View Full Version : Ningaloo Reef: Woman injured by whale shark at Australian tourist spot
An Australian woman has suffered injuries after being struck and injured by a whale shark while snorkelling.
The woman, 29, had been swimming with a tour group at Western Australia's popular Ningaloo Reef on Saturday when she was hit by the animal's tail.
A swim with whale sharks - the largest fish species globally and typically docile - is a popular tourist activity.
Police said work safety regulators were investigating the incident, as it had involved a charter group.
St John's Ambulance said the woman had suffered internal bleeding and upper torso injuries "from the crush".
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/E860/production/_113788495_gettyimages-542994406.jpg
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53632975
Close call.
Platapus
08-03-20, 08:27 AM
That's unusual. Whale sharks are usually very aware and gentle around divers.
I wonder if she did something to provoke it?
iambecomelife
08-05-20, 05:35 PM
Turns out the reporters made an error - the article wrongly said Whale Shark when it was a Humpback Whale. Huge difference!
However, what Platapus said is still true; Humpback Whales are another docile species. I think it was an accident; it's hard to picture one of them maliciously banging into a diver.
Perhaps the point of the article was that it would be a sensational story to attract readers. In many cases, the media "goes all in" to arouse curiosity.
iambecomelife
08-06-20, 12:49 AM
Perhaps the point of the article was that it would be a sensational story to attract readers. In many cases, the media "goes all in" to arouse curiosity.
Maybe. Ah well, I hope she recovers. Personally, I try to be very careful around large animals, no matter how friendly or non-predatory people say they are. In Yellowstone a couple days ago, someone was almost gored by a buffalo - she got into its personal space, and provoked it. I don't think most animals are malicious; they just don't know their own strength. :03:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANwahRp38bs
Von Due
08-06-20, 01:07 AM
Wild animals like humpback whales and buffalos are not malicious. They do have a pretty good idea about their own strength I would say. It's just that neither of these animals care if you are a human, a herring or a hamster. For the whale, it was more likely a case of "ok, I'm gonna swim right here and if you don't move out of the way then it's your fault if you get squashed", and wild bovines are well known for not having any of it if anything not their own herd invades their personal space. The problem is us. Many of us tend to think of wild animals as Disney creations and cute objects here for our entertainment and amusement if we don't think animals have a deep rooted respect and admiration for "their masters the human". Now I do hope she will recover fine but I also hope she grows wiser. Don't swim too close to a very large animal, don't try to hug bear cubs and don't try to engage in a conversation with the cub's mother.
Off the coast of Southern California, we have huge numbers of dolphins with some pods in the hundreds of dolphins; they very often pop up around craft and swim alongside for extended distances; they have no real fear of humans and are quite benign; today, on the news there was a clip of some parents and children in the shallow waters off Laguna Beach who were surprised when a group of dolphins showed up and began swimming in among the humans; they played around for a while and left; there was a video of the incident but I have not been able to find it posted yet on YT...
<O>
Von Due
08-06-20, 03:03 AM
Some species of dolphins may come up to swimmers to play or out of curiosity. They are known to follow ships. They have been reported to aid swimmers in trouble. Humpback whales are not famous for doing the same. Orcas in the wild, while you can swim near them and no fatalities have been reported, you better be cautious around. Not that they are after you, it's just that their size and power means that curiosity can quickly turn into a serious situation. Some seals are relatively safe to have around. Leopard seals not so. Don't swim with bull sharks if you have no idea what you're doing. Sand tiger sharks rarely can be bothered with attacking anything larger than a haddock. In all cases, let the animal have its personal space unless it invites you in. Mutual respect for privacy goes a long way.
Some species of dolphins may come up to swimmers to play or out of curiosity. They are known to follow ships. They have been reported to aid swimmers in trouble. Humpback whales are not famous for doing the same. Orcas in the wild, while you can swim near them and no fatalities have been reported, you better be cautious around. Not that they are after you, it's just that their size and power means that curiosity can quickly turn into a serious situation. Some seals are relatively safe to have around. Leopard seals not so. Don't swim with bull sharks if you have no idea what you're doing. Sand tiger sharks rarely can be bothered with attacking anything larger than a haddock. In all cases, let the animal have its personal space unless it invites you in. Mutual respect for privacy goes a long way.
Just like that, respect can be done and carried out then it will not be a problem for animals and humans. :up:
Von Due
08-06-20, 04:36 AM
Rereading my posts, 2 things: Some accuse me of having a very dry, sarcastic perhaps sardonic sense of humour and they wouldn't be wrong I guess. It comes through even when talking about serious topics. Second, I am really not in favour of whale safaris or any safari where we force ourselves into animals' space without invitation. I guess the 2 made me sound disrespectful or arrogant so if so, then that really wasn't what I was going for.
No worries I do not interpret it in any negative way.
