I grew up surfing in Reunion but was lucky enough that it was during the "boom", right up until the shark "crisis". Your video is fairly accurate. Until 2011 we really didn't have problems with sharks, at least not more than any other tropical location like Hawaii. The odd attack was very often happening outside of the west coast (where the nice beaches are) or when the water was murky or when a surfer would want to squeeze in a wave or 2 before it would be too dark out. So the general precaution was surfing the West and South Coast except for a few spots. Avoid the East coast (although so crazy guys would still give it a go) and by all mean, completely avoid the Saint-Paul bay area in the NW, although I did get tempted once... I still have all my limbs thank god. Avoid murky waters and surfing late. But all of a sudden this equilibrium went out the window. Vicious and fatal attacks one after another. I wasn't living on the island anymore but was horrified and very saddened by what happened. It even caused some tensions between different groups of people as surfing was seen as a "white people activity" (it's not true, there's plenty of "kreol" people surfing in the South notably). Sea Shepherd even ran a campaign explicitly saying surfers were "assholes" ("connards" in French). Anyway, it was awful. At one point even Kelly Slater commented on it calling for a "serious shark cull" and was extremely criticized for it. The economic impact was also felt as obviously not only surfers but also swimmers would just not go to the beach anymore, leaving local businesses with fewer clients. So nowadays the situation is a follow as I asked around when I came back in 2023: -You can surf Saint-Leu almost every day "At your own risk" without getting fined and with the support of jetskis the town is paying. "If you lose a leg they'll get you faster to the beach" is what a local told me 😅. Shark shield devices are highly encouraged but not mandatory. Needless to say, if you're brave enough to do it, you'll just compete with 5 to 15 people on this world class break. Ready 😁? -Other spots on the West coast only have these narrow surfing sessions organized but it's only if you're licensed :/. It's great for kids though. And yes you have divers, drone operators, boats all around securing the area. But it's only if the water is clear enough so you have to check online when they're doing it and as I said, normally it's not for everyone. You need to be "licensed" to participate. -The spot of La Jetée in the South hasn't had any problem so far and is surfed relatively "illegally". It's a cool right hander, very rippable and it somehow went through the shark crisis without any attack. I have no idea if fines really are still enforced for surfers or if there's some kind of tolerance in La Jetée for example. Thanks for showcasing my relatively unknown home island! I wonder if a surfing UA-camr will dare venture there in the future like Jamie O'Brien, Nathan Florence or Ben Gravy. It would be obviously cool to see but they should make sure to be safe with shark shields (no surfers have been attacked equipped with them so far) and go with a local.
A very interesting update! As someone else in the comments noted there’s a Reunion Island resident called Kai Noa who regularly posts surfing videos on YT
Excellent summary. I am from Peru and have surfed Reunion along 1 month-long vacations 2 times in 1992 and 1994. Amazing waves, I did adore St Leu. Back then shark stories and incidents were in the mouth of the surfer populations. A couple of times I saw surfers without a leg or without an arm still enjoying the sport. The eastern coast had really bad reputation due to the muddy waters (rainy side of the island). I didn’t know that surfing was banned! What a shame! But at the same time understandable.
I visited Reunion and I was told by the locals that "usually" cops only enforce the surfing ban when conditions are super sharky, eg: at dusk, or after rains when water is not clear. "Usually", which does not mean you'll be fined in other conditions. However if mid morning and transparent water… surf's up on le Hermitage, Aigrettes, etc… just check local youtubers like Kai Noa. If not wanting to risk a fine you can always surf St Leu or Roches Noires: patrolled & safe but crowded. The marine reserve probably plays the main role here providing undisturbed food for sharks. As you say, Reunion is on the shark highway, but also is Mauritius, and there they don't suffer the shark problem. BTW kudos for the stock video shots chosen for the narration. They really show the beauty of the island, and the empty breaks!
Hello I'm from Reunion and I worked 8 years on this crisis. The safety protocol of Saint Leu has been made by one people of my family and other very dedicaced people. I would like to mention few things. You're right when you say we changed things but it's not the same as before the crisis. Most popular beaches for people bathing is over. It shows how things are not back to normal. But hey we got out of the worse. Concerning the possible causes, you're mainly right. And yes it's a multifactorial thing. But the explosion of people surfing does not explain anyway the issue. It's not a point of view this is what gets out of the numerous studies. The worst of the attacks happened when there were less people in the water and this during almost 7 years. And when I say few people I'm talking about less than a hundred people out during years on the whole island. That's when the highest rate of attacks and the highest frequency was recorded. The problem of the pollution is very debated and there is also no proof that it played a role. Other regions way more sharky with way more people in a water where sharks could be don't have this issue. Other factors where EVERYBODY agree on: - a fish farm for decades over a bull sharks nursery where the currents go directly to the most popular beaches where attacks started. Feeding everyday, sharks going crazy, foods falling on ocean floor with antibiotics etc etc... Crazy thing. Most surfers and fishermen and a part of the shore population are conviced by some studies showing that a marine reserve deshinibit sharks and rise their numbers. No more pressure from human for a long time. Sharks aee binary: you're a possible prey or a possible threat. One of the member of the marine reserve even raised concerns of making such a reserve inside a populated area. He warned about the high possibility of such a crisis. He was not listened and was put aside. He did not changed his mind about the incompability of implementing a reserve inside human activity with the presence of bull and tiger sharks. It's not done in most countries for a reason... One clue of this is that surfing did not stop at Saint Pierre la jetée during all the crisis without any issue and despite the known presence of sharks. This place was always known to have more bull sharks and tiger sharks than the West coast where the crisis happened. Human is there as a predator with a long tradition of fishing with the village of fishermen near the harbor. One of the last surviving fishing place on the island... It's not about fishing sharks. We don't fish a lot. It's very few. It's about being a predator facing the sharks. Personnally I surf Saint Leu when it's protected but also when it's not but you gotta be extremely carefull about water conditions etc. It's almost a science you learn and yes it's a lot of constraints. I also surf la jetée (the jetty) at Saint Pierre, without shark shields. Thank you for your video on this subject. Friendly.
You are probably right. Some 35 years ago a lot of us used to come and surf La Réunion, I remember that a lot of surfers/windsurfers etc had troubles with sharks and more than someone had bad accident, but nothing like the crisis. I guess you are right what you says is full of sense
I surfed the same reef in Florida for 3 years. On that reef their was a black tip, he would circle that reef all day long (under foot). I used to watch him hunt. When they go after something, there like a missile. They will bite what ever they go after. I cant tell you how many plastic bags i saw him attack only to spit them out. I have had 3 friends attacked by black tips (over the years), none of the attacks required hospital attention. But the curious thing was they were all attacked in the same place, the bottom of the foot. Marine biologists at the time speculated that the contrast from then top of the foot to the bottom of the foot mimics the flick of a fish in the water. The black tip locks on, bites and spits out. A bull shark will take your foot. I can remember the stories from Reunion they speculated it was due to marine construction. Scary place, I am not fond of tigers ... I almost got taken in CR.
