Tazzy from Turkeymelt on Vimeo.
Friday, 28 October 2011
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Attack of the food chain
Unless you've been living in a bucket for the last few weeks, you can't have failed to have heard about the recent spate of shark attacks in Australian waters. Tragic as they are—and they are—they seem to have triggered some kind of knee-jerk barbarism, the likes of which I thought had seen a welcomed demise.
In response, this has just appeared on the CNN website. It's both interesting and reassuring.
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There is no doubt that the three recent fatal shark attacks in Western Australia involve great white sharks. This species is known to inhabit the shallow waters along this coast and are known to migrate south around this time of the year to the seal colonies on the southwest coast.
While they may stay around seal colonies -- their natural prey -- for months, they are not noted for sitting off a beach waiting for food to turn up. They are mostly individual, transient, inquisitive animals that will investigate objects in the water.
Swimming, surfing or diving alone near aquatic animals (including seals and dolphins) far from the beach early in the morning or late in the evening may well attract a curious shark and increase the risk of encountering one. As the population increases and water-related activities become more popular, the number of people who go into the water every day also increases. But the chance of encountering a shark still remains very low.
Most Australians understand the risk when they enter the ocean. Over the past 50 years, only one person has been killed by a shark each year in Australia on average, compared to the 87 people who drown at Australian beaches on average each year, according to Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA). Therefore, the hysteria in the media surrounding a shark attack seems disproportional to other fatal incidents.
Historically human-shark interactions predominantly occurred in the
summer months. But in recent decades, swimmers, surfers and divers are
continuing to pursue these activities outside of the traditional summer
season because of improvements in wetsuit technology.
This is reflected in the occurrence of shark attacks throughout the year since the 1950s; particularly for surfers, snorkelers and SCUBA divers who can enter the water at any time of the year and extend the time they spend in the water in areas that, in earlier decades, were likely to be too cold for recreational purposes. In the past 20 years, 49% of all shark-attack victims were wearing a wetsuit.
There have been 26 attacks recorded in the cooler months (May-August) during the past two decades, resulting in six fatalities compared with 15 incidents -- resulting in four fatalities -- during the same months in the previous 20-year period.
There is no suggestion that wetsuits in themselves are the cause of an attack, but rather that their use has allowed people to extend their time in the water, increasing the risk of encountering a shark.
The frequency of attacks also reflects the popularity of water-based activities in harbors, estuarine areas and rivers, with people more likely to encounter species such as bull sharks, which have a propensity to inhabit shallow nearshore coastal areas, bays, harbors and rivers in summer months.
In the vast majority of cases, sharks involved in an attack on humans do not stay around the area and can swim 80 to 100 km away by the next day. Unfortunately other sharks may later swim into the area and may be blamed for the attack. Hunting down and killing sharks on suspicion of being responsible is unjustifiable.
However, if the animal can be identified and has not left the area, it would be appropriate to remove it. But once the animal swims away it would be almost impossible to know which shark was responsible. Shark attacks are a reality of entering the ocean, but it is worth emphasizing that they are very rare events.
Even If you do encounter a shark, the chances of being attacked are very small.
John West is currently the Manager of Life Sciences Operations at Taronga and Taronga Western Plains Zoos. He is been the Curator of the Australian Shark Attack File supported by the Taronga Conservation Society Australia (TCSA) for the last 30 years.
In response, this has just appeared on the CNN website. It's both interesting and reassuring.
-------
There is no doubt that the three recent fatal shark attacks in Western Australia involve great white sharks. This species is known to inhabit the shallow waters along this coast and are known to migrate south around this time of the year to the seal colonies on the southwest coast.
While they may stay around seal colonies -- their natural prey -- for months, they are not noted for sitting off a beach waiting for food to turn up. They are mostly individual, transient, inquisitive animals that will investigate objects in the water.
Swimming, surfing or diving alone near aquatic animals (including seals and dolphins) far from the beach early in the morning or late in the evening may well attract a curious shark and increase the risk of encountering one. As the population increases and water-related activities become more popular, the number of people who go into the water every day also increases. But the chance of encountering a shark still remains very low.
