Cape Town - While a video of sharks swimming near the shore of Muizenberg beach may have been cause for the alarm, the City has reassured the public that there is no need for concern.
A video posted to social media on Sunday has already amassed more than 70 000 views showing a shark, which has now been identified as bronze whaler sharks, swimming near the shoreline while beachgoers looked on.
Some people couldn’t help weighing in: “It’s that time when they come and ask if we don’t have a R5 for them. I don't think they mean any harm.”
“So cute. They enjoying their home. We should enjoy our homes too. Bly op die land (Stay on the land),” another said.
“Imagine the whole festive the sharks decide to be this close...... I think they taking their home town back,” another user added.
The City’s deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews, said that bronze whaler sharks spotted don’t really pose a risk to beachgoers.
“These are common in our waters all year round and are not known to pose a risk to bathers or water users.
“Regardless, when spotted at the beaches, the Shark Spotters do raise the shark warning flag and will clear the water.
“No great white sharks have been seen, and if they are, we will alert the public immediately or issue an advisory indicating this,” Andrews said.
Shark Spotters is a proactive, early warning shark safety service provided at strategic beaches around Cape Town, primarily in False Bay, and uses continuous visual surveillance by trained observers (spotters) to detect sharks and prevent negative interactions between sharks and recreational water users.
Research data from Shark Spotters has shown that there has been a decline in great white sharks.
Data from 2016 to 2021 show that the number of great white sharks have declined from just 100 sharks sighted in 2016 to about a handful in 2021.
Most of the sharks spotted now are predominantly bronze whaler sharks.
“There is significant annual variation in the number of shark sightings and while we don’t yet fully understand the drivers of shark distribution it is likely due to a set of environmental variables eg water temperature, biological variables eg. prey availability or even related to larger life-history cycles,” Shark Spotters said.
“Despite the odds being low that you will encounter a white shark while surfing, diving or swimming, any marine recreation activity along South Africa’s coastline carries the risk of an unplanned encounter with Carcharodon carcharias, the Great White Shark.”
Evergreen safety tips previously shared by the City for the public to note include: using beaches where shark spotters are on duty, use the shark spotters signs to familiarise yourself with the four-flag warning system and warning siren.
The green flag indicates that spotting conditions are good; the red flag indicates that there is a high risk of in-shore shark activity; the black flag means spotting conditions are poor; and the white flag with the black shark indicates a shark has been spotted (a siren will sound and all should leave the water immediately).
Other tips include not swimming, surfing or surf-ski when birds, dolphins or seals are feeding nearby, not swimming in deep water beyond the breakers and to not swim if you are bleeding.
The City of Cape Town also recently reminded the public to respect coastal wildlife, and to avoid any interaction as far as possible after an incident on the False Bay coast on Monday, 6 November 2023, where swimmers approached a Southern Right Whale and her calf.
“The tourist season is around the corner. We are excited to welcome all to our wonderful city, but I want to ask visitors and residents to please explore our coast and protected areas in a responsible manner, and to abide by our by-laws.
“Wildlife is wild, and should be appreciated from a respectful distance at all times,’ said Andrews.
For more information on the latest shark sightings and research, visit www.sharkspotters.org.za or follow the Shark Spotters on Twitter (@SharkSpotters) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/SharkSpotters).