Excellent content as usual. Thanks! I used to live and surf on Kauai, and later live, surf and windsurf on Maui. Never saw sharks on Kauai but I know they were there. Had lots of close encounters on Maui with sharks (mostly tigers) and even during a frenzy once due to a dead Sea turtle. My regular windsurf spot on Maui was very sharky with tigers. Not a big deal when powered up, but schlepping your windsurf equipment to shore IN THE DARK because the waves were good and I wanted that one last wave was always very sketch and creepy. Even though I saw sharks often I didn’t think it was that big of a deal until while waiting in a long line at Kmart I scanned a book that was specifically about shark attacks in Hawaii. Holy crap there have been so many shark attacks in Hawaii but media plays them down because of tourism. That didn’t keep me out of the water but knowing that definitely upped the creep factor! Just an idea but you might consider doing a video about shark attacks in Hawaii.
If I came home from surfing after dark, my Hawaiian grandma would lock the front door and make me sit by the steps for half hour all cold to think about. She said tigers love after the sun just goes down and don't surf til dark. I never listened to good!
Thank you for your vidéo, you give here a precis resume of what happened to surfing in Réunion Island. I've been living and working on the Island for almost 22 years now and never stop surfing a couple of spots here and there. As you said, scientists never realy dare to say that a great part of the reasons of shark attack on thé west coast occured a couple years after the marine réserve took place. (some of them were working and diving right in the réserve 😏... And receving great money from européen fondation) Today we fear for a new attack as new comers dont réalise the danger and many tiger sharks are around. (bullsharks seem to leave from the human activities for other spots of the Island) but tigers are fearless and we guess it could be another épisode of attacks any time. Pray for safe surfing 🙏
Nice one, decent analysis of the situation there. Yet another theory is the increase in building along the coast resulting in more rainwater running into the sea, attracting bull sharks closer to shore. I think the use of shark shields has stopped the attacks there, even the 2019 attack was on the one guy who wasn’t wearing one. I’d say Recife is probably even sharkier though, with a more concentrated number of attacks along a 20km stretch of coast.
I met a lad in indo from reunion who surfed the unprotected spots he said they never go alone and wear goggles they have to check under the water as they paddle out , when they sit in position , at the end of the wave etc like that
Hi. Thanks for the video. I think it's great that more people know about this story. I wrote a few articles about it at the time. Just wanted to point that contrary to what people said at the time, there was no increase in the number of bull sharks in Reunion, nor had they been attracted to the coast by the Marine reserve. Today serious experts agree on the fact that the three main causes for the attacks were : some surfing spots with very murky water (prone to bull shark attacks) due to water flooding down the ravines (volcanic island), absence of sewage system which means all the dirty water goes into the sea attracting fish which attract sharks, increased number of people in the water (surfers) on bull shark hunting ground. The reaction was the culling of sharks first via fishing then through drum lines, when the real answer should have been to fix the sewage problem. But that costs money.
Nonsense, while most marine scientists rightly point to a number of factors there’s no consensus on any one key factor. That’s probably too nuanced for a tabloid journalist though.
Dan video idea for all the surfers like me who are scared of sharks Top 10 LEAST sharky surf locations Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, France, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Jersey/Guernsey
The best way to check if there are sharks is to taste the water. If it’s salty, then there are sharks. Stop being silly. You have more chances of getting knocked over by a car in the beach parking lot.
Wot? There are places that definitely have less man eating sharks and less risk by far, I'm safrican, surfing in Portugal is stress free for me 😂@@theseb1979
@@theseb1979 try telling that to the people who are killed by sharks every year. Tell it to Vladimir Popov the guy you can watch being eaten alive by a tiger shark on UA-cam… And yes there are sharks in every sea, but the locations I listed do not have tigers, bulls, or great whites - the man eating species. Your comment is full of ignorance mate.
Absolutely fu/ing terrifying mate. Them Tigers and Bull sharks at Reunion are aggressively on the hunt. Like walking and hiking on an African safari without the safety of a guide or vehicle. What do you think happens when you come across a lion?
I never realized there are repellants etc available nowadays. The recent study with leds flashing is interesting too. I guess it will end up as having personel drones overhead ai programmed to spot sharks
Dan, in your studies have you noticed if short board surfers are more likely to get attacked by sharks than longboard surfers? Short boarders float deeper than longboard surfers. Just curious.
That's an interesting question. My thought is the answer is 'no' because most shark attacks are caused by 'proximity' meaning whenever circumstances put sharks and people in the same location, attack numbers always skyrocket. If you study shark attacks as I have done, this is the first pattern you see.
Mid coast NSW Australia is getting really scary, see a shark nearly every surf or if you don't you hear of other surfers getting chased out of the water at another beach close by. So many near misses all the time that aren't reported. The local council's don't want to scare the tourist dollar away. It's heavy surfing here 😅
Shark scientists believe that a primary cause contributing to the shark incidents on Réunion Island is environmental changes due to human activities, such as construction projects. One key hypothesis is that the construction of a canal to transfer water from the east side of the island-which receives abundant rainfall-to the west side, where most residents live, has impacted the coastal ecosystem. Overflow from this canal is discharged into the ocean on the west side, introducing fresh water and altering the salinity of the western coastal waters. Prior to the canal's construction, the ocean water on the east side was more suitable for bull sharks, which often give birth in freshwater rivers and estuaries. Due to the heavy rainfall on the east side, the ocean water there was ideal for bull sharks. However, after the canal was built, the west side's waters became less salty, making those waters more attractive to bull sharks. This is believed to have led to an increased bull shark presence on the west side, significantly raising the number of encounters between people and sharks. Researchers believe this may be the most significant factor that caused the crisis at Reunion because the spike in attacks began to occur shortly after the canal's completion which highly correlates the two. Man-made construction in and around oceans and estuaries often alters the behavior of marine animals, including sharks. Such activities can disrupt water flow, causing bait fish to relocate, and sharks follow their prey. Construction has also been known to disrupt bull shark nursery areas, such as in Recife, Brazil, where a bull shark nursery was displaced by the construction of an industrial port.
The bulls where I'm from in Florida are quite plentiful year round seems to be the worst in winter with the bait run lots of attacks but no deaths fortunately we literally get chased right up to the shore quite frequently coman sense goes a long way Thanks for another killer video my friend Be well and Safe travels 👍
Im from Buxton "OBX" NC. So i understand what that's like. About 7 mi due East off the point Is what's called diamond shoals and it's one of the main breeding grounds and the US North Atlantic for tiger sharks and hammerheads and a plethora of other reef sharks, especially black tips and other sharks like mako. Getting charged and run out of the water it's just such a common occurrence but that it doesn't even cause a fear response anymore. Id say that Salvo to Avon and then around the point in Frisco cove are the sharkiest parts of the island. We do occasionally also get some large pregnant great whites. The Big Mamas come in to the island too feed. Last year we saw a pregnant white shark that was about 16-18 ft and looked to be over 3500lbs. We were at what used to be the S Turns and someone filmed it doing passes by us out in the break on their drone. That time I was scared. That's the one occasion that I can remember since I was a kid where I did not get back in the water Not only that day but for a few days afterwards.
