SA Spearo Team are off to Worlds in Croatia!

Smiling members of the SA Spearfishing team receiving their personalised dive and gun bags from Rob Allen before jetting off to Croatia to compete in the world champs. From left to right: Rob Allen (sponsor), Dave Cockburn (Phil Gray Signage), Ryan Burmester, Brent Borstlap and Craig Heslop.Add caption

Some of the national team have already left for World Spearfishing Championships in Croatia, the rest of the guys will leave in the next few days. This will give the team just over a week to scout and climatize to the spearfishing conditions over there.

South Africa's best result to date was in Croatia some years back, lets hope the boys do well and keep the flag flying.

Good Luck,

Coatesman

Massive DatShark Activity with the Rotting Whale in Ballito

Day 4 and the Whale in Ballito still sits rotting. Spewing rotting whale blubber everywhere.

 Last Saturday a dead Humpback whale washed up on the rocks off Ballito, the already rotting carcus was followed by sharks and bite marks could be seen on the carcus. The sea and tide was perfect to tow the whale back out to sea, but the municipality in their wisdom decided to have a series of meetings spanning a couple days in which time the sea turned and the opportunity lost. The guys from the local Sharks Board where there ready to make an attempt on Saturday but the 'Eish' the municipality must have there 10cents or lack of involved.

So now we have a rotting 30 tonne chunk of whale stinking, and sending pieces of whales up and down the coast. Local people are also taking chunks of the rotting flesh .., one can only hope they are not eating it!!

Martin from the Sharks board said he found a huge chunk of intestine off Salt Rock yesterday .... that's 8km away!
He also said the Shark activity was insane, which loads of sharks in the area near the whale. The Sharks board have lifted all their nets all the way from Ballito to Salt Rock with this massive shark activity.

2m Tiger Shark beached just south of Salt rock beach.

Yesterday a juvenile 2m Tiger Shark washed up between Shakas Rock and Salt Rock main beach. The Shark has been sent off to the Sharks Board to find out the cause of death, and if it had been feeding on the Whale. I am sure this is only one a many that have been feeding on the whale. The problem is that even once the whale has been removed it will take weeks for the oily fat deposit on the beaches to wash away. The big question is .... when will it be safe to venture into the sea again??

Any one for a whale burger ... or any one keen to donate a leg to the sharks?

Coatesman

Spearfishing Update

Benjamin Bucher - 37kg Wahoo shot at 7mile - Sordwana Bay

Its been a bit crazy getting back to work after the long weekend at Sordwana for the Blue water Classic Compie.

Andy Henwood took the first prize on points, totally out preforming all the other guys on both days.
The diving was hard and many guys did not shoot a fish the whole weekend. Ben Bucher came second in the biggest fish category with his 37kg Wahoo. But I think he won the comp on envy!

Darrell sent through this report of the south coast:

Dont know if there`s been much diving the past few days??, certainly not inshore my side with this big cold front which just passed.
The august winds are on time too, so its a case of the `early bird` when the swell drops off.
I`m sure theres still some garrick about and the `sards` have probably disappeared though we hardly had action on the middle- south coast.
Last I got in was last Tuesday with `green but clean` water and saw a couple of snoek off the cuda court area in hibberdene, whilst my gun was snagged in a cave.
There are a few brusher making an appearance as the fishermen caught a few over the weekend along the Hibberdene-Umzumbe stretch though they were under 5 kgs.

Shane from Freedivers gave me a call to say his Bluewater Classic Comp was a successful comp. at Sodwana with a few sailfish coming out and one really big 30+ Kg wahoo amongst other fish as well.
Gary Gillon meanwhile was up at vidal and reported things quiet but they did manage one decent cuda and a 24 kg wahoo.

cheers-

Darrell

The diving here on the North Coast has been dismal and there has not been any diving for the last week or two. The Sardines in the Durban area, and the even the odd day were sardines have been netted. So hopefully if the conditions let the boys get in there will be some good reports soon.

Coatesman