Hey guys!! Hope you enjoy this episode of the world's "sharkiest" surf destinations!! Let me know of any shark scares and stories you've had from around the world!!
If you think about it, bro, you just made Mick Fanning look like a complete Pussii 😮 Couldn’t watching that censored clip give him nightmares. The shark is now invisible as well. ……….. or possibly damage his reputation to the point where he feels belittled by your clip, and possibly takes you to court for misrepresentation of a factual event😂
Don’t get me wrong man I’m not saying if it was the pop off incident that it wouldn’t be prudent to perhaps only show part of the clip, but I feel it’s disrespectful to pop off to not show what really happened after all his death could lead to saving other peoples lives. In similar circumstances. I think we have to be really careful with this censorship stuff, you have people of your age and younger rewriting the image, events and censoring stuff from every area of their life in a form of self policing politically correct, living hallucination…… as a result, many of the youth of today are losing their sense of accountability, as well as reality!
Hi! Enjoyed your video. Just saw a video on Sharks happen channel (That channel compiles statistics about shark attacks) regarding tiger sharks and how dangerous they are. I'm linking it here. It's a great idea to have a surfer report on sharks and try to keep your fellow surfers safe! ua-cam.com/video/Mgmw34krhms/v-deo.htmlsi=6wXTYxIVWNXnXSWT
Just a comment on Le Reunion. The reason for so many sharks is because it's a volcanic island and has a steep drop off from the beach into deep ocean. Sharks from the deep can quickly and easily move to the beaches this way. There's also a steep drop in Egypt, apparently.
I live in south australia, we have had 6 attacks in the last 6 months with 2 fatal. Ive been attacked twice within a 12 month period 20 odd years ago, 1 from a white that hit me from underneath and sent me flying, and the other was a small bronze whaler that bit my foot. I havent surfed in the last 5 years. I fish alot at one of my favourite breaks and the amount of sharks we have been catching this summer is crazy. Definitely put me off surfing now.
I hear ya man, I haven't surfed for about 5 or more years also for shark reasons. What has made it worse is watching the UA-cam video of the Egyptian Dream Beach shark attack !!! Horrific, random and completely unprovoked.
It always makes me laugh when people say that sharks "mistake" humans for food , when it comes to the big 3 ( great whites , bulls and tigers) they are not mistaken they are stalking you sussing you out then attacking you for a feed.
With White sharks, if you look from underneath up at the silhouette of a surfer sitting on his board, it definitely looks like a sea lion. That doesn't explain swimmer and scuba diver attacks though. Tigers and Bulls though, seem like they just want a human snack sometimes. Like me and Chinese food 😳😂
Hey there, Dan! I haven't surfed in Recife but have walked along most of the beaches there. Even swimming is banned on much of the coastline there, except in rock pools at low tide. Piedade and Boa Viagem beaches are the most dangerous, they're next to each other - there's a deep channel running parallel to the beaches which is like a shark highway. As you said the construction of Port Suape destroyed the mangroves there causing the Bull sharks to move further North and the increase in shipping attracted more Tiger sharks supposedly.
Great video man! I also lived in Australia for a while and my feeling was that most people there just don’t care. They know odds are super low (just sooo many surfers). I used to be super scared there, but now I miss the ocean full of life.
Thanks, Matheus!! And yeah for sure, especially in the crowded spots, you never really think about it! But definitely on the mind at the lesser known ones!!
In considering any death risk you have to consider population numbers. I live in Australia, where you list NSW as the attack/fatality capital. It is - because so many people live and surf there, and it has had a bad run in the last decade or so. Aside from Byron which has always been sharky NSW used to be considered low risk. All Australian surfers know South Australia is by far the riskiest place to dip your toes in the water, but the numbers of attacks are small because of the small population and many including yours truly won't go for a surf trip there as they think it's too dangerous to be fun. Next is Western Australia, where again the population numbers are relatively small and there are many very remote beaches. NSW is much safer than either when population numbers are considered.
I grew up in Ballina, it seems to go through runs where it’s really sharky. But yeah SA, particularly the Eyre peninsula is the spookiest place I’ve surfed. Probably closely followed by the stretch around Esperance.
100% agree. Saw some big mako's and tigers, but they never messed with back in the 90s in nsw... I think politics have pissed them off in recent years.😅 As far as whites, every once in a while, you'd hear about em but no real big ones.
Adelaide waters aren’t much safer. Live in Henley Beach and have also spent years At Cottesloe in WA and have always been conscious of what’s in our waters. I used to be a water kid and surf teen but now I don’t do much in our waters, not because of sharks, just coz interests have changed but the two factors have a core end need 😂 Gotta say though - Cactus Beach was by far the one location I instantly knew I’d never even dip a toe into when I first visited. Know what’s in the water and how it functions is key and that rock shelf to deep dropout back just screamed chomp chomp glug glug fish poop
Total attack numbers really don’t mean much in regards to actual risk without out knowing the numbers of people in the water on average for each location.
A my local break in Vicco we used to laugh off fin sightings when there was over 40 guys in the water. Much better than seeing a fin when you are alone. Have experienced that when surfing an offshore bombora way offshore at dawn. Horrible feeling as a massive fin was moving in and out of water parallel to my direction.
Comecei a pegar onda em Recife em 1985, não havia ataques,até 1991 e daí não parou mais,cada vez q o tubarão pegava um,o mar subia e todos iam pra água,eu vi tubarões muitas vezes,mas graças a Deus não sofri nada,hoje moro numa montanha longe do mar.
The Kona side of the Big Island has plenty of big sharks. I've been up close with many. I actually scared a snoozing 8' Tiger while paddling out at this semi-remote break one recent morning. It took off like lightning. Monk Seals are fast and sometimes aggressive in the water too.
I surf in Santa Cruz, SF peninsula and LA area a lot, not worried about sharks at all. Far more likely to be injured or killed driving to my surf spot.
Great video but the data doesnt mean much without adjusting for the approximate number of surfers / swimmers that visit each year. Presumably western australia and reunion would sky rocket up the charts if adjusting in this way? Would be a better reflection of the actual risk in each place. Would be great if you could factor this in
Speaking as an Aussie, we would basically all choose to surf Byron over Southern WA or the bight. A quick review of fatal attacks since 2010 would show you how bad WA is (16) compared with NSW(9). WA has about 1/4th the population! WA is the sharkiest place on earth - worse than Cape Town and in a different league to anywhere in the US
Being worse than Cape town would be debatable, def true since the killer whales there. But id say just northeast of cape town, eastern Cape, mossel Bay to plett, just as sharky or more than WA or sa, esp since killer whales scared them all north.
I'm from Ballina and surfed lots in the 90's, and never even saw a shark while I was in the water. It wasn't until around 2005 that lots of attacks started happening...
I surfed at trestles a few years ago and before we left for the journey one of my friends read an article that said there was 3 sightings of sharks the previous month. Adds a whole different element to the session
Being from Florida in the shark region, from Stuart to Jacksonville, it is common to surf with sharks. The majority is spinners. They are a small species, but there are a shit ton of them. They migrate with the mullet a bait that migrate by the millions. That said, I’ve had multiple in counters with bull sharks and was rubbed by a 3 meter plus tiger. Now I’m living in Pavones where Iv’e never seen a shark, but we did have a croc this year. Great Video!
Growing up in Stuart Florida and pavonis being my first real solid Point Break as a kid. I'm way more terrified of saltwater crocs! Just like in the woods I'm way more nervous around a big cat versus a bear. Florida's real gnarly with sharks. My brother was getting bumped as a small kid. As we know they don't have hands and it's the first thing they do to check something out. The next thing is a small mouthing like a dog which unfortunately doesn't feel like a dog! Enjoy that extremely long gorgeous left down there 🤟 And watch those big nobby trees with no branches around the river mouths that eventually sink like a floating tree shouldn't...
Hey mate!! Yeah, Florida sounds terrifying, especially after I've read so many comments from you guys who are from there!! Yep, Crocs just as scary though hahah...
Paddling out at Cocoa in FL a few years back, and a fin broke the surface several yards out directly in front of me. Turned to a kid paddling out next to me and advised him to stop as I wasn't sure what was there, but I had seen something for sure. We both stopped and waited a few seconds and a dolphin erupted out of the break like it was putting on a show for us. Apprehension turned to relief and astonishment at how incredible the wildlife can be out there! Definitely thankful it wasn't one of those bulls though. Those guys are always in the back of my mind off any beach down here.
Grew up 70s surfing Florida, New Smyrna is definitely shark capital Florida, however during mullet runs they can be anywhere.Also lived in Costa Rica for many years.A kid was attacked by a croc at playa Hermosa once and I recall a shark attack at Marbella near Playa Negra.
@@HiloBoiz808 I am thankful the crocs on this side of the world are American and not estuarian. There would definitely be more attacks and fatalities from them than the sharks. Still....I have heard a couple horror stories about that river mouth in Costa Rica...
Born and bred in NSW and definitely seen some scary submarines in my time haha, don't think about it daily but some of those northern NSW river mouths are very creepy and south coast NSW has some offshore bombies and remote beaches that feel creepy also, believe it or not biggest shark i've ever seen was at the superbank after the shark helicopter was buzzing Greenmount all day, surf was pumping so no one cared.