@@Jason-TheChad-Muska_circa1995 Wise. With White Shark populations rising (particularly in the North Atlantic), you need to pay attention to the number of White Shark sightings in your area to see if they are rising. If so, then start to be more careful where you go in the water. For example, you are generally much less likely to get attacked by a White if you stay away from its hunting grounds/hot spots/breeding grounds and pupping grounds. Feeding grounds are located near seal rookeries and whale carcasses. The sharks that are hanging around hunting grounds are hungry. Breeding grounds and pupping grounds (if the scientist ever find them) are likely to have a higher concentration of sharks and so, may be places where you have a greater chance of attack.
I used to follow a channel from a Reunion surfer, forgot the name, but noted that all his boards had shark deterrent black/white stripes and Ocean Guardian shark shield devices. I wonder if it's legal to surf there only if you have shark deterrents, but still, I wouldn't travel that far to get in that water. 😅
@@RaulEdu33yeah it's him. He rips. And yes we can surf now. But it's just not as simply as going into the water when waves are good and the conditions are the safiest. It doesn't work like that. It's a bit special. Even with shark shields.
I went there in the early 90s was surfing at dawn till about 10 every day on my own knew it had sharks didn’t realise it was so bad until years later super wave
Thank God they got that footage of Occy there in the early 90’s ripping the shit out of it before this hysteria set in.My favourite part in my favourite surf vid!!!
As a native born Florida Man all I can say is "let's go fishin'". Those sharks have to eat something so there must be a lot of fish around. It might be tough to get fish past the sharks but trying would be fun.
Please call it a shark "bite" and not shark "attack". To me, you (along with others) make it sound like the shark(s) are mugging the surfers/swimmers/water users etc. I live in Perth Western Australia a few years ago the local government started to use drum lines here due to the shark population, huge protests were made by people and plenty of footage of the dolphins taking the bait from the drum lines and not getting hooked them self's. The biggest shark I have ever seen was at Hang over bay here in WA, Great White the size was massive. Long and super girthy but the thing that I will never forget is that this beast was in waste high water, I would never think that something this big could swim in such shallow water. All the best from Western Australia!!!
Shark bites may occur in places like New Smyrna beach, where mistaken identity is the main cause and injuries are mainly minor. Life changing injuries and deaths are caused by shark attacks, just like attacks by crocodiles, bears, gators etc. They’re rare but do happen and are often not mistaken identity.
@@brentohara491 I respectfully disagree with you. I my eyes its a fatal shark bite rather than a fatal shark attack, however I do see your point. I guess people do pass away from a bear bite or in your words a bear attack as the bear has claws. I think it sends out a bad look for an animal just doing what animals do. Anyhowzen all the best from Western Australia!!
@ Fair enough, we’re all entitled to our opinions. I agree that they’re just animals doing what they do. Sometimes bears just like sharks do consume people, black bear attacks, rare as they are are almost always for the purpose of feeding rather than protecting territory or cubs.
The reason the shark attacks multiplied quickly is because they made the reef on the west coast a naturel reserve so all fishing stopped which multiplied the fish and also the tiger sharks and bullsharks, the inoffensive little reef sharks were choses away and that was the beginning of the problem
Cactus for absolutely sure. West Coast South Australia generally. The stories from this area are terrifying. That 'exploratory bite' for fat content is the bottom half of the person.
Ok, I’ll take the bait 😊How many memorial plaques (shark- related) actually are there? There’d have to be more than 29 for it to be worse and I can only find records for 3 fatalities off Cactus. Open to any other info on this though.
Any fishermen can tell you fish get smart fast when you interact with them. They know to keep a low profile when you are catching them. Conversely, if you throw your lure somewhere where people have never been, it will be an insane competition between all the biggest fish in there to get at it. I reckon when people stopped using powerheads, sharks lost their fear of man. And we are a great live bait. You only have to watch the video of the Little Bay attack in Sydney to see that big surface lures get savage strikes.
Yeah, I agree that you can learn about predator behavior just by watching how a bass attacks a crankbait or jig. Honestly, I think a reason why shark attacks are increasing globally is simply because the number of sharks and people in the oceans has been rising. This is also creating competition for food, causing some of the middle aged sharks to be pushed into marginal, less productive hunting grounds. These hungry sharks are more likely to attack a human as food, especially if they get to a point where they are very hungry. At least that is my working theory.
The species is being over protected due to finning sentiment, which I completely get, but sometimes it's necessary to control any wild populations, be it bears, rabbits, or sharks. I agree with Kelly. Do we have the same sentiment for Tuna? I doubt it seriously. Sharks are fish and also a food source. In the meantime....Sharkshield, but I still won't bet my life on it. Awesome vid. Thanks 🌊🏄♂️💙😎
Sharks are not an invasive species. Reunion is their natural habitat. They have existed for millions of years. Why should they be killed so people can go surfing? And if the populations are migratory, as the video implies, then killing them is a complete waste of time.
Various people have been trying different methods, but ocean waves and saltwater beat the hell out of most stationary products so it is very challenging to create beach areas which are protected by shark barriers. Shark shields seem to be the best technology for now.
You step into the ocean and you're in shark zone. It really doesn't matter where you surf or swim in the ocean there will be sharks. I'm fearful of sharks yes , does it prevent me from enjoying one of the best sports on the planet not on your life. So enjoy the ocean and just be careful, the most dangerous thing you can do is driving to the beach.
Well, no. Some places have more sharks than others. This kind of equivocation makes no sense. It’s like saying ‘don’t bother avoiding the south Bronx, since you can get mugged anywhere’ as if the fact that you’re way more likely to get mugged in some places were useless information. In many popular surfing locations, sharks are rare.
@MarkAnderson-ng8vc well that's a given, I was just saying that we are in the shark's element when we step into the ocean. I surfed for twenty years and never saw a shark but I'll guarantee that they were out there seen or unseen.
People scare me, not sharks. Last week almost got killed on my way to the beach while riding my bike, Tesla and SUV drivers care more about texting than stopping at red lights or stop signs. Don't even start me on the people in the water, half of them don't follow the rules anymore, and the others try to chop your ankles off with their board fins.
BS…. You put up a graphic that left out Florida which is the known shark bite capital of the world. Ponce Inlet is the shark bite capital in Florida. You even got your stats from Florida but purposely left it out of your graphic lol
@@FourFront99. Me too, and especially when I think about surfing Ano Nuevo and a few other spots north of Santa Cruz by myself. The last time I surfed Ano I got the most intense feeling to get the F out of the water, and I did. Been surfing for over 50 years and have lived and surfed in lots of sharky places but that was the ONLY time I felt that so intensely.
Del Mar in north San Diego county has gotten insanely sharky in the last 8 years or so. Mostly juvenile Whites but had a big one breech about 100 yards from me on one beautiful sunny afternoon while surfing alone.
