“Free Billy”
While Cape Town’s beach-loving community has been actively supporting the Shark Spotter programme (where watchers sit on the mountainside along the coast and alert life guards when sharks are in the vicinity so that the water can be evacuated) the Two Ocean Aquarium are setting free sharks around the corner near Cape Aghulhas.
Swimmers and surfers need not fear… these are not the great whites recently associated with the spate of attacks in recent years along the False Bay coast which has left some unfortunate victims minus limbs, and in one case, dead.
This is a far happier tale – Cape Town’s own Sharks’ Tale – with two ‘raggies’ (ragged tooth sharks) named Bella and Billy being released back into their natural environment to join three of their predecessors from the Aquarium. Their journey involves a long swim up the east coast towards KwaZulu-Natal, believed to be the annual migration route of the species.
The event is part of the Save Our Seas programme, which involves in-depth studies into the life cycle of the sharks that swim in these waters.
The raggies are sedated then placed in a holding pool where they are tagged with an ultra-sonic device: Two holes are drilled through the dorsal fin of each shark and plates are attached on either side for a pop-up archival transmitting satellite tag to be attached between prior to the release.
Information gathered would include the sharks’ location, and the depth and temperature of the waters through which they swim.
The sharks, both of which were originally caught at Struisbaai, have been part of a group that has entertained the public for eleven years. During this time they have contributed greatly to the knowledge of the behaviour of their species.
Shark species are under threat of extinction if they continue to be slaughtered, according to experts. A key principal of the programme has been to help alter negative perceptions about sharks by educating the public.
Another way in which we can learn more about sharks is by encountering them in their own environment. Shark cage diving, when properly carried out by reputable tour companies, offer invaluable and fascinating encounters with various shark species in and around the Cape waters.