So, I often head down to kite beach. Not because I’m some awesome pro kiter, but because it’s actually a pretty nice spot for the non kiting family members to hang out while I or my wife get to go for a kite. There’s a swimming hole (the fish pond) for the little guy, and the trees block the wind, so we can have a bbq without too much blowing sand - not something you can do at most kite beaches I’ve been to. The little guy knows to stay away from the kites, and we always have an adult around to keep an eye on him, so it works pretty well. There’s been some friction in the past between swimmers and kiters, but for the most part that spot works well, as the upwind side of the pond is pretty safe from wayward kites.
Last week we were there having a bbq with some friends, and I got to go for a quick kite. It was good, as usual, but the wind did die at the end and I had to swim the last hundred meters or so to shore. Nothing unusual, but I often start to think about sharks when I spend a lot of time thrashing around in the water there. There’s been one serious shark bite at the boneyards that I know of, and a shark did attack a loose board in the water recently just off Kaa point.
So sharks were on my mind, but I was kinda surprised when the fishermen managed to land a 5 or 6 foot tiger shark right in the fish pond shortly after I got out of the water. The kids were swimming there just a few minutes before. I think they hooked it further out by the boneyards, and released it in the fish pond, but I’m sure it swam out the gap as soon as it could. Still, it makes you think!
Now, I’m not saying this is a bad thing - there are sharks out there, and they roam all over the islands. If anything, they’re attracted by the turtles, which in turn are attracted by all that biomass generated by the extra nutritious water in that area. It was pretty neat to see a shark up close, and the kids loved it! Plus, maybe that particular shark will think twice about hanging around that particular beach in the future. Of course, there’s always a bigger fish… 
If anything, I thought this was a great example of a successful multi-use recreational area. We’ve got fishermen, kids, kiters, surfers, etc, all having fun and playing in a very small area. I think it works very well, as long as everyone treats each other with respect. I hope it stays that way. Just wanted to share.
Wade
Here’s some pics from Erika:
