Surfers report increase in shark activity at Ballito

Floating on your board and being at one with the ocean as you wait for the perfect wave is one of the most peaceful experiences anyone could have.

Until you see a fin, that is.

For local surfer Craig Kember, seeing the odd fin break the water or feeling a bump or two beneath his board is nothing new, but in the last three months he has seen a number of large sharks in the water with him at various surf spots between Westbrook and Ballito.

“There has always been a lot of activity in the water along our coastline, but recently I have spotted quite a few decent sized sharks here on Ballito’s coast,” said Kember, who has been surfing since the age of six.

With 31 years of surfing experience under his belt and ten years living and surfing along the Dolphin Coast, Kember is no stranger to the sea or the predators lurking beneath its surface.

“I have had quite a few shark encounters while surfing and I saw a large Zambezi at Bog Bay (near La Montagne) not too long ago, but my most recent encounter was about two weeks ago when I saw a very big fin clearly at Westbrook beach,” said Kember.

The happy-go-lucky board rider is not alone in his reports of shark sightings on the Dolphin Coast, with one surfer from the Western Cape also having seen some activity.

Jaco Steenhuizen, a 27-year-old surfer on holiday from Langebaan said he saw a large Zambezi shark while he was surfing at Willard beach in Ballito.

“I was actually just sitting on my board with my feet in the water when I saw a fin break the surface about five metres away from me and it disappeared as quickly as it appeared,” said Steenhuizen, who added he has surfed in the Cape his whole life and is not too worried about sharing the sea with sharks.

Both surfers said that while encountering a shark in the sea is unnerving, they always bear in mind that when they enter the ocean, they are entering their habitat and feel that sharing the water with these animals is a privilege.

“I must admit that even seeing dolphins when you are out surfing gives you an adrenaline rush, but I know that I have more chance of winning the lotto or being struck by lightning than getting attacked by a shark, and I have the greatest respect for them and their natural environment,” said Kember, who added that he was chased out of the water by a big shark at Salmon Bay a few years ago.

Mike Andersen-Reid, head of operations at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB), said a number of factors could be behind the increase in shark sightings along North Coast beaches.

“The most likely cause for seeing a greater number of sharks in shallower waters is an abundant source of food. Where there is prey, there are predators and if there are large numbers of fish close to shore, then sharks, dolphins and other predators will certainly follow them,” said Andersen-Reid.

Kember and Steenhuizen said they have seen many large shoals of fish hugging the shoreline, which they also think might be attracting the sharks to shallower waters. This was confirmed by ecologist and Enviropaedia manager, Simon Bundy, who said large shoals of bait-fish have been noticed by local fishermen.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.