Ballina local here. Grew up surfing north wall every morning for almost a decade. Have had a bunch of people attacked in that period all on the same small stretch of beach in ballina. A couple of them lost their lives. I knew one of them personally. Pretty heavy stuff.
My friends and I spearfish here in west Australia and we find shark shields work well to slow the interests of sharks. They allow you the time to see the fish and decide upon appropriate action. I also used to surf a lot by myself in south Australia, I wonder how many approaches I have had in the reef areas by sharks, as friends have spoken with the guys running the spotter planes and they have said that there is nearly always about 6 big sharks swimming in the area we are surfing. To sum up, I think most sharks will not bother you, but do give the fish half an hour to move off shore after sun rise before entering the water and get out before sun down.
Wow!! So they have worked for you!? But yeah if it gives you that extra time, that's epic, right! Oh or sure, that would be a terrifying thing to find out haha!! Yes, solid advice!!
Thanks for sharing that. I am Belgian, nube surfer... we don't have dangerous sharks here, but i am really affraid of surfing any other place than Belgium, and the West Coast of France, or North of Spain. I had looked up that shark shield and was wondering about it being effective in real life situations. I'd like to surf Morroco, it's less than $30 to fly all the way over there but the sharks are putting a stop to my dream... lol.
@@alainvosselman9960 just stay safe, only paddle out if others are out as a beginner, unless you have a solid spotter, as you progress you'll feel more comfortable with it, however, if out alone and get spooked, get outta there as calmly as possible.. I've seen fins and shadows and the last thing you want is to panic and draw attention to yourself further or appear as injured prey..
A shark shield does not prevent a bite as it is not a physical barrier, but it will change or deter the approach of sharks. sharks will often stay deeper in the water column closer to the bottom and wander off, being not interested in you. But if they start approaching the surface it may be time to move on. I feel quite safe at most sandy breaks which do not have much reef near by, the reason is the lack of fish holding structure- the food for the sharks is not staying in the area. I was spearfishing at a reef near Port Gregory in west Australia- shark shield turned off- my friend down a hole in front of me pulling out a cray fish- when to my right approached an 8 feet long grey nurse shark, it moved in slowly until we were about 4 feet apart eye balling each other, then it swam off. Most sharks are just investigating what you are. Most sharks have never seen something that can move and rest in an up and down way but rather see most sea life in a horizontal perspective- you just look really strange to them, so they come and have a look.@@alainvosselman9960
@@steevewhitehead1416 I think i'd feel somewhat safer with the shield. As you say, sharks generally don't seem too interested in us as a food source rather maybe curiosity. Lot of bites are curiosity bites. The thing is, i also play music so may hands getting disfigured is a nerve wrecking thoughts. We usually use them to fend off any attackers... Yes, sandy beaches are probably better to surf as well as staying far away of places where seals live or breed. We are getting more seals each year on the Belgian coast, hope they won't be attracking any sharks.
Great video! I am from the UK and have found it best to always ask locals first. One time in Western Oz I was gonna go for a dip, I just happened to ask a lady if she knew it was safe, turns out she was a marine biologist and said it was a hotspot for tiger sharks breeding so best to stay out of the water- yikes!
Im from Maui. I was a witness to an attack in Kihei. The lady was on a board we passed under when we were spearfishing, and we came out the water and she was being pulled out on a stretcher with a bite out her side. She did live though so that's good. Sharks are beautiful and dont deserve the hate. They are just doing their thing
@@chrisb1953 lol im sure it did. Lol it could also be the fact locals throw raw meat into the water in some beaches to get tourists fucked on purpose lol
Balina; sharpes beach is pretty gnarly for it.. also called the dining room.. right next to flat rock.. check it out, great waves,.. just south is lighthouse beach feels pretty sketchy on an early grey morning if out solo
Checking in from the heart of the Red Triangle! Can confirm that I have seen plenty of great white fins pop up nearby me when I’m out surfing. Someone also just lost their life from a shark attack off the Marin County coastline. Also the waves suck here don’t come ;)
Yep....I've been very close to very large great whites multiple times in the red triangle. From Monterey to Pacifica, Fort Point, Marin, and Sonoma County.
The bull sharks of Reunion Island are incredibly big and aggressive. Sometimes, we never find the body of the victim. There was also reports of several sharks attacking one swimmer once and one report of a kayak attacked! Also a dog playing in the water once. Pretty insane stuff happening there. I grew up on the island and surfed extensively in many spots, sometimes super risky ones. I'm glad to have kept my life and limbs! Recently though, with the wider introduction of shark repellent devices and the "at your own risk" authorization to surf in Saint-Leu, surfing is slowly coming back to life but at like 10% of its former glory. What is most surprising is that in the 00s, there was no major problem apart from an attack once every few years.
@@DanHarmon123 la Nina has meant tons of east swell on the east coast, lots of rain and flooded rivers. The whole food chain changes. In NZ they were seeing great whites in the bay of plenty, usually pretty rare.
Can confirm Ballina ,and that stretch between Lennox Head and Ballina, particularly Flat Rock, Boulders as probably the most sharky in my experience. Still, surf is incredible so still suef there lol
In California,one beach in particular stands out : Surf Beach in Santa Barbara County, There were 2 fatalities in 2010 and 2012 as well as attacks in 2008 and 2014,no attacks since then but the shark tracker which follows tagged Great White Sharks shows very big White Sharks off of Surf Beach on a regular basis. Since the fatal attack in 2012 I hear Surf Beach has become practically a ghost town.
In 92, a buddy and I noticed a large fin cruising towards us on a foggy day at Surf where you could not see the beach. We began to paddle in and got drilled. Looked back to see the fin about twenty yards away as we caught the next wave to the sand. At our car, military police came by and told us a pilot had been checking out a 16 foot white the past few days. This was long before the parking lot and few surfed there. That day taught me why. Has some pumpin waves!
I visited South Africa 5 times as I was in love with this beautiful country. I am from Nepal. My favourite Angler- Jeremy Wade talked about the Breede River where the largest Female Zambezi Bullshark was caught many miles upstream. I visited this place in the Western Cape and I also visited Port St John's Seconds Beach in the Eastern Cape which is known as Death beach as 8 shark fatalities were reported within a span of 5 years. The Umzimvubu River opens out into the Indian Ocean here and it is reported that animal sacrifices are carried out and some of the blood and offal is allowed to drain into the estuary -which could be a contributing factor as to why Bullsharks are very aggressive in this region. Some of the world's most beautiful coastal areas are home to these big, beautiful creatures and we, as human beings, must learn to respect, fear and admire them.
Yeah most of the fatal attacks were actually Tiger sharks in Port St Johns. Here bullsharks are called Zambezi sharks (Just a local name for them), I think Zambezi's were only responsible for 2 or 3 of the 8 fatalities.
Great content Dan. I actually live in North Carolina and I knew there were shark attacks in South Carolina but not enough to get on the list. Crazy! You should check out the Outer Banks (Cape Hatteras) if you ever head to the East Coast. Sept & Oct are the best months and there are plenty of uncrowded spots to surf over a 60 mile stretch of coastline (sand bottom). Reach out (DM) and I will let you know where the best breaks are located or may even meet you for a surf. Cheers mate!
I’ve surfed NC with Hammerhead sharks below me and no worries but at least NC has waves unlikes South Carolina although the entire east coast sucks compared to California
California set aside Marine Preservation Zones (no commercial or recreational fishing, not even spear fishing is allowed). This has changed the food chain, with more fish come more predators.
Good stuff mate. Cheers. I'm in Southern WA. Got a set of sharkeyes on the bottom of some of my boards, and although it doesn't make me feel any safer, just the fact it 'might' work is enough for me to run with them.
I replied to another bloke above - I’ve had a mate in Bremer Bay have a White miss him and end up on his lap, he managed to get out of the water, then drive down the beach & get others out of the water - he ended up around the corner at another little bay, some fisho’s pointed out a beached whale with two more 4.5m whites circling in the slick. He still surfs, doesn’t dive for abalone so much any more though, way more hectic as you see how many are around 😅
Hey Dan. Born & Raised surfing the beach breaks in Charleston, SC. Folly Beach is by far the best break in SC. Seen fins plenty of times while waiting out in the lineup, but we know they are there. Thanks for the video!!
I live in North Florida, been surfing for 25 years. I see a shark probably about 1 out of 10 times I go out. Most always, they’re very small “ankle biters”. I honestly don’t pay any attention to them and continue surfing as long as it’s just passing through.
Another advice is: don't surf when there is a dead whale on the beach or in the water, fish blood makes shark vey excited and in some kind of frenzy. When the comp at Margaret River, where I live, was cancelled, it has been two shark attacks the same day on the same spot, and the comp cancelled because of some brazilian guys. Because of a dead whale at Lefthanders. Some idiots continued surfing there and the outcome was two attacks and trips to hospital in one day. There are many spots around Margaret River, when I know there is a dead whale somewhere, I just go surfing on another beach, problem solved.