Hey Dan, love your videos. As a surfer but also shark lover, I wish people would use the term "shark accident" rather than "shark attack". A bite can have severe consequences for a victim but still, from a sharks perspective, it's an accident. A shark doesn't go after surfers on purpose. Many factors have to come together in order for a surfer to get bitten. There's no intention to harm or kill a surfer. For a shark, the bite, as weird as it may sound, is an oopsie. Hence, in the world of shark conservation, those incidents are called accidents. It's a small difference in terminology but deconstructs the idea of sharks being mindless killing machines. No critisism, just food for thought. :)
@@chuckschwaab According to the ISAF, the yearly average is 63 unprovoked shark bites and 6 of them fatal. Worldwide. The definition of an attack is "a violent act intended to hurt or damage someone or something". If sharks intended to hurt people, the numbers would be significantly higher. There are millions of people in the ocean every day. I highly recommend checking @TheMalibuArtist work to get an idea how often sharks are super close to humans. Without any incident. Sharks usually don't care about people. Furthermore, everybody who has spent some time in the water with sharks (on purpose) will tell you the same story. Sharks don't intend to hurt people. I've done my fair share of diving with sharks. Never have I ever felt unsafe. Never have I ever felt threatend by a shark.
According to the ISAF, the yearly average is 63 unprovoked shark bites and 6 of them fatal. Worldwide. The definition of an attack is "a violent act intended to hurt or damage someone or something". If sharks intended to hurt people, the numbers would be significantly higher. There are millions of people in the ocean every day. I highly recommend checking @TheMalibuArtist work to get an idea how often sharks are super close to humans. Sharks usually don't care about people. Furthermore, everybody who has spent some time in the water with sharks (on purpose) will tell you the same story. Sharks don't intend to hurt people. I've done my fair share of diving with sharks. Never have I ever felt unsafe. Never have I ever felt threatend by a shark.
No, there are 3/4 shark species that do occasionally target and kill people. These are not accidents and they’re certainly not always a case of mistaken identity. Shark attacks may be territorial, predatory or exploratory (which could also be classified as intent to consume) but it’s disingenuous to claim these are always accidental. And rare as they are attacks are on the rise, possibly partly due to overfishing. As a diver you’re considerably safer than a surfer or swimmer for various reasons.
I’ll solve it for everyone: Somewhere upriver in one of the rivers, there is a farm/ factory/ business that’s dumping (maybe illegally) animal waste products into the water and it’s washed out to sea. That’s the only ONLY plausible reason.
I didn’t know that Kelly Slater called for a “shark cull” but that is absolutely wrong. I don’t care how many contests you won, no real surfer would ever say something like that. It’s a good thing for him no one called for an asshole cull.
Meh. Grew up surfing Oahu/Kauai and thers tons of sharks. Just gotta roll the dice and hope they get ur buddy instead of you. J/K. Avoid murky runoff water with carcasses and you should be ok. All the big ones are Ama'kua and unless you're a terrible individual, your Karma will be there for you. Enjoy the Nature and know there are risks for partaking in the greatest of all pleasures in God's Kingdom. Regardless, you will never see it coming and there is nothing you can do about it. They usually strike from shore towards open ocean.. Keep calm and get barrelled.
This video just made me irritated, its the ocean. You go in you incur a risk that you might die. Think that's unfair? Too bad the ocean doesn't and will never care about your feelings.
2:01 just a litle precision on the political statue of la réunion : it is not the modern way of sayingcollony, a « département d’outre mer » is simply put a state, a part of the contry, like hawaii is simply a part of the usa.
How the USA annexed Hawaii in the late 1800s was a text book case of colonisation. Rich Americans like the Doles profited while the indigenous population was dispossessed or died from imported diseases. The raw deal for native Hawaiians goes right back to the first European contact when Captain Cook kidnapped King Kalaniʻōpuʻu. It was never "simple"
I genuinely feel bad for you. This island is not part of France - that’s in your head. France is in Europe this island is in the Indian Ocean but you don’t see it like that and I bet that is unsettling. I wonder what the indigenous peoples called this amazing place before France stole it from them…
@ that’s amazing. How is that possible? It’s totally habitable and well within reach of other islands with humans... Now thinking about that… I go so far as to say I bet people were there before the French we either forgot/ covered it up or we just don’t know about it. If mankind found Hawaii then they found reunion…
@@trifin5772 that's entirely possible and easy to prove that there were no other inhabitants because human presence leaves bones, tools etc. I'm sure there are many other examples: Cape Verde was also uninhabited before Portuguese sailors discovered it. And the reason why seafaring paleolithic societies are not the norm except Polynesians is because the sea is rough for simple canoes.
Hey guys!! Thanks so much for all the info and shark stories!! I can't get back to everyone, but love reading your insights!!
144 comments only??
Absolutely you can get back to everyone.... if you actually gave a cr*p about your viewers !
I grew up surfing in Reunion but was lucky enough that it was during the "boom", right up until the shark "crisis". Your video is fairly accurate. Until 2011 we really didn't have problems with sharks, at least not more than any other tropical location like Hawaii. The odd attack was very often happening outside of the west coast (where the nice beaches are) or when the water was murky or when a surfer would want to squeeze in a wave or 2 before it would be too dark out. So the general precaution was surfing the West and South Coast except for a few spots. Avoid the East coast (although so crazy guys would still give it a go) and by all mean, completely avoid the Saint-Paul bay area in the NW, although I did get tempted once... I still have all my limbs thank god. Avoid murky waters and surfing late.
But all of a sudden this equilibrium went out the window. Vicious and fatal attacks one after another. I wasn't living on the island anymore but was horrified and very saddened by what happened. It even caused some tensions between different groups of people as surfing was seen as a "white people activity" (it's not true, there's plenty of "kreol" people surfing in the South notably). Sea Shepherd even ran a campaign explicitly saying surfers were "assholes" ("connards" in French). Anyway, it was awful. At one point even Kelly Slater commented on it calling for a "serious shark cull" and was extremely criticized for it. The economic impact was also felt as obviously not only surfers but also swimmers would just not go to the beach anymore, leaving local businesses with fewer clients.
So nowadays the situation is a follow as I asked around when I came back in 2023:
-You can surf Saint-Leu almost every day "At your own risk" without getting fined and with the support of jetskis the town is paying. "If you lose a leg they'll get you faster to the beach" is what a local told me 😅. Shark shield devices are highly encouraged but not mandatory. Needless to say, if you're brave enough to do it, you'll just compete with 5 to 15 people on this world class break. Ready 😁?
-Other spots on the West coast only have these narrow surfing sessions organized but it's only if you're licensed :/. It's great for kids though. And yes you have divers, drone operators, boats all around securing the area. But it's only if the water is clear enough so you have to check online when they're doing it and as I said, normally it's not for everyone. You need to be "licensed" to participate.
-The spot of La Jetée in the South hasn't had any problem so far and is surfed relatively "illegally". It's a cool right hander, very rippable and it somehow went through the shark crisis without any attack.
I have no idea if fines really are still enforced for surfers or if there's some kind of tolerance in La Jetée for example.
Thanks for showcasing my relatively unknown home island! I wonder if a surfing UA-camr will dare venture there in the future like Jamie O'Brien, Nathan Florence or Ben Gravy. It would be obviously cool to see but they should make sure to be safe with shark shields (no surfers have been attacked equipped with them so far) and go with a local.
Good stuff! Thanks!
If you make ben gravyboat paddle out first😜 then Ill paddle out
A very interesting update! As someone else in the comments noted there’s a Reunion Island resident called Kai Noa who regularly posts surfing videos on YT
@@brentohara491 Thanks. I’ll check it out.
what do you mean by "licensed" ?
