Fear of sharks keeps beach closed
2012-04-21 14:29
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Durban - Bathing was still banned at Scottburgh beach on Saturday after increased shark activity in the area, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board said.
"[The] gear was not reinstated and bathing remained banned," the board's head of operations, Mike Anderson-Reade, said.
Shark nets were lifted this week after 14 tiger sharks became trapped in it. Nine of the predators were tagged and released alive.
It was initially unknown what had been attracting the sharks close to shore.
Anderson-Reade said an oily substance was noticed on the water surface. Two of the dead sharks were dissected and found to have 31kg and 7.5kg of whale meat and blubber in their gut, he said.
"This confirmed our suspicions that these sharks had been attracted to the area by a whale carcass, the species and origin of which is unknown."
On Saturday there were no substances on the water or signs of marine activity, he said.
Two of the four nets had been reinstalled, and the remaining two were due to be put back.
- SAPA