Most Australians understand the risk when they enter the ocean. Over the past 50 years, only one person has been killed by a shark each year in Australia on average, compared to the 87 people who drown at Australian beaches on average each year, according to Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA). Therefore, the hysteria in the media surrounding a shark attack seems disproportional to other fatal incidents.
This is reflected in the occurrence of shark attacks throughout the year since the 1950s; particularly for surfers, snorkelers and SCUBA divers who can enter the water at any time of the year and extend the time they spend in the water in areas that, in earlier decades, were likely to be too cold for recreational purposes. In the past 20 years, 49% of all shark-attack victims were wearing a wetsuit.
There have been 26 attacks recorded in the cooler months (May-August) during the past two decades, resulting in six fatalities compared with 15 incidents -- resulting in four fatalities -- during the same months in the previous 20-year period.
There is no suggestion that wetsuits in themselves are the cause of an attack, but rather that their use has allowed people to extend their time in the water, increasing the risk of encountering a shark.
The frequency of attacks also reflects the popularity of water-based activities in harbors, estuarine areas and rivers, with people more likely to encounter species such as bull sharks, which have a propensity to inhabit shallow nearshore coastal areas, bays, harbors and rivers in summer months.
In the vast majority of cases, sharks involved in an attack on humans do not stay around the area and can swim 80 to 100 km away by the next day. Unfortunately other sharks may later swim into the area and may be blamed for the attack. Hunting down and killing sharks on suspicion of being responsible is unjustifiable.
However, if the animal can be identified and has not left the area, it would be appropriate to remove it. But once the animal swims away it would be almost impossible to know which shark was responsible. Shark attacks are a reality of entering the ocean, but it is worth emphasizing that they are very rare events.
Even If you do encounter a shark, the chances of being attacked are very small.
John West is currently the Manager of Life Sciences Operations at Taronga and Taronga Western Plains Zoos. He is been the Curator of the Australian Shark Attack File supported by the Taronga Conservation Society Australia (TCSA) for the last 30 years.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Ray: A Life Underwater
Ray: A Life Underwater from Danny Cooke on Vimeo.
You can thank Ed over at Quality Peoples for this. That's where I saw it first anyway. And whilst this eccentric short was filmed right here, in UK waters, with the familiar accents and unmistakeably 'British' feel, it makes it's way to us via our equatorial (Mexico/Hawaii-based) compadré.
I re-post, from time to time. Things I've seen on Quality Peoples, material from other sources too – I believe that's what blogging's all about – but to the same token, I quite often make the choice not to, my decision based on it being too exotic, too 'non-UK', Numbskulls is meant to be an east coast UK blog after all... so, it was particularly interesting to see something from 'home' on Ed's exotic web-log.
If you haven't checked QP out I recommend you do. Go here. But first... enjoy the above. Cheers Ed.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Uncommon Ideals - printed promo
I was recently approached by good friends and creators of Uncommon Ideals, Chris McClean and Mark Waters to design a printed promo-device to accompany their short film – something they could take with them to the London Surf Film Festival, so I was more than happy to get the chance to produce these (very) limited edition little books.
Printed on recycled stock, hand-stitched with linen thread, and with a hand screened cover, I used the idea of a barometer arrow, pointing north bordered by the scaled-edge 'frame', the kind you find on old admiralty charts.
On the inside, like in the film, Daniel Crockett's poem appears, the lines of which are occasionally punctuated by the book's 'gutter'. The book is further illustrated by photographic images from various locations on the North Sea rim.
Friday, 14 October 2011
My mate Chris has bought himself a water housing.
Oh well, practice makes perfect.
Actually, I'm being unfair, he's a good lensman and he got some great shots at this soopa-fun little beach-break, but this one of yours truly made us LOL out loud.
Chris is currently daarn saarf at the London Surf Film Festival where his film Uncommon Ideals is showing (and competing) in the Shorties category. In my opinion, it's the best entry and it deserves to win, but then I'm bias, but have a watch and see for yourself. I think you'll agree, it's the good-shit.
Another notable entry is The First Swell by Tim Boydell, which is worth watching for the amazing waves alone. I get the impression also that Tim has no shortage of quality surfers prepared to throw themselves over the ledge for our viewing pleasure. Oh, and they've got a ski.