Excellent summary. I am from Peru and have surfed Reunion along 1 month-long vacations 2 times in 1992 and 1994. Amazing waves, I did adore St Leu.
Back then shark stories and incidents were in the mouth of the surfer populations. A couple of times I saw surfers without a leg or without an arm still enjoying the sport. The eastern coast had really bad reputation due to the muddy waters (rainy side of the island).
I didn’t know that surfing was banned! What a shame! But at the same time understandable.
I visited Reunion and I was told by the locals that "usually" cops only enforce the surfing ban when conditions are super sharky, eg: at dusk, or after rains when water is not clear. "Usually", which does not mean you'll be fined in other conditions. However if mid morning and transparent water… surf's up on le Hermitage, Aigrettes, etc… just check local youtubers like Kai Noa.
If not wanting to risk a fine you can always surf St Leu or Roches Noires: patrolled & safe but crowded.
The marine reserve probably plays the main role here providing undisturbed food for sharks. As you say, Reunion is on the shark highway, but also is Mauritius, and there they don't suffer the shark problem.
BTW kudos for the stock video shots chosen for the narration. They really show the beauty of the island, and the empty breaks!
Hello I'm from Reunion and I worked 8 years on this crisis. The safety protocol of Saint Leu has been made by one people of my family and other very dedicaced people.
I would like to mention few things.
You're right when you say we changed things but it's not the same as before the crisis.
Most popular beaches for people bathing is over. It shows how things are not back to normal.
But hey we got out of the worse.
Concerning the possible causes, you're mainly right. And yes it's a multifactorial thing.
But the explosion of people surfing does not explain anyway the issue. It's not a point of view this is what gets out of the numerous studies. The worst of the attacks happened when there were less people in the water and this during almost 7 years. And when I say few people I'm talking about less than a hundred people out during years on the whole island. That's when the highest rate of attacks and the highest frequency was recorded.
The problem of the pollution is very debated and there is also no proof that it played a role. Other regions way more sharky with way more people in a water where sharks could be don't have this issue.
Other factors where EVERYBODY agree on:
- a fish farm for decades over a bull sharks nursery where the currents go directly to the most popular beaches where attacks started. Feeding everyday, sharks going crazy, foods falling on ocean floor with antibiotics etc etc... Crazy thing.
Most surfers and fishermen and a part of the shore population are conviced by some studies showing that a marine reserve deshinibit sharks and rise their numbers. No more pressure from human for a long time. Sharks aee binary: you're a possible prey or a possible threat.
One of the member of the marine reserve even raised concerns of making such a reserve inside a populated area. He warned about the high possibility of such a crisis. He was not listened and was put aside. He did not changed his mind about the incompability of implementing a reserve inside human activity with the presence of bull and tiger sharks. It's not done in most countries for a reason...
One clue of this is that surfing did not stop at Saint Pierre la jetée during all the crisis without any issue and despite the known presence of sharks.
This place was always known to have more bull sharks and tiger sharks than the West coast where the crisis happened. Human is there as a predator with a long tradition of fishing with the village of fishermen near the harbor. One of the last surviving fishing place on the island...
It's not about fishing sharks. We don't fish a lot. It's very few. It's about being a predator facing the sharks.
Personnally I surf Saint Leu when it's protected but also when it's not but you gotta be extremely carefull about water conditions etc. It's almost a science you learn and yes it's a lot of constraints.
I also surf la jetée (the jetty) at Saint Pierre, without shark shields.
Thank you for your video on this subject.
Friendly.
You are probably right. Some 35 years ago a lot of us used to come and surf La Réunion, I remember that a lot of surfers/windsurfers etc had troubles with sharks and more than someone had bad accident, but nothing like the crisis. I guess you are right what you says is full of sense
@riccardobaita3357 thank you
Your videos are great mate. Keep them coming 🔥
I surfed the same reef in Florida for 3 years. On that reef their was a black tip, he would circle that reef all day long (under foot). I used to watch him hunt. When they go after something, there like a missile. They will bite what ever they go after. I cant tell you how many plastic bags i saw him attack only to spit them out. I have had 3 friends attacked by black tips (over the years), none of the attacks required hospital attention. But the curious thing was they were all attacked in the same place, the bottom of the foot. Marine biologists at the time speculated that the contrast from then top of the foot to the bottom of the foot mimics the flick of a fish in the water. The black tip locks on, bites and spits out. A bull shark will take your foot. I can remember the stories from Reunion they speculated it was due to marine construction. Scary place, I am not fond of tigers ... I almost got taken in CR.
Excellent content as usual. Thanks! I used to live and surf on Kauai, and later live, surf and windsurf on Maui. Never saw sharks on Kauai but I know they were there. Had lots of close encounters on Maui with sharks (mostly tigers) and even during a frenzy once due to a dead Sea turtle. My regular windsurf spot on Maui was very sharky with tigers. Not a big deal when powered up, but schlepping your windsurf equipment to shore IN THE DARK because the waves were good and I wanted that one last wave was always very sketch and creepy. Even though I saw sharks often I didn’t think it was that big of a deal until while waiting in a long line at Kmart I scanned a book that was specifically about shark attacks in Hawaii. Holy crap there have been so many shark attacks in Hawaii but media plays them down because of tourism. That didn’t keep me out of the water but knowing that definitely upped the creep factor!
Just an idea but you might consider doing a video about shark attacks in Hawaii.
If I came home from surfing after dark, my Hawaiian grandma would lock the front door and make me sit by the steps for half hour all cold to think about. She said tigers love after the sun just goes down and don't surf til dark. I never listened to good!
@ aloha
@@MarkFranklin-ws5jf Ha, I get it! After getting home super late one night after a late afternoon sesh, my wife demanded I get life insurance!
Josh n Morgan, hokipia
Thanks for you comment mate!! Yeah sounds pretty sharky in those parts also and yeah greta video idea!!
No more scary than the first paddle out to Jbay, 600 meters from shore 10meters deep, can't see your feet most days.
I had no idea J Bay was that deep.
Yeah definitely scary out there!! Dark brown water!!
@DanHarmon123 Dan you have been around the world chasing waves have you been to Namibia 🇳🇦 now that looks brown and next to a seal coloney
Thank you for your vidéo, you give here a precis resume of what happened to surfing in Réunion Island.
I've been living and working on the Island for almost 22 years now and never stop surfing a couple of spots here and there. As you said, scientists never realy dare to say that a great part of the reasons of shark attack on thé west coast occured a couple years after the marine réserve took place. (some of them were working and diving right in the réserve 😏... And receving great money from européen fondation)
Today we fear for a new attack as new comers dont réalise the danger and many tiger sharks are around. (bullsharks seem to leave from the human activities for other spots of the Island) but tigers are fearless and we guess it could be another épisode of attacks any time.
Pray for safe surfing 🙏
Hi mate!! Thanks so much for the first-hand insights!!
Nice one, decent analysis of the situation there. Yet another theory is the increase in building along the coast resulting in more rainwater running into the sea, attracting bull sharks closer to shore. I think the use of shark shields has stopped the attacks there, even the 2019 attack was on the one guy who wasn’t wearing one. I’d say Recife is probably even sharkier though, with a more concentrated number of attacks along a 20km stretch of coast.