Yeah, I’ve had a mate in Bremer Bay have a White miss him and end up on his lap, he managed to get out of the water, then drive down the beach & get others out of the water - he ended up around the corner at another little bay some, some fisho’s pointed out a beached whale with two more 4.5m whites circling in the slick.
Fish blood or blood in general do not send sharks into a franzy… that’s just movies and the media selling you crap. It will however attract them and depending on your intentions for the day that can be a good or bad thing. What will induce a strike from sharks almost every time is actually splashing, you can have blood in the water they probably won’t care but start splashing like a struggling fish and they will all zero down on you (I do not recommend). A case like a whale carcass or carcass of any kind is more tricky, sharks are territorial and some more than others. Tiger sharks are most notorious for this, they will charge at you if they are protecting a food source and consider you a threat, they will do it to other sharks too or any predator they think might want to steal their kill. Go and bulls are the same in that matter, so essentially you busy doing your own thing but there’s a carcass near by that you unaware of. You might get attacked because a shark thinks you want it’s meal and it’s your problem now. That’s why it’s important to be aware and when diving most sharks will warn you before striking, threat posture with pelvic fins pointing down, aggressive swims back and forth, yawning… all these are ways a shark is telling you to vacate the area but if you ignore all signs then you might leave with less meat than you originally came with… if you leave at all.
I was involved in the campaign to close Australia's last whaling station (at Albany in WA) and help the whalers - whose industry was dying anyway through lack of demand for its products -retrain to use their skills and ships in fishing and whale watching. Win win for whales and humans. They were going out to the continental shelf to catch the giant sperm whales, which they would lash to their ships and drag back into Albany Harbour to be cut up and boiled down at a place called Cheyne's Beach (the old whaling station became a museum of whaling), As you can imagine, the sharks trailed them and loved hanging around Cheyne's Beach and the Albany harbour. And it took a remarkably short time before we at the (then) tiny Greenpeace Australia headquarters office in Sydney started receiving letters from Albany saying "I used to be in favour of our whaling industry and opposed to you guys. But now I'm glad the station has closed, because the town doesn't stink AND THERE'S WAY LESS SHARKS HANGING ABOUT!"
The "red triangle" is an area from the bay area shores to San Diego. The island is the outer tip of what we call the Red Triangle. A small island where seals breed. (The fish here are large Great Whites). As a White swims under you, it looks like a small submarine. The horror below doesn't swerve like a fish. It's pure stealth.
Yeah, and I guess the same feeling riding guns at big wave spots because you're more out of the water. But it would be interesting to know if there is any correlation there!!
Bodyboarders with arms and legs hanging over the sides definitely look like turtles from below. The longboard v shortboard attack data would indeed be interesting.
definitely been a few bodyboarders get bitten in Ballina I always thought bodyboarding legs dangling in the water was sketchy and small target @@jodiadams8964
Well researched! Interesting that Great Whites tend to be the most feared and mentioned shark in the world, yet in that attack - fatalities chart (10:50 in the video) they attack but rarely kill while the completely non-famous bull shark killed more than half its victims.
Great video! I went cage diving with great whites in South Australia and it was one of the best experiences of my life. However as a scuba diver it definitely gave me more perspective about what could be lurking underwater. A little bit unnerving, but as you say anyone recreating where there's sharks has to take on the risk! I'll have to look up the stats for attacks on "below surface" recreation.
Used to surf Byron every day.. in a 1 year span, 1 kayaker got attacked, 2 swimmers had to get rescued from the shipwreck with a shark circling, 1 shark siren cleared the lineup, and bullshark(s) sighting at cosy corner. I always surfed Tallows alone before work in the a.m, and especially when that water was murky, I'd be keeping my feet up lol
I surfed Recife Brazil,6 of the 8 Hawaiian 🌺 Islands (including Honolua Bay a few miles north of Lahaina town), Folley Beach SC, the length of the west coast USA from imperial beach all the way up to Tofino BC Canada, and reef road and Sebastian inlet Fla USA ….. I got bumped twice by sharks 🦈…..once was at DT Fleming Beach Park, Maui (just south of Honolua) and the other time was at imperial beach just south of San Diego ……I’m a lucky 🍀 59 year old dude and still got all my limbs 😅🤙🌊🏄I’ve been to many other places too but just mentioned the ones that you listed ….. I surfed in Recife almost 30 years ago when there wasn’t a shark 🦈 problem like today but certainly it’s a serious problem down there now and I’d avoid at all costs 😅
Grew up surfing in New Smyrna - you get used to seeing them. Most of the time nobody even paddles in. Got a shark band recently but I always seem to forget it at home 😂
Im from the EC in South Africa. Live just down the road from Jbay. Surfed the transkei and most of SA. I know guys whove been bumped, iv been called in couple times but honestly never really bothered me. Went to see family in AUZ last year. I surfed WA, Margaret river and a couple of spots closer to Perth. Never felt so uneasy in the water. Hard to explain but it was really unnerving.
Lost a friend at plett, cape town definitely has some spooky spots. Wouldn't be worried about whites around transkei and above as I would below. Think since the killer whales in Cape, east Cape become way dodgier
The western side of PE is a bit freaky. I don't know if you surfed in this area, Beachview or Seaview. Sketchy. Good beach breaks when everywhere else is flat and the east is up but the wild life is always on your mind when you paddle out there
Although I agree with all your "preventative measures" but I'm hesitant to say that attacks are all misidentification cases. Too many attacks occur during clear conditions and not during dawn or dusk. Be safe !
Great video. You mispronounced some of the names in the US. Its Bo-day-ga Bay (not Bodeega), Fah-ly Beach South Carolina (not fohly) and Hat'rus, (not Hah-tear-as) South Carolina, New Smerna, (not New Smireena).
Grew up surfing Smyrna and Ponce inlet, volusia county Florida.. definitely seen many of sharks 🦈.. in northern California now.. way more scared of the beasts in Cali
Not sure if the shark with the curved teeth shown at 1:22 and again later in the footage is actually a species dangerous to humans? I may well be wrong, but that shark looks to these 67 year old eyes like an Australian grey nurse shark? A totally harmless to humans non-aggressive species almost hunted to extinction but now recovering, with their habitats (like Julian Rocks in northern NSW) a great tourist attraction. Many divers refer to them as the "labradors of the ocean" due to their gentle nature. Also anyone entering the water in places like the Red Triangle and other places which are known haul out sites for seals and sea lions (or places which are known sea turtle habitats) should not be surprised if mistaken attacks on humans happen. Surfboards and body boards in particular can be mistaken for sea turtles by the tiger sharks who predate on them, ditto wetsuited crew for seals. As an old timer bluey conservationist with 50 years of activism/education, I am always astonished by the complete lack of basic marine knowledge displayed by many surfers compared to their diver brethren. Even simple things like knowing the marine history of the area can help: if a break (at Byron) is called Tallows, that's because it was where the outlet pipe from the local abattoir discharged into until the 70s. Spots named for fish accumulations like Salmon Run indicate hey lots of those fish hang out here at certain times of the year. If you are a newbie or a visitor to an area, ask a local (surfer, fisher or diver) what gives. And follow your gut instinct: divers do. Even if you don't see evidence of bait balls or seabirds feeding, but somewhere just "feels" sharky and uncomfortable - especially if you are out alone or with few others about at an unfamiliar spot - do you want to hang out there? A classic example of ignorance in action: last year in early 2022, the NSW far north river towns like Lismore (where I was working at the Lismore Environment Centre) and Ballina were decimated by the biggest floods in Australia's recent history, and the debris swollen rivers in those towns eventually made their way out to sea at Ballina. Coastal currents then carried that debris - including agricultural items from hay bales, fencing wire, even cannisters of poison, lots of dead animals from wildlife to cows and also sewerage and stormwater overflows - to beloved beaches. The breaks around Byron were brown and choked with this debris, warning signs went up and beaches were closed, but the local Byron Facebook page was full of people complaining about the beach closures, and demanding their right to surf and swim regardless. Us oldies who know the saying of "if it's brown, don't go down" could only shudder as to what was in that water - and what was feeding on it.
Interesting NSW has more shark attacks than SA which is notorious for shark attacks. But i suppose if you factor in the population size compared with shark attacks, SA might come out on top..
Ive read that sharks are attracted/ more curious to certain colors more than others...yellow orange and red were said to be colors thats sharks showed more interest...
@@DanHarmon123it’s not as much about color as contrast. If you have a bright color it contrasts at the surface from below so even black gives a high contrast from below. Research mammal and shark camouflage they usually have white bellies so from below it’s less contrast while their tops are dark so looking down it camouflages them from anything higher up towards the surface
I have been out every day there has been a shark attack on the North Shore of Oahu in the past 25 years. I guess I just miss them. The one statistic about Tiger Shark attacks in Hawaii is that you are twice as likely to get attacked during the months of September and October. Now that it is November you can relax a bit.
All of the sharks in the Hawaiian islands in September and October come to the west side of Maui for a variety of reasons to breed and feed. October on the west side of Maui gotta be one of the sharkiest 🦈 places on earth 😳
@@MomentswithDavid We call it Sharktober for a reason :) I am in Kihei, we often get attacks here (compared to other areas. Its still very few per year). We lost the poor lady last December.
