It was a bit breezy but the waves were cooking! It was one of those days when there were almost more photographers on the beach than there were surfers! Everyone was having a lot of fun!
Next thing I know there is a surfer standing next to me saying "Did you see that?" "See what?" I replied.... "there's something in the water". Sure enough there was something quite big in the water! It's not uncommon in Cape Town, we even have a shark spotters on some of our beaches.
I never call my son out of the water but in seconds I am in the shallows yelling and waving frantically to him and his friend.
They come reluctantly! "What's the problem?" they ask as a few others start trickling out the water. I say "I think there's a shark" , "Oh that" my son says... " it's been there for about half an hour!" "Right!" I say, a bit gobsmacked at the attitude "well that's it for the day I think we should go, but tell the others - let them know" "oh, they know " was the answer.... "it came up close and personal".
As we walked along the beach heading for home we warned each and every surfer we passed. Not one of them turned around and abandoned their surf plans.... no one was phased.
The fact is Great White Sharks only kill about 5 people a year, while man, on the other hand, kills 100 million sharks a year! Who is the bigger threat I wonder?
