Clean, choppy, or cranking, when the surf’s up, so too are the surfers. But even the most avid surfer would steer clear of the waves when a shark is about… or would they? In a new study from the University of South Australia, researchers found that 60 per cent of surfers are not afraid of sharks when surfing, despite more than half of them spotting a shark when out in the water. It’s an interesting finding, particularly given people’s general fascination and fear of sharks, but as behavioural scientist and conservation psychology researcher, UniSA’s Dr Brianna Le Busque, says it’s a step in the right direction when it comes to shark conservation. “People have long feared sharks - not surprisingly given the hype generated from modern shark movies,” Dr Le Busque says. “But e...
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Surfing is no longer a solitary pursuit for Dan Fischer. When he catches a wave along the shores of Rhode Island, he looks down at a surfboard covered with the names of people who have died, and who shared his love of the ocean. His father’s name is the guiding light at the top. “It’s a very different experience for me than it used to be, when it was just me and the board,” he said this month after surfing in Newport. “Now it’s sort of me and all these individuals. I feel a commitment to helping their families and honoring them every time I go out.” Dan Fischer, of Newport, R.I., carries his surfboard on Easton's Beach, in Newport, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Fischer, 42, created the One Last Wave Project in January to use the healing power of the ocean to...
Read MoreScientists at the University of Portsmouth believe a strategy used to protect popular surfing spots could now be more widely adopted to help preserve endangered coastal environments. A new research paper, published this week in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, says, ‘wave reserves’, initially aimed at protecting treasured surf spots, are also a way to ensure the conservation of ecologically valuable coastal areas. The concept of wave reserves has gained popularity over the past few decades. The first wave reserve was established in Bells Beach, Australia in 1973 by surfers keen to defend their prized waves from damaging human activity. But it is especially since the beginning of the 2000s that the surfing community has established dozens of wave reserves around the...
Read MoreSurf school owner Halfia Londa is pinning all her hopes on Indonesia's plan to reopen the island of Bali to some foreign tourists from mid-October. Halfia's business at Kuta Beach is among hundreds of tourist businesses to have been crippled by the Indonesian government's decision to suspend all international flights to and from the popular island destination from April 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The closure stripped away most of Halfia's business virtually overnight, plunging her into debt. With very little income, she was evicted from her rented house and has been relying on the generosity of friends to get by. A surfing business owner, 38-year-old, Halfia Lando poses holding a surfboard at a Kuta beach in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2021. REUTERS/Sult...
Read MoreAnd, you can have a professional surfer, a shaper and a photographer for the company Niyama Private Islands, the only luxury resort in the Maldives with its own wave breaking onto the shore, will host its 2021 Surf Week from 1 to 7 November, where guests can receive surf coaching from two times world surf air show champion Josh Kerr and have a personalised surfboard designed by award winning and innovative shaper Matt Parker of Album Surfboards. Renowned professional surf photographer, Erick Proost will also be there to capture action images of the guests riding the waves. Aerial view of Niyama Maldives Niyama Private Islands Resort has two islands – Play and Chill, which are connected by a bridge. Vodi wave is just off the shore of Play Island and is a powerful and sometim...
Read MoreBrazil’s gold medal performance in surfing did not just boost the country’s medal tally in Tokyo, it also gave a fillip to business in the small town where champion Italo Ferreira began his athletic career. Ferreira, who won the first ever Olympic gold in the surfing discipline last week, left Japan and headed straight to Baia Formosa, the small town on Brazil’s northeastern coast where he was born and grew up. Brazilian surfer Italo Ferreira, gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, practices at Point Secret beach in his hometown Baia Formosa, in Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, July 30, 2021. REUTERS/Rodolfo Buhrer Business owners there said the attention has brought them a windfall as the media, tourists and surf enthusiasts congregate to soak up the winning atmosphere. “It’...
Read MoreIn a small fishing town in Morocco’s south, wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara, a group of idealistic young surfers are teaching local children to brave the crashing waves. A day’s drive from the cities of northern Morocco, and on the fringe of the world’s greatest desert, the group has set up a beachfront cafe where young people can gather, learn and have fun in the sleepy port of Tarfaya. “We have a deal here. Everyone who leaves Tarfaya has to come back and do something for the town,” said Salim Maatoug, a wiry 26-year-old who worked as a tour guide in Marrakesh. Students surf during a free surfing lesson in front of La Casa del Mar, in Tarfaya, Morocco, April 14, 2021. REUTERS/Imane Djamil More than a hundred local children - boys and girls - have attended th...
Read MoreNiyama Private Islands welcomes professional surf photographer Erick Proost to capture guests riding the waves Renowned professional surf photographer, Erick Proost is to start a three-month residency at Niyama Private Islands in the Maldives, the only luxury resort in the Maldives with its own wave breaking onto the shore. Returning to the resort for the third time, Erick will be available from 8 March to capture action images of guests riding the waves during their stay at the resort. Riding Vodi wave at Niyama Private Islands Maldives Niyama Private Islands has two islands – Play and Chill, which are connected by a bridge. Vodi wave is just off the shore of Play Island and is a powerful and sometimes hollow left hander. Off to the west and five minutes away by speedboat,...
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