Some species of dolphins may come up to swimmers to play or out of curiosity. They are known to follow ships. They have been reported to aid swimmers in trouble. Humpback whales are not famous for doing the same. Orcas in the wild, while you can swim near them and no fatalities have been reported, you better be cautious around. Not that they are after you, it's just that their size and power means that curiosity can quickly turn into a serious situation. Some seals are relatively safe to have around. Leopard seals not so. Don't swim with bull sharks if you have no idea what you're doing. Sand tiger sharks rarely can be bothered with attacking anything larger than a haddock. In all cases, let the animal have its personal space unless it invites you in. Mutual respect for privacy goes a long way.
Dolphins and whales, among other sea life, are highly protected by California law and enjoy a very much 'hands off' existence in our waters; fishing and shipping is highly regulated to keep the dolphins and whales as safe as possible; for instance, while whale watching from tour boats is possible, the boats are prohibited from going up close to any sighted whales; because of this, the whales and dolphins have kind of settled into peaceful coexistence with us humans; there have been many occasions in recent years where the whales have swum inshore to get up close to the watch boats and, sometimes, surfers and swimmers; there have been no incidents of the creatures trying to harm humans, whether inadvertently or deliberately; its almost as if they sense the efforts of the humans in the area to protect them and now trust them; the dolphins have been seen surrounding and running with jet skiers just off shore; this clip was taken by a drone flying above a watcher ship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78IC00WrQ3o
...this clip was taken by some jet skiers who were surrounded by hundreds of dolphins a few years back...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ihFrSqFQI
The incident I referred to earlier was notable because the dolphins came really close in shore, to waters that were waist to shoulder high depth and they swam very close to human swimmers, including some grade school age children; the dolphins were noy aggressive at all and swam around for a while and left; one speculation has been, due to the lockdowns and the very limited access to the beaches causing rather sparse human presence, the dolphins are coming in close because there is little interference; another speculation is that now, since the humans don't come out to them, they are coming in to visit the humans; if you're gonna have a sea creature miss you, it might as well be a dolphin instead of, say, a mackerel...
This is a link to a news article about the recent sighting/event with a link to a FB posting of the video:
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/04/video-swimming-with-dolphins-in-shallow-water-off-laguna-beach/
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iambecomelife
08-06-20, 01:22 PM
Rereading my posts, 2 things: Some accuse me of having a very dry, sarcastic perhaps sardonic sense of humour and they wouldn't be wrong I guess. It comes through even when talking about serious topics. Second, I am really not in favour of whale safaris or any safari where we force ourselves into animals' space without invitation. I guess the 2 made me sound disrespectful or arrogant so if so, then that really wasn't what I was going for.
No worries from me either, I didn't feel that it was arrogant.
Oh, and I just noticed that the woman "attacked" by the buffalo was a local? Kind of disappointing she would be so careless despite living in the area; as we have all discussed, these animals need respect. :nope:
Interesting clips of the dolphins, too! Would love to see some in the wild once I can travel again; I've only seen them in captivity.
em2nought
08-06-20, 04:17 PM
Flipper had to be around humans so much that she decided it was better to commit suicide. :03:
About https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQXn1KqwICM :ping:
Von Due
08-07-20, 05:36 PM
^Why do they show a picture of a sand tiger when talking about tiger sharks? :06: Pointless nitpicking aside, this is the kind of video that is meant to shock more than to inform. The narrator's choice of words, his selection of anecdotes and his voicing, it's infotainment for the sake of shock value, clicks and ad revenue. He must be a huge fan of Discovery Channel.
Help sharks in trouble
https://i.imgur.com/9txzamP.jpg
This video I posted was just a small clip because of the topic as a whole. But I definitely agree that the person who tells this lacks knowledge of the clip..he probably reads from a script and he himself has no idea. :yep:
Jimbuna
08-08-20, 06:21 AM
^Why do they show a picture of a sand tiger when talking about tiger sharks? :06: Pointless nitpicking aside, this is the kind of video that is meant to shock more than to inform. The narrator's choice of words, his selection of anecdotes and his voicing, it's infotainment for the sake of shock value, clicks and ad revenue. He must be a huge fan of Discovery Channel.
Help sharks in trouble
https://i.imgur.com/9txzamP.jpg
My thoughts precisely :yep:
Jimbuna
08-08-20, 06:41 AM
^Why do they show a picture of a sand tiger when talking about tiger sharks? :06: Pointless nitpicking aside, this is the kind of video that is meant to shock more than to inform. The narrator's choice of words, his selection of anecdotes and his voicing, it's infotainment for the sake of shock value, clicks and ad revenue. He must be a huge fan of Discovery Channel.
Help sharks in trouble
https://i.imgur.com/9txzamP.jpg
Just given a little more thought on the matter and possibly the only thing the narrator got right was the choice for the no1 spot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8se1vefJr1Q
I would rather avoid that experience during a swim..this is crystal clear! :yep:
Von Due
08-08-20, 09:55 AM
One of the coolest, weirdest sharks in the waters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24s5bA2JAKU
I would absolutely hate to meet any of them though while swimming around in their own stew pot.
Jimbuna
08-08-20, 10:56 AM
One of the coolest, weirdest sharks in the waters
.
Looks like something out of a horror movie.