Well put together Dan
That book behind you... South America surf tales... got me curious
That’s his book
This is normal surfing on the west coast of South Australia. Big, heavy sharks go with the big heavy desert waves.
Cactus is super gnarly
Jack Mc Coy chronicled St Leu early 90's. Iconic movies. CT was 15 years later.
I met a lad in indo from reunion who surfed the unprotected spots he said they never go alone and wear goggles they have to check under the water as they paddle out , when they sit in position , at the end of the wave etc like that
Hi. Thanks for the video. I think it's great that more people know about this story. I wrote a few articles about it at the time. Just wanted to point that contrary to what people said at the time, there was no increase in the number of bull sharks in Reunion, nor had they been attracted to the coast by the Marine reserve. Today serious experts agree on the fact that the three main causes for the attacks were : some surfing spots with very murky water (prone to bull shark attacks) due to water flooding down the ravines (volcanic island), absence of sewage system which means all the dirty water goes into the sea attracting fish which attract sharks, increased number of people in the water (surfers) on bull shark hunting ground. The reaction was the culling of sharks first via fishing then through drum lines, when the real answer should have been to fix the sewage problem. But that costs money.
Nonsense, while most marine scientists rightly point to a number of factors there’s no consensus on any one key factor. That’s probably too nuanced for a tabloid journalist though.
Dan video idea for all the surfers like me who are scared of sharks
Top 10 LEAST sharky surf locations
Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, France, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Jersey/Guernsey
The best way to check if there are sharks is to taste the water. If it’s salty, then there are sharks. Stop being silly. You have more chances of getting knocked over by a car in the beach parking lot.
Wot? There are places that definitely have less man eating sharks and less risk by far, I'm safrican, surfing in Portugal is stress free for me 😂@@theseb1979
@@theseb1979 try telling that to the people who are killed by sharks every year. Tell it to Vladimir Popov the guy you can watch being eaten alive by a tiger shark on UA-cam…
And yes there are sharks in every sea, but the locations I listed do not have tigers, bulls, or great whites - the man eating species.
Your comment is full of ignorance mate.
Hahaha, great idea for a vid!! And yeah definitely not worrying about sharks in those places haha!
Or you can surf at a little Canadian town named Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island not sharky at all
Absolutely fu/ing terrifying mate. Them Tigers and Bull sharks at Reunion are aggressively on the hunt. Like walking and hiking on an African safari without the safety of a guide or vehicle. What do you think happens when you come across a lion?
😊 true. Stay safe.
Many bull shark everywhere they are not has aggressive everywhere .
Bone/ead
Great video Dan.
I never realized there are repellants etc available nowadays. The recent study with leds flashing is interesting too. I guess it will end up as having personel drones overhead ai programmed to spot sharks
When I was living in the Marshal Islands, a friend told me it was fine to surf anywhere people also spearfished.
My theory is that Reunion has a higher concentration of sharks that have never made contact or seen humans before with it being on the “highway”
The Reunion shark attacks in paradise podcast series is an interesting free take on surfing and attacks during the crisis
Dan, in your studies have you noticed if short board surfers are more likely to get attacked by sharks than longboard surfers? Short boarders float deeper than longboard surfers. Just curious.
That's an interesting question. My thought is the answer is 'no' because most shark attacks are caused by 'proximity' meaning whenever circumstances put sharks and people in the same location, attack numbers always skyrocket. If you study shark attacks as I have done, this is the first pattern you see.
Mid coast NSW Australia is getting really scary, see a shark nearly every surf or if you don't you hear of other surfers getting chased out of the water at another beach close by. So many near misses all the time that aren't reported. The local council's don't want to scare the tourist dollar away. It's heavy surfing here 😅
Yeah sure sure 🤣
Shark scientists believe that a primary cause contributing to the shark incidents on Réunion Island is environmental changes due to human activities, such as construction projects. One key hypothesis is that the construction of a canal to transfer water from the east side of the island-which receives abundant rainfall-to the west side, where most residents live, has impacted the coastal ecosystem. Overflow from this canal is discharged into the ocean on the west side, introducing fresh water and altering the salinity of the western coastal waters.
Prior to the canal's construction, the ocean water on the east side was more suitable for bull sharks, which often give birth in freshwater rivers and estuaries. Due to the heavy rainfall on the east side, the ocean water there was ideal for bull sharks. However, after the canal was built, the west side's waters became less salty, making those waters more attractive to bull sharks. This is believed to have led to an increased bull shark presence on the west side, significantly raising the number of encounters between people and sharks. Researchers believe this may be the most significant factor that caused the crisis at Reunion because the spike in attacks began to occur shortly after the canal's completion which highly correlates the two.
Man-made construction in and around oceans and estuaries often alters the behavior of marine animals, including sharks. Such activities can disrupt water flow, causing bait fish to relocate, and sharks follow their prey. Construction has also been known to disrupt bull shark nursery areas, such as in Recife, Brazil, where a bull shark nursery was displaced by the construction of an industrial port.
Good doco man from Australia 🇦🇺 🤙🏽
Shark shield? I assume it works! 🦈
The bulls where I'm from in Florida are quite plentiful year round seems to be the worst in winter with the bait run lots of attacks but no deaths fortunately we literally get chased right up to the shore quite frequently coman sense goes a long way Thanks for another killer video my friend Be well and Safe travels 👍
Im from Buxton "OBX" NC. So i understand what that's like. About 7 mi due East off the point Is what's called diamond shoals and it's one of the main breeding grounds and the US North Atlantic for tiger sharks and hammerheads and a plethora of other reef sharks, especially black tips and other sharks like mako. Getting charged and run out of the water it's just such a common occurrence but that it doesn't even cause a fear response anymore. Id say that Salvo to Avon and then around the point in Frisco cove are the sharkiest parts of the island. We do occasionally also get some large pregnant great whites. The Big Mamas come in to the island too feed. Last year we saw a pregnant white shark that was about 16-18 ft and looked to be over 3500lbs. We were at what used to be the S Turns and someone filmed it doing passes by us out in the break on their drone. That time I was scared. That's the one occasion that I can remember since I was a kid where I did not get back in the water Not only that day but for a few days afterwards.
@@Jason-TheChad-Muska_circa1995 Wise. With White Shark populations rising (particularly in the North Atlantic), you need to pay attention to the number of White Shark sightings in your area to see if they are rising. If so, then start to be more careful where you go in the water. For example, you are generally much less likely to get attacked by a White if you stay away from its hunting grounds/hot spots/breeding grounds and pupping grounds. Feeding grounds are located near seal rookeries and whale carcasses. The sharks that are hanging around hunting grounds are hungry. Breeding grounds and pupping grounds (if the scientist ever find them) are likely to have a higher concentration of sharks and so, may be places where you have a greater chance of attack.
Yep, even now I wouldn’t surf there, even with a shark shield. As well as Bulls and Tigers they occasionally get GWs too
I used to follow a channel from a Reunion surfer, forgot the name, but noted that all his boards had shark deterrent black/white stripes and Ocean Guardian shark shield devices. I wonder if it's legal to surf there only if you have shark deterrents, but still, I wouldn't travel that far to get in that water. 😅
@Kai_Noa Reunion surfer he rips his channel is still going strong, travelling alot.
