While there may have been only four White Shark attacks in May since the year 2000, when you have a look at the locations you cannot possibly ignore the correlations between oceanographic factors and shark-human interactions.
Data from Australian Shark Incident File
You could throw a blanket over the locations.
Between Budgewoi in the South and Saltwater Point in the North, that is not a large stretch of ocean.
So, what is going on here?
The answer is plenty!
Marine predators are highly motivated by food and with millions of years existing on the planet I reckon they know when and where to be to capitalise on a reliable food source.
So, let’s look at the food available in this area at this time of year.
Photo | Phil Kirkpatrick
The Victorian seal population that gathers on the Victorian coast during every Spring and Summer are a known food source for sharks and have since moved on as we are in late Autumn, so it would make sense for larger marine predators like the White Shark to travel North to the next reliable location for a food source with accommodating water temperatures.
The change in water temperatures during Autumn meet in the general area where these past May attacks have occurred and can be very localised. This meeting of water temperatures sees warm water species and cool water species interact and take advantage of the concentrated area of increased nutrients and food. There are still pelagic species like Mackerel and Tuna hunting baitfish close to shore from the warm water edges of the East Australian Current and on the cooler water nutrient rich side often accompanied by nutrient rich upwelling is the beginning of the mullet run supplying another food source for larger fish and sharks.
Photo | Brett Wortman
Commercial fishermen also take advantage of these seasonal cycles to catch the mullet using nets from the shore in these areas at this time of year and recreational anglers take advantage of these same seasonal patterns to target not only trophy size Mulloway attracted to the annual mullet run but shore-based anglers can still target pelagic species from the shore where the warm water still resides.
While these seasonal cycles may vary a little from year to year, as do the ocean conditions, there is still a very good level of predictability for humans however, they are locked into the local populations of marine predators as usual migration patterns and in this instance the pattern of shark-human interactions correlates with the oceanographic factors and marine life migrations.
So what do we do in this stretch of coastline during May? Stay out of the water?
Well, that is up to the individual to make a choice. What you could do with the information is take it on board and understand there has been four shark-human interactions in this small area of coastline in the month of May since the year 2000 and now that you are aware, use it to make an informed decision.
BiteMetrix Team
