Cape Jervis, Australia (24 July 2001) -- THOUSANDS of people flocked to Cape Jervis yesterday to witness SA's newest tourist attraction ? a dead whale being eaten by great white sharks. But as charter boat operators rejoiced, the State Government said it was "appalled" by the behaviour of people who reached into the water, touching the deadly sharks. Environment Minister Iain Evans said he would investigate new laws to create exclusion zones around dead whales. "I am shocked at the level of disrespect for their own safety that has been shown by some members of the public in this case," he said. "I am also appalled by the bizarre behaviour of walking across the back of dead whales or for that matter `patting' a great white shark while it is feeding." While current exclusion zones for whales prevented people going within 100m of the creatures, there were no restrictions for whale carcasses. "I will . . . ask the department to look at exclusion zones for dead whales," Mr Evans said. Several people have reached into the water and touched the white pointers as they circle and chew the 15m carcass. Another two men climbed on to the whale's back - one of them holding a young child. Yesterday, two police crews from the state's water operations unit were at the scene in Backstairs Passage, south of Cape Jervis, monitoring about 15 boats which have carried thousands of sightseers to the whale's watery resting place over the past two days. One boat operator was reported and sent back to shore because police said he did not have appropriate safety equipment, including lifejackets for all his passengers. Another man was warned by police after he tried to pat a shark. But Senior Constable Darryl Wright, of the water operations unit, said the other boat operators at the scene were "well-behaved". Police found no evidence of boat owners taking fares from sightseers without an appropriate licence. More than 100 people lined the Cape Jervis wharf as charter boats went back and forth to the whale. | | Insurance Council of Australia SA manager Chris Newland warned that charter operators who allowed people to pat the sharks could face legal action if customers were harmed. "If you're taking a fare from someone you owe them a duty of care," he said. Tour operator Gary Lloyd, of Fleurieu Charters, was charging $25 for an hour trip and $120 for a half-day at the scene. "The phone's been running hot all day," he said. The Sealink ferry also detoured to the carcass, allowing passengers a close-up view. Like most sightseers, the sight of the menacing white pointers lured German student Anne Munk, 26, to the scene. "To see them so close was incredible," she said. With its blubber looking like damaged polystyrene, the whale's carcass was still being attacked by sharks yesterday. National Parks and Wildlife resource protection manager Dr Deb Kelly said there were no plans to retrieve that carcass, which was first spotted on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Insurance Council of Australia SA manager Chris Newland warned that charter operators who allowed people to pat the sharks could face legal action if customers were harmed. "If you're taking a fare from someone you owe them a duty of care," he said. |
