From here, Reunion Island simply looks beautiful. But that’s just one side. Photo: Shutterstock // infografick
Yesterday, a 24-year-old surfer struggled to stay alive after a run-in with a shark just off the coast of Reunion Island. This year, Reunion Island has seen plenty of shark activity, including two fatal attacks. Over the last two years, it’s been host to ten attacks, three of which have been fatal. The government previously banned surfing and called for a shark cull, the ineffective reality of which set in yesterday.
Protective netting was installed to prevent close proximity between sharks and humans. The latest victim was outside the border, according to Yahoo! News, which also reported that the young surfer is now in the hospital missing one leg from the thigh down. He was only 20 yards from the shoreline when it happened.
It seems shark activity in the area has not dissuaded surfers from taking to the water. Can anything be done in Reunion Island to combat shark attacks? Is surfing there worth the high risk of attack? If not, does that mean surfers on the island give up surfing on Reunion? Share your thoughts below.
