Black December refers to at least nine shark attacks on humans causing six deaths that occurred along the coast of Natal Province in the Union of South Africa, from December 18, 1957, to April 5, 1958. [1]
Black December refers to at least nine shark attacks on humans causing six deaths that occurred along the coast of Natal Province in the Union of South Africa, from December 18, 1957, to April 5, 1958. [1]
In December 1957 several key factors occurred simultaneously to attract sharks to the Durban area, including: (1) whaling ships operating in the area; (2) rivers had flooded and washed livestock into the Indian Ocean and made the river deltas murky; and (3) recent resort development had increased the number of tourists swimming off the beaches. [2] Adding to the confusion was the lack of adequate shark research and the knowledge to prevent shark attacks in 1957. [2]
| Name | Age | Date | Species | Location | Nature of injury(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fay Jones Bester | 28 | 1958-04-05 | Unknown | Uvongo | Fatal attack, while surfing. | [3] [4] |
| Nicholaas Badenhorst | 29 | 1958-04-03 | Unknown | Port Edward | Fatal attack, arm severed above elbow, abdomen & leg bitten, while swimming. | [3] [5] |
| Derryck Garth Prinsloo | 42 | 1958-01-04 | Great white shark | Scottburgh | Fatal attack, mauled below waist, femoral artery severed, while standing. | [3] [6] |
| Unknown male | -- | 1958 | Unknown | MaKakatana River | Fatal attack, right leg severed above knee, while fishing. | [3] [7] |
| Julia Painting | 14 | 1957-12-30 | Unknown | Margate | Non-fatal attack, left arm severed, torso bitten, thigh lacerated, many abrasions, while standing. | [3] [8] |
| Donald Webster | 20 | 1957-12-26 | Unknown | Port Edward | Non-fatal attack, lacerations on head and neck, while skindiving. | [3] [9] |
| Vernon James Berry | 23 | 1957-12-23 | Unknown | Margate | Fatal attack, right arm broken & stripped of flesh, left hand severed above wrist, lower abdomen, buttocks, & thigh bitten, while floating. | [3] [10] |
| Allan Green | 15 | 1957-12-20 | Unknown | Uvongo | Fatal attack, multiple severe injuries, while standing. | [3] [11] |
| Robert Wherley | 16 | 1957-12-18 | Unknown | Karridene | Non-fatal attack, left leg severed at knee, part of left thigh removed, while body surfing. | [3] [12] |
Tourists fled the Durban area during Black December causing a devastating impact on the local economy. [13] The local authorities desperately made attempts to protect swimmers and surfers from sharks. [1] These attempts included enclosures built from wooden poles and netting; however, both were ineffective and were destroyed by the surf. [1] A South African Navy frigate dropped depth charges causing few shark fatalities and attracted many more sharks into the area that feasted on the dead fish. [1]
As a result of Black December the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, previously the Natal Sharks Board and Natal Anti-Shark Measures Board, was formed in 1962. [14] [15] [16] The organization's mandate is to maintain shark nets and drum lines at 38 places, along 320 km of coastline of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, to protect bathers and surfers from possible shark attacks. [14]
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province.
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A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, and horror fiction and films such as the Jaws series. Out of more than 500 shark species, only three are responsible for a double-digit number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger, and bull. The oceanic whitetip has probably killed many more shipwreck and plane crash survivors, but these are not recorded in the statistics. Humans are not part of a shark's normal diet. Sharks usually feed on small fish and invertebrates, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals. A shark attack will usually occur if the shark feels curious or confused.
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