Ballistics Sponsors Spotters Sunglasses for another year!

Many thanks to Ballistics and Brentoni Eyewear for sponsoring polarised sunglasses to the Shark Spotters for another year. The spotters use the glasses to help reduce glare when looking at the water and improve their ability to spot sharks in the inshore coastal waters of the peninsula. The sunglasses are a vital part of their equipment and the donation of Ballistics glasses for each spotter is greatly appreciated, as well as the long running support they give to the program. Thank you very much.

SHARK SAFTEY FOR THE SUMMER SEASON

People are reminded that white sharks are present in our waters all year round and that they should be aware of the small possibility of encountering one of these animals at anytime and should always remain vigilant when using the ocean. However the City of Cape Town would once again like to remind all beach and ocean users that we are again approaching the time of year when we expect to see a seasonal increase in the presence of white sharks in the in-shore area. This seasonal change is not unique to False Bay or recent in its occurrence: similar behaviour is recorded in Gansbaai, Mossel Bay and even California.

Shark sightings recorded by the shark spotters has consistently shown a seasonal peak in shark sightings during the period from August – March, peaking in mid-summer. Typically shark sightings start in late August. However, shark spotters and water users have recorded early sightings in the last two weeks in Muizenberg, St. James and Clovelly. White shark research trips over the weekend recorded a significant drop in shark activity at Seal Island which may be indicative of an early move of sharks away from the island to the in-shore areas. The City is therefore appealing to all beach and ocean users to be aware of these recent sightings and the expected increase in shark presence in-shore.


In total shark spotters have documented 530 shark sightings at beaches around Cape Town since the programme started. Each shark sighting is recorded and entered into a dedicated scientific database. Information collected includes the location and time of the sighting and duration and swimming pattern of the shark. Alison Kock from the Save Our Seas Shark Centre and the research director for the Shark Spotters said, “This information is important because it can be used to identify trends in shark presence and behaviour at popular beaches which can offer new information that can be used to increase safety for water users through minimizing interactions between sharks and people”.


Analysis of the shark spotter’s data from the two beaches with the highest number of shark sightings, namely Muizenberg and Fish Hoek, reveals that most (over 65 % of sightings) sharks are observed swimming behind the breakers traveling in a directional pattern from one side of the beach to another, parallel to the shore. Kock says “This suggests that in most cases sharks are simply swimming past these beaches on their way to another location and we recommend that water users in areas of high shark activity limit the amount of time they spend behind the breakers far away from shore”. The data has also shown that in the event of a whale stranding shark sightings increase significantly at adjacent beaches and shark sightings may persist for up to a week after the stranding. Therefore it’s highly recommended that water users do not swim, surf or kayak in areas where there has been a recent whale stranding.

Kayakers and surfskiiers are specifically asked to be cautious of the area between Sunnycove and Glencairn Beach while surfers and swimmers are asked to be especially vigilant in the areas between Sunrise Beach and Strandfontein and again in the Macassar Beach area.


People are encouraged to use areas where shark spotters are on duty and to take the time to speak to the shark spotters on the day they visit the beach to find out about recent sightings and activity as well as the current conditions which determine the effectiveness for shark spotting. People are also please requested to take the time to read the shark spotting signs to inform themselves of the four flag warning system used as well as be aware of the use of a siren to close the beach.

Regular shark sightings have become part of the beach experience for many local swimmers and surfers in Cape Town. “This change in attitude from one of fear and panic just a few years back to an attitude adopted by many of acceptance and understanding has been brought about through a combination of research, education and awareness”, says Sarah Titley, project manager of Shark Spotters. Shark spotters are at the frontline of educating the public on shark issues due to their daily interaction with waters users. Titley says “it is important that the spotters are knowledgeable and kept current on shark and ocean related issues”. Over the winter period shark spotters attended a training workshop held at the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay and received a training manual specially designed for them by Wally Petersen of KEAG. This manual contains information on white shark behaviour and ecology, other shark species found in cape waters and shark bites. This year all the spotters were also given a great opportunity by Africa Shark Eco-Charters to go cage diving and see the sharks from up close.

