- A surfer was yesterday attacked and killed by a shark
at a popular surfing spot outside Perth.
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- Police and paramedics rushed to the tiny holiday town
of Gracetown, 280km southwest of Perth, in an attempt to save the man but
it is believed he died at the scene.
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- Witnesses at the beach said there were two sharks --
estimated to be between 3m and 5m long -- in the area at the time of the
attack.
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- "It was the larger one that attacked," said
Sgt Ian Pheasant, of Margaret River police.
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- Police said the victim was in his early 30s, but was
not a local.
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- The tragedy occurred in front of surfers and holidaymakers
at a popular surf break called Lefthanders.
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- It is the second fatal shark attack in WA in four years,
following the death in November 2000 of Ken Crew, who was attacked at North
Cottesloe beach, 12km west of Perth, while swimming.
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- Yesterday's attack is the latest in a series of attacks
in WA this year.
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- On March 21, a monstrous 5m white pointer menaced swimmers
when it was spotted cruising in the shallows.
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- Weeks earlier, professional diver Greg Pickering, 47,
survived a mauling from a 1.5m bronze whaler while spearfishing.
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- In January, Allan Oppert, 46, was pulled to safety after
being attacked by a 4.5m great white during a spearfishing trip.
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- http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/printpage/0,5481,10102257,00.html
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- From Ralph S. Collier
- Shark Research Committee
- 7-11-4
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- Dear Mr. Rense,
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- I read the posting on your web site today regarding the
fatal attack on 29-year-old surfer Bradley Adrian Smith at Left Handers
beach near Margaret River just south of Gracetown, and about 280 kilometers
south of Perth, in Western Australia. I thought it best to clarify several
aspects of this attack that have been mentioned by the Australian media.
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- I have examined and analyzed white shark interactions
with humans globally for more than 40 years. My analysis of these events
has determined substantially dissimilar behaviors for attacking white sharks
from numerous geographic locations, including; the United States, Australia,
South Africa, and Chile to mention but a few.
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- The following is what is current know about this unfortunate
incident at Left Handers beach. Smith was surfing with about 20 other surfers
when two white sharks attacked. One shark was described as being about
5 meters (17 feet) in length and the second shark about 3 meters (10 feet)
in length. Witnesses said the attack lasted about 20 seconds with the larger
shark striking Smith so ferociously that his board was bitten in half by
the initial strike. Following the initial strike the larger shark released
Smith momentarily before the smaller shark "launched itself up out
of the water" according to witnesses. The smaller shark bite the victim
several times as Smith hit the shark repeatedly in an attempt to get away.
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- Photographs of the surfboard taken by a bystander on
the beach suggest a white shark at least 5 meters in length was responsible
for the initial strike. This estimate is based on the size and shape of
the dentition impression left in the front section of the victim's surfboard
shown in the photograph.
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- Two nearby surfers went to Smith's aid and brought him
ashore. He died from exsanguination before reaching the beach. The surfers
described the larger white shark as being "as big as a car."
This was the sixth fatal shark attack in Australian waters since 2000.
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- Comparison of white shark predatory attack behavior from
global locations would seem to favor the Pacific Coast of North America
as the location where you are least likely to suffer a serious or fatal
injury. In my analysis of 117 shark attacks from the Pacific Coast since
1900, injury data was available for 114 cases. For those 114 cases, 47
(41%) victims sustained serious injury that required hospitalization and
in 9 cases (8%) the attack was fatal. Therefore, only 9 fatal white shark
attacks were reported for the entire Pacific Coast of North America during
a period of 104 years. Of the 117 total unprovoked shark attacks reported
for this geographic region during this period, 103 (88%) were attributable
to the white shark.
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- The majority of the interactions between white sharks
and humans off the Pacific Coast are more investigatory than predatory.
The motivation for the majority of these incidents from other global locations
appears to be predatory. I attribute this dissimilar behavior as a result
of abundant prey species available to juvenile and adult white sharks.
This is aptly demonstrated when length/weight relationships for white sharks
is compared from these locations. It is not uncommon for their to be as
much as a 1,000 pound difference between comparably sized white sharks
from California and Australia, and/or South Africa, with the California
specimen always heavier. This relates to frequent feeding and abundant
prey.
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- The adage that "white sharks usually mistake humans
for seals" is not supported by my analysis of these interactions and
the physiology of the white shark eye. The ratio of rods to cones in the
white shark retina is equal to that of a human. That suggests that their
visual acuity and ability to see colors is the same as yours and mine.
When silhouettes of surfboards, kayaks and divers are compared with those
of pinniped prey species, they are not even closely representative of one
another.
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- I've attached a link to my research web site for your
perusal. If you would like any additional information please do not hesitate
in contacting me.
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- http://sharkresearchcommittee.com
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- Sincerely yours,
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- Ralph S. Collier
- Shark Research Committee
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