"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.”