More Sharks in Japanese Coastal Waters: Sea-bathers Watch Out!

Only a few days ago Zaikeinews reported on fleets of sharks in Japanese coasts. Now, they've come again - in larger flocks.

A huge flock of over 30 sharks were found cruising offshore Chigasaki, Kanagawa, confirmed by a Police chopper, August 14 afternoon. The City of Chigasaki was quick to declare the beach closed. Experts identified the sharks hammerheads (Sphyrna xygaena), 1.5 meters long. 

Sharks are damaging local businesses. At the Oarai Sun Beach up in Ibaragi, the entire stretch of sea-bathing beach is crowded only with red flags banning bathing and empty parasols. Lifeguards warn occasional visitors away from the beach. Owners of the beach houses grumble "now is the time for 'summer business' but only one hundredth of last year's total bathers come this season. "Hope sharks will go away soon enough", laments a beach-shower owner.

The Patrol Center of the Oarai Sun Beach told the beach was crowded with 3,000-4,000 one day and only 30-40 the next day - before and after sharks.

Souvenir shops along the beach are harder hit. A male staff at "IkiIki" laments the sharks have driven our customers away at the most profiting time of year.

While on sharks, there's saddening news far away from Japan. A certain Japanese male Tadashi Nakahara was found deadly devoured by a shark August 9, New South Wales, Australia. A 3.5-4-meter great while shark was witnessed having assaulted him. Rescuers arrived only too late. Nakahara is from Tokyo and lived alone enjoying surfing in his pastime.

Allow me to conclude this shark story with a dramatic episode away in South Africa. It happened amid an international surfing contest, when a huge shark emerged and attacked a participant surfer. He faced the shark and slugged it across its "chin". That scared the shark, and it fled - it so seemed. He later confided, "I was suddenly dragged into water, and, Oh my God, I was scared!" The contest was suspended.

So, beware of sharks.