Sharks are not a huge factor in surfing, as mentioned in this video. They may be on your mind at times…those sharky days when it’s overcast, or you see splashes out of the corner of your eye. But ask yourself this: do you stay out of your car or anyone elses because you’re afraid you might die or become seriously injured? No: then look at the death and injury statistics of all the places mentioned here…they vastly exceed shark attacks. Even Reunion Island had 50 road deaths between 2012 and 2018.
Thanks for the advice around the 13:37 mark to avoid swimming around fish balls. Also, in some videos, black and white stripes have been proven shark deterrents.
I love the ocean ....from the shore. As great as surfing looks, being on that board waiting for a wave while having no idea what could be lurking underneath is just not a great feeling.
There might be some merit in these stats if you look at a particular location like Recife or La Reunion. But talking about how sharky South Africa is, with various climates, 2 oceans and thousands of miles of coastline seems a bit pointless.
Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the comments on this video! I have read all of your comments and stories but due to the sheer amount, I'm unable to reply to all of them :) Thanks!!
I’ve lived in South Carolina my whole life and at least once a year there’s an absolute mammoth of a shark that washes up on our shores between Myrtle and Pawleys. It always makes me nervous for a few weeks afterwards
It should be calculated by the number of sharks attacks per person. Ie// adjust it relative to its population For example, west aus has a very low population compared with NSW yet almost the same number of shark attacks
I've been to Recife in 2000. I arrived at Boa Viagem beach and immediately dive in the ocean to refresh my self after a long flight from europe and to relief how hot I was. Went back to the hotel. The other day I went there with my friends and saw the signs on the beach "Perigo, Ataque de tubarão!"... Guess I got luck the day before... I wasn't surfing at the time.
A lot of attacks are attributed to great whites and tigers because that's the two people used to expect to be the culprits so do you think bull sharks may actually be responsible for a lot more attacks than thought. We must also factor in amount of swimmers and surfers known to use the areas.
Dan you are good man thank you for spending all your time researching, I recon you have saved few lives and prevented a lot of people from being attacked by sharks...PS is Sri Lanka safe?
Scariest place I surfed was cape cod. Between all the signs warning you about great whites, seals everywhere and lobster pot bouys. only place I enjoy surfing when it gets a bit crowded
NSW has the highest attacks because it is the most populated.. South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria have the biggest sharks in the world but less people in the water to munch on.
South Carolina gets waves but I would never travel there to catch waves as Georgia and South Carolina have the worst waves on the u.s. east coast and I live in North Carolina
I surfed in polynesa and any Time Saw a fin out if thé water and Quick even if it was black tip and reef shark and for sure i won t have enough courage toi surf in sharky water with Tigery,bull and over all great white😟😞
The east coast of Florida has 🦈 Shark everywhere but most are black tips and spinners and Bull sharks some Hammerheads but we don’t get the monsters like Great Whites and Tiger Sharks that kill you with one look.
Australian New South Welshman here for the win on fatalities 🥺 Been in the water surfing for years in all those spots. Seen some big noahs too. Stopped since my son was born. The only man eating shark I am around is myself when I am having battered flake n chips.
@@DanHarmon123 Yeah a couple. Was stalked by a Bull shark in Pittwater (Sydney, NSW) bumped me then followed me for half a km when I was in a kayak. Seen some big tiger shark fins at North wall, Shelly beach and Flat Rock in Ballina and what looked like bull sharks chasing school fish. Closest encounter with a shark of unknown species because the water was brown was surfing air port left's a reef break off Kuta in Bali in the late 80's with 3 guys. It's about 1km off shore and the guy who took us out on a canoe bailed. The tide was low but rising and a lot of boils in the water. The guy next to me got bumped off his board then the shark went for his leg but got a mouth of legrope instead and pulled his whole board under till only one inch of the nose was above water. I had to grab him to stop him from being dragged under. The shark was very powerful. It let go eventually but started to circle so we had to paddle onto the bit of reef that was shallow about thigh high. Needless to say we got cut up on the coral heads and the blood in the water was getting the shark excited. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the Balinese guy to come back out on his outrigger with the tide rising and this shark circling. Not fun. Finally the guy comes back but wouldn't come close to pick us up because of the swell so we had to paddle about 50 meters out with this shark in the brown water below us. I was cursing that ba st ar d. Anyway we all made it back unscathed thankfully. The guy I helped shouted me arak all night. Had 39 shots, got a free t-shirt from the Sari Club and a hang over I still remember 34 years later 🤣
@@loveudon6972 I was chased by a sea snake at airport lefts around that time. Never saw any sharks in Bali fortunately. Not the best place to need emergency surgery;(
Hey guys!! Hope you enjoy this episode of the world's "sharkiest" surf destinations!! Let me know of any shark scares and stories you've had from around the world!!
Bro, did you just sensor a sharks fin?😂 UA-cam have lost their minds!
If you think about it, bro, you just made Mick Fanning look like a complete Pussii 😮
Couldn’t watching that censored clip give him nightmares. The shark is now invisible as well. ……….. or possibly damage his reputation to the point where he feels belittled by your clip, and possibly takes you to court for misrepresentation of a factual event😂
Don’t get me wrong man I’m not saying if it was the pop off incident that it wouldn’t be prudent to perhaps only show part of the clip, but I feel it’s disrespectful to pop off to not show what really happened after all his death could lead to saving other peoples lives. In similar circumstances. I think we have to be really careful with this censorship stuff, you have people of your age and younger rewriting the image, events and censoring stuff from every area of their life in a form of self policing politically correct, living hallucination…… as a result, many of the youth of today are losing their sense of accountability, as well as reality!
Thanks for your response. Keep up the good work and enjoy surfing. Dan the Man!!
Hi! Enjoyed your video. Just saw a video on Sharks happen channel (That channel compiles statistics about shark attacks) regarding tiger sharks and how dangerous they are. I'm linking it here.
It's a great idea to have a surfer report on sharks and try to keep your fellow surfers safe!
ua-cam.com/video/Mgmw34krhms/v-deo.htmlsi=6wXTYxIVWNXnXSWT
No mention of West Oz? I'm insulted 🥲
💪🏼💪🏼CCC
I'm in Sydney and I definitely ain't swimming in West Oz
Yeah very odd, all of us Aussies know damn well that the West and south are popular for great whites.
West Oz is so sharky, even the researchers and data got eaten 😅 🍴🦈
No kidding...
I grew up surfing in NSW, never was worried, well... maybe a couple of times when I was the only one out.
Just a comment on Le Reunion. The reason for so many sharks is because it's a volcanic island and has a steep drop off from the beach into deep ocean. Sharks from the deep can quickly and easily move to the beaches this way. There's also a steep drop in Egypt, apparently.
I live in south australia, we have had 6 attacks in the last 6 months with 2 fatal. Ive been attacked twice within a 12 month period 20 odd years ago, 1 from a white that hit me from underneath and sent me flying, and the other was a small bronze whaler that bit my foot. I havent surfed in the last 5 years. I fish alot at one of my favourite breaks and the amount of sharks we have been catching this summer is crazy. Definitely put me off surfing now.
I hear ya man, I haven't surfed for about 5 or more years also for shark reasons. What has made it worse is watching the UA-cam video of the Egyptian Dream Beach shark attack !!! Horrific, random and completely unprovoked.
It always makes me laugh when people say that sharks "mistake" humans for food , when it comes to the big 3 ( great whites , bulls and tigers) they are not mistaken they are stalking you sussing you out then attacking you for a feed.
With White sharks, if you look from underneath up at the silhouette of a surfer sitting on his board, it definitely looks like a sea lion. That doesn't explain swimmer and scuba diver attacks though. Tigers and Bulls though, seem like they just want a human snack sometimes. Like me and Chinese food 😳😂
White sharks attack because we can look like seals to them, and tigers and bulls are merely curious
How often do you hear of scuba divers being attacked though? I NEVER do. At least not like surfers and swimmers.
Sharks don’t have arms, they sus out and test possible prey items with their mouth
Whitey is almost always bite and release. Tigers and Bulls will try to finish the meal.
Hey there, Dan! I haven't surfed in Recife but have walked along most of the beaches there. Even swimming is banned on much of the coastline there, except in rock pools at low tide. Piedade and Boa Viagem beaches are the most dangerous, they're next to each other - there's a deep channel running parallel to the beaches which is like a shark highway. As you said the construction of Port Suape destroyed the mangroves there causing the Bull sharks to move further North and the increase in shipping attracted more Tiger sharks supposedly.
Great video man! I also lived in Australia for a while and my feeling was that most people there just don’t care. They know odds are super low (just sooo many surfers). I used to be super scared there, but now I miss the ocean full of life.
Thanks, Matheus!! And yeah for sure, especially in the crowded spots, you never really think about it! But definitely on the mind at the lesser known ones!!
