Between 1791 and April 2018 it was reported that there have been 1068 shark attacks in Australia with 237 of them being fatal.
Four species of sharks account for the vast majority of fatal attacks on humans: the bull shark, tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark and the great white shark.
In 2021 Australian authorities pushed to rebrand shark attacks as "negative encounters" or "interactions" to boost conservation efforts and alter perceptions of sharks as vicious.[1]
The white sharks have seen an increase in shark attack incidents over the past two decades. The number of reported attacks have increased from 24 to 55. Within these attacks, they have been responsible for 15 fatalities, 23 injuries, and 17 uninjured incidents.[2] Along with an increase in shark attacks by the white shark, the bull shark also saw an increase of attacks over the past two decades. They increased from three attacks to 25, accounting for four fatalities, 15 injured, and six uninjured incidents. While these two species saw an increase in attacks, tiger sharks saw a decrease from 14 attacks to 10 over the past two decades. Tiger sharks were reported being responsible for three fatalities, two injuries, and five uninjured incidents. New South Wales saw the most shark attacks between the years 1990-1999 with 73 attacks out of a total of 186 incidents that were reported. Queensland experienced 43 total attacks, Western Australia saw 35 attacks, South Australia had 20 attacks, Victoria had 12 attacks, Tasmania experienced two attacks, and Northern Territory had only one reported attack.
Since the year 1990, there have been 186 reported incidents of shark attacks. Within these attacks, there have been 57 incidents where the species of shark had been identified, 13 incidents of no identification, and 117 incidents with no identification, but enough information was recorded to assume a species that was involved. Over the past 20 years, there were only three species of sharks said to have been responsible for attacks leading to fatalities. The species responsible were the white shark, the bull shark, and the tiger shark. 48% of the reported attacks since the year 1990 were by white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks.
White sharks were responsible for 15 fatalities, seven of which occurred while the person was at the surface of the water partaking in surfing, swimming, or sailboarding. The other eight fatalities occurred while the person was fully submerged in the water either snorkeling or scuba diving. Being responsible for four fatalities, the bull shark attacks occurred all at the surface of the water as one victim was swimming and one was surfing. For the tiger sharks, the three fatalities they are responsible for occurred both at the surface and while submerged. One victim was swimming at the surface and two were submerged while snorkeling and hookah diving.
Since shark netting began in 1937, the number of deaths from sharks on beaches has been reduced in New South Wales, with only one fatal attack on a netted beach during that time. In Queensland there has not been a fatal attack on a netted beach since nets were introduced in the 1960s.[3]
The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts states precautions which can be taken to reduce the risk of shark attacks.[4] These include avoiding swimming far from the shore, at the mouth of a river or on drop-offs to deeper water; avoiding swimming in dirty water, alone or with domestic animals, near people fishing, or at dusk or night; and to leave the water if schools of fish behave erratically or group in large numbers. The Australian Institute of Marine Science also states many of these and other precautions including not wearing jewelry or reflective clothing while swimming, and not swimming with any bleeding wounds.[5]
Shark attacks can be a traumatizing event for the victims as well as the bystanders. Knowing how to assist a victim if you are to witness a shark attack is very important. Remaining calm is the first step to ensuring you are able to help the person attacked efficiently and safely. If there are other bystanders that can offer assistance, call emergency services. Depending on the severity and location of the bite, the person that has been attacked may not be able to walk themselves. If this is the case, they will need help to evacuate the water. The person should only be brought as far out of the water as necessary to be able to successfully resuscitate.[6] It is important to lift the person to avoid dragging the injuries through the sand and place them on a clean, dry surface such as a beach towel. Securing the airway as well as compression to stop the bleeding is the next step. To control the bleeding, elevate the limb and apply pressure to the affected area. Tourniquets are best used for large wounds and can be made from any piece of material such as a T-shirt. Keep applying pressure to the wound to control the bleeding while waiting for paramedics to arrive on the scene.
| Name, age | Date | Species | Location; Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren O'Neill, 29 | 29 January 2024 | Bull Shark | Local resident Lauren O'Neill was swimming at dusk close to the shore at Elizabeth Bay in Sydney Harbour, when a Bull Shark was believed to have bitten her on the leg below the knee. Residents of the nearby waterfront apartment building heard her cries for help and assisted in stemming blood flow until medics arrived, she was taken to nearby St Vincent's Hospital and expected to make a full recovery.[7] |
| Joe Hoffman, 25 | 5 July 2021 | Great white shark | A surfer was mauled by a white shark while surfing at Crescent Head on the NSW Mid North Coast. He suffered severe injuries to his right arm but surgeons expected it would be saved.[8] |
| Unnamed, 25 | 23 June 2021 | A surfer was attacked by an unidentified species off the coast of Leeman.[9] | |
| Jackson Bartlett, 10 | 11 June 2021 | Bronze whaler | Snorkeling at Five Finger Reef near Coral Bay.[10] |
| Lucas Arnott, 10 | 17 July 2020 | Great white shark | Five km offshore from Stanley, Tasmania A ten year old boy was grabbed by a shark and pulled into the water from a 6m fishing boat. The boy’s father jumped into the water and retrieved the child, who suffered lacerations to his arm and cuts to his head and chest.[11] [12] Appears the child’s lifejacket protected the boy, which was shredded.[13] |
| Wil Schroeter, 59 | 17 January 2020 | Wil Schroeter, a 59-year-old father of 2, from Albion Park, bitten around the foot while surfing at Windang Beach.[14] | |
| Chris Blowes, 26 | 25 April 2015 | Great white shark | Blowes and friends were surfing at Fishery Bay, 35 km from Port Lincoln in South Australia when a 6m Great White attacked. Chris' life was saved when his friends wrapped a leg rope as a tourniquet until Blowes was air lifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He lost his left leg and was clinically dead (his heart stopped for 90 minutes following the attack) but has made a remarkable recovery. |
| Paddy Trumbull, 60 | 13 February 2010 | Trumbull, a 60-year-old grandmother from Sydney, survived a shark attack off northeastern Australia. She suffered severe lacerations to her buttocks and lost several pints of blood in the attack, which took place on the afternoon of Saturday, February 13, 2010, while she and her husband were snorkeling off Dent Island in Queensland.[15] | |
| Paul de Gelder, 31 | 11 February 2009 | Bull shark | An Australian navy diver was attacked by a shark whilst training near Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. He lost an arm and a leg in the attack.[16] [17] |
| Dirk Avery, 52, | November 2000 | Great white shark | Dirk Avery, a friend of Ken Crew, was badly wounded by his legs when he tried to defend him from the shark. Ken Crew lost his leg and died. |
| Rodney Fox, 23 | December 1963 | Great white shark | Attacked while spearfishing and badly bitten around the chest and arm and survived. |
| Albert Pride, 20 | February 1951 | Lake Illawarra, fought off an attacking shark with a penknife[18] | |
| Oates, youth | December 1929 | Currumbin, punched and kicked shark and fought it off [19] | |
See main article: List of fatal shark attacks in Australia.