Learning with the Fang

I have an irrational fear of sharks.

It took a great deal of self-control to swim toward some sharks while snorkelling on a recent trip to Noumea.

I love to windsurf, but find myself constantly on the look-out for fins or dark shadows lurking ‘neath my tiny, sinkable craft, assuming that when I see one I will be in grave danger. Sure, there have been two fatal attacks within 5km of my favourite sailing spot (if you draw lines between the two attack locations and then between where I launch and turn around it makes a nice ‘X’).

I blame the media’s obsession with statistically unlikely attacks, that film ‘JAWS’ and a bunch of sensationalism.

Take last weekend for example. There were a lot of sharks about according to fishermen. One friend of mine had a crab net taken by a 2m “white pointer” (layman’s identification) and managed to get some video and photos (updates coming soon). A young spearfisherman was unlucky to be bitten by a 2m bronze whaler off Normanville in South Australia. He arrived at the emergency department to a gaggle of frenzied media, and managed to smile for the cameras.

Here is the type of sensationalist crap we have to put up with on telly, newspapers and now on the web:

Here is a picture of the young man on his way into hospital”

And here is the shark my mate saw while out fishing the day before.

Fang – Mike Seyfang

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