@mytubesrsic Yes, that's him, thank you for reminding me. Glad he is still posting content, I have to revisit his channel.
There are a few videos on YT about how wide dark stripes from rail to rail are supposed to deter sharks.
@@RaulEdu33yeah it's him. He rips. And yes we can surf now. But it's just not as simply as going into the water when waves are good and the conditions are the safiest. It doesn't work like that. It's a bit special. Even with shark shields.
at that time in the tracks magazine they had a picture of a young girl who had been attacked it was so horrible I felt sick 😢
I went there in the early 90s was surfing at dawn till about 10 every day on my own knew it had sharks didn’t realise it was so bad until years later super wave
Reunion reminds me of Maui, except with better waves and more sharks. Forget about it
Thank God they got that footage of Occy there in the early 90’s ripping the shit out of it before this hysteria set in.My favourite part in my favourite surf vid!!!
As a native born Florida Man all I can say is "let's go fishin'". Those sharks have to eat something so there must be a lot of fish around. It might be tough to get fish past the sharks but trying would be fun.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida is actually the shark attack capital of the world.
How many fatalities have there been?
@@SB-vh9bs Less fatalities, more bites I believe.
@ any fatalities?
Bulls?
Yeah, but by blacktips going for a nibble. No fear of getting eaten there by surfers.
Please call it a shark "bite" and not shark "attack". To me, you (along with others) make it sound like the shark(s) are mugging the surfers/swimmers/water users etc. I live in Perth Western Australia a few years ago the local government started to use drum lines here due to the shark population, huge protests were made by people and plenty of footage of the dolphins taking the bait from the drum lines and not getting hooked them self's. The biggest shark I have ever seen was at Hang over bay here in WA, Great White the size was massive. Long and super girthy but the thing that I will never forget is that this beast was in waste high water, I would never think that something this big could swim in such shallow water.
All the best from Western Australia!!!
Shark bites may occur in places like New Smyrna beach, where mistaken identity is the main cause and injuries are mainly minor. Life changing injuries and deaths are caused by shark attacks, just like attacks by crocodiles, bears, gators etc. They’re rare but do happen and are often not mistaken identity.
@@brentohara491 I respectfully disagree with you. I my eyes its a fatal shark bite rather than a fatal shark attack, however I do see your point. I guess people do pass away from a bear bite or in your words a bear attack as the bear has claws. I think it sends out a bad look for an animal just doing what animals do. Anyhowzen all the best from Western Australia!!
@ Fair enough, we’re all entitled to our opinions. I agree that they’re just animals doing what they do. Sometimes bears just like sharks do consume people, black bear attacks, rare as they are are almost always for the purpose of feeding rather than protecting territory or cubs.
@@Mr-kn6uk White water White death
Nup. Shark attacks are attacks. They do actively attack humans. They are known to predate humans.
I live in Recife , Boa Viagem Beach. who is close tô surf for many fatal shark attacks
We was a surf city. 😢
Not just BV, but Piedade is very notorious for shark attacks too
@ yes , all coast from north to south.
@@oscaiporasband5082 sure, even in Olinda but those 2 beaches are the worst
why don't they use fake kelp with air bubbles, this seemed to stop all sharks that did not tend to sit on the seabed?
It also has a very fine psychedelic cannabis indica with sativa taxonomy known as Zamal.
Dank nugs blaze it
Step offs would make it 80% less risky if me and my friends would want to risk it still😂
Gods video information 😊
Tigers, bulls, whites most violent sharks😱
Definitely, and before PC, they were called “Requiem Sharks.”
Oceanic whitetip sharks too imho
Dont skip school kids.
The reason the shark attacks multiplied quickly is because they made the reef on the west coast a naturel reserve so all fishing stopped which multiplied the fish and also the tiger sharks and bullsharks, the inoffensive little reef sharks were choses away and that was the beginning of the problem
There are many places more sharky than this spot. Go to Cactus and count the memorial plaques around the place
Cactus for absolutely sure. West Coast South Australia generally. The stories from this area are terrifying. That 'exploratory bite' for fat content is the bottom half of the person.
Ok, I’ll take the bait 😊How many memorial plaques (shark- related) actually are there? There’d have to be more than 29 for it to be worse and I can only find records for 3 fatalities off Cactus. Open to any other info on this though.
Where are the orcas?
great video!!!
Any fishermen can tell you fish get smart fast when you interact with them. They know to keep a low profile when you are catching them. Conversely, if you throw your lure somewhere where people have never been, it will be an insane competition between all the biggest fish in there to get at it. I reckon when people stopped using powerheads, sharks lost their fear of man. And we are a great live bait. You only have to watch the video of the Little Bay attack in Sydney to see that big surface lures get savage strikes.
Yeah, I agree that you can learn about predator behavior just by watching how a bass attacks a crankbait or jig. Honestly, I think a reason why shark attacks are increasing globally is simply because the number of sharks and people in the oceans has been rising. This is also creating competition for food, causing some of the middle aged sharks to be pushed into marginal, less productive hunting grounds. These hungry sharks are more likely to attack a human as food, especially if they get to a point where they are very hungry. At least that is my working theory.
The species is being over protected due to finning sentiment, which I completely get, but sometimes it's necessary to control any wild populations, be it bears, rabbits, or sharks. I agree with Kelly. Do we have the same sentiment for Tuna? I doubt it seriously. Sharks are fish and also a food source. In the meantime....Sharkshield, but I still won't bet my life on it. Awesome vid. Thanks 🌊🏄♂️💙😎
Sharks are not an invasive species. Reunion is their natural habitat. They have existed for millions of years. Why should they be killed so people can go surfing? And if the populations are migratory, as the video implies, then killing them is a complete waste of time.
It seems like attack rates were better when we ate more sharks. We should eat more shark tacos
Is there no repellent to be used nearshore? Aren't there underwater sound devices which deter these beasts? Just asking...
Personal ones like shark shields seem to work best
Various people have been trying different methods, but ocean waves and saltwater beat the hell out of most stationary products so it is very challenging to create beach areas which are protected by shark barriers. Shark shields seem to be the best technology for now.
Bethany Hamilton lost her arm @ Tunnels.
Apparently you are just supposed to turn their noses down and turn them upside down. Well that's what the shark girl on UA-cam does 🤣🤣
They pump untreated shoots into you know where and sharks love that?
Poop?
You step into the ocean and you're in shark zone. It really doesn't matter where you surf or swim in the ocean there will be sharks. I'm fearful of sharks yes , does it prevent me from enjoying one of the best sports on the planet not on your life. So enjoy the ocean and just be careful, the most dangerous thing you can do is driving to the beach.
Well, no. Some places have more sharks than others. This kind of equivocation makes no sense. It’s like saying ‘don’t bother avoiding the south Bronx, since you can get mugged anywhere’ as if the fact that you’re way more likely to get mugged in some places were useless information. In many popular surfing locations, sharks are rare.
@MarkAnderson-ng8vc well that's a given, I was just saying that we are in the shark's element when we step into the ocean. I surfed for twenty years and never saw a shark but I'll guarantee that they were out there seen or unseen.
