Monday, June 2, 2008

Shark Hot Spots-Korea?

One of the last places on the planet we would have thought was "sharky" would be Korea. No so, according to the latest news from The Korea Times.

Grab your shark cages-word on the street is they even have a few Great Whites lurking about:

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Global warming has made the West Sea an ideal habitat for sharks but a dangerous one for beach goers.

A shark warning was issued over the weekend as rising temperatures will attract sharks over the next two months. ``The warning will remain in effect until temperatures in the waters drop below 11 degrees Celsius,'' Kim Jong-sup, an official at the South Chungcheong Provincial Government, told The Korea Times.

Sharks live in waters where temperatures hover between 11 and 22 degrees Celsius. He warned that sharks are likely to gather around coastal surface waters until late July. Scuba divers and ``haenyeo'' ― female divers who scoop up such lucrative crustaceans as shells, crabs and trepang ― are especially at risk from shark attacks, he added.

Six people have fallen victim to shark attacks since 1981, with the most recent taking place in June 2005.

``In-shore sharks are mostly seen by haenyeo,'' Kim said. ``People are obliged to report shark sightings to authorities immediately. Upon such a report, the government suspends any type of inshore fishing and other activities including scuba diving.''

Two Great White Sharks were reportedly captured last month near an island off the province, with six other man-eaters being found in the area recently.

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