It was just last week that a tiger shark bit a man while he was vacationing in Hawaii off of Bellows beach on Oahu. It was the first time such a shark has bitten someone in the area since 1958 almost a full half a century before.

There have been two other tiger shark incidents this year in the islands of Hawaii. January 5th a 24 year-old Waimea man was surfing off Waiokapua Bay, Kauai when a tiger shark decided his surfboard was food. He missed the man sitting on the board however and no one was injured and on May 7th a California women had her right foot and calf bitten as she was snorkeling off Maui’s Keawakapu Beach and on June 24 a surfer bit the side of a surfer’s board as the surfer paddled out of Silver channel in Mokuleia, Oahu.

Salt Pond Beach Park is a place where many Kauai vacationers spend part of their holiday, either walking along the golden crescent sand beach watching the glorious pinks purples and oranges that herald the end of a wonderful day or swimming in the turquoise blue waters. – Waters that are usually safe year round.

Sunday, however a lone shark was spotted and the beach was closed down to swimmers.

It was reopened on Monday, however as the shark seemed to have moved on and was nowhere in site.

Bethany Hamilton always loved surfing and entered her first competition at the tender age of 11. In two short years she was well respected in the surfing world and then on October 31, 2003 her dreams were almost destroyed by a shark attack on Kauai, in which the shark took her left arm.

The shark could take her arm, but it could not take her belief, her courage or her relationship with Jesus Christ. Instead of being afraid of the ocean her dream grew stronger and she became an inspiration for the world.

AN inspirational American teenager who returned to the surf just weeks after a shark took her arm has urged South Australian victim Zac Golebiowski to get back on his board.

Bethany Hamilton, who was attacked by a tiger shark three years ago while surfing in Hawaii, said she was “gutted” when she heard about Zac, 15.

And the young surfing champion said she wants to visit him when she travels to Australia next month.

Zac lost his leg when he was attacked by a 5m white pointer while surfing off a remote West Australian beach last Saturday.

County lifeguards closed the beach at Salt Pond on Kaua’i’s west side on October 5th due to shark sightings.

County Ocean Safety Bureau officers said two sharks have been identified in the area, one about 10 feet long and the other a six-footer. Beachgoers were urged to use other beaches.

Its times like this that you’re glad your Kaui vacation rental has AC and a great home theatre system.