"You just don’t really come across them that big very often. It is incredibly sad."
Depending on your perspective, news that that the largest Great White ever caught on an Australian drumline, and with four pups inside, is either relief that five Whites are out of the game or a terrible sadness that man’s inability to come to terms with his vulnerability in the ocean has resulted in a majestic creature’s death.
“You wouldn’t expect to see a large white shark that far north in Queensland during summer,” Daryl McPhee, associate professor of environmental science at Bond University, told The Guardian. “The usual range is from about Harvey Bay, Bundaberg, southern Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania [and] New Zealand.”
The drumlines target Bull sharks, Great Whites and Tigers and have been in operation since 1962. They had a perfect record until surfer Nick Slater was killed by a Great White at Rainbow Bay in 2020.
1154 sharks were caught in 2024 compared to 958 in 2023. For the previous twenty years the number hung at around 800.
Once caught on a drumline, the sharks are shot dead unless they’re in the Great Barrier Reef marine park in which case they’re tagged and released.
The Humane Society’s Lauren Sandeman told Australia’s national broadcaster, “To lose such a large breeding female and her pups is a devastating loss to the eastern population of white sharks which only has several hundred mature age individuals.”
Senior Shark campaigner Doc Leonardo Guida from the Australian Marine Conservation Society told The Guardian,
“If Queensland had already transitioned to fully non-lethal shark bite mitigation strategies that are backed by evidence, this shark wouldn’t be dead, pure and simple, and this beautiful giant would still be roaming our ocean. You just don’t really come across them that big very often. It is incredibly sad.”
Are you sad like Doc Guida and Loz from the Humane Society or y’thinking, phew, kinda thrilled that thing ain’t swimming around.
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Just take out all the hyypotheticals, and look at what is factual and what actually happens in similar situations. Sharks are apex predators. Humans are even greater Apex predators. In an apex vs apex fight, may the superior animal win. And as far as I’m concerned a human life > a shark’s life. I don’t care if it was the last shark on earth. The shark certainly gives no fucks if the human they are about to take out is the last human or has a family or newborn kid at home. Just as no one intentionally went drumming for a white with 4 pups. Apex animals look out for themselves, the survival of their kind and their kin before others. If a research boat full of shark conservationists are out to sea and a great white they’re observing takes someone’s leg off… and the crew has bang sticks.. Don’t tell me for a fucking second they’d let the shark circle around and finish off their screaming-in-agony mate in front their eyes. They’d kill the fish in a second.
And don’t start with all the rhetoric of “the ocean is their home. We’re in their home” Well just like a human visiting and enjoying the ocean, humans also camp in the forests. If someone gets mauled by a land based apex like a Grizzly, in “their” home… Humans kill the thing. A pit bulls mauls a young child in his yard, it gets put down. I don’t hear shark conservationist coming forward and publicly stating, “Well, the kid shouldn’t have been in the same vicinity as an animal that has the capability to kill them. That’s the parent’s fault for letting their kid play in their own yard and not having a higher fence. Too bad, so sad for the grom, but the pit did nothing wrong.” At the same time, if a wolf come waltzing into an urban area (OUR HOME) and starts taking out people’s pets, why don’t bleeding hearts let the wolf go and say “tough shit for the dogs in the hood. Keep them indoors and don’t let them outside.” Stop the hypocrisy and let the law of nature apply accordingly.
By that, I mean… I’m not advocating for random shark killing, but the same resolutions we apply for other wild animals fucking with us humans, should apply to sharks. Imho, there should be an armed division of lifeguards/police/special division or whatever at beaches with drones and skis. If a human is attacked, the LGs and paramedics render aid to the victim. These dudes/chicks, hop on the ski and hunt the suspect shark down. If they can find it…. take it out. If they can’t, it is what it is. Homie got away. And a cull is not what I would be asking for at that point.
haha
“These dudes/chicks, hop on the ski and hunt the suspect shark down. If they can find it…. take it out.”
this sounds like a Jaws/Cops/Baywatch mash-up the people have been clamoring for.
FFS
It happens with armed Wildlife Agencies / Park Rangers on land that hunt down wild or rabid animals that encroach on urban human living. The animals are found and killed. A mountain lion is on the loose in california, there’s live chopper news footage of “dudes / chicks” walking through neighborhood yards with lethal weaponry. Are you clowning these agents? You advocating for their department’s dissolution? That they should be walking around with batons and Mace spray and not guns?
And before you uneducatedly scoff again, both Hawaii and CA are exploring programs to monitor beaches with drones, specifically in regards to predatory sharks. If these programs come into place, believe me, it would not be very difficult to follow, track down and kill a shark on skis, post attack – specifically since attacks happen close to shore and more so that we’re not exactly dealing with the most intelligent animals around in sharks. They’re not smart enough to dine and dash and use their 35mph max speed to book offshore back into the depths immediately after killing any prey near shore. (But hypocritically, shark activists would never allow such a task force to be armed to kill, but yet I fail to see these same shark “researchers” protesting on IG saying “Leave the big cat alone FFS!” when an urban cat hunt is going on elsewhere. FFS.)
