Qld: Shark sighting good news for tourist strip

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2004
Qld: Shark sighting good news for tourist strip

By Dale Paget

GOLD COAST April 4, AAP - Shark sightings on the Gold Coast usually scare tourists
away but not any more.

The sight of man eating tiger and whaler sharks circling close to swimmers has been
turned into a tourist attraction.

The world's largest shark lagoon filled with some of the world's biggest and fiercest
sharks in captivity was officially opened at Sea World today.

Rock singer Jimmy Barnes went underwater to help launch Shark Bay by feeding a menacing
3.4 metre tiger shark from inside a plastic and steel cage.

"You have to keep your hands inside because they would get ripped off otherwise," laughed
Barnes. "I think they were trying to get rid of me."

The star attractions of Shark Bay are four large tiger sharks, the world's only two
dusky whalers in captivity and two bull whalers, the same aggressive species believed
responsible for fatal attacks two years ago in Gold Coast canals.

Only the great white shark is responsible for more attacks worldwide than tiger and bull sharks.

Sea World marine sciences director Trevor Long said overcoming the hysteria that followed
shark attacks had been one of the reasons for building Shark Bay.

The official opening of the $13 million attraction capped a controversial year of preparations.

An RSPCA investigation into the welfare of several sharks being held in a temporary
tank led to the highly publicised release of a four-metre long tiger shark called Bonnie.

Two other sharks were also returned the wild because they failed to do well in captivity,
another was put to sleep and a smaller shark was eaten by a larger shark.

"We've had a lot of highs and a lot of lows," said Mr Long, stressing that if the sharks
had not been saved by Sea World they would have been slaughtered for their fins or their
flesh.

"They are all getting a second lease on life," he said.

"In many ways we are pioneering and when ever you do pioneering there is no rule book
or reference book we are writing it as we go."

The RSPCA reports that the surviving sharks are in good health.

One of the unique features of Shark Bay is that it is an outdoor aquarium that exposes
the sharks to all of the weather elements. The size of the pool allows the sharks to glide
for 70 metres before turning around.

There is a second pool where snorkellers can swim with smaller and tamer sharks or
look through a glass window at the man eaters on the other side.

The theme park's research revealed that tourists want to face their fears with sharks.

"We did our research and asked if tourists wanted a new high speed thrill ride or something
with some of the world's largest sharks," said Warner Village Theme Parks CEO, John Menzies.

"The world's largest sharks won out."

AAP dp/bwl

KEYWORD: SHARK (WITH PICS)

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