omg i am not getting into australian waters!

[beita123]

just watched whole episose of shark week....why do people stilll get into australian waters.....too many sharks.....will be out of the water in my australia cruise.....arent you guys afraid too?

[rojaan19]

just watched whole episose of shark week....why do people stilll get into australian waters.....too many sharks.....will be out of the water in my australia cruise.....arent you guys afraid too?

 

 

In Australia more people get killed on the road than by sharks - cars are much more dangerous.

[Goldygolfer]

just watched whole episose of shark week....why do people stilll get into australian waters.....too many sharks.....will be out of the water in my australia cruise.....arent you guys afraid too?

 

You are almost as likely to be killed by an airplane falling on your house !!!

However, it is one reason why people should not swim on unpatrolled beaches - anywhere.

Sharks live in oceans all around the world.

It would take much more than sharks to deter us Aussies from swimming at our wonderful beaches.

[Northerncheapo]

Well, if you're going to go that far...

 

In terms of animals, insects and such, Australia has flying things that can kill you, swimming things that can kill you, and step on things on land that can kill you. It's all part of it's charm!

 

But I have to say, seeing a spider the size of a dinner plate, did make me a bit nervous in the rainforest,lol.

 

Don't be afraid...go for the exeriences and just be smart about it :) I do highly recommend that you do some research so you know where and how to be careful. (mind you, I did hire a private bush guide LOL)

 

Anita

[beita123]

LOL....Private bush guide? Spiders the size of a dinner plate? I havent laughed so hard in mnths!!! True about statistics. Although you have to wonder why climate change is driving sharks to shallow waters more often. In our country we worry about gangs and crime. I could see how someone from out of town would panic before coming here! We read and hear so many things about the bird flu in hng kng, sharks in australia, somali pirates in the indian ocean, snnipers in Syria....well I guess its everywhere.

[CanadianKate]

On our SYD to HKG cruise last year it was crocodiles and jelly fish that were the biggest dangers (but our stop at the Reef was cancelled due to weather.) Walking in a city park in Cairns there were signs up warning about crocs due to recent sightings. The sign said stay away from the edge of the water (it was a creek/pond) but we couldn't because the path had been flooded over.

 

And in the Philippines we did see dinner plate sized spiders hanging from the electrical wires, at the same height as our bus windows. Once we spotted them, a number of us jumped up and closed the windows on the bus (which were open because the a/c was broken and we were stuck in traffic.)

 

Life is an adventure. I'm wondering what I'll see in Africa.

[antipodean99]

not sure where I read it but, horses are the most "dangerous" animals (i.e. cause of death) in Australia.

[NCCruzQueen]

When I was in Australia last year, I bought a deck of playing cards with 54 different Australia's Dangerous Creatures on them. The creatures are rated with .5 to 4 stars. Gotta watch out for those adders!!

[drron29]

Well as an Australian I am too worried about being strangled by an anaconda in Ecuador,mauled by a grizzly bear in the USA,being caught by wolves in Canada to have enough time to be worried by sharks.And beita123 climate change is not driving sharks into shallow water.I came within 2 feet of a shark in 18 inches of water in the Lane Cove River 48years ago-that year 2 people had been attacked by sharks in Sydney waters.It was the year of the last fatal shark attack in Sydney.

See here for all the statistics-

http://www.taronga.org.au/animals-conservation/conservation-science/australian-shark-attack-file/latest-figures/latest-figures

[ging466]

Being Australian, I had quite a laugh at this thread.

 

As a tourist, u must be vigilant. Doesn't matter what part of the world u r visiting.

 

But no one has mentioned the most dangerous animal that lives in Australia ....Drop Bears. They inhabit treetops and attack their prey by dropping onto their heads from above. The only way to deter these bears is to spread vegemite behind your ears. I was attacked years ago but lived to tell the tale, it was definitely the vegemite that saved me.

 

Be afraid, be very afraid.:D:D

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[NCCruzQueen]

I agree, this thread is entertaining. Loved the wikipedia description of the Drop Bear!! Also, read Bill Bryson's In A Sunburned Country...... an American's tales of Australia. He discusses many of the Things That Can Kill You in Australia.

[Northerncheapo]

Drron29...as a Canadian I can tell you for certainty that you need to be less worried about being killed by a wolf than being killed by kindness that Canadians are known for :)

 

Loved visiting your country in 2008 and can't wait to go back some day!

[beita123]

I have read tons of studies about climate and changed animal behavior. As a matter of fact, last thing I read was that Kangaroos evolved to hop because of the vast distances they had to travel due to decades and decades of droughts. Sharks also get attracted to herd and different fauna that get washed down a river into the ocean douring extreme rains. increased animal attacks and migrations do have an explanation sometimes. I remember reading about the Durban Black December back in the 1950s. Extreme whaleing and unusual cooling of the Southh African coast were found to be contributing factors for the multiple shark attacks registered. In our country, there has only been 2 shark attacks recorded in recent history. It was a great White. The water was unusually cold doe to LA NINA. So yes, even being chewed on by a rat when we sleep can be due to climate change ( I am not downplaying hygine though!).....but extreme droughts, floods or famine can bring those nasty creatures to our homes. Lickily, i beloeve we are going to be heading towards a LA NINA event in Australia this year! But now that I think about it, maybe I rather sharks in the water and staying out.....an furious tropical cyclones in our beautifull sirverseas...(nowhere to go:))