I’ll fucking scoff at whatever I fucking want, when I want.
People are fucking crazy. And fuck yes; having armed dudes/chicks in helicopters with their “agents”, “choppers”, guns, and departments that do these high speed urban mountain lion crime scheme chases is about as SCOOF-A-FUCKIN-BLE as things get.
A spider threatens my kid – I kill it. Know why? ask darwin. for fucks sake
I got a spider catcher and snatch the animal from wall or corner and deliver to garden a little shaken but unharmed!
scale up to 18 feet and waterproof, problem solved!
app denied~ https://www.youtube.com/live/S5DIwedZ4Dk?si=mlufTqz-s43yDcX-
johnson&johnson a fam company…we kill bats~
i must’ve forgotten that part of his Theory of Natural Selection wherein adaptive physical traits become favorable and over millions of years are passed on to maintain the species on earth.
but tell me again about the spider smashing?
Doc Guida and Loz from the Humane Society, don’t surf!
I am shocked and appalled that sharks have pups. Who could have known?
Interesting that nobody seems to think that over-fishing could be part of the problem. So maybe reduce the amount of fish you are taking out of their ecosystem, in turn the seals and other animals that these sharks live off will increase in numbers, and, just maybe, the attacks will dwindle. Nah, not for Aussies, just kill as many as possible and hope it doesn’t disrupt the overall order of the ecosystem. New flash, this is an apex predator. It’s been proven that having their numbers too low will fuck everything up from the top down.
Not to discount your point, but everything is fucked anyway.
if bringing down the levels of Whities to the levels where attacks were much more rare prevents so many deaths and attacks, then that may be worth it. Because not long from now humans will be around in MUCH lesser numbers and the shark populations will rebound (unless they are fished out for food which is also likely).
Don’t discount that the actual problem may have nothing to do with shark populations. The number of people using the ocean (especially for surfing) has increased dramatically over the past 10-20 years. That means way more people are in the water than ever before. I’d be willing to bet that the number of people in the water around South Australia, especially places like Cactus and Streaky, has increased dramatically. From that, easy to see attacks and sightings on the increase because there are more people in and around the ocean. Randomly killing sharks is not the answer, nor is expecting people to stay out of the ocean. I do find it odd that there is such a huge uproar over those surfing getting killed but those killed diving don’t seem to garner as much sympathy and outrage. Why?
if you see a red back, funnel web, mosquito, brown snake, rattle snake in your yard next to your kid do you kill it?
We don’t have any of those here those I’d guess not (except mossies which aren’t deadly here). Ha!! Did any of those suddenly become apex predators though? Not the best analogy.
found a red back in my daughters room and killed it. Even though she was in his domain (and he in hers)
Stretch Armstrong has joined the chat.
ill ask again, do you kill it?
The spider? Sure. But its a mute point. Kill all the bugs you want. Insects and arachnids are definitely not apex predators. Nor are snakes, so your example misses the entire point. But to answer your question using the example of snakes, I’d be far more concerned with grabbing my kid and getting him (or her) away for the danger as opposed to spending the time to find something to kill it with.
so it was my kids fault?
* moot
Where in the hell do I say its your kids fault in any way, shape or form?
I get your point barrelled, Im just saying theres mitigation we can do here, not least of which, killing any threat to our kids.
I can agree with that one but just going out and killing any shark we encounter is not at all the solution. I keep seeing comments about killing first, determining culpability later. That’s just fucked no matter what it’s related to.
fair enough
go kill life itself then. cuz it’s threatening, then we all die anyway.
Moot heh heh
Yes.
No.
ok not in your neighborhood, but would you kill it if it was next to your kid?
Nope
What number is to low? Tell me specifically ‘top down’ what was wrong with Australian oceans ecosystems pre 1999? (when they became protected)
I mean, talking facts without stating the facts is what..
The other way of looking at it of course is to observe that great whites have been protected since 1999 and of course that means more sharks and therefore more attacks.
This is true, the numbers have obviously increased but I think that was the whole point of the protection act.
Did you not do high school biology mate?
Shockingly stupid take.
What is stupid about it Mr. bio-science expert. That is part of how the ecosystems work. I am not actually claiming it to be the case but it is a logical hypothetical.
Quite happy a 5.6 metre Great White Shark and her four pups have been removed from the ecosystem in Queensland waters and the entire east coast, thanks –
Sorry to say, but that is an ignorant way of thinking Mr. Callahan. It sucks to lose friends to attacks but killing sharks haphazardly isn’t the answer. Just the other day you all were focused on some weird DNA matching theory. Anybody got DNA from this pregnant shark to prove she was a killer of people?
Now post up some of those pics from Sentinel and write an anonymous story for our reading pleasure. Oh wait, you supposedly haven’t been there. So maybe get the “captain” from the Thai bar and the mystery photog on your trip, who is “still active”, to post the pics and story, anonymously of course.
