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Show Durban Unique South African organization protects the public from sharks by Steve Libby An amazing lady is in DURBAN, South Africa charge of one of the most unusual organizations in the world, in this beautiful city of 750,000 on the Indian Ocean. Beulah Davis is director of the Natal Anti Shark Measures Board at Umhlanga Rocks and is the world authority on sharks. Her responsibility, over 150 dedicated men and women who work with her, is awesome. The board was created in 1964, charged with the duty of approving, controlling and initiating measures for safeguarding bathers against shark attack. IT IS RESPONSIBLE for 41 beaches between Port Edward at the Transkei border and Richards Bay . . . more than 300 miles of Indian Ocean coast. The in NASMB nets are caught during hours of darkness. Sharks tend to swim closer to shore at night, when they are likely to feed. It is well known they have near the surface at adiurnal swimming patterns night and deeper down during the daytime. TWENTY LAND ROVER-typvehicles are used by the board to service the 270 nets, which cover a distance of over 200 miles. Additional equipment includes such ancillary gear as flares, tool boxes, first-aikits, life jackets sea anchors, gaffs and so e on. With a heritage going back 350 million years, sharks today grow to 50 in length, can reach speeds of 35 knots and leap 18 out of the water. Over the years they have earned names such as tiger, thresher, niako, angel, ghost, nurse and carpet. Some have as many as eight rows of teeth, which constantly renew themselves to ensure razor-shar- p cutting. Sharks seem to particularly enjoy dining on surfboards. If they happen to get an ankle or leg at the same time, so much the better. MRS DAMS URGES swimmers and surfers not to take chances, and her expertise has paid off in himjan lives many times over. Along a coastline where shark infestation is among the worlds heaviest, the last surfing casualty was in January' Beulah Davis sits at her desk near Umhlaga Steve Libby is a freelance travel writer who lives in West Newfield, Maine. exception is the Durban city area, looked after by the municipality. This expanse of coast is on the worlds d most dangerous waters. The boards annual budget, including subsidy payments to local authorities to provide nets, is met by a provincial grant. The 41 beaches are marked with protective signs and offshore nets. Each beach is constantly surveyed. If found dangerous for bathing the board advises bathing be prohibited. Each approved beach is assessed individually and an optiminum number of nets is installed to provide maximum coverage. Every installation is inspected by local units, weather and sea conditions allowing. k THE CREATION OF the Natal Measures Board in 1964, even then was under the direction of the remarkable Beulah Davis, resulted from an increasing number of fatalities along the coastline of Natal, particularly during the period ending in 1959. Coastal citizens were alarmed. The tourist trade suffered. This organization, unique in all the world, was born. It is Mrs. Davis who keeps everything in order. Small in stature but strong of will, Beulah, a d lady with striking vitality, has devoted her life to safety in the seas. Originally hoping to be a veterinarian, she settled for a Masters of Science in zoology from the University of Natal, spending the early years of her career as a teacher. She is, admittedly, a bug about safety," and says quite candidly, My respect for the sea is immense. "THE MOST DANGEROUS thing about swimwaters, or boating or surfing ming in on them, is overconfidence. One almost needs a fright to have the proper respect for sharks," she theorizes. k The nets are made at the Natal Measures Board, when surf conditions do not permit its employees to put to sea. The panels are sewed on the premises. There have only been two incidents of shark bites at a netted bejeh. 1x4 h as a result of disregard of a temporary ban on bathing. A COMPLEX .SYSTEM of installation, achieved over the years by coin timing ultia scientific methods with aerial survey photographs and experimentation, produced positive results for the NASMB. "It must Ik- - realized that our sealxiard is notorious as the thiid worst in the world for adverse surf conditions, explains Mrs. Davis. Therefore it is imposssible to keep anything in the surf zone or to make one long continuous net. This would lie impossible to service and why the nets are placed so that they lie beyond the breaker zone, in about 40 of water." They are anchored at both ends. Mrs. Davis adds that 99. 9 of all sharks caught Rocks. She is considered the world s foremost authority on sharks. shark-infeste- Anti-Shar- dark-haire- shark-infeste- The Salt Lake d Anti-Shar- June 29. Measures Board studies sharks in its Natal laboratory to learn every thing it can and prevent further The Anti-Shar- k injuries to humans. II l. |
