15-foot White Stops Junior Surf Contest!

Healthy ocean, yes?

Yesterday, the Western Australian junior surf titles fled a hundred k’s north after a fifteen-foot White announced itself by breaching during a second round heat.

The White breached “multiple times” about fifty feet from twenty teenagers at Avalon beach in Mandurah, an hour’s drive south of Perth.

Understandably, Surfing WA packed up its contest tents and the event was relocated to Trigg Beach, one of the few reliably rideable waves in Perth.

From the press release:

Surfing Western Australia’s first and foremost priority is to provide our members and competitors with the safest and fairest conditions possible. We’re not confident in light of today’s events is that Mandurah is that place.

Earlier today, BeachGrit reader, Matthew Wilson, sent me an email with a little background.

“All authorities were contacted and no authorities bothered attending. The shark then stayed in the area for a few hours at which point parents became frustrated that the beach had not be closed or a helicopter or drone sent out or fisheries sent to inspect.

“The beach was eventually closed around four pm after many phone calls to authorities from multiple parents. One of the guys involved in resuscitating Ben Gerring (the surfer who was killed two years ago by a Great White nearby) was informing people as they turned upon after work to go for a surf. The shark was still being sighted in the area at five pm.

“The new government shark mitigation strategies are a shambles, No technology will stop a five-metre GW except a hook.”

Now you can look at all the Great White action in two ways.
That its protection  since 1999 has proved a tremendous success and we should all be grateful for the foresight of our leaders who passed the necessary legislation.
Or, two, we might admit the shark thing is out of fucking control and ice a couple to restore the delicate balance we all claim to seek.
In which camp do you reside?
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Nancy Asper Wasson
Nancy Asper Wasson
9 years ago

Ice um!!!

Rich Henry
Rich Henry
9 years ago
turts
turts
9 years ago

You seem to automatically assume I am for a shark cull. I am neither for nor against. However I am for the removal of whites being on the protected list. Their numbers are healthy and I’m not sure why we desperately need 5m whites. Other large sharks such as hammer heads and bronzes are still at the top of the food chain so that argument is sorted. The views I have expressed here are merely the observations of 3 generations of commercial fishing on the west coast of Australia. Is it ok to go and decimate the tuna stocks while protecting sharks? No. Is it ok to sit behind a computer and offer no solution at all except shouting from the rooftops to save everything before going to your local cafe for a gourmet beef burger? No

Keith Lupton
Keith Lupton
9 years ago

Protection

Drew Scerbo
Drew Scerbo
9 years ago

Might want to credit an actual photographer whose intellectual property you stole for this article. Since they are supporters of shark conservation, I don’t think you had their permission to utilize this image for another ignorant fear-mongering article (nor the permission of the individual who wrote the actual article you stole it from, either).

Seriously…how can you claim to be a “writer” and not know the legal issues involved with property rights?

I’m sure they’ll be in touch…soon. I just have this hunch.

channelbottom
channelbottom
9 years ago
Reply to  Drew Scerbo

Thanks asshole.
My comment below is now rendered useless as it referred to the picture that used to be there.

Welcome to the internet.

Chane Achterbergh
Chane Achterbergh
9 years ago

Wtf are you kidding me right now…Just thinking out loud here we do not belong in the f#@# ocean and we should never be surprised by seeing any kind of shark in the ocean. Are you people crazy even writing shit like this. None of the ocean creatures should ever be iced as this stupid idiot puts it!!!!

nicky buttonshaw
nicky buttonshaw
9 years ago

Their jumpin into boats in Northern NSW!

https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

Lemon Next to the Pie
Lemon Next to the Pie
9 years ago

Man, they would have been dancing around the boat when that fucker invited him or herself in.

Italo Post Heat Interview
Italo Post Heat Interview
9 years ago

Sharks are the humans of the ocean. The world isnt big enough for the both of us. This is war.

channelbottom
channelbottom
9 years ago

Aw look! It’s just like frisky puppy! Bounding with glee and the sheer joy of being alive.

Spade
Spade
9 years ago

I’m not sure what’s more annoying, another shark story or listening to Cori Schumacher on a podcast.

wincy
wincy
9 years ago

I call for a total hiatus on being a surfer or being a shark until a deal can be brokered.

Mariano Landa
Mariano Landa
9 years ago
Reply to  wincy

I heard there’s a president who loves cutting deals who’s also a bit of a shark himself. Get him on the line, see if they can negotiate on network television and hawk some shitty wine on the side.

turts
turts
9 years ago

I worked in the fishing industry in WA nearly 15 years ago when they were taking back all the commercial shark fishing licenses. Seeing big sharks then was rare but definitely not uncommon. A couple of months ago I went out for the day with a friend on his commercial crayfishing boat behind Rottnest (Perth) and I had never seen anything like it. Bronzes and tigers swimming in packs, smashing anything that went over the side. Also saw a couple of big whites cruising the surface. Saw more sharks in 1 day then I did in 10 years professionally fishing.
Look, the whole balance is out of whack, and unless the government pulls their finger out of their arse and does something, it will only get worse

german_surfer_007
german_surfer_007
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

Sorry I’m German so I do not really understand. Are there not enough fish or too many sharks? Fact: I have seen an increase of aussy at our river wave.

turts
turts
9 years ago

Too many sharks. The fish stocks could be better, but are very well regulated here. Protecting sharks really makes no sense and the people who believe the pro shark bullshit are living in la la land

german_surfer_007
german_surfer_007
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

Are all sharks protected? You said you saw bronzes and tigers swimming in packs. Why don’t people catch these?

