Contents
Something Fishy |
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Shark Stories |
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 As
some of you may have noticed, sharks occasionally get a look-in on our
pages. This may seem strange considering that dolphins are the symbol of
Rethymnon, but there is a weird logic to this, and we don’t like to be
totally predictable. Anyway, we do have a genuinely local shark story
for you this month:
Fisherman in Bali (Bali 30 miles East of Rethymnon, not Bali, Indonesia, obviously) were rather startled a couple of weeks ago when they landed a 3.5 metre Smalltooth Sandtiger Shark (odantapsis ferox). It’s rare to find this type of shark here — it is more common in the Western Mediterranean. The shark was caught at a depth of 250 metres about 3 nautical miles off the coast. But don’t worry, it is highly unlikely that we will see a re-run of ‘Jaws’ any time soon. This species feeds on small bony fish, squid and shrimps, and is not considered to be dangerous to humans. You can find out more about these fascinating creatures (which have a bit of an image problem to say the least), how to adopt a shark and marine conservation issues on the Shark Trust website: www.sharktrust.org |
Trawling the Internet |
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| For one reason or another (perhaps in line with the CMB fixation) sharks have been very much in the news across the globe recently. In Australia, Eric Nerhus had a miraculous escape after being attacked by a Great White whilst out diving in waters south of Sydney. He managed, somehow, to break free, even when his head, shoulder and arm were fully inside the shark’s mouth. The lucky survivor has nothing but respect for his attacker, though: “It wasn’t the shark’s fault,” he said, “it thought I was a seal.” Well, lunch, certainly. | Meanwhile, in shallow waters
off Japan, a swimming fisherman has recently come across a rare
prehistoric shark—a Deep Sea Frilled shark, which normally lives at a
depth of 600 metres or more. Fossil records can be found of this shark
dating up to 50 million years ago. Experts from Ashima Marine Park moved
it to a freshwater pool, and filmed it, but unfortunately it died within
a few hours. Sources, BBC, Channel 4 and Independent Online Edition |
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| You have more chance of being killed by a falling vending machine than you do by a great white shark” Michael Kennedy, Humane Society International. Now, that’s a relief! | ||
The Headington Connection |
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We promised in our first edition to bring you Maurice Barton’s
highlights from our (previously non-existent) sister publication The
Headington Herald. “Where is Headington?” you well may ask, and what
possible relevance could this place have to Rethymnon and / or sharks?
All will be revealed in due course, but first, some little gems from our twin community: |
Headington Roundabout is now under 24 hour surveillance after vandals
have been using special tools to switch off the traffic lights. The recycling scheme has started, but residents need to know whether they are ‘orange’ or ‘purple’ before putting out bins. Planning application for a telecommunications mast (to be disguised as a fir tree) has been refused. |
Historians have found evidence to indicate that Jane Whorwood, Lady of
Manors of Headington and Horton, was a mistress of King Charles 1. Oxford United boss, Jim Smith, is urging fans to keep the faith. Despite their recent poor run of form, he still believes they can win promotion from the Nationwide Conference League. Thanks to www.headington.org |
The Great Roof Shark |
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 The
‘Shark’ is the most famous landmark in Headington (a suburb of Oxford).
The Shark first nose-dived into the roof of an ordinary house in 1986,
and has been the subject of heated debate ever since. The 25 foot
fibreglass sculpture was commissioned by Bill Heine, an American who
originally came to Oxford as a student. Council officials spent many
years trying to get rid of the shark on planning grounds, but thankfully
it has been reprieved and is set to stay.A number of Headington residents, past and present have close ties with Rethymnon, so it somehow seemed appropriate to provide this section here. We hope you forgive our indulgence! |
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Gill Sardella and Maurice Barton |
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