In considering any death risk you have to consider population numbers. I live in Australia, where you list NSW as the attack/fatality capital. It is - because so many people live and surf there, and it has had a bad run in the last decade or so. Aside from Byron which has always been sharky NSW used to be considered low risk. All Australian surfers know South Australia is by far the riskiest place to dip your toes in the water, but the numbers of attacks are small because of the small population and many including yours truly won't go for a surf trip there as they think it's too dangerous to be fun. Next is Western Australia, where again the population numbers are relatively small and there are many very remote beaches. NSW is much safer than either when population numbers are considered.
I grew up in Ballina, it seems to go through runs where it’s really sharky. But yeah SA, particularly the Eyre peninsula is the spookiest place I’ve surfed. Probably closely followed by the stretch around Esperance.
100% agree.
Saw some big mako's and tigers, but they never messed with back in the 90s in nsw...
I think politics have pissed them off in recent years.😅
As far as whites, every once in a while, you'd hear about em but no real big ones.
@@Mike_D_5150 Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula, its not just the quantity, its the size of the sharks you see!
@@jethro502 agree. Huge whites out there...
Adelaide waters aren’t much safer. Live in Henley Beach and have also spent years At Cottesloe in WA and have always been conscious of what’s in our waters. I used to be a water kid and surf teen but now I don’t do much in our waters, not because of sharks, just coz interests have changed but the two factors have a core end need 😂 Gotta say though - Cactus Beach was by far the one location I instantly knew I’d never even dip a toe into when I first visited. Know what’s in the water and how it functions is key and that rock shelf to deep dropout back just screamed chomp chomp glug glug fish poop
Total attack numbers really don’t mean much in regards to actual risk without out knowing the numbers of people in the water on average for each location.
Yeah, needs a per capita
A my local break in Vicco we used to laugh off fin sightings when there was over 40 guys in the water. Much better than seeing a fin when you are alone. Have experienced that when surfing an offshore bombora way offshore at dawn. Horrible feeling as a massive fin was moving in and out of water parallel to my direction.
Comecei a pegar onda em Recife em 1985, não havia ataques,até 1991 e daí não parou mais,cada vez q o tubarão pegava um,o mar subia e todos iam pra água,eu vi tubarões muitas vezes,mas graças a Deus não sofri nada,hoje moro numa montanha longe do mar.
The Kona side of the Big Island has plenty of big sharks. I've been up close with many. I actually scared a snoozing 8' Tiger while paddling out at this semi-remote break one recent morning. It took off like lightning. Monk Seals are fast and sometimes aggressive in the water too.
I surf in Santa Cruz, SF peninsula and LA area a lot, not worried about sharks at all. Far more likely to be injured or killed driving to my surf spot.
Great video but the data doesnt mean much without adjusting for the approximate number of surfers / swimmers that visit each year. Presumably western australia and reunion would sky rocket up the charts if adjusting in this way? Would be a better reflection of the actual risk in each place. Would be great if you could factor this in
Speaking as an Aussie, we would basically all choose to surf Byron over Southern WA or the bight.
A quick review of fatal attacks since 2010 would show you how bad WA is (16) compared with NSW(9). WA has about 1/4th the population! WA is the sharkiest place on earth - worse than Cape Town and in a different league to anywhere in the US
So little population of surfers in west oz compared to all the rest too. Imagine if it was busy
Being worse than Cape town would be debatable, def true since the killer whales there. But id say just northeast of cape town, eastern Cape, mossel Bay to plett, just as sharky or more than WA or sa, esp since killer whales scared them all north.
I'm from Ballina and surfed lots in the 90's, and never even saw a shark while I was in the water.
It wasn't until around 2005 that lots of attacks started happening...
I surfed at trestles a few years ago and before we left for the journey one of my friends read an article that said there was 3 sightings of sharks the previous month. Adds a whole different element to the session
Being from Florida in the shark region, from Stuart to Jacksonville, it is common to surf with sharks. The majority is spinners. They are a small species, but there are a shit ton of them. They migrate with the mullet a bait that migrate by the millions. That said, I’ve had multiple in counters with bull sharks and was rubbed by a 3 meter plus tiger.
Now I’m living in Pavones where Iv’e never seen a shark, but we did have a croc this year. Great Video!
Growing up in Stuart Florida and pavonis being my first real solid Point Break as a kid. I'm way more terrified of saltwater crocs! Just like in the woods I'm way more nervous around a big cat versus a bear. Florida's real gnarly with sharks. My brother was getting bumped as a small kid. As we know they don't have hands and it's the first thing they do to check something out. The next thing is a small mouthing like a dog which unfortunately doesn't feel like a dog! Enjoy that extremely long gorgeous left down there 🤟 And watch those big nobby trees with no branches around the river mouths that eventually sink like a floating tree shouldn't...
Hey mate!! Yeah, Florida sounds terrifying, especially after I've read so many comments from you guys who are from there!! Yep, Crocs just as scary though hahah...
Paddling out at Cocoa in FL a few years back, and a fin broke the surface several yards out directly in front of me. Turned to a kid paddling out next to me and advised him to stop as I wasn't sure what was there, but I had seen something for sure. We both stopped and waited a few seconds and a dolphin erupted out of the break like it was putting on a show for us. Apprehension turned to relief and astonishment at how incredible the wildlife can be out there! Definitely thankful it wasn't one of those bulls though. Those guys are always in the back of my mind off any beach down here.
Grew up 70s surfing Florida, New Smyrna is definitely shark capital Florida, however during mullet runs they can be anywhere.Also lived in Costa Rica for many years.A kid was attacked by a croc at playa Hermosa once and I recall a shark attack at Marbella near Playa Negra.
@@HiloBoiz808 I am thankful the crocs on this side of the world are American and not estuarian. There would definitely be more attacks and fatalities from them than the sharks. Still....I have heard a couple horror stories about that river mouth in Costa Rica...
Born and bred in NSW and definitely seen some scary submarines in my time haha, don't think about it daily but some of those northern NSW river mouths are very creepy and south coast NSW has some offshore bombies and remote beaches that feel creepy also, believe it or not biggest shark i've ever seen was at the superbank after the shark helicopter was buzzing Greenmount all day, surf was pumping so no one cared.
I bet!! Yeah, some of those rivers near you are terrifying!! That's unusual and it does feel safer when it's pumping and crowded haha!!
A surfer was taken at Greenmount by a shark 2 years ago.
@@DanHarmon123 bull sharks don't mind swimming up those rivers either. Many attacks in the canals of the Gold Coast
Paddled across the river from North wall to South wall at Ballina on my board a couple of times in my 20's. Shudder to think of it now.
Great video Dan!
Tks heaps for all the info, terrific research .... Kudos mate!
Great video Dan, really enjoyed it and grateful to be living and surfing where there is no sharks.
Kellys pool . 😆
Ballina local here. Grew up surfing north wall every morning for almost a decade. Have had a bunch of people attacked in that period all on the same small stretch of beach in ballina. A couple of them lost their lives. I knew one of them personally.
Pretty heavy stuff.
Sim, moro em Recife, e esse ano tivemos mais ataques de tubarão em que houve uma fatalidade, e uma menina que perdeu o braço
My friends and I spearfish here in west Australia and we find shark shields work well to slow the interests of sharks. They allow you the time to see the fish and decide upon appropriate action. I also used to surf a lot by myself in south Australia, I wonder how many approaches I have had in the reef areas by sharks, as friends have spoken with the guys running the spotter planes and they have said that there is nearly always about 6 big sharks swimming in the area we are surfing. To sum up, I think most sharks will not bother you, but do give the fish half an hour to move off shore after sun rise before entering the water and get out before sun down.
Wow!! So they have worked for you!? But yeah if it gives you that extra time, that's epic, right! Oh or sure, that would be a terrifying thing to find out haha!! Yes, solid advice!!
Thanks for sharing that. I am Belgian, nube surfer... we don't have dangerous sharks here, but i am really affraid of surfing any other place than Belgium, and the West Coast of France, or North of Spain. I had looked up that shark shield and was wondering about it being effective in real life situations. I'd like to surf Morroco, it's less than $30 to fly all the way over there but the sharks are putting a stop to my dream... lol.
@@alainvosselman9960 just stay safe, only paddle out if others are out as a beginner, unless you have a solid spotter, as you progress you'll feel more comfortable with it, however, if out alone and get spooked, get outta there as calmly as possible.. I've seen fins and shadows and the last thing you want is to panic and draw attention to yourself further or appear as injured prey..
A shark shield does not prevent a bite as it is not a physical barrier, but it will change or deter the approach of sharks. sharks will often stay deeper in the water column closer to the bottom and wander off, being not interested in you. But if they start approaching the surface it may be time to move on. I feel quite safe at most sandy breaks which do not have much reef near by, the reason is the lack of fish holding structure- the food for the sharks is not staying in the area. I was spearfishing at a reef near Port Gregory in west Australia- shark shield turned off- my friend down a hole in front of me pulling out a cray fish- when to my right approached an 8 feet long grey nurse shark, it moved in slowly until we were about 4 feet apart eye balling each other, then it swam off. Most sharks are just investigating what you are. Most sharks have never seen something that can move and rest in an up and down way but rather see most sea life in a horizontal perspective- you just look really strange to them, so they come and have a look.@@alainvosselman9960
@@steevewhitehead1416 I think i'd feel somewhat safer with the shield. As you say, sharks generally don't seem too interested in us as a food source rather maybe curiosity. Lot of bites are curiosity bites.
