14. ‘Black December’ shark attacks stun South Africa.
For several weeks in the 1950s, a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances came together in South Africa and led to a wave of fatal shark attacks on humans. The era was known as ‘Black December’, though the attacks actually went on for much longer. Nobody knows how many sharks were responsible for the attacks, though they were all assumed to be (but not confirmed as) great whites, enhancing their reputation as fearsome man eaters and South Africa’s status as a shark attack hotspot.
The first attack happened at the popular surf spot of Karridene. A 16-year-old young man was bitten while out on the waves. He lost part of one leg but survived. The next victim wasn’t so lucky. What’s more, the 15-year-old youth was attacked and killed while he was standing in shallow water. Over the next few days and weeks, seven more attacks took place along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The local tourism industry was devastated as people stayed away from the beach. And many tourist towns went into action to catch the killer sharks.
Some local authorities tried to fit shark nets. However, these would wash away in the surf. Then the South African Navy even dropped depth charges into the ocean. But this made things worse as more sharks were attracted by the blood of the fish the explosives did kill. In the end, a special organization was set up to prevent future attacks. This continues to this day, with shark nets and drum lines installed some meters from the shoreline. The attacks also highlighted the way in which fishing and whaling can attract sharks and lure them close to the shore. Though tragic, Black December led to a better understanding of sharks and their behavior around humans.