Shark Attacks Teen Off Popular Beach
SYDNEY, (March 1) - A shark badly injured a teenage boy while he was surfing with his father at a popular Sydney beach on Sunday, police said, the third shark attack in Australia's largest city in a month.
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon on Sydney's popular northern beaches around dawn when he was attacked.
"Half an hour later the father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing about in the water. Fortunately the shark swam away and the boy was helped to shore by his father," police said in a statement.
The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries. Police said the bites "cut through to the bone" but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures.
Several beaches were closed after the attack. Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's popular beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare.
However, there were two attacks on successive days last month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbour and another on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise. Marine experts say environmental protection has created a cleaner environment which is attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish.
Many shark species, including the Great White, are protected in Australian waters.
Huge Shark Caught at Teahupoo
Last Thursday, two local brothers, Didier and Grard Parker, had been catching the Crown of Thorn starfish with fish nets, ridding the reef of the invasive species. As they pulled up one of their nets it became obvious there was something tangled in it bigger than a starfish, at first they thought it was a swordfish, but to their surprise it was a massive tiger shark. The shark had already drowned and was no threat.
In a weird way, it only makes sense that a shark this big would live in the surf at Teahupoo; raw power begetting raw power and all that. The waves at "Chopu" are nothing short of breathtaking. The Tahitian break isn't incredibly tall, but the surf there is thick, powerful and perfectly glassy. Honestly, even just watching it on TV without anyone surfing it is a wonder to behold, so it's no surprise that Billabong holds one of the WCT's marquee events there every year.
The 2009 Billabong Pro Teahupoo is scheduled to take place from May 9-20. Here's to hoping the surfers have the guts to hit the break after seeing what lurks below.
There is a way to avoid being fish food, "STAY OUT OF THE WATER"! It's their territory and home.
"Animalz Rule",
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