The thing is, i also play music so may hands getting disfigured is a nerve wrecking thoughts. We usually use them to fend off any attackers...
Yes, sandy beaches are probably better to surf as well as staying far away of places where seals live or breed.
We are getting more seals each year on the Belgian coast, hope they won't be attracking any sharks.
That’s crazy I’m from Olinda it’s really close to recife and it’s just like that nobody surfs at recife
I've heard that there have been a few attacks in Olinda, too
Great video! I am from the UK and have found it best to always ask locals first. One time in Western Oz I was gonna go for a dip, I just happened to ask a lady if she knew it was safe, turns out she was a marine biologist and said it was a hotspot for tiger sharks breeding so best to stay out of the water- yikes!
Im from Maui. I was a witness to an attack in Kihei. The lady was on a board we passed under when we were spearfishing, and we came out the water and she was being pulled out on a stretcher with a bite out her side. She did live though so that's good. Sharks are beautiful and dont deserve the hate. They are just doing their thing
Woah!! That's so heavy mate, and yep, thankfully she lived!! But yes, I agree!!
You may unknowingly have contributed in that struggling speared fish will attract sharks.
@@chrisb1953 lol im sure it did. Lol it could also be the fact locals throw raw meat into the water in some beaches to get tourists fucked on purpose lol
Balina; sharpes beach is pretty gnarly for it.. also called the dining room.. right next to flat rock.. check it out, great waves,.. just south is lighthouse beach feels pretty sketchy on an early grey morning if out solo
Checking in from the heart of the Red Triangle! Can confirm that I have seen plenty of great white fins pop up nearby me when I’m out surfing. Someone also just lost their life from a shark attack off the Marin County coastline. Also the waves suck here don’t come ;)
Wow!! That's terrifying!! And yeah a good way to keep the crowds away hahah...
Yep....I've been very close to very large great whites multiple times in the red triangle. From Monterey to Pacifica, Fort Point, Marin, and Sonoma County.
@@TheRoafer thats just how it goes...no place like home though
Snarky water. Crappy waves. Why anyone would go there is beyond me
@@DanHarmon123Pacifica just had an attack too earlier this month see the news
The bull sharks of Reunion Island are incredibly big and aggressive. Sometimes, we never find the body of the victim. There was also reports of several sharks attacking one swimmer once and one report of a kayak attacked! Also a dog playing in the water once.
Pretty insane stuff happening there. I grew up on the island and surfed extensively in many spots, sometimes super risky ones. I'm glad to have kept my life and limbs!
Recently though, with the wider introduction of shark repellent devices and the "at your own risk" authorization to surf in Saint-Leu, surfing is slowly coming back to life but at like 10% of its former glory. What is most surprising is that in the 00s, there was no major problem apart from an attack once every few years.
I learned that from the movie “The Reef.” LOL.
Byron, Ballina have had a holiday from attacks due to the three year La Niña. Now we're into a strong El Niño you can expect the attacks to resume.
Yeah ok! So does the change in swell/currents affect shark activity? Because of the types of fish/amounts in the water!?
@@DanHarmon123 la Nina has meant tons of east swell on the east coast, lots of rain and flooded rivers. The whole food chain changes. In NZ they were seeing great whites in the bay of plenty, usually pretty rare.
Great segment. Especially appreciative of the links to data sources!
i used to surf the red triangle. pleasure point, santa cruz
Epic!! I'm back in rainy UK for a few weeks, not sure where I'm headed next!!
Not part of the “red triangle “ Pal it’s north of SC up to Farllon islands!!
@@DavidBuchanan-x3i the red triangle goes all the way down to point sur.
@@DavidBuchanan-x3i the red triangle goes all the way down to point sur
Can confirm Ballina ,and that stretch between Lennox Head and Ballina, particularly Flat Rock, Boulders as probably the most sharky in my experience. Still, surf is incredible so still suef there lol
Hey mate!! Yeah sick waves, but always feels so scary to surf!!
Being a BodyBoarder from Queensland Australia I definately go in if I think about sharks always trust your gut feeling as I learned in the Military.
Yep I learnt that from veteran SCUBA divers I met at a shark conference in the 1990s.
U feel more vulnerable as a bbboarder? I do lol, sometimes makes me wna surf but bodyborardin fun af
In California,one beach in particular stands out : Surf Beach in Santa Barbara County, There were 2 fatalities in 2010 and 2012 as well as attacks in 2008 and 2014,no attacks since then but the shark tracker which follows tagged Great White Sharks shows very big White Sharks off of Surf Beach on a regular basis. Since the fatal attack in 2012 I hear Surf Beach has become practically a ghost town.
In 92, a buddy and I noticed a large fin cruising towards us on a foggy day at Surf where you could not see the beach. We began to paddle in and got drilled. Looked back to see the fin about twenty yards away as we caught the next wave to the sand. At our car, military police came by and told us a pilot had been checking out a 16 foot white the past few days. This was long before the parking lot and few surfed there. That day taught me why. Has some pumpin waves!
I visited South Africa 5 times as I was in love with this beautiful country. I am from Nepal. My favourite Angler- Jeremy Wade talked about the Breede River where the largest Female Zambezi Bullshark was caught many miles upstream. I visited this place in the Western Cape and I also visited Port St John's Seconds Beach in the Eastern Cape which is known as Death beach as 8 shark fatalities were reported within a span of 5 years. The Umzimvubu River opens out into the Indian Ocean here and it is reported that animal sacrifices are carried out and some of the blood and offal is allowed to drain into the estuary -which could be a contributing factor as to why Bullsharks are very aggressive in this region.
Some of the world's most beautiful coastal areas are home to these big, beautiful creatures and we, as human beings, must learn to respect, fear and admire them.
Yeah most of the fatal attacks were actually Tiger sharks in Port St Johns. Here bullsharks are called Zambezi sharks (Just a local name for them), I think Zambezi's were only responsible for 2 or 3 of the 8 fatalities.
Great content Dan. I actually live in North Carolina and I knew there were shark attacks in South Carolina but not enough to get on the list. Crazy! You should check out the Outer Banks (Cape Hatteras) if you ever head to the East Coast. Sept & Oct are the best months and there are plenty of uncrowded spots to surf over a 60 mile stretch of coastline (sand bottom). Reach out (DM) and I will let you know where the best breaks are located or may even meet you for a surf. Cheers mate!
Thanks mate!! Epic, yes I would love to check that part of the world out one day!! Maybe next year :)
Grew up surfing in Australia in NSW.
Florida up to NC...yeah those bull sharks come in so close.
I’ve surfed NC with Hammerhead sharks below me and no worries but at least NC has waves unlikes South Carolina although the entire east coast sucks compared to California
California set aside Marine Preservation Zones (no commercial or recreational fishing, not even spear fishing is allowed). This has changed the food chain, with more fish come more predators.
Seal population grew too plus shark protection laws - recipe for disaater
Good stuff mate. Cheers. I'm in Southern WA. Got a set of sharkeyes on the bottom of some of my boards, and although it doesn't make me feel any safer, just the fact it 'might' work is enough for me to run with them.
Thanks mate!! Yeah for sure!! I guess anything you can do that "could" work is worth it!!
I replied to another bloke above - I’ve had a mate in Bremer Bay have a White miss him and end up on his lap, he managed to get out of the water, then drive down the beach & get others out of the water - he ended up around the corner at another little bay, some fisho’s pointed out a beached whale with two more 4.5m whites circling in the slick. He still surfs, doesn’t dive for abalone so much any more though, way more hectic as you see how many are around 😅
Orca eyes would be better
Yeah the company is called Shark Eyes, but they do resemble something closer to an orcas. @@MomentswithDavid
My mate got attacked by a white at crescent with shark eyes on
Hey Dan. Born & Raised surfing the beach breaks in Charleston, SC. Folly Beach is by far the best break in SC. Seen fins plenty of times while waiting out in the lineup, but we know they are there. Thanks for the video!!
I live in North Florida, been surfing for 25 years. I see a shark probably about 1 out of 10 times I go out. Most always, they’re very small “ankle biters”. I honestly don’t pay any attention to them and continue surfing as long as it’s just passing through.
Really enjoyed this one and all the other ones of yours that I’ve seen are really cool and informative..
Thank you!! Stoked you enjoy the videos :))
Another advice is: don't surf when there is a dead whale on the beach or in the water, fish blood makes shark vey excited and in some kind of frenzy. When the comp at Margaret River, where I live, was cancelled, it has been two shark attacks the same day on the same spot, and the comp cancelled because of some brazilian guys. Because of a dead whale at Lefthanders. Some idiots continued surfing there and the outcome was two attacks and trips to hospital in one day. There are many spots around Margaret River, when I know there is a dead whale somewhere, I just go surfing on another beach, problem solved.