Nick Dee
Nick Dee
9 years ago

Australians catch, eat & export seafood like it is going out of fashion.

wincy
wincy
9 years ago
Reply to  Nick Dee

I guess to some degree it is going out of fashion. Sort of like killing the Tasmanian Tiger went out of fashion.

Brutus
Brutus
9 years ago

too many aussies at your river wave , considering a cull?

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

Out of whack or the natural order reinstated? Truth is, no one knows and anyone who says otherwise is completely full of shit. I don’t care what the government do or don’t do. I, and everyone I know will still go surfing. I don’t live in W.A or Northern N.S.W. so I don’t know how it feels to see such a massive increase in GWS. So I’m probably full of shit too.

turts
turts
9 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

Definitely out of whack with current fish stocks. To many top of the food chain predators. But you did touch on another important point, to many people who do not live/surf in these areas have an opinion. Imagine being on Reunion, and some sea shepherd hippy hero thousands of miles away is telling you what is right and wrong.

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

Those are the hippy latte fuckers that annoy me the most. The most opinionated, and usually the most ignorant on the issue. Then of course add the ones that don’t surf or swim in the ocean as well

Jumpin’ Johosofat!!

Neal Kearney
Neal Kearney
9 years ago
Reply to  Jocks

Hey! I like lattes!

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago
Reply to  Neal Kearney

Yeah, that was uncalled for, denigrating coffee like that

But there still should be an annual Stupid Hippy Purge Day in the Byron and Lennox area. A Cull of sorts, ya know, to keep their numbers down

Lemon Next to the Pie
Lemon Next to the Pie
9 years ago
Reply to  Jocks

Yeah, but I think the numbers you are looking at culling qualify as genocide.

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago

Numbers smumbers. In for a penny, in for a pound I say

More compassionate people might consider tagging and tracking the dummies, maybe nets and roadblocks, volunteers keeping a lookout from headlands …

Meh

Lemon Next to the Pie
Lemon Next to the Pie
9 years ago
Reply to  Jocks

Tagging schmagging. There has been enough research to prove that anybody using patchouli doesn’t need any more researching before decimating that gene pool. That’s one population that I have no reservations disturbing their electro-magnetic fields with 10 000 volt cattle-prods. Can you get 10 000 volt modom leg goes yet? If not, why not?

turts
turts
9 years ago

Low flying helicopters coming in under a rising sun armed with 50cals and depth charges whilst playing ‘Flight of the Valkyries’. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but then neither maybe wearing a Modom placebo leash.

Lemon Next to the Pie
Lemon Next to the Pie
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

I love the smell of napalm singed hippy in the morning.

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

The price tag of Modom leashes have a repelling effect on me

Neal Kearney
Neal Kearney
9 years ago
Reply to  Jocks

We have those here in Santa Cruz, as well as a healthy drug addled transient population. I endorse your annual day of cleansing and would hope to implement a similar program after the results your holiday

Benita Martin
Benita Martin
9 years ago
Reply to  Jocks

You sound like a nice person to know. Being so non judgemental and all. I think it would be far more beneficial to cull badly bred bogans myself.

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago
Reply to  Benita Martin

As a badly bred bogan, I admire you going so high when I go low. No, wait, you’re being judgemental too, so no

Ya know the Grit is for jokes and anti-depressive, right? This isn’t a TED Talk on Post-Modern Hippies and their Contemporary Views on sharks, yeah?

Please proceed to The Inertia, but thanks for visiting!

Bubba Zanetti
Bubba Zanetti
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

How can something be “rare but definitely not uncommon”?

turts
turts
9 years ago
Reply to  Bubba Zanetti

Improbable not impossible.

Brutus
Brutus
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

ever thought that the eco system is returning to normal , so what you are seeing is the norm?
Do you propose a cull on all the sharks or just the guilty ones who eye off the odd human as potential prey?
Do you think that we are threatened by an apex predator , which hunts humans and devours them?
Or do you think that sharks will eventually over run all beaches , creating Sharknado 6?

Captain Clark
Captain Clark
9 years ago
Reply to  turts

You were/are a fisherman, you should already know by now that scientist don’t listen to us. You know, actual experience and sea time. It tends to shed light on the whole charade and that’s not acceptable in regards to funding.

humas tearss
humas tearss
9 years ago

Gaia demands the blood of innocents, who are we to deny her our children?

?uzzled
?uzzled
9 years ago

Yeah, and people though Sharknado was a spoof.

Paulo De Tarso Duarte
Paulo De Tarso Duarte
9 years ago

They do airs and flight???
Of course sharks side!
Maybe… maybe… they “sharknado” the White House and Dump, during an outside “speech”… ops! sorry… shit!

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago

Nice pic. See Great Whites have now mastered flight. Crikey, hope they grow legs next


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