An incredible discovery within the boundaries of a shark net at a popular beach had Aussies flocking to the coastline to catch a glimpse. Perth resident Harry Reiffer caught incredible footage of the predator as residents tried to ascertain what type of animal it was, causing a commotion in the water.
“A crowd had gathered around the main Cottesloe Beach carpark,” Reiffer told Yahoo News. As usual in WA, the moment you see a fin, everyone first wants to make sure it’s not a shark.”
Luckily, on this occasion, the animal that “jumped right over” the shark net was in fact a seal enjoying a nice stingray meal.
“It dived in and out of the water, preying on a stingray that it had followed into the net,” he said.
“A few seconds later, we saw it thrashing about, and it had flipped a stingray upside down and thrown it out of the water.”
It’s understood that the seal made its way out of the net again when it was ready.
The WA local, who works in marketing for a winery, said a swimmer spotted in the video close to the seal simply treaded water, and watched in awe “just metres away”.
It’s not the first time that wildlife has made its way into the shark net. Earlier this year, a two-metre bronze whaler shark breached the barrier net, finding itself trapped on the swimmer side of the water.
While authorities attempted to make the shark leave, rescue efforts were derailed when an unknown resident defied the swimming ban to enter the water and shoot the animal with a spear gun.
According to Reiffer, the clever seal used the net, intended for keeping sea life out, as “a lunchbox to keep [its] prey inside”.
Seal incident highlights shark net issue
The issue of shark nets and their effectiveness is one that remains a controversial topic of debate, particularly as whales make their migration up and down the coastline.
In NSW, there are nets at 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong, with recent data suggesting they are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of marine animals — many vulnerable and endangered.
The Eco Shark Barrier floating at Cottesloe beach before being set in place. Source: Eco Shark Barrier
The Eco Shark Barrier erected at Cottesloe Beach every summer has been applauded by wildlife experts, described as a “marine-friendly” alternative to traditional shark “barriers”.
The 310-metre-long barrier consists of a network of durable components and works to form an enclosure that is flexible enough to allow the passage of small marine life but also rigid enough to prevent the entry of large marine animals, including sharks.
Owner Craig Moss, from Perth, previously told Yahoo News the barriers were built to “withstand forces of nature” and aimed at allowing people to “feel confident and safe at the beach”.
Once installed, the barrier looks similar to a children’s netted pool common at many beaches across the country.
But, unlike traditional shark nets or netted pools, the barrier does not pose any risk to marine life. Instead, it allows aquatic animals to move more freely around it or through it — just as the seal has done.
“Unlike ‘shark nets’ (those used on NSW and Queensland ocean beaches), Eco Shark Barriers actually create a completely enclosed space for swimmers, and also unlike shark nets, they do not entangle and kill wildlife,” Lawrence Chlebeck from the Humane Society International (HSI) previously said.
In Western Australia, Eco Shark Barriers can also be found at beaches in Coogee, Sorrento and Esperance.
In NSW, there is one at Bermagui Beach on the south coast. Overseas in the Bahamas, one exists at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.
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