Yeah, I’ve had a mate in Bremer Bay have a White miss him and end up on his lap, he managed to get out of the water, then drive down the beach & get others out of the water - he ended up around the corner at another little bay some, some fisho’s pointed out a beached whale with two more 4.5m whites circling in the slick.
We recently had a beach closure due to shark activity around a dead whale (Huntington Beach, CA). Better safe than sorry.
Fish blood or blood in general do not send sharks into a franzy… that’s just movies and the media selling you crap. It will however attract them and depending on your intentions for the day that can be a good or bad thing. What will induce a strike from sharks almost every time is actually splashing, you can have blood in the water they probably won’t care but start splashing like a struggling fish and they will all zero down on you (I do not recommend). A case like a whale carcass or carcass of any kind is more tricky, sharks are territorial and some more than others. Tiger sharks are most notorious for this, they will charge at you if they are protecting a food source and consider you a threat, they will do it to other sharks too or any predator they think might want to steal their kill. Go and bulls are the same in that matter, so essentially you busy doing your own thing but there’s a carcass near by that you unaware of. You might get attacked because a shark thinks you want it’s meal and it’s your problem now. That’s why it’s important to be aware and when diving most sharks will warn you before striking, threat posture with pelvic fins pointing down, aggressive swims back and forth, yawning… all these are ways a shark is telling you to vacate the area but if you ignore all signs then you might leave with less meat than you originally came with… if you leave at all.
I was involved in the campaign to close Australia's last whaling station (at Albany in WA) and help the whalers - whose industry was dying anyway through lack of demand for its products -retrain to use their skills and ships in fishing and whale watching. Win win for whales and humans.
They were going out to the continental shelf to catch the giant sperm whales, which they would lash to their ships and drag back into Albany Harbour to be cut up and boiled down at a place called Cheyne's Beach (the old whaling station became a museum of whaling), As you can imagine, the sharks trailed them and loved hanging around Cheyne's Beach and the Albany harbour. And it took a remarkably short time before we at the (then) tiny Greenpeace Australia headquarters office in Sydney started receiving letters from Albany saying "I used to be in favour of our whaling industry and opposed to you guys. But now I'm glad the station has closed, because the town doesn't stink AND THERE'S WAY LESS SHARKS HANGING ABOUT!"
The "red triangle" is an area from the bay area shores to San Diego. The island is the outer tip of what we call the Red Triangle. A small island where seals breed. (The fish here are large Great Whites). As a White swims under you, it looks like a small submarine. The horror below doesn't swerve like a fish. It's pure stealth.
It would be interesting to know the ration of longboard attacks vs shortboard attacks. Something tells me riding a longboard is much safer...
Yeah, and I guess the same feeling riding guns at big wave spots because you're more out of the water. But it would be interesting to know if there is any correlation there!!
You also look much larger on a longboard, and create an even bigger shadow.
Bodyboarders with arms and legs hanging over the sides definitely look like turtles from below.
The longboard v shortboard attack data would indeed be interesting.
definitely been a few bodyboarders get bitten in Ballina I always thought bodyboarding legs dangling in the water was sketchy and small target
@@jodiadams8964
Well researched! Interesting that Great Whites tend to be the most feared and mentioned shark in the world, yet in that attack - fatalities chart (10:50 in the video) they attack but rarely kill while the completely non-famous bull shark killed more than half its victims.
Great vid.Thanks for sharing.
Great video! I went cage diving with great whites in South Australia and it was one of the best experiences of my life. However as a scuba diver it definitely gave me more perspective about what could be lurking underwater. A little bit unnerving, but as you say anyone recreating where there's sharks has to take on the risk! I'll have to look up the stats for attacks on "below surface" recreation.
I appreciate all the research you put into this video
Used to surf Byron every day.. in a 1 year span, 1 kayaker got attacked, 2 swimmers had to get rescued from the shipwreck with a shark circling, 1 shark siren cleared the lineup, and bullshark(s) sighting at cosy corner. I always surfed Tallows alone before work in the a.m, and especially when that water was murky, I'd be keeping my feet up lol
I surfed Recife Brazil,6 of the 8 Hawaiian 🌺 Islands (including Honolua Bay a few miles north of Lahaina town), Folley Beach SC, the length of the west coast USA from imperial beach all the way up to Tofino BC Canada, and reef road and Sebastian inlet Fla USA …..
I got bumped twice by sharks 🦈…..once was at DT Fleming Beach Park, Maui (just south of Honolua) and the other time was at imperial beach just south of San Diego ……I’m a lucky 🍀 59 year old dude and still got all my limbs 😅🤙🌊🏄I’ve been to many other places too but just mentioned the ones that you listed …..
I surfed in Recife almost 30 years ago when there wasn’t a shark 🦈 problem like today but certainly it’s a serious problem down there now and I’d avoid at all costs 😅
Grew up surfing in New Smyrna - you get used to seeing them. Most of the time nobody even paddles in. Got a shark band recently but I always seem to forget it at home 😂
Wow! That's insane mate!! I don't know if that's more scary than when you don't see them haha!!
Im from the EC in South Africa. Live just down the road from Jbay. Surfed the transkei and most of SA. I know guys whove been bumped, iv been called in couple times but honestly never really bothered me.
Went to see family in AUZ last year. I surfed WA, Margaret river and a couple of spots closer to Perth. Never felt so uneasy in the water. Hard to explain but it was really unnerving.
Lost a friend at plett, cape town definitely has some spooky spots. Wouldn't be worried about whites around transkei and above as I would below. Think since the killer whales in Cape, east Cape become way dodgier
The western side of PE is a bit freaky. I don't know if you surfed in this area, Beachview or Seaview. Sketchy. Good beach breaks when everywhere else is flat and the east is up but the wild life is always on your mind when you paddle out there
We've had 4 attacks this year already in South Aus , 2 fatal. Still have a summer to get through. Think i might stay out the water this year
Wow!! That's heavy! Did see one of those on the news!!
Although I agree with all your "preventative measures" but I'm hesitant to say that attacks are all misidentification cases. Too many attacks occur during clear conditions and not during dawn or dusk. Be safe !
Great video. You mispronounced some of the names in the US. Its Bo-day-ga Bay (not Bodeega), Fah-ly Beach South Carolina (not fohly) and Hat'rus, (not Hah-tear-as) South Carolina, New Smerna, (not New Smireena).
Thanks mate!! And cheers for the pronunciation tips!!
Good job mate! Keep up that hard work
Thanks, Jose!! Stoked you enjoyed this one :)
Learned to surf in South Carolina, most of these attacks are waist or knee deep sand sharks in murky water. They snack on tourists sometimes.
The Carolina sharks are just there in the shallows to feed on the stingrays. You may get bitten on the foot but you aren't going to get eaten.
nice presentation Dan!
Thank you very much!!
Excellent advice. Those bullsharks are a nightmare with those twisted pointy teeth. Once they get a.hold of something they shred it to tatters.
Grew up surfing Smyrna and Ponce inlet, volusia county Florida.. definitely seen many of sharks 🦈.. in northern California now.. way more scared of the beasts in Cali
Not sure if the shark with the curved teeth shown at 1:22 and again later in the footage is actually a species dangerous to humans? I may well be wrong, but that shark looks to these 67 year old eyes like an Australian grey nurse shark? A totally harmless to humans non-aggressive species almost hunted to extinction but now recovering, with their habitats (like Julian Rocks in northern NSW) a great tourist attraction. Many divers refer to them as the "labradors of the ocean" due to their gentle nature.
Also anyone entering the water in places like the Red Triangle and other places which are known haul out sites for seals and sea lions (or places which are known sea turtle habitats) should not be surprised if mistaken attacks on humans happen. Surfboards and body boards in particular can be mistaken for sea turtles by the tiger sharks who predate on them, ditto wetsuited crew for seals.
As an old timer bluey conservationist with 50 years of activism/education, I am always astonished by the complete lack of basic marine knowledge displayed by many surfers compared to their diver brethren. Even simple things like knowing the marine history of the area can help: if a break (at Byron) is called Tallows, that's because it was where the outlet pipe from the local abattoir discharged into until the 70s. Spots named for fish accumulations like Salmon Run indicate hey lots of those fish hang out here at certain times of the year. If you are a newbie or a visitor to an area, ask a local (surfer, fisher or diver) what gives. And follow your gut instinct: divers do. Even if you don't see evidence of bait balls or seabirds feeding, but somewhere just "feels" sharky and uncomfortable - especially if you are out alone or with few others about at an unfamiliar spot - do you want to hang out there?
A classic example of ignorance in action: last year in early 2022, the NSW far north river towns like Lismore (where I was working at the Lismore Environment Centre) and Ballina were decimated by the biggest floods in Australia's recent history, and the debris swollen rivers in those towns eventually made their way out to sea at Ballina. Coastal currents then carried that debris - including agricultural items from hay bales, fencing wire, even cannisters of poison, lots of dead animals from wildlife to cows and also sewerage and stormwater overflows - to beloved beaches.
The breaks around Byron were brown and choked with this debris, warning signs went up and beaches were closed, but the local Byron Facebook page was full of people complaining about the beach closures, and demanding their right to surf and swim regardless. Us oldies who know the saying of "if it's brown, don't go down" could only shudder as to what was in that water - and what was feeding on it.