The shark spotters rely on the support of the Cape Town community. This year a number of sponsors have aided the programme through financial and logistical assistance. William Simpson Tokai sponsored a brand new Nissan NP 200 bakkie, O’Neil sponsored new clothing and provided financial assistance, new binoculars and training were provided by Mphoto and Wavescapes Film Festival provided financial assistance through the Wavescapes auction of surfboards decorated by artists. Steve Pike, a surfer himself said, “The shark spotters are a vital part of our life, and through Wavescapes, we are happy to spread the word to other surfers about this crucial role”. The Shark Spotting team would like to say a huge thank-you to all their supporters. They would also like to thank all the shark spotters for their dedication and perseverance throughout the year.

Shark Spotting Programmes are operational at the following areas:

Summer:
Muizenberg corner: 7 days a week from 8 am to 7 pm
St James: 7 days a week from 8 am to 7 pm
Fish Hoek: 7 days a week from 8 am to 6:45 pm
Noordhoek (The Hoek): 7 days a week from 8 am to 7 pm
Clovelly: Weekends, public & school holidays 8 am to 4 pm
Glencairn: Weekends, public & school holidays 8 am to 7 pm

Winter:
Muizenberg corner: 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm
St James: 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm
Fish Hoek: 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm
Noordhoek (The Hoek): 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm

Over the summer holidays Shark Spotting will also be present at Mnandi, Blue Waters, Monwabisi and Strandfontein.

Background information:

The Shark Spotting Programme in Cape Town is a unique project that has attracted both international and local attention because of the novel way it seeks to find a solution to potential conflicts between sharks and people. The program recognizes the importance of implementing environmentally friendly solutions to potential wildlife conflicts. Minimizing contact between sharks and water users is fundamental in preventing erosion of social confidence in the coastline as a safe recreational asset and is critical to the long-term conservation of white sharks in the waters of Cape Town.

Kommetjie Environmental Awareness group (KEAG) manages the programme on behalf of the Non-profit organization. The programme is actively engaged in research on white shark movement patterns, residency and behaviour in False Bay in partnership with the Save Our Seas Shark Centre.

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) have been protected in South Africa since 1991 and listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and on Appendix II of the CITES convention.

Scientific evidence has shown that white sharks are present in Cape waters all year round and people should be aware of the small possibility of encountering one of these animals at anytime and should always remain vigilant when using the ocean.



Shark safety tips

People are encouraged to use areas where shark spotters are on duty and to take the time to speak to the shark spotters on the day they visit the beach to find out about recent sightings and activity as well as the current conditions which determine the effectiveness for shark spotting. People are also please requested to take the time to read the shark spotting signs to inform themselves of the four flag warning system used as well as be aware of the use of a siren to close the beach.

People are reminded that no safety measure is 100 % effective and that although the Shark Spotting programme has been successful, it itself is not 100% effective and remains vulnerable to human error, weather conditions and water quality issues. The following tips can help reduce the risk of attack even further:

• Do not swim, surf or surfski when birds, dolphins or seals are feeding nearby
• Do not swim, surf or surfski near where trek-netting, fishing or spear fishing is taking place.
• Do not swim in deep water beyond the breakers
• Do not swim if you are bleeding
• Do not swim near river mouths
• Do not swim, surf or surfski at night
• Do not swim, surf or surfski if there has been a cetacean stranding nearby
• If a shark has recently been sighted in an area where no shark spotters are present, consider using another beach for the day
• First time visitors to beach areas should ask the local law enforcement official, life guards or locals about the area
• Obey beach officials if told to leave the water
• For those people kayaking or surfskiing far out to the sea, consider paddling in groups and staying close together (in a diamond shape)
• Consider using a personal shark shield when you go surfing or kayaking
• Pay attention to any shark signage on beaches

For more information on the latest shark sightings and research visit:
www.sharkspotters.org.za and www.saveourseas.com

The public are encouraged to report any sightings of White Sharks to the Shark Spotting Programme through their website.

