Spyderco Forums

I like to read about and study the topic of sharks and shark attack statistics.

I discovered this claim: That sharks have attacked more men than women. There are people on both sides, some claiming it is true, and others claim it is false.

Here are some web links:

https://www.earthtouchnews.com/oceans/s ... n-purpose/

https://www.ajc.com/news/national/why-s ... Tqxm9km4K/

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/cons ... klnxo.html

Is it because there are more men than women involved in water sport activities?

Perhaps the sharks have some kind of social gender bias?

I have known far more male sailors, windsurfers, paddle boarders, divers etc than female. Not many sharks, though, at least not the aquatic kind.

The last three people bitten by sharks here in Oz were a middle aged woman in Botany Bay. A middle aged woman and a 12yrs old girl were both bitten within 24 hours of each other in a bay in The Whitsundays.

Probably a numbers game.
Generally Boys/Men are greater in number in Kayaking, Surfing, Diving and Fishing, hence the tendency for more Men to be given the "Taste Test".
I've certainly seen a few over the years, mainly when Sea Kayaking, BUT, Great Whites are VERY hard so see when under the Kayak.
You really have to have the "antennae" up and have seen a swirl in the water or "something" to put you on alert.
Their Camouflage when looking down at close quarters really is excellent. I am under no illusion (pun intended) that a lot have seen me and gone on their merry way without "tasting" me.
There have been 2x attacks here recently. One Oct 13 on a kayaker and one, Oct. 18 on Surfer. Both survived.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=shark+attacks ... 2_f&ia=web
A couple of days ago I had a approx. 2 meter Bronze Whaler swimming around my Yacht when on a Mooring approx. 10 metres from shore.
Quite a priviledge to be having a coffee and watching the local wildlife..

From what I've been told by some really smart lifeguards I've talked to on many beaches I've been swimming and snorkeling at is that most shark attacks on humans are mostly mistaken identity. Most all of the great white sharks prefer seals over most other prey and most of the attacks are people with surfboards that tend to look like a seal on the surface. Also there are so many people that get bitten once but manage to make it back to shore which might actually prove that to be true.

Another thing that many lifeguards have told me is that Sharks tend to be attracted by shiny, bright colored objects. They told me that these nuclear colored bathing suits could be your worst enemy because it has been documented that sharks are indeed attracted to such colors and objects that reflect light in certain ways. I've always worn black or navy blue swim trunks when I've gone snorkeling and I've never had a shark encounter underwater. Also everywhere I've gone swimming or snorkeling I've noticed that no one is in the water after about 6:00pm>> probably when the sharks are scouring the shallow waters for food at that time I would guess.

Just by the very nature of the problem those with first hand experience of being eaten by sharks are not going to be posting a reply.
O.

Years back a Mate ordered a 5.2 meter Plastic Sea Kayak from me, as He had tried out one of my rental fleet ones.
He asked me what colour he should get and I replied “Black” as it is the most visible in bright sunlight AND low light level conditions.
Most people would call Bullshit on this, however, the Majority of Trawlers here are Black and they use black flags on their long line floats to make them more visible to recover.. $
Yellow is extremely difficult to see on a bright day.
Any way, I have never paddled a yellow kayak and NEVER will !

I read as a kid about the number of Sailors and downed aviators in WW2 that were attacked by Sharks whilst wearing YELLOW Mae West lifejackets and in Yellow Rubber Dinghys.
Modern Life rafts have Black bottoms/ Orange canopies for a reason..

I digress, Mike Hogan ordered from me a Yellow kayak.
He and a Mate were test paddling it a couple of weeks later off Matapouri Beach (Northland, NZ) on sunny day approx. 500 meters from shore.

His mate Hugh heard a thump, looked over and saw Mike in kayak, in the air with a Great White Shark attached to the bottom..
It shook the **** out of the Kayak and dislodged Mike into water. He didn't know he had been attacked by a Shark, merely thought he had landed on a rock.

Hugh paddled over and got Mike back into Yak using recovery technique I had taught them and paddled to Shore.
When Hugh told Mike what had really happened, Mike fainted..
The Yak was marked and had two tooth penetration holes in area directly under cockpit / leg area.
Was written up in local paper but am unable to find it. Approx. 1995?
I bought Mike one of those small inflatable plastic Great White Sharks and sent it to Him as a Memento, He saw the joke eventually.. :rolleyes:

Great Whites are now tracked around Pacific by Satellite and transponders.
They are known to move between here and Tonga (15 days) and Australia.
I'm pretty sure it was a Australian Gt.White that moved over here as we Kiwis are known to have much better taste.

kiwisailor wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 3:39 pm

They are known to move between here and Tonga (15 days) and Australia.

That woulda been one of your own or a SAFA.
O.

kiwisailor wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 3:39 pm

we Kiwis are known to ...

What type of knowledge would be needed to make some form of electromagnetic device that non-lethally is guaranteed to drive all sharks away, from great whites down to the smallest, consistently, by somehow interferring with their neural patterns?

MichaelScott wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:32 pm

Perhaps the sharks have some kind of social gender bias?

Thats an outrageous elachimorpha-cist claim!


:D

Bloke wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:28 pm

kiwisailor wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 3:39 pm

we Kiwis are known to ...

Uh-oh, the OZ vs NZ feud heating up again, I see ... :D

https://youtu.be/hlb3gGNBHFE


https://youtu.be/9CXmftEB-Uc

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:32 pm

What type of knowledge would be needed to make some form of electromagnetic device that non-lethally is guaranteed to drive all sharks away, from great whites down to the smallest, consistently, by somehow interferring with their neural patterns?

This actually already exists, but it’s never used as it’s considered cruelty to animals.

https://youtu.be/FHG2oizTlpY

Hah!

As I'm still out at the Island, down load will have to wait until back in Real NZ. looks interesting though.
O. what is SAFA?

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:32 pm

What type of knowledge would be needed to make some form of electromagnetic device that non-lethally is guaranteed to drive all sharks away, from great whites down to the smallest, consistently, by somehow interferring with their neural patterns?

The Main Gun (105 mm) on Leopard Battle Tanks I used to hang out with, was Electronically Initiated.
Non lethal for the Crew at least.
That would do it..
Bloke, are you playing Peek a Boo with those Bush Blondes?