On Wednesday, a shark attack sent the world back in time – to a time when sharks were presented as villainous, instead of animals attacking in their environment. The loss of life is no small feat, but does this not apply beyond humans?
This perspective at least would’ve been akin to the views of the victim himself, according to his family, after it was announced that Sydney authorities were hunting down the great white.
Simon Nellist, the man who was attacked, was a 35-year-old British expat and diving instructor. The loss of his life broke his family and friends’ hearts, but also spearheaded Sydney authorities to set up ‘six SMART drumlines’ around Little Bay Beach in their efforts to hunt down the 3 meter (10 feet) great white.
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People have had divided opinions about the incident on social media. Some have expressed anger toward the shark, others shock, and some have even targeted the villainous media coverage of sharks as ‘the enemy’.
One local, Marine Conservation Photographer Jean Tresfon, laid his opinion out on Facebook, which is certainly food for thought:
“The year is 2022, but after yesterday’s shark attack in Sydney, you could be forgiven for thinking we are still in 1922! A swimmer goes for an open water swim near a popular fishing spot. There are baits in the water. The fishermen themselves have described big baitfish shoals and high levels of marine activity. The swimmer knows this and still chooses to swim. Unluckily for the swimmer but unsurprisingly given the circumstances, a great white shark is in the area. Although sharks generally do not view humans as food, in this case the shark makes a successful predation attempt. On the one hand, a terrible and terrifying ending for the swimmer, on the other just a shark feeding itself.
“And the reaction…?
“The press immediately goes berserk, resorting to outdated stereotypes and phrasing… killer shark, vicious predator, hapless victim, frenzied attack turning the ocean red with blood. The first fatal attack in Sydney since 1963, thousands of sharks killed daily but suddenly we revert to sharks being the enemy.”
The family of the victim has indicated that he would not have wanted the shark to be ‘hunted down and destroyed’ as per Daily Mail, given his love of nature and aquatic life.
The community in Little Bay were shocked by the incident. Simon had gone for a swim (which he reportedly did daily) when this time, he got dragged under, just a few meters from the rocks according to Nine News TV who spoke to witnesses.
The witnesses expressed the experience to be a heartbreaking attack, with one man saying that: “It was terrible. I am shaking I keep vomiting. Its very upsetting,” before further stating “he just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.”
Others noted that “the coast is our community’s backyard…Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place, enjoyed by families.
“To lose someone to a shark like this is chilling. We are all in shock,” said Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker.
However, when we consider other perspectives like Tresfon’s, we might think, ‘whose backyard is it really?’ and who are the real ‘sharks?’
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Picture: Screenshot / Tamsin Rose