More About Sharks

It’s rare when a shark attacks a scuba diver who’s not spear fishing, but it happens. In Tonga waters in July, a 69-year-old New Zealand resident who calls himself only Christian, suffered an attack by what he said was a gray Galapagos shark. “A big chunk was taken out, plus deep gashes down to the bone and more on top of the hand. Unfortunately, some flesh is missing ... and there’s some gashes and injuries where I tried to hit it with my right hand.” He was treated aboard a New Zealand Navy ship. Navy divers retrieved his watch, bitten off his wrist by the shark. “The guys found it in sixty feet of water. The shark spat it out,” the ship’s commander reported.

So that sharks don’t feast on triathletes during Sydney's Olympics, divers carrying Sharksafe electronic repellant devices strapped to their tanks will hang below the swimmers, hopefully keeping sharks at bay. The last reported shark attack in Sydney Harbor was two years ago. The last fatal attack was in 1963. Sharksafe chairman Naas Hartzenberg said the 2.2-pound devices “send out a protective electrical field, which sharks cannot tolerate.” You can find more information on the Australian product at www.sharksafe.com or contact Sharksafe, POB 499, Hindmarsh, South Australia, 50067. Telephone/Fax Hartzenberg at 61 8 8263 3168.