RICK Anderson says he isn’t scared of sharks and he is appealing to others to learn to love them.
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“I try and convince people that once you see a shark eye to eye it’s totally different to sitting on a surfboard, body board or even a boat looking at every shadow that goes underneath thinking it’s a shark coming to get you,” he said.
“Eye to eye they look at you, you look at them and you go your own way.
“I find that once people see their first shark their whole attitude changes.
“They realise that they are not as scary as what they thought they were.”
Mr Anderson compares the marine creatures to dogs, in the way the convey their behaviour and attitude towards humans.
“You’re not going to go up to a dog that is arching its back and growling at you,” he said.
“If a shark is arching and its perpetual fins are down, it’s telling you to move on.”
He admits he has overstepped the boundary a few times.
“I’ve realised my mistake and moved on,” Mr Anderson said.
“I’ve had great whites cruise in, have a bit of a look at me and go on.”
Mr Anderson is against the controversial policy introduced in Western Australia to kill a shark if it poses an imminent threat to humans.
He said many of the same issues that occur in WA are also happening in NSW.
Mr Anderson said that sharks come closer to shore because they are attracted to the scent of whale carcasses which have broken down after being buried in the sand on many beaches.
Port Macquarie is situated in sub temperate and subtropical waters.
Mr Anderson said this brings a variety of marine species to the area.
“Depending on the time of the year you get a good mixture of marine life moving through,” he said.
Mr Anderson often sees grey nurse sharks, fur seals, leopard seals, penguins and an assortment fish in a range of colours.
Tiger sharks are his favourite kind of sharks. He describes them as pig headed but also graceful creatures.