You missed 2nd beach, port st Johns, eastern cape.
He said eastern Cape. Honestly between mossel Bay and plett must be the great white sharkiest spot on earth
Finally! Great video, hope it gets you loads of views!🙏
Haha! Thought ya might like this one ;) Thank you and I hope so, took an entire week to make this hahah!!
@@DanHarmon123 you’re top man, hope to get to meet you one day👍
Interesting NSW has more shark attacks than SA which is notorious for shark attacks. But i suppose if you factor in the population size compared with shark attacks, SA might come out on top..
Yeah exactly!! I think it's the only reason, as South Aus is so sparsely populated!!
Scary stuff, good to remember the ocean is their world not ours 😬
Ive read that sharks are attracted/ more curious to certain colors more than others...yellow orange and red were said to be colors thats sharks showed more interest...
Ahhh ok!! I'll have to read more studies on that one, but thanks for the info :))
@@DanHarmon123it’s not as much about color as contrast. If you have a bright color it contrasts at the surface from below so even black gives a high contrast from below. Research mammal and shark camouflage they usually have white bellies so from below it’s less contrast while their tops are dark so looking down it camouflages them from anything higher up towards the surface
Attacks or encounters.
Not sure if your vid specified the difference as might argue Mick Fanning type experience could be considered an encounter ?
I grew up in Ballina, just south of Byron Bay. All throughout that time there were no attacks then it just went crazy.
Thank you for sharing this information.
No problem! Glad you found it interesting :)
@@DanHarmon123 I'm
@@DanHarmon123 I'm from Hawaii. And what I would do before going into the beach is throw rock's into the water, to scare off unwanted sea creatures.
Thanks for great information!
I have been out every day there has been a shark attack on the North Shore of Oahu in the past 25 years. I guess I just miss them. The one statistic about Tiger Shark attacks in Hawaii is that you are twice as likely to get attacked during the months of September and October. Now that it is November you can relax a bit.
Wow!! Oh, really! Why is it more likely at that time?? Because of fish running or? And thanks for the info :))
All of the sharks in the Hawaiian islands in September and October come to the west side of Maui for a variety of reasons to breed and feed. October on the west side of Maui gotta be one of the sharkiest 🦈 places on earth 😳
@@MomentswithDavid We call it Sharktober for a reason :) I am in Kihei, we often get attacks here (compared to other areas. Its still very few per year). We lost the poor lady last December.
See news about tiger in line up at north shore this fall
@@DanHarmon123yes September is peak Florida attack month but October has a famous rep in the Pacific “sharktober”
Sharks are not a huge factor in surfing, as mentioned in this video. They may be on your mind at times…those sharky days when it’s overcast, or you see splashes out of the corner of your eye. But ask yourself this: do you stay out of your car or anyone elses because you’re afraid you might die or become seriously injured? No: then look at the death and injury statistics of all the places mentioned here…they vastly exceed shark attacks. Even Reunion Island had 50 road deaths between 2012 and 2018.
Thanks for the advice around the 13:37 mark to avoid swimming around fish balls. Also, in some videos, black and white stripes have been proven shark deterrents.
I love the ocean ....from the shore. As great as surfing looks, being on that board waiting for a wave while having no idea what could be lurking underneath is just not a great feeling.
Yeah for sure!! Terrifying thought hahah!
There might be some merit in these stats if you look at a particular location like Recife or La Reunion. But talking about how sharky South Africa is, with various climates, 2 oceans and thousands of miles of coastline seems a bit pointless.
Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the comments on this video! I have read all of your comments and stories but due to the sheer amount, I'm unable to reply to all of them :) Thanks!!
Sand Tiger at 1:18. They are harmless.
Ahh ok! Thank you! Was more of just a filler video...
Thanks a lot for this episode
No worries!! Stoked you enjoyed it :))
Rivermouths, around dawn or dusk, anywhere near a seal or penguin colony, or near slaughterhouses or old whaling stations.
I’ve lived in South Carolina my whole life and at least once a year there’s an absolute mammoth of a shark that washes up on our shores between Myrtle and Pawleys. It always makes me nervous for a few weeks afterwards
It should be calculated by the number of sharks attacks per person. Ie// adjust it relative to its population
For example, west aus has a very low population compared with NSW yet almost the same number of shark attacks
definitely bunker bay and rocky point in western Australia shouldve been on the list
I've been to Recife in 2000.
I arrived at Boa Viagem beach and immediately dive in the ocean to refresh my self after a long flight from europe and to relief how hot I was.
Went back to the hotel.
The other day I went there with my friends and saw the signs on the beach "Perigo, Ataque de tubarão!"...
Guess I got luck the day before...
I wasn't surfing at the time.
Yeah wow!! I read Boa Viagem is the "sharkiest" in Recife also!! And yeah super lucky!!
Woah, dude - yeah, that's one beach you don't want to take a chance swimming off. Plenty of shark attacks in very shallow water there.
amazing episode, I'm still going to go surfing tho lol
Thank you!! And yeah... same!! 😂
A lot of attacks are attributed to great whites and tigers because that's the two people used to expect to be the culprits so do you think bull sharks may actually be responsible for a lot more attacks than thought. We must also factor in amount of swimmers and surfers known to use the areas.
Your content is really amazing! I hope your channels grows. ALOT!
Thanks heaps!!
Dan you are good man thank you for spending all your time researching, I recon you have saved few lives and prevented a lot of people from being attacked by sharks...PS is Sri Lanka safe?
Scariest place I surfed was cape cod. Between all the signs warning you about great whites, seals everywhere and lobster pot bouys. only place I enjoy surfing when it gets a bit crowded
Yeah had a few comment saying how sharky it is up there also!! And yeah the risk for getting uncrowded waves I guess!!
@@DanHarmon123Maine had its first fatality recently
Florida so many sharks every time I surf. They don't kill you but it's still unnerving.
Everything about Florida still sounds so scary to me hahah!!
I surf, swim and bodyboard in Santa Monica/Venice CA, I usually feel safe there but we never know.
Great info mate
Thank you!!
No surfing shark attack fatalities in FL but several fatal shark attacks in FL, Bahamas too
NSW has the highest attacks because it is the most populated.. South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria have the biggest sharks in the world but less people in the water to munch on.
Yep of course!! Skews the statistics for sure!
South Carolina gets waves but I would never travel there to catch waves as Georgia and South Carolina have the worst waves on the u.s. east coast and I live in North Carolina
Haha!! fair enough! I've heard there are some fun waves in your part of the world ;)
I surfed in polynesa and any Time Saw a fin out if thé water and Quick even if it was black tip and reef shark and for sure i won t have enough courage toi surf in sharky water with Tigery,bull and over all great white😟😞
Wow! Yeah, I guess any shark sighting is terrifying!! Species regardless!
Went for a swim this morning here in Australia and found out there was 20 bull sharks chasing a bait ball nice and close to shore yesterday
Hectic!! How scary!!
The east coast of Florida has 🦈 Shark everywhere but most are black tips and spinners and Bull sharks some Hammerheads but we don’t get the monsters like Great Whites and Tiger Sharks that kill you with one look.
I believe that Bull sharks kill more people than Great Whites overall worldwide.
Australian New South Welshman here for the win on fatalities 🥺 Been in the water surfing for years in all those spots. Seen some big noahs too. Stopped since my son was born. The only man eating shark I am around is myself when I am having battered flake n chips.
Yeah, I bet you would have had some scares in ya time!! Hahaha, safest option!!
@@DanHarmon123 Yeah a couple. Was stalked by a Bull shark in Pittwater (Sydney, NSW) bumped me then followed me for half a km when I was in a kayak. Seen some big tiger shark fins at North wall, Shelly beach and Flat Rock in Ballina and what looked like bull sharks chasing school fish. Closest encounter with a shark of unknown species because the water was brown was surfing air port left's a reef break off Kuta in Bali in the late 80's with 3 guys. It's about 1km off shore and the guy who took us out on a canoe bailed. The tide was low but rising and a lot of boils in the water. The guy next to me got bumped off his board then the shark went for his leg but got a mouth of legrope instead and pulled his whole board under till only one inch of the nose was above water. I had to grab him to stop him from being dragged under. The shark was very powerful. It let go eventually but started to circle so we had to paddle onto the bit of reef that was shallow about thigh high. Needless to say we got cut up on the coral heads and the blood in the water was getting the shark excited. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the Balinese guy to come back out on his outrigger with the tide rising and this shark circling. Not fun. Finally the guy comes back but wouldn't come close to pick us up because of the swell so we had to paddle about 50 meters out with this shark in the brown water below us. I was cursing that ba st ar d. Anyway we all made it back unscathed thankfully. The guy I helped shouted me arak all night. Had 39 shots, got a free t-shirt from the Sari Club and a hang over I still remember 34 years later 🤣
@@loveudon6972 Great story - do you think maybe a tiger or a bull shark?
@@loveudon6972 I was chased by a sea snake at airport lefts around that time. Never saw any sharks in Bali fortunately. Not the best place to need emergency surgery;(