Surfers beware: sharks cruising coast off the Garden Route

Large numbers of sharks are cruising the coast of the Garden Route – and bathers and surfers should beware.

This is the warning from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), after their rescue teams spotted the apex predators in unusually great numbers.

Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: “NSRI are appealing to bathers, paddlers and surf boarders to be cautious along the southern Cape coastline, in particular around the coastline of Plettenberg Bay, due to a high number of reported white shark sightings.

“The increase of sharks at this time of the year is part of the normal aggregation of these animals that take advantage of natural prey like seals and fish close in-shore.

“A large amount of shark sightings and some encounters have been reported close in-shore along the Plettenberg Bay coastline over the past few weeks and today,” Lambinon said.

He said, however, NSRI and the Emergency Services “are well prepared to deal with any incidents and NSRI carry emergency medical shark kits on our sea rescue craft, on NSRI rescue vehicles and our NSRI medics carry emergency medical shark kits in their private vehicles in an effort to ensure the quickest response to any incident”.

– News24 Wire

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