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A shark attack killed 25 year old surfer, Gerhard van Zyl on Saturday at Glentana Bay, South Africa. Witnesses said the shark bit off the victim's right leg, above the knee.
Authorities in South Africa believe the shark was a Great White that attacked Zyl while he was surfing in the late afternoon, near Mossel Bay. Zyl was left in critical condition and airlifted to a local hospital where he was pronouced dead on arrival, due to loss of blood. Shark attacks in South Africa has been slowly on the climb, with many blaming local "shark experience" operators who bait sharks using chum and blood for cage divers to have "interactive" experiences with big sharks.
 Cage diving is popular in South Africa As an evolutionary trait, sharks are normally cautious in food selection, as an over-aggressive shark has a much higher risk of injuring itself and not being able to hunt. This makes sharks naturally people-shy and difficult to find, with most attacks being cases of "mistaken identity". It would appear however that some sharks are having their natural instincts dulled by repeated exposure to people in cages and feeding sessions. This year alone, there have been 3 more reported attacks in the same area of South Africa in July, March and January, with the most recent victim, Paul Buckley surviving thanks to bystanders who rushed him to hospital where he required 150 stitches to close a deep 37cm long wound on his thigh.
 Paul Buckley's Shark Wound
In an unfortunate turn for South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs, the most recent fatality happened just days after the annoucement that the permitted shark cage diving areas were to be extended taking them closer to the shore. Despite widespread concern by surfers, bathers, divers and environmentalists, South Africa have failed to crack down on shark feeding and baiting operations selling "up close shark encounters". |
