ADVERTISEMENT
Truly heartbreaking incidents unfolded in South Australia just prior to the New Year. (Photo: Surfing South Australia)

Memorial For Khai Cowley Puts Spotlight On Shark Issue

South Australian community rattled by an issue that affects beaches around Australia.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Today a memorial was held for Khai Cowley. The talented, 15-year-old South Australian surfer was the victim of a fatal shark attack on SA’s Yorke Peninsula in late December last year. The incident took place at Ethel Beach, with his father watching on in horror from a few metres away.

One can’t begin to imagine the family’s grief, but as ‘The Australian Shark-Incident Database’ chalks up another number in the cold language of statistics, the tight-nit South Australian surfing community has been turned upside down. After six reported shark incidents (three fatal) in the last 12 months, surfers swimmers and divers from SA are beginning to question their way of life and connection to the ocean.  It doesn’t help that the sharks involved in the encounters have all been great whites.  

Khai looking for tube time at URBNSURF.

“It does rock everybody because we’re all pretty tight,” explains Michael Wollenberg, who has spent decades roaming the South Australian coast, riding waves and connecting with fellow surfers. Over the phone Michael mentions one of his friends who has a son who is a top-level junior competitor. “How does a father, tell his sixteen-year-old son he can’t go and surf certain breaks because of the sharks – good luck. ”   

Another friend of Michael’s was linked to the rescue of a surfer at Blacks, just a week after the fatal incident involving Khai Cowley. The press reported that the 64-year-old victim drove himself to the hospital after being bitten on the leg and buttocks by a great white. According to Michael someone else actually drove him to hospital but didn’t want the media attention. The real driver’s girlfriend got in touch with Michael after the incident and relayed what happened in a graphic text.

“She sent me a text saying the car is covered in blood and she’s freaking out. This is a real water-woman who’s spent her whole life in and around the ocean. Now she’s starting to question it.”

The spate of shark incidents in South Australia coincides with anecdotal reports by surfers and fishermen that they are seeing more sharks – big ones.  “We’re all convinced there are more sharks,” emphasises Michael.

Despite the anecdotal evidence for increased shark numbers and greater risk, Michael suggests that it’s hard to make a case to government tourism bodies looking to airbrush the state’s image. “There should be warnings that these are dangerous waters but that will affect tourism and they don’t want to go there…”

There is also a scientific community that tends to dismiss anything anecdotal until they have raw scientific data telling them great white numbers have increased. Therein lies the rub for surfers and ocean-goers. There’s a lag time between the growth in the shark population and the unequivocal reports from scientists saying numbers are up. Some would argue that, in the interest of self-preservation, it’s better to heed the words of fishermen and fellow surfers than wait for confirmation from dry-haired scientists.

“The scientists don’t want to confirm anything until they can see it on the computer screen in their seventh floor office, ” suggests Michael.

The South Australian surfing community are not anti-science. Like many of us they are in awe of the great white and have a grave respect for the apex predator that has become synonymous with their waters. However, for now, the SA surfing community is literally at the sharp edge of a problem that is not going away on coastlines around Australia. Surfers in locations like Margaret River on the west coast and Foster on the east coast are feeling their daily lives disrupted by sharks. There is perhaps still a lingering government tendency to dismiss surfers to the fringe, a hangover from the days when they were labelled freeloading bludgers. Maybe a dead surfer can’t vote, but I think we’d all appreciate an honest acknowledgement that we may have a problem here; followed by a whole-hearted look at the shark issue.          

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SUBSCRIBE TO TRACKS
A bi-monthly eclectic tome of tangible surfing goodness that celebrates all things surfing, delivered to your door!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
HAPPENINGS
Your portal to cultural events happening in and around the surfing sphere.
Find Events
SUBSCRIBE TO TRACKS
A bi-monthly eclectic tome of tangible surfing goodness that celebrates all things surfing, delivered to your door!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
HAPPENINGS
Your portal to cultural events happening in and around the surfing sphere.
Find Events

LATEST

Ellie Harrison's dream CT debut just got a whole lot more dreamy.

Pairing Italy's famous delicacies with a healthy dose of barrels.

The formation of Goons of Doom, why you should get pissed at their gigs and what a band with Occy, Steph Gilmore, Yago Dora and Jacko Baker would sound like.

ADVERTISEMENT

PREMIUM FEATURES

Bestowing the highest praise upon a surfer.

An edited extract from ‘The Immortals of Australian Surfing’ by Phil Jarratt.

How a land-locked mainlander chased ocean dreams to the North Shore lineups and beyond.

TRACKS PREMIUM

Get full access to every feature from our print issues, read classic Tracks issues from the 70s, 80s and 90’s, watch all of our classic films & more …

TRACKS PREMIUM

Get full access to every feature from our print issues, read classic Tracks issues from the 70s, 80s and 90’s, watch all of our classic films & more …

CLASSIC ISSUES

A threat to Angourie, the death of vibes, and a tongue in cheek guide on how to become a surf star.

PREMIUM FILM

YEAR: 2008
STARRING: JOEL PARKINSON, MICK FANNING AND DEAN MORRISON

This is the last time the original cooly kids were captured together and features some of their best surfing.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

PRINT STORE

Unmistakable and iconic, the Tracks covers from the 70s & 80s are now ready for your walls.

Tracks
Kandui Resort Interstitial