Contacts:

Alison Kock
Director of Research: Shark Spotting Programme
Marine Biologist: Save Our Seas Shark Centre
072 661 9516
Alison@saveourseas.com

Sakhile Tsotsobe
City of Cape Town: Coastal Coordinator
0741850123

Shark Spotters Go Cage Diving

Earlier this week the Shark Spotters were treated by African Shark Eco-Charters (ASEC) to their first cage dive with the white sharks of False Bay. Sitting on top of the mountains scanning our beaches for shark activity results in observations being made 100's of meters away. This view of the sharks is as far away as you can get. So when they were presented with the opportunity to get as close as possible to these magnificent animals you can only imagine the excitement! I don't think Rob from ASEC was quite prepared for the shouting, screaming and shrilling he would experience that day. Fun was definitely had by all! Even Wally and Sarah got into the cage and Wally got an incredible photo of a breaching shark. A huge thanks from all of us at Shark Spotters to Rob, Karen and the ASEC team!


The following is an account by Thandanani Mhanga from the Cape Argus

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SHARKS

Originally published in Cape Argus 22 July 2009

The sea is quiet and still and it is almost hard to believe that great whites inhabit these calm waters.

On an unusually hot winter's day in the peninsula, and even more so in Simon's Town, a group of 10 shark spotters will get their first up-close encounter with the predator they've observed for so long.

Their excitement is palpable as the cage descends into the water.

At first, there are no sharks, but within minutes the boat to which the cage is attached is encircled by at least half a dozen.

After about 40 minutes, shark spotters Monwabisi Si-kweyiya and Patrick "Rasta" Davids are lifted out of the shark-diving cage.

"It was that close! Did you see it?" shouted Sikweyiya.

Davids responded: "Do you believe me now? There's nothing to be afraid of?"

The group was invited by African Shark Eco-Charters to get a close-up view of the sharks they keep a lookout for.

"There are more dangerous two-legged sharks on land," said Davids, a veteran of the shark spotting trade.

Davids started out as a car guard at a Muizenerg beach until a 16-year-old teenager lost a leg to a great white. His livelihood was subsequently threatened as the beach saw fewer visitors.

This led him to train as a shark spotter.

"The local trek fishermen taught me how to look for weather conditions, wind patters, visibility in the water. I was the first shark spotter in Muizenberg."

That was seven years ago, and shark spotting has since grown to encompass this group of youngsters from all walks of life who were given the opportunity yesterday to encounter the great whites.

Rob Lawrence, owner and host of African Shark Eco-Charters, sponsored the group.

"These guys do such a good job but only get to see the sharks from the mountains," said Lawrence.

Alison Kock, a shark re-searcher with the Save our Seas Foundation, said they were grateful to Lawrence for sponsoring the trip as the experience had lifted the shark spotters' spirits.

"Getting to see sharks in their natural environment, up closer than they ever have before, can teach them more in a few hours than years of studying sharks from books or films," said Kock.

Also in the shark spotter group are four women.

Ethel Thsandu said that, as a shark spotter, she had learned how to connect with nature.

"You get to learn about nature, how to become connected to nature," she said.

The other women said the best part of their job was meeting tourists from all over the world.

William Simpson Sponsors New Vehicle

Seen here is Sharks Spotters receiving their new sponsored vehicle from Willaim Simpson. They previously drove the famous little Nissan 1400 bakkie and seen here is the latest Nissan Np200 model.
The Shark Spotting team would like to say a big thank you to William Simpson for their ongoing support of the program. It is greatly appreciated.

A special shark returns to Seal Island: News from the research team

We have had some spectacular days out at Seal Island in the last month. On top of our usual research activities of tagging and tracking sharks we have also being attempting to deploy Crittercams again. The deployments have been difficult so far due to a few issues with the attachment pole, but we have sorted out the problem and should be more successful from now. However, the highlight of this season so far has been the re-sighting of a very special shark called NutCuz (aka Nutcase).

