The most recent shark attack was four years ago. Is it because the local government has implemented daily shark patrols at popular surf breaks? Or due to the controversial use of drum lines that trap sharks with baited hooks? Or is it the ($600) anti-shark devices worn by surfers, which emit impulses that irritate sharks’ ultrasensitive food receptors and cause them to turn away? In recent years, attacks have inexplicably ceased. They acknowledge that the ocean is the sharks’ habitat and they play a crucial role in maintaining balance in the ecosystem. You might expect surfers to feel disdain for the sharks that have wreaked havoc in the lineups, but ironically, the surfers here are often the most understanding. Like most tropical oceans, the infamously aggressive tiger and bull sharks call the island’s shores home. Reunion Island is not unique in the number of sharks in its waters. In 2013, the situation grew so dire that surfing and swimming were prohibited. Locals refer to it as the “shark crisis.” From 2011 through 2017, in Reunion, an island smaller than the state of Rhode Island, there were 24 attacks, nine of which were fatal. Like the Hawaiian islands, it’s an active volcano with steep, lush mountains that slope down into crystalline water, where world-class waves tumble across coral reefs.īut in the past decade, the isle’s tropical beauty has not grabbed the global spotlight. Reunion Island is a small French isle about 400 miles east of Madagascar. Everyone seems connected to someone who was attacked. It’s a palpable feeling, both in and out of the water. The risk of shark attack is like an unspoken, yet persistent, blaring announcement. But the number of attacks compared to the number of surfers is so small that the risk never really scares you. At home in Santa Cruz, we all know the sharks are there. I grew up surfing the great white-infested waters of Santa Cruz County, so I am no stranger to the risk of shark attacks. Many surfers carry devices built into their boards or worn on the ankle that deter sharks. The lifeguards patrol the ocean in a jet ski searching for sharks. The reminders are all around me.Ī surfer missing limbs paddles by. When I paddle out for a surf in Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, it’s impossible to not think about sharks.
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