Kiteboarding Brazil: Recife

Nak · Sat Nov 01, 08 8:49 am **Kiteboarding Brazil: Recife**

Delta has announced service to Recife starting in December. Edited to add: The flight also continues to Fortaleza after a stop in Recife.

Isn't most of the kitesurfing in North Brazil? That's what I thought anyway. If so, Recife should be a lot better option to fly into than Rio... Recife is on the Coast, a lot further North than Rio.

I looked up the Recife travel guide, and it even mentions kitesurfing:
http://recife101.com/featured/kitesurfing-recife/

Nak · Sat Nov 01, 08 9:05 am **Re: Kiteboarding Brazil: Recife**

oops!

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

I was just going to say. Watched a documentary a while back on all the attacks they were having down there. Guess it was mainly because they built over the estuaries to the south where the sharks used to live. With no where to nest, they gradually moved north and found the protected reef in Recife and people to eat!

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Wasn't there a meat packing plant somewhere in Brazil that was letting a whole bunch of blood drain into the ocean, hence sharks were coming in for a taste?

I'm guessing if you're kiting you're fairly safe and can always come in if it looks like a bunch of sharks showed up. They're probably mainly bull sharks?

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

Yeah, there was a slaughterhouse just upriver, but I guess it got shutdown because they're pretty sure it was attracting sharks. The documentary said it was most likely Bulls as well.

Mark · Sat Nov 01, 08 11:06 am

Bull sharks are MEAN. You want to avoid those. They even come up into fresh water rivers to feed....

Joshiebaby · Since 14 Oct 2007 569 Posts Vancouver, WA Addicted

Nak are you gonna bid for that? I got a buddy who flew for delta out of the ATL and lived up here. Since he only did the long flights said it wasn't that bad...

Nak · Sat Nov 01, 08 11:23 am

Nak · Sat Nov 01, 08 11:28 am

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Just motivates you to land your tricks Wink

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

That place sucks:

Shark attacks terrorise Brazil
By Steve Kingstone
BBC News, Brazil

With seemingly endless sunshine and a gentle breeze coming off the sea, Praia de Boa Viagem in the city of Recife looks like the perfect urban beach. And it is - but for one detail. Sharks.

The shark pulled me under with so much power that I really thought I was going to die

Walmir da Silva
Before the 1990s, there were virtually no attacks reported here. But since 1992, there have been 47 shark attacks along a 20-km (12.5-mile) stretch of coast. Sixteen of them were fatal.

In 2004, there were seven reported attacks. Two of the victims died.

"I was surfing 15m from the beach when the shark appeared under me," recalls 25-year-old Mario Cesar.

"I tried to punch him, but he took my arm and pulled me into the water. Eventually, I wrenched myself free and a big wave pushed me in to shore."

Mario lost his right arm in the attack, which happened in 2002. Another survivor is 18-year-old Walmir da Silva, who was attacked while swimming in water barely up to his waist.

Today, he wears a prosthetic leg below the left knee, and is waiting for a prosthetic arm to be fitted.

"The shark pulled me under with so much power that I really thought I was going to die," says Walmir. "And I was losing blood from my leg. But I hit his dorsal fin and kicked out - and in the end he released me."

In absolute terms, there are more shark attacks in Florida and Australia than in Brazil.

Fatal attacks

But statistically, a higher proportion of attack victims have died in Recife. One in every three attacks is fatal.

The new port handles four million tonnes of cargo a year
The perpetrators are mostly bull sharks, an aggressive species with a preference for shallow coastal waters.

So why are the attacks happening?

A state-funded investigation has focused on the long-term ecological effects of a new port, to the south of Recife.

Porto Suape opened for business in 1984, and today handles more than four million tonnes of cargo per year. To facilitate its initial construction, two freshwater estuaries - which had discharged into the Atlantic Ocean - were sealed off.

"Female bull sharks used to enter those estuaries to give birth," says Fabio Hazin, a marine biologist and head of the state-funded monitoring comittee.

"From when the port was built, we believe a number of females moved north to the next estuary - which discharges on to the stretch of beach where the attacks happened."

Based on that finding, local human rights lawyers are considering a symbolic legal challenge to the state of Pernambuco, with the aim of securing compensation for the victims of attacks.

