Seems like shark stories are the summer obsession on every coast. I really wonder if there are more shark sightings this year, or just more
hype. Here in Hawai'i there is even an ongoing discussion of the sighting of a Great White, considered rare in these waters. Last week,
beaches on the west side of O'ahu were put on alert. There were two shark attacks on dolphins according to the Honolulu Advertiser story, August 25. The predators could
have been either tigers or great whites, but in any case the threat is being taken seriously by officials.
Meanwhile, talk of sharks at my break is often peppered with stories and myths. Local surfers generally don't get overly excited or overly
sentimental when it comes to sharks. I myself am a bit ambivalent. I first saw our resident shark at dawn about a month ago. When I asked
others about her, I got universally philosophical replies. One person told me that a four foot tiger isn't really a threat; another said that there
are legends of the sharks making an 'agreement' to never attack anyone in Waikiki (as far as I know there have been no recorded attacks here). Still
another told me stories about people who consider sharks their 'amaukua' (ancestral connections) and so even swim with them.
I have to admit I don't feel a great deal of fear, even after seeing the lovely specimen only ten yards from me. I still believe it was this same shark who
'bumped' me last spring when I was out deep during a big swell. She didn't come back for more then. Should I expect her to next time?
Still, I can appreciate what one Wai'anae fisherman said in the news article, "The minute you enter the water, you are part of the food
chain." It is a humbling thought, but not one that will stop us from surfing. We all know we take our chances out there beyond the reefs,
but ... it is still a lot less dangerous than biking in Honolulu traffic! The way I look at it, she is always out there -- and she has had plenty
of opportunity to cause harm - we wouldn't even see her coming! Perhaps she is just well fed.
Malama Pono
Mama Süs
