I Have heard that the shark problem around reunion Island is pretty bad. Sorry to hear the loss of your Friends.
Where I am in Florida The authorities shut down the beaches.
I have heard of a camouflage that surfers in South Africa use to disguise their boards. It is a black and white Zebra pattern decal that you put on the bottom of your board. The Zebra stripes have to do with how a shark sees things on the waters surface. When a Shark looks up a Surfer on a board looks like a tasty seal. One of the favorite meals of sharks. The black and white pattern brakes up the outline of the board and the shark looks for another treat for lunch.
i’d read long ago that the black and white mimics the pattern of sea snakes and that sharks had long ago learned not to eat sea snakes. I guess that would only work in areas where there are sea snakes (the reptile specimens , not the human ones).
I think the biggest thing that we forget when surfing is that we are entering there world, we are not the top of the food chain anymore when we step into the ocean, there will always be a risk and you accept that when surfing. but it is grounding when you see an attack happen to anyone. I dont think that it is right to eliminate an animal when we as humans are out of place when stepping into the sharks home essentially. Now if the shark comes into my house and wants to start something thats another story…
A few years ago, after attacks , zebra was very fashion here, i don’t really think it works …
The major problem with sharks here is that the population has increase too fast and the polution is very important !
Second, they had created a marine protection area with a total protection ( no fishing ) and with many buoys that concentrated the fishs… this marine sanctury has been created without any worries of what will hapen in few years !! now we know, sharks are here near the spots, in the west coast ( know as the safest !!! spots … )
Howzit bongo,I think that is ind of the same reason we are seeing more attacks in Hawaii these days.Back in 74' they banned catching turtles and they are a favorite food for tiger sharks and now they swim with the surfers at Hanalei and other spots so more turtles means more sharks. Aloha,Kokua
A remote spot a friend an myself eventuallyt found in indo after searching for miles was excell
ent but completely empty of people. the only wildlife were Turtles. My friend had no phobia of sharkls and maybe was the first person to surf the joint but i was paddling out checking out the amount of large turtles, between wintessing grinding tubes running down the reef…however the turtles and a recent tiger shark documentary on how tiger sharks eat turtles had me stumped…If anyone cares theres a better version of thast story in Karungabaa surfers jopurnal Jan 09 or 10…wish i knew then that turtles are an indication that sharks are not around.