Sharks are always there: Lifeguards

by Liz Proctor | 19th January 2010

Dark shark shapes in the sea, lifeguard sirens and rapid departures from the water - it is the stuff of nightmares and has been a common occurrence in Northland this summer.

Each year as beaches become crowded the danger of shark attacks gets its customary hype. But is it necessary?

According to the experts, not really.  There has never been a confirmed shark-attack fatality in Northland.

Ruakaka beach has been closed at least seven times this summer due to shark sightings. At one stage, eight or nine sharks were seen daily and at least one a day had been spotted since then, said volunteer lifeguard Kyle Taylor, 18.

"Last summer we don't remember having this many sharks," he said, "but they are always there."

Once a shark has been sighted by a lifeguard and warnings are given, people rapidly vacate the water - usually.

An elderly woman swimming at Waipu Cove  this month was unfazed by the  warning and continued catching waves on her boogie board while more cautious swimmers  scrambled to dry land.

This fearless woman's actions raise the question - how much danger do sharks pose?

With only 13 fatalities in New Zealand since 1840, the most recent in 1976, the necessity of running scared from the water is questionable, New Zealand shark expert Clinton Duffy said.

  Lifeguard development officer Andrew Kent said it was up to lifeguard patrol captains to assess the risk to swimmers once a shark had been sighted, and act accordingly.

Flagged areas would be closed if sharks were nearby, but otherwise lifeguards could advise swimmers of sharks in the area, leaving the decision to remain in the water to them. There were few issues of people refusing to vacate the water, he said.

"We don't like to get everyone out of the water and create a panic."

Bronze whalers are commonly seen close to shore and other small-toothed varieties frequenting Northland waters are mostly fish eaters and considered  harmless - unless they start circling.

Mr Duffy, from the Department of Conservation, said sharks commonly seen   cruising through   shallow water were  searching for  fish.

"Bronze whalers are little danger to your average swimmer but can get quite aggressive to spear fisherman and divers," he said.

"The danger of sharks is very overplayed ... but they are large, powerful, potentially dangerous wild animals and in that respect, interaction with them requires knowledge of their behaviour."

Although people should not  worry too much about bronze whalers,    when oceanic travellers such as makos and blue sharks got into the mix   people should be more cautious, Mr Duffy said.

"If you don't know what sort of shark it is, it's always a good idea to get out of the water."

Warmer waters and fish supplies  attracted the more aggressive sharks closer to shore, but their diets were varied and they were not  picky about what  they ingested.

An increased number of sightings could reflect a slight swell in shark numbers, Mr Duffy said.