Heliport
19th May 2007, 07:18
Cape Times
A honeymoon couple sitting in a helicopter above South Africa's Plettenberg Bay Wednesday got a dramatic front row seat on a close encounter between five surfers and a great white shark.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said the 3.5-metre shark was spotted by a helicopter pilot, Glen Brown, who was flying the couple and another passenger over the beach in his Robinson R44 helicopter.
Brown saw the shark approaching the surfers about 50 metres off shore, then flew his helicopter down towards the surfers to warn them with hand signals to swim away - but the surfers thought Brown was just giving them a friendly wave.
When the shark closed to a distance of five metres, Brown flew his aircraft between the shark and the surfers as a diversion. The surfers only realized the danger when the other passengers also waved 'like mad,' said Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesman.
'The shark then began swimming away ... (The pilot) said he continued to monitor the shark as it moved away until it was out of sight and lost beneath the sea surface,' said Lambinon.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay Station Commander Ray Farnham said Glen Brown saw the shark from aboard his Robinson 44 helicopter.
"There has been noticeably increased shark activity closer in-shore along Plettenberg Bay's coastline over the past 14 days," said Farnham.
He said Brown, a Plettenberg Bay resident, often volunteered his helicopter to the NSRI during sea rescue emergencies when aerial support was required.
"During the observation, the shark, a 3-3.5m white shark, moved closer towards about five surfers at the back surf-line about 50m off-shore.
"Glen descended his helicopter to warn the surfers of the shark's presence. By the time the helicopter had descended closer, according to Glen, the shark was less than 5m from two of the surfers and Glen manoeuvred the helicopter to between the surfers and the shark in an attempt to scare the shark away from the surfers while also trying to warn the surfers.
"Sight of the shark was lost as a wave went in between the shark and the two surfers and, at that stage, the surfers, who had been waving back at the helicopter, may have realised that the hand signals from the helicopter's occupants indicated danger and they started to swim/paddle to shore."
Farnham said the shark was seen swimming away from the area and Brown monitored it until the animal disappeared.
"The shark working group have confirmed that the changing of seasons shows increased shark activity at shark feeding grounds."
He said the "incident is indicative of a shark investigating something in the water".
A honeymoon couple and aboard the helicopter at the time, showed the surfers photographs of the shark.
"We were having a panic attack but it was an adrenaline rush. They (the surfers) were waving to us while we were showing them signs that a shark was nearby."
http://www.gardenroute.co.za/plett/images/map.gif. . http://www.gardenroute.org/plett/images/plett1.jpg
A honeymoon couple sitting in a helicopter above South Africa's Plettenberg Bay Wednesday got a dramatic front row seat on a close encounter between five surfers and a great white shark.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said the 3.5-metre shark was spotted by a helicopter pilot, Glen Brown, who was flying the couple and another passenger over the beach in his Robinson R44 helicopter.
Brown saw the shark approaching the surfers about 50 metres off shore, then flew his helicopter down towards the surfers to warn them with hand signals to swim away - but the surfers thought Brown was just giving them a friendly wave.
When the shark closed to a distance of five metres, Brown flew his aircraft between the shark and the surfers as a diversion. The surfers only realized the danger when the other passengers also waved 'like mad,' said Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesman.
'The shark then began swimming away ... (The pilot) said he continued to monitor the shark as it moved away until it was out of sight and lost beneath the sea surface,' said Lambinon.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay Station Commander Ray Farnham said Glen Brown saw the shark from aboard his Robinson 44 helicopter.
"There has been noticeably increased shark activity closer in-shore along Plettenberg Bay's coastline over the past 14 days," said Farnham.
He said Brown, a Plettenberg Bay resident, often volunteered his helicopter to the NSRI during sea rescue emergencies when aerial support was required.
"During the observation, the shark, a 3-3.5m white shark, moved closer towards about five surfers at the back surf-line about 50m off-shore.
"Glen descended his helicopter to warn the surfers of the shark's presence. By the time the helicopter had descended closer, according to Glen, the shark was less than 5m from two of the surfers and Glen manoeuvred the helicopter to between the surfers and the shark in an attempt to scare the shark away from the surfers while also trying to warn the surfers.
"Sight of the shark was lost as a wave went in between the shark and the two surfers and, at that stage, the surfers, who had been waving back at the helicopter, may have realised that the hand signals from the helicopter's occupants indicated danger and they started to swim/paddle to shore."
Farnham said the shark was seen swimming away from the area and Brown monitored it until the animal disappeared.
"The shark working group have confirmed that the changing of seasons shows increased shark activity at shark feeding grounds."
He said the "incident is indicative of a shark investigating something in the water".
A honeymoon couple and aboard the helicopter at the time, showed the surfers photographs of the shark.
"We were having a panic attack but it was an adrenaline rush. They (the surfers) were waving to us while we were showing them signs that a shark was nearby."
http://www.gardenroute.co.za/plett/images/map.gif. . http://www.gardenroute.org/plett/images/plett1.jpg