Von Due
08-08-20, 01:39 PM
Looks like something out of a horror movie.
Or something out of the dinosaur age :) One of the "living fossiles" we have today and it shows.
Jimbuna
08-09-20, 05:53 AM
Or something out of the dinosaur age :) One of the "living fossiles" we have today and it shows.
I'll stick to my indoor pool thanks :03:
Is that what you're calling your bathtub nowadays?...
<O>
Turns out the reporters made an error - the article wrongly said Whale Shark when it was a Humpback Whale. Huge difference!
However, what Platapus said is still true; Humpback Whales are another docile species. I think it was an accident; it's hard to picture one of them maliciously banging into a diver.
Tell that to Moby Dick! :)
Scuba dive instructor Andrew Lomakin filmed an incredible 12-minute encounter with a juvenile humpback whale in the shallows of Lady Elliot Island.
Australia's east coast whale migration brings humpbacks to the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef every year, but Mr Lomakin described the interaction in the shallow water as "super rare".
Video by Isabelle Rodd
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-53673937/whale-migration-super-rare-whale-encounter-on-the-great-barrier-reef
A wonderfully entertaining show. :up:
Catfish
08-10-20, 02:59 AM
Tell that to Moby Dick! :)
:haha: ok but Mr Dick was a sperm or "pot" whale, not a Humpback. They are known to be a bit more aggressive. And whale hunters had tried to kill him several times, so his action seems appropriate.. the story of the whaler Essex being sunk by a whale is true (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/163507.The_Loss_of_the_Ship_Essex_Sunk_by_a_Whale) .
Seriously, the most docile big-sized animal can accidentally kill a human, it is really any human's own responsibility to get in harms way, if he/she wants to watch a whale herd at touch distance.
Jimbuna
08-10-20, 05:12 AM
Is that what you're calling your bathtub nowadays?...
<O>
Aye :)
Jimbuna
08-10-20, 05:44 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7GHCJXwLw8
Catfish
08-10-20, 06:50 AM
Next: Diving tours with cute Orcas :yeah:
Jimbuna
08-10-20, 01:40 PM
Next: Diving tours with cute Orcas :yeah:
Not a problem :03:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK2aqcvSJto
Catfish
08-10-20, 04:04 PM
^ "thanks" I guess i prefer the mediterranean. You know the water is warmer..
Free diving without much technical equipment (insulation, but no air) in those waters :o Respect!
I swam with dolphins "in the wild" several times, they communicate and expect a (right) reaction, they can also become aggressive if you misunderstand behaviour or disregard their rules. Never did with whales or Orcas though. Regarding those bigger predator mammals i have always wondered where the edge is between becoming prey or just being the object of curiosity, when being close to Orcas.
I'd rather not find out personally..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJ_sbmw07M
These amazing Bottlenose Dolphins have adopted a unique way of hunting Fish. Taking advantage of the low tide, these super smart Mammals are able to beach themselves on mud banks, and attack in perfect synchrony.
Jimbuna
08-11-20, 08:54 AM
^ "thanks" I guess i prefer the mediterranean. You know the water is warmer..
Free diving without much technical equipment (insulation, but no air) in those waters :o Respect!
I swam with dolphins "in the wild" several times, they communicate and expect a (right) reaction, they can also become aggressive if you misunderstand behaviour or disregard their rules. Never did with whales or Orcas though. Regarding those bigger predator mammals i have always wondered where the edge is between becoming prey or just being the object of curiosity, when being close to Orcas.
I'd rather not find out personally..
Never had that experience but I did come into contact with a stingray whilst swimming in Mexico two year ago.
Most fortunately for me after it bumped into me it swam around me and off into deeper water.
Catfish
08-13-20, 03:30 AM
"Dolphin stampede wows whale watchers":
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-53760503/dolphin-stampede-wows-whale-watchers
https://i.imgur.com/UfVXL7W.jpg
A man leapt from his surfboard on to a shark that was attacking his wife, repeatedly punching the animal until it let go, Australian media report.
Chantelle Doyle, 35, was surfing off Shelly Beach at Port Macquarie, New South Wales, when the attack took place.
Her husband punched the shark until it released its grip and then helped Ms Doyle to the shore.
She was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries to her right leg.
Experts quoted by the Port Macquarie News believed Ms Doyle had been mauled by a juvenile great white shark up to 3m (10ft) in length.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce praised the husband - named by media as Mark Rapley - for his quick action.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53792016
He apparently went on knockout.....:)
A lifeboat crew responding to reports of a vessel on fire in Dorset has been surprised by a small pod of playful dolphins.
The Weymouth RNLI all-weather and inshore lifeboats were launched on Saturday evening after reports of a vessel on fire at Ringstead Bay near Osmington.
Two water bikes and their riders were located and towed back to Weymouth Harbour, but while on the scene a small pod of dolphins popped up and played around the lifeboats.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-dorset-53808173/dolphins-play-with-weymouth-lifeboat-crew
Nice and sweet!:)
https://i.imgur.com/ndqVukp.jpg
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