How can authorities track down the exact same shark that bit off a boy's leg in Australia?

[MoonRiver]

There's got to be a lot of similar looking sharks in that area. Also heard that, once they "identify" it, they will see if it demonstrates aggressive behavior, and if it does, kill it. Well, wake up call, we're talking about SHARKS here! The ones that attack humans are by nature and definition aggressive. DUH!

I'm worried that we may be looking at another shark witch hunt. Australia periodically engages in this to the detriment of both sharks and the native ecology. Truth is, we are a lot more dangerous to sharks than they are to us.

[MrSlayer]

1. To me it's simple. Sharks live in the ocean, people do not.

And if you go in the ocean and get bitten by a shark, it's not the shark's fault. I hate the revenge killing of sharks for doing nothing but what sharks do. It's ridiculous. If you don't want to get eaten by a shark, stay out of the goddamn water. If you go in there then you must accept the risks. Leave the sharks alone.

[MuseRider]

2. Well said.

I hate it too. I am a scuba diver and I have seen many sharks and many different kinds of sharks. They will leave you alone in almost any circumstance if you leave them alone. There are a few who are more dangerous but even then the circumstances have to be right for them to attack. We have a deal here, if one of us gets taken out by a shark then we are to stop if possible the shark hunts for revenge. Pretty easy deal to make since after all these years we have never had one give us a second look.

[MoonRiver]

12. MuseRider, have you read Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey?

It's about a long term study of Great Whites in the Farallones. Great read!

[MuseRider]

13. No but my brithday

is next weekend and I was having trouble coming up with ideas so this will go on my list. It sounds fascinating.

I have always wanted to do one of those cage dives to see the Great Whites but have a problem with boats that chum for sharks, not to mention the shark feeding dives that were so popular several years ago. (I had a friend do one of those with a video camera and the sharks started banging into the divers and it was a terrifying thing to watch). I mean really, if you don't want sharks to attack people don't let them associate people with food or you are asking for it.

Thank you for the recommendation. I love stuff like this and since it has been 4 years since I was able to go diving it will help me pass the time until we can afford both the money and the time to go again. It is a terrible thing to love diving more than life itself and live in Kansas.

[MoonRiver]

15. The book talks about shark diving and the chumming that's done to attract the sharks.

The researchers have a slanted opinion, which is understandable, once you read about their work.

It was difficult to read the very graphic descriptions of seal kills, but like reading true crime stories, eerily fascinating too.

And Happy Birthday!! :party::hi:

[MuseRider]

18. Thanks so much. I think I am now officially old

as dirt.

I have a problem reading things like that but I am assuming you are talking about the seal kills done by sharks. A little less distressing since that is their food source. I may skip over that part like I close my eyes when the lions are hunting zebra on TV ;).

I would assume they had to chum to do their studies. Sharks, especially Great Whites are elusive. That is entirely different than doing it for the amusement of the masses.

I gave my husband an addition to my list, I hope he gets it. If not I will after Christmas. :hi:

[MoonRiver]

20. Yes, I did mean the sharks killing the seals.

You can't really skip over it because it is a major part of the book. I find that I can read things I can't look at. Like you, I won't watch shows, or parts of shows, where animals are hunting prey.

They actually didn't use chum. They went out in little boats with dummy seal-like surfboards attached. Whites would attack the surfboard, while the researchers attached tracking devices to them. Really unbelievable to think about doing this, close up and totally unprotected, to those huge, not to mention hungry, predators!

The researchers saw the same sharks year after year. Females always stayed together and were called "The Sisters." Similarly, the smaller males clustered together and were called "The Rat Pack." You learn about the individual personalities of the sharks, and that they are not just dumb predator killing machines. One shark they worried a lot about because he seemed very ditzy and not too bright (kept doing stupid, impulsive stuff which reduced his chances of getting prey). Another, a Sister, they called very gentle and maternal!

Anyway, if you can get through the killing parts it's an amazing book.

[uppityperson]

16. Sharks and tigers and bears, oh my

humans are only 1 species. They get eaten sometimes. You try to stay safe, but it happens.

[MuseRider]

3. Sad to say

but I don't think they can know if it was that particular shark until they kill it and check it's stomach contents for a leg.

[MoonRiver]

5. Yes, but how many sharks will have to be "searched" before they find the true culprit?

:cry:

[MuseRider]

7. That is the problem.

It sucks and should not be done IMO. When you are intruding in their territory you must be willing to accept the dangers. Seems to me that we humans are the only one's who do this kind of thing. Bears, Puma, other humans, whatever. We somehow need to exact some kind of revenge in the guise of removing a danger.

[MoonRiver]

9. Revenge and to prevent a loss of tourism.

Sharks are sacrificed for just doing what comes naturally, so that the community feels "safer", gets it's "revenge", and business won't suffer. Makes me so mad. I had heard that Australia was starting to behave less insanely in reaction to shark attacks. Doesn't seem so from what I've heard today.
:mad:

[MuseRider]

11. I forgot about the tourism aspect!

I guess it is time to watch Jaws once again.

I have a particular love of sharks, they are remarkable and beautiful and seeing one once you get over being afraid of them is an experience I will always treasure.

Funny, they do not seem to realize that the community will not be safer unless they rid themselves of every one of the offending creatures. They also never take into account that many attacks are because we humans have so ruined the normal course of life for these creatures that they have to come in closer to eat and yes, we may be all that is left for them.

Thanks for bringing up the tourism issue. I had really forgotten about that.

[hippywife]

21. Maybe not so oddly,

there seems to be a real correlation on how we intrude into the territory of other humans, as well, and then kill them to "remove a danger."

[Obamarama]

4. Better yet, if they CAN hunt down the exact shark, why can't we find Osama???

Riddle me that one!

[MoonRiver]

6. "Where there's a will there's a way."

Ain't no will in bushco to find OBL.

[yurbud]

10. Osama isn't underwater, so we can't use our sonar to find him...

[Selatius]

8. Next time you go into the water, attach beacons to each of your limbs

This way, they will know where the shark is because the beacon is in its stomach. The offending shark is killed, and all the other sharks are spared.

Everybody wins! And we get shark meat for dinner, too! On top of that, you get back your limb!

(I kid, I kid)

[rockymountaindem]

14. Like this:

Cheers to the Perry Bible Fellowship at www.pbfcomics.com for this.

[judaspriestess]

17. just like the "revenge" killings of sting rays

for killing Steve Irwin. While humans continue to overpopulate the world and shrink every other animals habitat.

[Mojambo]

19. Was it wearing a yellow bow tie?

Oh wait... That was for loose seals.