THE attack of surfer, Mick Fanning, in Jeffreys Bay at the weekend came just days after International Shark Awareness Day on 14 July.
In light of the recent incident, Geremy Cliff, head of research at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence (KZNSB), shared some information with the Northglen News in the hope of educating the public about these majestic predators.
The KZNSB is the only organisation in South Africa dedicated to providing bathers with protection against sharks via their shark safety gear. In addition, the centre also aims to facilitate conservation and education through shark dissections, boat tours and outreach programmes.
According to Cliff, many shark breeds have become endangered or near-endangered, not only because they have been persecuted out of misconceptions, but also through being actively hunted for their sought-after shark fins.
“We need to explain to people that sharks play an important role in the eco-system and it is therefore imperative that we respect and protect them. They are not the man-eating giants of the deep that they have been perceived as. In most cases, shark attacks take place when the creatures confuse people with seals and turtles, which are their primary source of food,” he said.
Interesting shark facts:
– Most sharks only give birth every two to three years
– Their gestation period, which can last 12 months takes a harsh toll on the body. After giving birth the female shark needs time to replenish her energy reserves before she can fall pregnant again.
– While some shark breeds, like the tiger shark, give birth to between 30 and 40 pups other breeds, like the the ragged-toot shark, litter only one or two pups at a time.
– The great white is a protected species. South Africa was the first country to illegalise the culling of the great white in 1991.
– Sharks are considered as an evolutionary primitive species, as they have remained unchanged for 400 million years
– Most sharks are nomadic, in the sense that they do not permanently stay in a specific location
– Sharks have several rows of teeth, and shed the front row as they become worn
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