, lifesaving clubs, beaches, shops on beaches all take a huge knock due to a drop in the number of people who go to the beach," she explained.
Waries also warned that while shark attacks are rare, you shouldn't take any chances. "When you are warned about high shark activity, please heed this warning. It only takes one silly decision by one individual to provoke a shark."
Judge echoed these sentiments. "I'm not saying we should be ignorant of the fact they are there. Sharks are very much to be respected, they are still apex predators. I don't deny that attacks can happen, or the sadness that would follow if it did, but this is very rare. For the most part, great white sharks are relaxed and inquisitive creatures.
"An incredible species to witness. We do need to be aware, be safe, and look out for each other in the water – but also just enjoy the ocean and the creatures that call it home. We shouldn't be ruled by fear or exaggerated journalism."
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