I would also like to mention that Tim was one of the first people to comment on the Uncommon Ideals' Vimeo page with a really nice message, congratulating Chris (and Mark) on their efforts, so hats off to Tim, a good egg indeed!
So, good luck to all at the Fest, wish I could make it.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Be careful out there
One of the Yorkshire boys broke his back in the water today. Heavy stuff. Get well soon.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Bully-boy beat down
THIS is really interesting. Howies vs Finisterre... and Howies—the big(ish)-dog—all of a sudden appear to be behaving like a big, fat, conglomerate, douche-bag!
I guess this could all be viewed with an all's fair in love and war... business is business kind of attitude, but I'm not sure that companies can afford to be quite that blasé—especially in the oh-so-tiny world of UK surfing.
These days, consumers are responding less favourably to these somewhat mercenary tacticians, and, rightly so. The reaction on Facebook has proven that. People have become wise to these methods, and they have strong opinions on them, meaning the 'big(ger)-daddies' of retail are finding it increasingly difficult to sneak things like this under the radar.
Now, I don't think it would be completely fair to vilify Howies here. There's always the chance that something could've happened unbeknownst to them and that there's an innocuous reason for all of this, but if that is the case, Howies (who quickly removed the ad) might want to be a bit more careful in future.
It's an interesting story, so take the time to read Finisterre's account, and make your own mind up.
EDIT > Howies have posted a response, and they're PISSED! Go here.
I guess this could all be viewed with an all's fair in love and war... business is business kind of attitude, but I'm not sure that companies can afford to be quite that blasé—especially in the oh-so-tiny world of UK surfing.
These days, consumers are responding less favourably to these somewhat mercenary tacticians, and, rightly so. The reaction on Facebook has proven that. People have become wise to these methods, and they have strong opinions on them, meaning the 'big(ger)-daddies' of retail are finding it increasingly difficult to sneak things like this under the radar.
Now, I don't think it would be completely fair to vilify Howies here. There's always the chance that something could've happened unbeknownst to them and that there's an innocuous reason for all of this, but if that is the case, Howies (who quickly removed the ad) might want to be a bit more careful in future.
It's an interesting story, so take the time to read Finisterre's account, and make your own mind up.
EDIT > Howies have posted a response, and they're PISSED! Go here.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Uncommon Ideals – your vote counts
A couple of posts back I wrote this about a short film called Uncommon Ideals that my mate Chris McClean had put together with cinematographer Mark Waters. Well, since it's online 'release' it appears to have gone completely viral and hooned it's way all over the globe, literally overnight. If you're a surfer, and you're in any way connected to the internet you'll almost certainly have caught a whiff of it by now, and for good reason – it's very very good.
Chris entered Uncommon Ideals into the short-film category of the London Surf Film Festival and votes for it have gone through the roof. That's not to say that the other films in contention aren't any good, the competition is strong (in places), so every vote counts if we're gonna see this great little indie-flick do well.
If you haven't voted yet or if you haven't seen it (which is hard to imagine), there's still time to go here, scroll down and click the 'like' button to register your vote – dead simple. Watch it first though, it's a cracker.
Chris entered Uncommon Ideals into the short-film category of the London Surf Film Festival and votes for it have gone through the roof. That's not to say that the other films in contention aren't any good, the competition is strong (in places), so every vote counts if we're gonna see this great little indie-flick do well.
If you haven't voted yet or if you haven't seen it (which is hard to imagine), there's still time to go here, scroll down and click the 'like' button to register your vote – dead simple. Watch it first though, it's a cracker.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Uncommon Ideals
Uncommon Ideals. from Doggerland. on Vimeo.
Take a look at this beautifully shot short film. It's just one of the offerings being shown as part of the London Surf Film Festival, and whilst there are many films being shown at the festival, this one's a bit different because it's by my good friend Chris 'Fez' McClean, and I happen to know just how much passion and effort he's but into this project, and it appears to have payed off.I know he has high hopes for this, so, good luck to Fez (and Mark Waters, cinematographer/editor).
Thursday, 11 August 2011
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