Just Google Earth North Sentinel and use your imagination. Set ups on all sides.
I know where it is on a map, but never been. JSC, on the other hand, has been there at least once.
The mystery photog might be Andrew Shield.
Yeah, just giving JSC some flack.
If one of your kids gets eaten, do you think you’ll continue to be pro shark.
Of coarse you’ll come back saying you will, a PC lie. But we all know that’s bullshit.
See a couple billionaires & pollys grandkids get disappeared & the money, influence & power with fast track action.
Theres no doubt at some point it will need to happen, in the meantime each death is unfortunately just another step towards tipping point
I’m still lost on the whole idea that killing as many sharks as satisfies urges will stop all shark related deaths. It won’t. If your kid dies in a car crash are you going to support banning cars? To be clear, I’m not pro or con shark but I do believe entering the realm of a predator opens us to the potential repercussions that come with doing that. Its a risk we choose take.
Spare me the analogy’s.
At some point just have some conviction & get off the fence.
Its not about risk elimination its about risk mitigation. Same reason why do controlled burns in spring time. Or have airbags in cars.
I have said this before, if it was dingos taking people they would do a cull.
if one of anyone’s kids get eaten can we maintain two realities – like, dang! on the one hand; and also pro LIFE ON EARTH on the other?
Inaccurate – wasn’t moi who promoted the shark DNA matching, sorry. Ask Maurice –
If the photographer who was on the boat for that trip to North Sentinel wishes to come forward, that is their choice – not for me to publicly name them nor any of the surfers who were on the boat and did surf the reef pass on North Sentinel, several of whom are rather prominent as well
I have a major book project coming soon that has a big chapter on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, you can look forward to getting a copy when it is released!
Shit dude don’t get yourself shot by bow and arrow-wielding natives!
Just on the DNA comment and repeat offending, from the POST about repeat offending sharks.
“Should be no surprise here.
They suspected this to have occurred once based on an acoustically tagged shark in Reunion Island.
French academics in 2024 PROVED this has occurred on three occasions (published in a Journal) with three species based on pattern recognition of fins/scars etc. The academics said that remains from the sharks responsible for the attacks such as skin on teeth should be DNA checked to look for serial attacks.
That actually used to happen in Australia BUT the local academics managed to self-perpetuate a 99 year embargo on the data to really make sure non-one but non-one would ever discover this in Australia as this would be very bad the academics’ “save the sharks and fund us to do it” business model”
As for Qld Shark Control its merely fishing around a few locations where most swimmers are and all up 0.01% of the East Coast and 400m off a few beaches but not extending to 40,000 to 90,000m and beyond to the Fishing Zone edge for some species. In 2002 we agreed on the Australian White Shark Committee that the impact was small compared to other sources which it was but when the edited Report came back from Environment and CSIRO the word had morphed to more like “major” and it stuck because some wanted it to.
Here are a couple of accurate but rarely used statistics for all.
1) The furthest North that white shark embryos were turned into moccasins was in fact 100 nautical miles North by Latitude of where this shark was taken.
2) 7% of around 800 sharks were less than 1.8m and they pup around 1.5m…and most of the reports from the 1970’s on were fact checked.
I feel safer now too.
I won’t go surfing alone anymore.
I don’t like to see animals die for no reason but this is becoming a risk to life.
I don’t really have any friends so I am always surfing alone!
Xox
same! lol
We should have a surfing date ☺️
Xox
We all shred together under the same sun (that’s slowly killing me) my brother!
Hats and zinc mate! Actually punk rock as fuck if you cN actually surf!
Xox
It may be hearsay, but the trump emboldened conspiracy heads have raised an interestimg question: If the four unnamed pups are, as claimed, actually half shark half kelly slater hybrids, bred by the champ to thrash and dominate like dad, would it still be a tragedy? It is true he lurks on the Internet like a true apex predator after all.
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I just want to know where this statistic came from“the eastern population of white sharks which only has several hundred mature age individuals.”
and can some one pay me to confirm the statistic!
Statistical modelling based on genetics and estimated lifespan. Similar to the WSL wildcard selection.
Hahaha fuck hey. “Due to there being some estimated amount of sharks on the East Coast of Australia the WSL has granted Kelly Slater another victory lap in his honour and to help him clear his mind and to help name his child who may or may not in the future identify as a trans hermaphrodite toaster” Renato Hickle (or some cunt)
Xox
That study they did is like 8 years old now. Which they probably low balled anyway. Even if it was the quoted 800 mature adults and 10k juveniles (give or take a few thousand..)
What’s that make it now.
About 10’800 to many, at least
A mate of mines 2 buddies did a run jetskis seal rocks to port stephens and met 8-10 whites over 4m long in a single run last year so how do they pull their numbers?
Fuckload of the cunts around here lately. Or, cuntload of the fucks around here lately.
5 fingers in a bumholes worth would have sufficed mate.
Xox
As the old song goes…
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