{"id":487109,"date":"2026-06-20T14:05:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T14:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/487109\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T14:05:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T14:05:18","slug":"shark-attacks-in-australia-what-to-do-if-you-see-a-shark-in-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/487109\/","title":{"rendered":"Shark attacks in Australia: What to do if you see a shark in the water"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For the past 20 years, Kent Stannard has tracked the movement and behaviours of white sharks along the Victorian coastline.<\/p>\n

He has learnt they are fearsome predators, but do not particularly like being watched themselves.<\/p>\n

\"KentKent Stannard has researched sharks off the Victorian coastline for 20 years.Ruby Alexander<\/p>\n

A spate of serious and deadly shark attacks in Australian waters over the past year have devastated affected communities and renewed debate about management strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The last recorded fatal shark attack occurred in Victoria decades ago. But experts say anybody who spends substantial periods in the open water has almost certainly come within close distance of these lethal hunters, even if they are blissfully unaware.<\/p>\n

Stannard, a marine consultant who has worked with government agencies, universities and communities, says anyone who sees a shark in the water should avoid thrashing about.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people\u2019s instinct is to panic, which creates disturbance,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd disturbance tends to be what activates these animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SharkShark attacks have increased in number in Australia, but Victoria has been fatality-free for decades.Getty Images<\/p>\n

He advises calmly paddling back to shore. If surfers encounter a shark, Stannard recommends grouping together and then slowly making their way to the sand.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your eyes on the animal at all times,\u201d he says. \u201cThey seem to know when they\u2019re being observed, and they tend to be a little more wary at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stannard says monitoring sharks with electronic tags and drones, so water users can be warned of nearby predators, is the most effective method for preventing attacks. He observes white shark movements via a network of receivers placed in Victorian waters that detect tagged animals nearby.<\/p>\n

Tagging smaller white sharks typically involves catching them on a baited hook with the barb removed. Researchers then draw the shark beside a boat and tie them down briefly so they can make a small incision and insert a tracking device.<\/p>\n

\"TaggingTagging devices and receivers Stannard uses to monitor sharks. Ruby Alexander <\/p>\n

Adults are implanted with tags using a spear-like device. Researchers then release the sharks and monitor their movements.<\/p>\n

Stannard says there have been increased reports of white sharks \u2013 also known informally as great white sharks \u2013 from Portland to Warrnambool in the past six months as well as East Gippsland.<\/p>\n

Figures supplied by the Victorian Fisheries Authority showed there were 25 reported shark sightings in Victoria from June 2025 to May 2026 \u2013 the same number as the previous 12 months.<\/p>\n

Stannard says no tagged white sharks have been detected inside Port Phillip Bay, but they have been found relatively close to shore near Seal Rocks (off Phillip Island), as well as Corner Inlet (near Wilsons Promontory) and Gippsland\u2019s Ninety Mile Beach.<\/p>\n

\"BeachesBeaches in Sydney were closed in January after multiple shark attacks. Getty Images<\/p>\n

However, he says other shark species, including bronze whalers, sevengills, banjos and Port Jackson varieties are known to use the bays.<\/p>\n

Stannard says food sources in Bass Strait are plentiful for white sharks, which has minimised the likelihood of harmful interactions with humans.<\/p>\n

Conversely, increased human populations and improved wetsuit technology means more people can stay in the water for longer periods, which increases the likelihood of people seeing a shark.<\/p>\n

Spearfishing, too, can attract sharks, particularly when divers are carrying fish they have caught.<\/p>\n

\"AA police boat ay Sydney\u2019s Coogee beach after this month\u2019s shark attack.Nine News<\/p>\n

The last recorded shark fatality in Victoria occurred in the late 1980s<\/a>. There was another fatality in 1956 when lifesaver John Wishart was killed at Portsea.<\/p>\n

But in NSW, South Australia and Western Australia, there have been a series of recent attacks. This month, a four-metre shark attacked a woman at Coogee Beach<\/a>, leaving her with massive wounds to her arms and leg.<\/p>\n

In January, a shark mauled Nico Antic, 12, <\/a>to death at a Sydney Harbour beach, and there were several attacks in NSW the previous summer.<\/p>\n

There have also been shark attacks at Rottnest Island and several in South Australia over the past year.<\/p>\n

\"SwimmersSwimmers honour Nico Antic at Bondi after the 12-year-old was killed by a shark in January.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n

Dr Rebecca Olive, a senior research fellow at RMIT University, says shark attacks are traumatic for victims, their families and communities.<\/p>\n

Olive, who studies interactions between humans and sharks, says attacks hit us at a deeply emotional level because, while we are apex predators on land, sharks rule the oceans.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThey remind us we\u2019re part of a food chain in a way that isn\u2019t usual in our everyday lives in Australia,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She says bull sharks, white sharks and tiger sharks are among the main species that come into contact with humans.<\/p>\n

Through her research, Olive has seen drone footage of sharks coming within centimetres of people who were unaware they were in the predators\u2019 presence.<\/p>\n

Counterintuitively, Olive found the footage reassuring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most common image is a shark curiously checking out your feet because they don\u2019t want to be in your eye line, and then going away.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says news stories and movies about shark attacks are memorable, but such acts of aggression remain relatively rare.<\/p>\n

\"StannardStannard says anyone in the water who sees a shark should try not to panic or thrash about.Ruby Alexander <\/p>\n

Learning about the marine environment before entering it can also help to minimise the chance of a shark encounter.<\/p>\n

Olive suggests taking note of places where shark attacks have occurred and even when fish are migrating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Byron Bay when the mullet are running, it\u2019s probably not a great time,\u201d she says. \u201cYour chances of encountering a shark are probably higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Helen<\/a><\/p>\n

Likewise, a beached whale is likely to attract sharks. Surfing and swimming after heavy rain in nutrient rich water can also be dangerous \u2013 particularly near river mouths, which provide habitat for bull sharks.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Surfing Victoria introduced its Surfers Rescue Program that teaches surfers and beach users how to respond to medical emergencies, including shark bites.<\/p>\n

Surfing Victoria chief executive Adam Robertson says the program is free and can be completed online. He says surfers operate in an uncontrollable environment, and urges them to beware of the risks and do what they could to mitigate them.<\/p>\n

Stannard urges beachgoers to stop and watch the conditions for a moment before jumping in. Are there large schools of fish? Are there strange patches in the water that appear to be bubbling or swirling? Are birds diving?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always good if you arrive at a beach just to take stock of what\u2019s going on,\u201d Stannard says.<\/p>\n

Because once you get into the water, there is every chance something out there is watching you too.<\/p>\n

Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"BenjaminBenjamin Preiss<\/a> is The Age’s regional editor. He was previously state rounds reporter and has also covered education for The Age.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[111,139,69,147,406],"class_list":["post-487109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}