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Another Shark Washes Up on Windward Oahu

KANEOHE (KHNL) - Watermen say something needs to be done about the large number of sharks off Kaneohe.

"It's just a matter of time," said longtime fisherman Art Chang. "Somebody's gonna get bitten in here, from the shark."

A dead tiger shark washed ashore Thursday night; the third time in three weeks that sharks have come ashore on Windward Oahu.

Shark experts say it's probably all just a coincidence. Randy Honebrink, of the state's Shark Task Force, says it's no secret that there are lots of tiger and hammerhead sharks in that area, but the state isn't about to start hunting them down.

"I see 'em out there and just keep an eye on them," said Chang. "If I do see them, I just move to another location."

"Like surfing, diving, fishing, everything else -- there's a risk," said Bobby Perreira, coach of the Kaneohe Canoe Club. "Crossing the street there's a risk. So, that's the way it goes."

Experts say that the attitude everyone should have. They remind people that the water is the sharks home, and people are visiting.

Honebrink says that's where the sharks belong, and getting rid of a species would upset the ecological balance.

Shark bites in Hawaiian waters are rare, happening about three or four times a year. There have been three so far this year, and four each in the previous two years.

The tiger shark that washed ashore was towed out to sea by state crews, but apparently drifted back. A dead shark was floating upside-down under the pier near the boat launch ramp. It's believed to be the same shark.

Experts say it's not that rare for sharks to wash ashore and die. And it is normal for them to either be towed, or taken out of the water and disposed.