Sharkwater
I know, I’m the first one to pussy-out when I hear the word shark. But I’m also pretty realistic about the real threat when to comes to sharks. Unfortunately, Its not us who should be scared, It’s the sharks. If surfers have anything real to fear, it’s danger from crocodiles. After heavy rains It’s not uncommon for them to swim out from swollen rivermouths and into our lineups.
I couldn’t find any evidence of shark attacks on Costa Rica’s Pacific side, and only found one story about a man who went missing while swimming in Costa Rica’s Caribbean waters, and whose remains later washed up on shore. The man was 36 year old Jason Cash. This was the only incident I found after a cursory Google search.
Pacific Costa Rican waters are home to over 50 species of sharks. The population is spread out and the truth is: you are a 100 times more likely to be struck by lightning while beating off to internet porn than you are to be bitten by a shark. Since I’m unusually paranoid, when I hear that estimate I always factor in the surfboard silhouette thing that we surfers are known for… so lets say 50 times more likely… Still pretty good odds.
The two most notorious species for attacks on humans - Tiger sharks and Bull sharks - both frequent Costa Rica’s inshore waters. The tiger shark is reputed to be the most dangerous, but this sketchy statistic probably has more to do with the number of fisherman who get bitten while hauling them out of the water, than actual attacks on swimmers and surfers. Reef tips are more common and far less likely to nibble you. I’ve only ever seen one shark on my trips to Costa Rica. I think it was about a 4 or 5 foot reef tip shark, and it was swimming with it’s fin exposed just outside the lineup at Playa Negra. When sharks attack, It’s a widely believed by shark researchers that they are just confused and mistake humans for something else… Oops! Nibbled your toes!
All smart-assing aside, sharks in Costa Rica don’t have it as good as you think they might. It’s not just a smorgisborg of all-you-can-eat surfers. Here’s why: shark fin soup. I’m not kidding. Thousands and thousands of sharks are caught, finned, and rdumped back overboard to die a horrible death. The fins are dried and shipped to Asia where they are a coveted delicacy.
And it gets worse, the industry within Costa Rica is rife with government corruption and mafia involvement. For this reason it has been very difficult to stop this brutal practice. Recently a law was passed to stop the fishermen from dumping the sharks after removing the fins, but not to regulate the fishing itself - just that the fisherman would be required to return to shore with the whole shark, or incur a fine.
If you are interested in finding out more, see if you can get a copy of the Sharkwater documentary, released in 2007, which explains the cruelty of the finning process as well as the urgency of the matter with the sharks becoming extinct. In spite of international pressure, Taiwan has continued to get its fins from Costa Rica’s waters. Here’s a clip from Sharkwater that will make you literally sick:
The other obvious problem the sharks face comes from the sport fishing industry. Think about what you are really doing if this is your game - adding to the possible extinction of the human race you idiot. There’s a reason why these impressive predators are at the top fo the food chain and we will all be sorry if someday they’re gone. I don’t approve of sport fishing for sharks, so you can stop emailing me to ask where the best shark fishing is. In fact, If I had a live shark with me right now, I would throw it at your face… Mr. sport fishing moron guy who emailed me. Or at least i will tell you to go watch the Sharkwater movie. I’m not that tough in real life.
