Beachgoers evacuated as whale shark spotted near shallow waters

Beachgoers at Clovelly and Muizenberg in Cape Town were evacuated from the sea after whale shark sightings in the area on Thursday.

As temperatures soar, many people in Cape Town have taken to the beach for a cool down. Now they have to watchout as there are more shark sightings during the summer and spring months according to Shark Spotters.

Sarah Waries CEO of Shark Spotters told The Citizen sightings are more common these months because the sharks follow game fish inshore. 

Shark Spotters confirmed that seven bronze whaler sharks were spotted at Clovelly Beach just after 3 pm while another shark sighting was confirmed at Muizenberg beach around 2 pm on Thursday.

Beachgoers were evacuated for precaution.

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Sightings common in summer and spring

“People should always follow safety instructions of the lifeguards and change their behaviour if there are sharks spotted in the area. Or visit Shark Spotters for more safety information,” said Waries.

Shark Spotters spokesperson, Alison Kock, told IOL: “Such occurrences in the Cape are unusual, happening a few times a year. Interestingly, the first scientific documentation of a whale shark dates back to 1828 when one was harpooned in Table Bay, Cape Town.”

Whale shark are however not dangerous and mainly feed on plankton.

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Cape has one of the largest aggregations of white sharks

According to Shark Spotters, Cape Town has one of the largest aggregations of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) along its shores.

Sharks are present all year round in False Bay but use the bay very differently depending on the season. During autumn and winter, male and female sharks aggregate around Seal Island, while in spring and summer, male sharks leave the bay and the female sharks aggregate inshore.

“There is a strong relationship between the likelihood of spotting a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and certain environmental conditions, such as water temperature and lunar phase. There is a higher risk of an encounter when the water temperature is warmer (18 ⁰C) and during the new moon,” as read on Shark Spotters website.