Cape Town - There is a high presence of bronze whaler sharks in the very near shore at Kogel Bay.
This is according to Shark Spotters, who have issued the warning.
Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Marian Nieuwoudt, said that while the particular shark species are not know to be a risk, people should still take the necessary precautions.
“Shark Spotters are reporting the constant presence of high numbers of bronze whaler sharks ... This species of shark is not known to pose a significant risk to beach users but caution is still strongly advised as some of the animals are close to three metres in length.
“The high numbers in very shallow water could be courtship behaviour or the presence of food. Shark scientists are closely monitoring this aggregation,” Nieuwoudt said.
This follows another advisory from Nieuwoudt who said Cape beachgoers in False Bay should take caution of the dead pufferfish that washed ashore.
The City of Cape Town’s Coastal Management Department has confirmed the fish mortalities in False Bay, in the Muizenberg and Fish Hoek area, are the evil-eye pufferfish.
Residents were advised to stay clear of the washed-up fish, as it carries the neurotoxin tetradotoxin and should not be eaten.
The City’s Solid Waste Department has been engaged in a clean-up operation since Monday. To date, about 70 bags of fish weighing 200kg have been removed.
“The City will continue monitoring all affected areas. We want to assure residents that the clean-up operations will be ongoing. The pufferfish is not for human or animal consumption, so we advise that all beachgoers and dog-walkers avoid areas that may still need to be cleaned,” Nieuwoudt said.
Cape Argus