The government is under pressure to act over the attacks
"Until now, not one victim has received compensation," says Sergio Murilo, a lawyer and the head of the Safe Beach Project - a local campaign group.

"These people have lost limbs because of attacks, and they're getting no assistance.

"They need medical care and help getting a job. Compensation is about guaranteeing their right to a normal life."

The Safe Beach Project has also proposed a solution to Recife's shark problem.

Deterrent schemes

It wants the local authorities to partition off a short section of beach using heavy-duty nets out to sea. Electromagnetic buoys would also deter - but not kill - the sharks.

Similar schemes have been tried in South Africa and Australia, but the idea has met with opposition in Recife.

"The problem with nets is that they wouldn't only stop sharks," says marine biologist Fabio Hazin. "Other creatures like dolphins and turtles would also get tangled up."

At the water's edge, Mario Cesar says that he would like to surf again one day - in spite of having suffered a terrifying attack.

"I'd need a better prosthetic arm," he says, "maybe a mechanical one which allows hand movement. And of course, I would have to be somewhere that, categorically, does not have sharks."

MB16 · Since 11 Nov 2008 2 Posts New Member

Nak,
I am the owner of Recife101.com I have been living in Brazil for more than 5 years and in Recife for more than 3.
Regarding your concern about sharks, yes there are sharks in recife, it´s mainly becaue people built a seaport destroying the coral reefs that was the natural habitat of the sharks.
I took the pictures, you saw on the website, of the guys kitesurfing from my office window, I see these guys everyday there and during the low tide there is absolutely no risk of shark attacks.
There is an area of about 650ft from the beach to the corals and people use this area to kitesurf since the water is no more than 5ft to 7ft deep and so flat that reseembles a lagoon.

If you guys have any more doubts regarding kitesurfing in Recife you are welcome to ask.

Regards,
Martin

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Nice website Martin Thumb's Up

Was curious reading the Beach section:

"The most famous beach of Recife is called Boa Viagem, and this stretch of glorious white sand has been seen on television shows and in movies. This beach is ten kilometers long, and the name translated means good travel. It is not recommended that anyone actually go into the water, but the smooth white sand is perfect for walking on or getting a suntan on" (sounds like the Trolls house)

I assumed that 1.3 people getting eaten yearly was from a million people in the water like Ft. Lauderdale - but really no one goes in water when the tide is up?

Do you see the sharks cruising the beach - maybe there is tourist opporutunites in Shark Fishing - could make it catch and release

Nak · Tue Nov 11, 08 11:59 am

MB16 · Since 11 Nov 2008 2 Posts New Member

@Gman:

Boa viagem is a beautiful beach, all the condos and expensive hotels are there.

No, no one goes to the water when the tide is up at least people right in their mind don't, I remember a case of a guy who tried to commit suicide and swam like a mile inside the water on Boa Viagem beach in order to be eaten by the sharks... a fishing boat rescued him a couple of hours later. I guess the sharks don't like depressed meat.
To your second question, no you can not see the sharks from out of the water and yes there are fishing trips for tourists to fish sharks.

@Nak:

I can't tell you for sure how big it was the reef, but it certainly got a bigger press coverage than deserved, shark attacks do happen, but since I live here I haven´t heard of any.
The only method to "stop" the attacks that was adopted by the authorities so far is a single shark fishing boat that goes from on end to the other of the beach everyday.
Recife used to be one of the top destinations for tourists coming to the northeast of Brazil a couple of years ago, it is a shame that the authorities and governamental agencies, pretty much do nothing to avoid the shark attacks.

The documentary we have all seen was in the shark week of The Discovery Channel and Recife was named as on of the most dangerous places for shark attacks, you can imagine how bad this was for tourism...

Guys, thanks for the compliments on the website, I hope I had the time to update it more often since there is plenty of nice stuff to do here in the state of Pernambuco not only in the city of Recife.

*I attached a Picture i took while I was writting this post to ilustrate what I mean by the low tide, you can see on the back the waves braking this is where the sharks can't go over the reef during the low tide making it safe for kitesurfing or just going inside the water.

Regards,
Martin