On a beautiful day in 2004 we were lying on anchor and had recorded 14 different sharks at the boat that day. At about 1:30 pm the activity slowed down to nothing. However, after about 20 minutes of no shark activity we saw a dorsal fin slice the water near our boat. Immediately I noticed a distinctive natural tip on the shark’s dorsal fin which made it stand out. The shark was a 3.2 meter male. Usually white sharks are cautious when they first approach our boat and typically will make a few passes around and under the boat until they build up their confidence to approach us closer. Typically the smaller sharks may deviate from this pattern when large sharks are about and will rush the boat and bait as if they want to get out of there before the larger sharks return. This shark’s behaviour while bold and erratic at times was mixed with very relaxed states. He was determined to bite the boats motors (hard) at every opportunity and completely ignored the decoy we had floating nearby. He even stole our chum bag hanging from the side of the boat. At other times he would swim away and mouth and bump floating kelp and even stick his head out of the water and look at us. He spent over an hour making us believe he was short a few tools in his toolbox thus earning himself the name Nutcase.


Nutcase became one of our favourite sharks to see and made a huge impression on me because of the amount of time we were able to interact with him and gather insight into this individual. However, he would rarely approach the boat if other sharks were around instead waiting for a gap and then visiting the boat. We recorded Nutcase on five different occasions that year and tagged him with an acoustic pinger to monitor his movement patterns. Over the season he started spending less and less time with us. In our scientific publication on the effects of chumming on shark behaviour (Laroche et al. 2007) you can see his behaviour under SHARK 31.


In 2005 he came back to Seal Island and although his tag had come off we immediately recognised his dorsal fin and he behaved in the same mad way further earning his title. Naming sharks can seem like an unscientific approach to some people, but it actually allows for a quick and easy reference to identify animals that are fairly well known. It’s far easier to recall a name after an extended period of time than a long number, especially when you are dealing with many different animals at once. We recorded him on four different days that year. In 2006 and 2007 he came back again, but he only approached our boat one day out of each of those years. In 2008 we had no sightings of Nutcase which was very disappointing because these re-sightings yield valuable information on a scientific level and on a personal level bring you closer to the animals you spend your whole life trying to learn more about.

We are not the only boat recording the sharks at Seal Island and the shark cage diving boats that operate there do so on an almost daily basis in our winter. They also had great interactions with Nutcase, but they have named him Cuz. They didn’t record him in 2008 either. When you don’t see animals like this for a whole season you start to wonder about what may have happened to the shark. There are numerous possibilities which range from it simply being part of a natural cycle the shark follows in its life or it could be something more sinister like being caught in fisheries. Due to the difficulties in studying white sharks in most cases we never know what happens.


However, this was not the case with Nutcase. Last week we had been having a good day with about 10 different sharks recorded. Keeping tabs on the individuals needed a lot of concentration which I was focused on. We had a large foam slick from the island floating past our boat which looked like a white carpet on the water surface. One of the interns brought my attention to the fact that a shark was busy investigating some kelp in the foam. I looked up and immediately recognised Nutcase by his dorsal fin. I screamed with joy so loudly that the other boats all looked our way. He slowly approached our boat and I saw that he had grown significantly to almost 4 meters. He was now a mature male white shark. He spent a few minutes with us displaying some behaviours we knew him for, but also a little bit more caution. He was now in the big boy’s league. One of the shark operators called us to say he had seen this shark and he shared some incredible photos with us of Nutcase hunting seals which lead me to change Nutcase’s name to Nutcuz – a combination of the names we both had for this incredible shark. It was so rewarding to see Nutcuz and I hope we get more special visits from him this year.

Photo Credits: Alison Kock, Hagen Schmid, Morne Hardenberg

Lightning crashes as white sharks take to the air

Yesterday was a day I won't easily forget as we had the most beautiful lightning and thunder storm in False Bay while white sharks breached out of the water to catch their seal prey.


Seal Island is a very special place on a normal day, but yesterday was a day that will stand out for me as one of my highlights. We left Simon's Town harbour when it was still completely dark. During the 20 minute boat trip to the island we were stunned by the beautiful, but vicious lightning storm over the Cape Peninsula.

We got to Seal Island just as the sun was starting to produce the most incredible range of colours over the seal colony of thousands of Cape fur seals.


Luckily it didn't rain too much, although it theatened to do so throughout the morning and we were able to take some photographs and really enjoy the storm.

