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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d he told SkyNews.com.au.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to encourage them that sharks aren\u2019t really so much of a threat to scuba divers. A scuba diver to be attacked by a shark is extremely rare.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"Shark](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/903f4930f3290472879c7f9614ae1682.jpeg\")
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Sarah Han-de-Beaux, who also works at the dive shop, said it was \u201creally sad\u201d to see \u201chow much less foot traffic we\u2019ve had as a result\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of it is the negative attention,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Blake said that his problems are being felt across tourist businesses in Bondi, who are \u201cfeeling it\u201d after the shark attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are on the same message that we are, that the risk to divers is next to nothing, for scuba anyway,” he said.<\/p>\n
He adds that this is not down to shark attacks being more frequent but just how \u201cextremely publicised\u201d they have been this year, leading to heightened fears among visitors becoming a \u201cchallenge\u201d for dive companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d said Ms Han-de-Beaux.<\/p>\n
She said the same thing has been happening with the great white shark spotted in Bondi\u2019s waters this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n