A Bondi business says it has lost a “significant number” of customers in the past year, with staff concerned tourists have been deterred by fears of shark attacks.
Dive Centre Bondi is just one street away from Bondi Beach, which has been closed for the past four days over shark sightings.
Locals have been on high alert after Leah Stewart was mauled by a great white earlier in the month.
Scuba dives are still safe to go ahead, even after a shark alarm, but this has not stopped people cancelling their bookings, says Alex Blake, dive instructor and marine biologist.
“I don’t think I can remember a day in the past couple of months where someone hasn’t come in and started talking about shark incidents,” he told SkyNews.com.au.
“It’s more of a mindset thing. A lot of people are cancelling or postponing courses because they feel a little bit uncomfortable just after a shark incident has happened.
“We try to encourage them that sharks aren’t really so much of a threat to scuba divers. A scuba diver to be attacked by a shark is extremely rare.”
Mr Blake said that in the past few months they have issued refunds a concerning amount of customers, and are having to waive rescheduling fees on bookings.
Sarah Han-de-Beaux, who also works at the dive shop, said it was “really sad” to see “how much less foot traffic we’ve had as a result”.
“I think a lot of it is the negative attention,” she said.
Mr Blake said that his problems are being felt across tourist businesses in Bondi, who are “feeling it” after the shark attacks.
“They are on the same message that we are, that the risk to divers is next to nothing, for scuba anyway,” he said.
He adds that this is not down to shark attacks being more frequent but just how “extremely publicised” they have been this year, leading to heightened fears among visitors becoming a “challenge” for dive companies.
“I was working in the shop in January and it was really sad the amount of people I had to explain this to, that bull sharks have always been in the harbour, and they always will be,” said Ms Han-de-Beaux.
She said the same thing has been happening with the great white shark spotted in Bondi’s waters this week.
“It’s perfectly normal this time of year. This is the time of the year that they come. They are there every year, you see them, it is not unusual from an ecological standpoint.”
Both divers hope that raising awareness of personal safety precautions and increased drone usage will help ease fears among customers, and stop the decline of business.
This week, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the state is about to introduce “world-leading” shark monitoring technology, though it is unconfirmed what it entails.
“We think we can make a difference with this,” he said.