Shark season for Cape beaches
2009-08-20 15:22
Cape Town - Cape Town's Great White sharks have begun their seasonal move back to the beaches after a winter hanging around the seal colony in False Bay, the city said on Thursday.
Sightings of sharks in the coastal inshore areas had consistently shown a seasonal peak during August to March, peaking in mid-summer, it said in a statement.
"Typically shark sightings start in late August.
"However, shark spotters and water users have recorded early sightings in the last two weeks in Muizenberg, St James and Clovelly."
White shark researchers had over the weekend recorded a significant drop in shark activity at Seal Island in the middle of False Bay, which could also indicate an early move of sharks away from the island.
The statement said swimmers should use areas where shark spotters were on duty.
They should not swim in deep water beyond the breakers, at night, or if they were bleeding.
- SAPA