"Great Whites are back to pre-white man biomass – the breeding biomass is strong and the numbers have increased."
The death of Streaky Bay local Lance Appleby, killed by a Great White shark, the fourth fatal attack on a surfer by a White in less than two years, has ended surfing on South Australia’s west coast, at least according to one of its most prominent fishermen and surfers.
Jeff Schmucker, who is fifty-eight, and the daddy of local ripper Josiah Schmucker, both of ‘em famous for their tow-in exploits, has told the Australian Associated Press the population of Great White sharks has “exploded” and has made surfing a risk no one should take.
“Get yourself a jet ski and start tow surfing,” Schmucker said. Other than that, stop surfing on the west coast of South Australia, period – the next one could be this afternoon… My kids are surfing up at Cactus (Beach, near Penong) at the moment and it’s like, ‘Get the fuck out of the water and start thinking about doing something else’, because this is over here.”
Lance’s death at Granites yesterday follows the killing of Todd Gendle at the same spot last October, of fifteen-year-old Khai Cowley at Ethels last December and school teacher Simon Baccanello at Elliston last May.
“I think Great Whites are back to pre-white man biomass – the breeding biomass is strong and the numbers have increased,” said Schmucker.
After a Great White killed Todd Gendle I called Schmucker who told me, “I fucken feel for the kids. That bothers me, kids upset. There were fifteen people within twenty, thirty, forty metres. Big splash, lots of blood, the whole bit.”
In a wild series of coincidences, Schmucker’s two paramedic daughters were also about to paddle out at the sites of two other Great White attacks (a non-fatal hit on Kangaroo Island in 2020) and the fatal hit on Elliston school teacher Simon Baccanello at Walker Rocks.
On Kangaroo Island, his daughter helped get the wounded surfer to an ambulance; at Elliston, his other daughter watched helplessly from the rocks.
Schmucker said each new attack “inflames or reignites everyone’s emotions and experiences, a new fear coming over you.”
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WARNING this story can cause brain damage from all the stupid.
https://beachgrit.com/2023/11/streaky-bay-fisherman-who-filmed-great-white-shark-after-fatal-attack-on-surfer-says-i-feel-for-the-kids-they-saw-everything/
Boom in recreational fishing in the last 15 years too Jeff. Especially off-the-beach, Kon-tiki style. Was out for a swim with the family at a popular spot here that was just in the news for a Bronzie sighting and there were guys from about 20m either side of the flags kon-tiki fishing. Up to seven easy meals, slowly being winched to the shallows. Add to that the 10 + boats bobbing around not far off shore, cages of fat and oil hanging over the side. Yeehaa!
So if Adelaide is New Orleans, is it also full if tweakers and drunks and gangsters and the afterlife of slavery and shitty sports teams?
It is actually
Somehow Schmucker always finds a way to cash in
I didn’t realise that NZ voted for Trump!!!!
Godddmammit!!!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/04/as-police-search-for-the-body-of-shark-victim-lance-appleby-just-how-fearful-should-australians-be
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Tell his daughters they’re fine. They are just suffering from recency bias
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/04/as-police-search-for-the-body-of-shark-victim-lance-appleby-just-how-fearful-should-australians-be
RIP old mate
In 2023, a surfer named Tod Gendle was killed by a shark at the same beach. Some of the locals believe the same shark attacked Appleby. According to reports, authorities have Appleby’s surfboard, and they have taken the shark’s DNA off it in an attempt to prove or disprove that theory.
Someone call Quint, we’re gunna need a bigger boat
Are we sure these shark attacks are not sponsored by the international wave pool owners group IWPOG.
Wow, almost as big as Texas!
Very sad.
Experts appear from every where following a shark attack .
I’m not a expert.
I have been told by old timers that “a” shark can go rogue.
For the most sharks don’t seem have much interest in humans but once one gets it into its head it does like humans there’s only one way too deal with it.
Trouble is they can swim!
But don’t be hating all the creatures .
redwoods and creative writing are dying in the traditional super shreps and indian tea that aren’r coors-sponsored…
100 hrs community service whoohoo
blog it so we can all mafiest COVIDD3…+
Actually I’d rather do the lockup and get cov3 than be a bait bouy for a 100
we have the receipts for the fins, wetsuit, and tickets to India/Mynamar. Mauritians *
promising.. let me ask my wife…
raisin money. eat more bran~
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Help a geographically and oceanically challenged Yank here…so this is more south of Melbourne and over towards Adelaide, right? The whole stretch? And does it extend all the way over to Albany and Denmark on the actual West of the South Coast? Because if so that’s a huge amount of great white territory to be heading towards being surf-free–like Reunion all over again, just without the tropical water.
denmark greenland camarillo venice reseda coos bay la canada
This spot is almost right in the middle at the bottom of Australia.
Ironically in an area called the great Australian bight
I got an idea fuck !
dummy surfers with boards .attached to the bouy of the drum lines whatever. And every time a shark hits it it gets zapped . Imean seriously zapped but not killed.
“you have changed their behaviour. Now they only eat rat!”
I like it. Except for the bit where they don’t die
I don’t recall the term “pre white man biomass” in any of the 15 or so classes I needed for my ES degree. Must be “new” ecology.
ecliastess’ is layla v layla?
When you’re an expert you design your own language for maximum dramatic effect. Sounds like a cool line out of Jurassic park though.
ES is new ecology.
It aroused me as well.
And the bit above from the dude saying “the role of govt” and “actively choosing to INCREASE sharks” instead of doing their fundamental job of PROTECTING people…my fucking god, dude. Get a fucking hold of yerself. Lest you show yourself to have the same cognitive abilities of a shark. Pretty sure y’all came down pretty clear about govt overreach in the protecting of your people department after your fair island returned to the prison colony it once was during Covid. How’d that go? Now ya wanna bring em in to protect you against…a swimming animal? FFS – “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.’ U cle Benjamin Clarence Thomas, founder of the c-note.
You’re a man, baby. Youre gonna be alright.
Sharks role seems clear. Man’s, not so much.
Ben Franklin
In-fuckin’-deed. I was inspired by T. NELSON when I threw the subterfuge on the speaker of the quote’s name
Prison colony during covid, bwahahaha. Covid was great. With an allowance of a 5km radius from where you live, so you were able to exercise, I was able to surf uncrowded waves. You could choose between empty peaks, or the almost empty point. It was perfect, mate.
BTW, what essential liberty do you think is being giving up?
I don’t know what the fuss is all about. We enter a shark’s domain and should expect to play by their rules. At least they aren’t armed with AR-15s, hey?