Scandinavia.
hm.. Would you consider Hawaii a US colony? :)
Yeah mad comment innit ? He just said the island was uninhabited
This is really bad luck when you get eaten by a shark
Sharks don’t have much food anymore
Bet imma surf there can't be much worse than new Smyrna Beach Florida
It’s much worse than NSB, pay attention, large tiger and bull sharks there with multiple fatalities
Why not wear a shark shield
Obviously not enough or viable for everyone to purchase. Think, you dullard.
People scare me, not sharks. Last week almost got killed on my way to the beach while riding my bike, Tesla and SUV drivers care more about texting than stopping at red lights or stop signs. Don't even start me on the people in the water, half of them don't follow the rules anymore, and the others try to chop your ankles off with their board fins.
The island is better for paragliding
BS…. You put up a graphic that left out Florida which is the known shark bite capital of the world. Ponce Inlet is the shark bite capital in Florida. You even got your stats from Florida but purposely left it out of your graphic lol
Are they kill kill sharks or just bitey bitey sharks?
They're everwhere in california its scar to go out alone
great whites are yes
Thinking back at some of the places I used to paddle out alone in Cali makes me shake my head.
@@FourFront99 yeah theres a happy point where its not too crowded but you won't get eaten by a shark
@@FourFront99. Me too, and especially when I think about surfing Ano Nuevo and a few other spots north of Santa Cruz by myself. The last time I surfed Ano I got the most intense feeling to get the F out of the water, and I did. Been surfing for over 50 years and have lived and surfed in lots of sharky places but that was the ONLY time I felt that so intensely.
Del Mar in north San Diego county has gotten insanely sharky in the last 8 years or so. Mostly juvenile Whites but had a big one breech about 100 yards from me on one beautiful sunny afternoon while surfing alone.
I don’t see why the sharks need to be protected if they’re not endangered or anything, pretty stupid idea and more and more places are doing it
Because they are greatly endangered
Hey Dan, love your videos.
As a surfer but also shark lover, I wish people would use the term "shark accident" rather than "shark attack". A bite can have severe consequences for a victim but still, from a sharks perspective, it's an accident. A shark doesn't go after surfers on purpose. Many factors have to come together in order for a surfer to get bitten. There's no intention to harm or kill a surfer. For a shark, the bite, as weird as it may sound, is an oopsie. Hence, in the world of shark conservation, those incidents are called accidents. It's a small difference in terminology but deconstructs the idea of sharks being mindless killing machines.
No critisism, just food for thought. :)
You're generalizing too much. Some are accidents and some are attacks.
@@chuckschwaab According to the ISAF, the yearly average is 63 unprovoked shark bites and 6 of them fatal. Worldwide.
The definition of an attack is "a violent act intended to hurt or damage someone or something". If sharks intended to hurt people, the numbers would be significantly higher. There are millions of people in the ocean every day. I highly recommend checking @TheMalibuArtist work to get an idea how often sharks are super close to humans. Without any incident. Sharks usually don't care about people.
Furthermore, everybody who has spent some time in the water with sharks (on purpose) will tell you the same story. Sharks don't intend to hurt people. I've done my fair share of diving with sharks. Never have I ever felt unsafe. Never have I ever felt threatend by a shark.
According to the ISAF, the yearly average is 63 unprovoked shark bites and 6 of them fatal. Worldwide.
The definition of an attack is "a violent act intended to hurt or damage someone or something". If sharks intended to hurt people, the numbers would be significantly higher. There are millions of people in the ocean every day. I highly recommend checking @TheMalibuArtist work to get an idea how often sharks are super close to humans. Sharks usually don't care about people.
Furthermore, everybody who has spent some time in the water with sharks (on purpose) will tell you the same story. Sharks don't intend to hurt people. I've done my fair share of diving with sharks. Never have I ever felt unsafe. Never have I ever felt threatend by a shark.
No, there are 3/4 shark species that do occasionally target and kill people. These are not accidents and they’re certainly not always a case of mistaken identity. Shark attacks may be territorial, predatory or exploratory (which could also be classified as intent to consume) but it’s disingenuous to claim these are always accidental. And rare as they are attacks are on the rise, possibly partly due to overfishing. As a diver you’re considerably safer than a surfer or swimmer for various reasons.
Chumming the water for Shark tours.?
You forgot to say that localism is rude as Fxxx
I’ll solve it for everyone:
Somewhere upriver in one of the rivers, there is a farm/ factory/ business that’s dumping (maybe illegally) animal waste products into the water and it’s washed out to sea.
That’s the only ONLY plausible reason.
👍🦈🦈🦈😳
What a load of crap, more sharks multiplied by more targets equal more deaths. All this dancing around truth is hilarious.
I didn’t know that Kelly Slater called for a “shark cull” but that is absolutely wrong. I don’t care how many contests you won, no real surfer would ever say something like that. It’s a good thing for him no one called for an asshole cull.
Meh. Grew up surfing Oahu/Kauai and thers tons of sharks. Just gotta roll the dice and hope they get ur buddy instead of you. J/K. Avoid murky runoff water with carcasses and you should be ok.
All the big ones are Ama'kua and unless you're a terrible individual, your Karma will be there for you.
Enjoy the Nature and know there are risks for partaking in the greatest of all pleasures in God's Kingdom.
Regardless, you will never see it coming and there is nothing you can do about it. They usually strike from shore towards open ocean..
Keep calm and get barrelled.
You should show some respect for victims, just because they got attacked doesn’t make them terrible individuals
This video just made me irritated, its the ocean. You go in you incur a risk that you might die. Think that's unfair? Too bad the ocean doesn't and will never care about your feelings.
2:01 just a litle precision on the political statue of la réunion : it is not the modern way of sayingcollony, a « département d’outre mer » is simply put a state, a part of the contry, like hawaii is simply a part of the usa.
How the USA annexed Hawaii in the late 1800s was a text book case of colonisation. Rich Americans like the Doles profited while the indigenous population was dispossessed or died from imported diseases. The raw deal for native Hawaiians goes right back to the first European contact when Captain Cook kidnapped King Kalaniʻōpuʻu. It was never "simple"
I genuinely feel bad for you. This island is not part of France - that’s in your head. France is in Europe this island is in the Indian Ocean but you don’t see it like that and I bet that is unsettling. I wonder what the indigenous peoples called this amazing place before France stole it from them…
@@trifin5772 Reunion was uninhabited when France discovered it. No indigenous peoples
@ that’s amazing. How is that possible? It’s totally habitable and well within reach of other islands with humans... Now thinking about that… I go so far as to say I bet people were there before the French we either forgot/ covered it up or we just don’t know about it. If mankind found Hawaii then they found reunion…
@@trifin5772 that's entirely possible and easy to prove that there were no other inhabitants because human presence leaves bones, tools etc.
I'm sure there are many other examples: Cape Verde was also uninhabited before Portuguese sailors discovered it.
And the reason why seafaring paleolithic societies are not the norm except Polynesians is because the sea is rough for simple canoes.
Heard that you can only surf in Reunion if you have Ocean´s Guard Shark Shield but this company is facing some finantial troubles....