I grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. Its beaches, offshore islands and many reefs are my water playground. The lure of the ocean is a powerful thing – I remember staring into rock pools as a kid fascinated by the little eco systems and watching the animals in there going about their daily lives. I’d take a look out to the open ocean and think if I was so intrigued by a tiny rock pool, imagine what is out there. So in my years growing up, every chance I got I was down at the ocean exploring, diving, fishing, wondering some more and even the odd attempt at surfing (which was an epic fail). Anything ocean, though, and I was there.
When I started working, I started saving. But unlike other 17-year-olds who saved up to buy their first car, I saved up to buy my first dinghy. There was just one problem, though: I needed to tow it. Luckily Dad was nice enough to lend me his old Holden Torana. So armed with 9.9hp and 11 ft of aluminum dinghy, I began to explore the new frontier that awaited me in the offshore world. Going out and bringing home some fish for dinner was my thing, but every time I went out there were so many cool moments: pods of dolphins, seals, birds feeding, stingrays and the odd turtle.
As time went on, the boats got bigger the trips went further out… and the moments got cooler. My first experience with orcas off Freemantle left me in total disbelief. That was my first attempt at trying to get a good picture and a bit of film. So I was on. I loved the ocean and everything in it, but one animal captured my imagination more than anything else: the shark.
It was an animal I rarely came across. I feared it, but like the ocean and all its inhabitants, I respected it. After all, I was guest in his home. It was only after my first real shark interaction that I realized how misunderstood this animal was. When a very large shark took a speared fish from my line, but left me entirely alone (apart from a curious look), I was totally bewildered. I had a lot of unanswered questions from that experience. But one thing was certain: in that moment, I was done with believing the old stories about sharks. This was now something I had to find out for myself.
I wanted to see the shark that everyone talked about most, the Great White. So I ended up in South Africa, where I met a bunch of fantastic people who helped me actually understand sharks instead of basing my beliefs on the far-fetched stories I grew up with. Since that time, I’ve wanted to show people the things I’ve witnessed, the animals I’ve encountered, and how great the ocean is. It can all be seen in my photos. I’ve taken from the ocean, but now it’s my turn to give back.
The decision for the West Australian government to introduce a shark cull has come without scientific research or backing. There are so many unanswered questions. Are there really more sharks out there? What about the attacks? Why did they really occur? Is it a pattern, or just an unfortunate coincidence? There are so many factors to consider about why there are sometimes unfortunate incidents where shark interactions have proved fatal, and the vast majority where they don’t.
A simple so-called “solution” are the baited drum lines. We’ve seen the WA State Government reacting to a problem. But all we have done is throw large amounts of money to kill and remove a top order animal from an already fragile ecosystem. In my investigations into the cull, I have met a number of top scientists, and none of them believe that shark numbers have significantly increased, or that the cull will help to protect people.
The real problem is that we have chosen not to search for knowledge and understanding regarding sharks, their environment and how we can best share the ocean with them. We know very little about sharks off Perth, and as long as we choose not to know, we never will. There are many alternatives available to co-exist with sharks, and with these and a little bit of our own shark smarts, we can all help to reduce our own risk. I myself would better like to see the funds go to the real life savers – the surf life saving, police officers, paramedics and the real heroes that protect the public safety day in day out from a range of threats, including sharks, but also the many daily threats that are a much greater risk than sharks. At the end of the day, there will always be sharks in the ocean and there will always be people enjoying the ocean. We need to co-exist.
