N.Z. Shark Deaths In Cooler Waters

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30364, 13 February 1964, Page 14

N.Z. Shark Deaths In Cooler Waters

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 12. Three-quarters of New Zealand’s recorded shark fatalities were in the cooler waters from south of Napier to Dunedin, the ichthyologist of the Dominion Museum (Mr J. Morland) said today.

He _ believed the fatalities were ’caused in most cases by the dreaded white pointer shark, a cool water dwelling shark with marked vicious and aggressive tendencies. “It is known that in the South Island the white pointer and the mako shark predominate. The white pointer is' a savage aggressive shark which attacks readily. • “I know of only one attack by a mako in the North Island., This was last year, when a skin-diver lost fish attached to his belt, which was struck by the shark. It left teeth marks embedded in the lead,”

The mako was a fish-eating shark, and to this case it was attacking to get the fish, not the diver, Mr Moreland said.

From preliminary reports on this week’s Pukerua Bay shark attack, he believed the fish was a school shark or tope.

A six-gilled ,13 ft shark was captured by the trawler Ho Ho to shallow water about three miles off-shore to Palliser Bay yesterday. It was nearly exhausted when captured, and put up little struggle, not even damaging the net.

The owners of the Ho Ho, Messrs J. and H. Hunter, caught it during normal trawling operations and brought it to Wellington today;

Mr Moreland, who examined it, said it was not a known man-eater, but was so big that .it could quite easily .swallow a man.

A Master ton report says that a man who was preparing to skin dive to waistdeep water at Whaitarangi,

Palliser Bay, yesterday afternoon, had his hand torn when he was attacked by a shark. As he swept out his hands to dive under the water the shark took his hand. He beat it off.

The man was driven to a doctor to Featherston, and was sent to the out-patients’ department of the Masterton Hospital, where he was treated and discharged.