SHARK DANGERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3957, 14 January 1930, Page 36

SHARK DANGERS.

ABOUND IN SYDNEY HARBOUR. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 2. Since a boy was fatally mauled by a shark while he was swimming in tiie open in Sydney Harbour, Sydney lrr« been through one of its periodical shark scares. Efforts to capture these vicious man-eaters, with which the harbour abounds, liaxe been redoubled, and the danger of bathing in unprotected parts has again been emphasised. But, as usual, the warnings have been in vain, and youths have gone on bathing as though nothing has happened. On the day following the tragedy, and a few minutes after boys had been swimming at a spot in the upper reaches of the Parramatta River, a grey nurse shark, 12 feet in length, was hooked. After a terrible battle of two hours the monster was captured. Several dogs had disappeared while swimming in the river, and it is clear that they were taken by sharks. One particular monster had hunted at one place for months, and children were warned not to swim there. But the children were so disinclined to take heed of the warning that a fisherman decided to capture the shark if possible. After many days his patience was rewarded. The shark had to be dealt several heavy blows before it was killed, and an examination showed that it possessed an unusually powerful set of jaws. Soon after an even larger shark was seen cruising round, but it has been successful in eluding capture. The species of shark that killed William Oakley is known as a whaler, and is to be found in most of the upper reache's of the harbour. The tragedy occurred in Darling Harbour, where there is always a great deal of shipping, and this seems to attract tire whalers. Last year several of them were caught from the decks of the interstate liners. It is explained that usually sharks are cautious, but once they become hungry they lose all sense of caution. The grey nurse sharks, which have been responsible for most of the beach tragedies, do not as a rule go very far up the harbour. They hunt in mass formation, and tens of thousands have been seen off the coast following shoals of fish. The whalers lie on the bottom of the liaruour, and can very easily detect a swtiiimer on the top of the water.

During the week several man eaters were caught in the harbour. The catch included eight two-foot sharks that were brought rudely into the world and captivity after their nine-foot whaler mother had been caught and taken to the aquarium at the Zoo. One of the others taken to the Zoo was a 12-foot tiger shark. These served as reminders of the perils of the harbour, and were viewed by great crowds on Sunday last. It was unfortunate that the adult sharks at the aquarium should have died, owing to the rough treatment they received when they were being captured. They fought like demons.