Muriwai is on the east coast of North Island, New Zealand. It is also home of a large colony of gannets.
Gannets are also found along the Gulf of Mexico. I have no clue if there is a direct correlation, but, the chance is there is a strong attraction to birds that dive into the water to feed by sharks. It would be an interesting study for a biologist concerned about shark survival. It would be a worthwhile study for separate studies to be conducted by non-communicating scientists in the USA and New Zealand. Their work could be published at the same time with the same investigative methodology. It would be interesting. The gannets might have the same creature habits in the same cycle regardless of the hemisphere.
Video of diving gannets (click here)
Fatal shark attack at Muriwai Beach (click here)
Wed, 27 Feb 2013 2:03p.m
As many as four sharks may have been involved in a fatal attack on a swimmer at Muriwai Beach this afternoon.
A witness told 3 News he spotted the lone swimmer whilst he was out fishing at the beach, on Auckland’s west coast, shortly before 2pm.
The distressed man - believed to be in his 40s - signalled for help when he was attacked by a shark, before he was pulled underwater.
At this point, the witness says three or four other sharks appeared in the area....
The gannets in Florida were one of the most impacted birds during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
The bird lives (click here) largely within the waters of the continental shelf from New England south along the Atlantic Coast to Florida, and west along the Gulf Coast to Texas and Northeast Mexico. Large concentrations of adult birds are often seen off the New England coast.
Shark alert at Muriwai Beach (click here)
2:43 PM Friday Mar 8, 2013
Swimmers were told to get out of the water at Muriwai Beach near Auckland today after a report of a shark.
Lifeguards believe it was a false alarm and may have been Maui's dolphins that were swimming in the area, which was the site of a fatal shark attack last Wednesday.
Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguards chairman Tim Jago said a board rider reported seeing a small shark, about 1-2m long, at Maori Bay, next to Muriwai, about noon.
Swimmers and surfers were asked to get out of the water while lifeguards deployed a boat to investigate....