As soon as the sun was high enough producing enough light we could start observing for any signs of predatory activity by white sharks on the seals leaving and returning from the island. All observers are on the look out for seal movement, unusual splashing, black-backed kelp gulls flying to one particular area and picking up bits on the water surface (which may be seal remains) and of course sharks. We were very lucky to see four predatory attacks, all of them spotted first by a white shark breaching out of the water.


After about two hours the lightning stopped and a rainbow over Cape Point marked the end of the storm. We were all hoping a white shark would breach in line with the rainbow!


Soon the sun started to light up the mountains looking over False Bay.


As soon as the clouds cleared up it allowed us to anchor the boat and start attracting sharks to the boat. The morning was truly unforgetable and each of us on the boat took a moment ot take it all in and enjoy the moment. We are so lucky to be able to work out at sea, some days its challenging and very hard work, but on days like this it is all worth it.

Monwabisi, and two other shark spotters, unfortunately got a burst tire on the way to the boat and missed the trip, but don't worry we'll do it agian next week guys!

Even though South Africa has been identified as a centre of abundance and white sharks have been protected here since 1991, white shark populations are threatened globally. The White Shark Research Programme, a Save Our Seas Shark Centre, Marine and Coastal Management and University of Cape Town collaboration, seeks to provide a thorough understanding of their ecological needs to ensure that protection and management measures are up-to-date and effective. This knowledge can be used to make a significant contribution to the global conservation of this threatened species.


Direct observation, photo-identification, acoustic tracking and animal-borne cameras are used to study the population and spatial dynamics, feeding and social behaviour and identification of critical habitats. 78 sharks have been acoustically tagged and their movements recorded on 35 Vemco VR2 monitors. Days at liberty ranged from 1 – 975 days with a mean of 228 days providing valuable information over consecutive seasons. White sharks are present year-round in False Bay, highlighting the importance of the bay for South Africa’s white shark population. However, distinct seasonal trends in habitat utilization within the bay were identified. White shark presence is highest at the seal colony from May – September where sharks prey on young of the year Cape fur seals. We have also determined that white sharks are present year-round close to shore in Cape Town with a peak from October – December. We have tagged 13 sharks within 2 km from shore ranging in size from 1.6 - 5 meters. Over 50 % of tagged animals from Seal Island were recorded within 1 km from shore. Despite this high shark presence, there was a single negative interaction between sharks and people recorded in 2007 in the area. On the other hand, this behaviour increases their vulnerability to being caught accidentally by shore-anglers or as by-catch in demersal shark long lining activities in the area. In collaboration with National Geographic Society, crittercams were once again attached to white sharks. This footage and data will be used to determine the fine-scale habitat use and feeding and social nature of white sharks.


In Cape Town white sharks are responsible for the majority of bites on water users. Although relatively rare, shark bites that result in human injury or death potentially threaten protective measures through the reluctance of the public to support shark conservation, the possible implementation of culling programmes and illegal hunting. Furthermore, shark bites can negatively impact on local business and tourism. A unique programme was adopted by Cape Town in 2004 to find a middle ground between white shark conservation and the concerns of the public. During 2005 - 2007, 483 shark sightings were recorded at popular beaches demonstrating the programme is an effective warning system. Recently Alison was appointed the Director of Research for the Shark Spotting Programme and together with the Save Our Seas Shark Centre will integrate research findings and shark sightings to get a clear understanding of white shark coastal presence and try and build a better relationship between coastal communities and sharks.


The project has received considerable international attention again in 2008 featuring on CNN Anderson Cooper 360º for their Planet in Peril Series, ABC Nightline (US), RTL Television (Germany), The Underwater Channel and local prime time news programmes eTV and SABC. It was the cover feature of the Smithsonian Magazine in June 2008 and featured in National Geographic Kids Magazine, Envirokids Magazine and numerous news articles. Alison was also the recipient of a VR100 special grant from Vemco Ltd. Research findings were published in the Journal Animal Behaviour in October 2008 and presented at the Southern Africa Marine Science Symposium held in Cape Town and presentations given at the Save Our Seas Shark Centre, Iziko Museum and UCT.

All photographs copyright Alison Kock and Morne Hardenberg