Ocean swimmers at Balmoral say shark attack in Sydney Harbour won’t stop them swimming
Shark experts are warning Sydneysiders to stay out of the Harbour, concerned there could now be a “cluster” of bites amid high shark activity. WATCH what regular swimmers say
NSW
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Shark experts are warning Sydneysiders to stay out of the Harbour following the attack at Elizabeth Bay, concerned there could now be a “cluster” of bites given shark activity is high.
Bull sharks are an aggressive species that will bite any object they bump into, experts say, and as long as the weather stays warm, they’re going to be hanging around for a “big buffet” in Sydney for months to come.
University of Sydney shark management expert Christopher Pepin-Neff said while there was “no evidence” the overall population of bull sharks had increased in the Harbour, shark activity was higher when the sun had been out and the temperatures were consistently warm.
“Shark bites often happen in clusters, so we need to be very careful for the rest of the summer,” he said.
“On hot summer days, baitfish come to the surface of the water, and the bull sharks follow.
“Water temperatures are high and this is a warning to make sure that we don’t have a cluster.”
Queensland-based environmental scientist Daryl McPhee also said Sydneysiders should stay out of the water until advised the Harbour is safe by authorities.
“Bull sharks are one of the three large species mostly responsible for serious bites and fatalities, the other two being the white shark and the tiger shark,” Dr McPhee said.
“While the risk of a shark bite is extremely low, I advise people to stay out of Sydney Harbour waters until further notice by the government.”
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has been tagging and tracking the movement of bull sharks along the coastline for nearly 15 years, with 264 tagged to date.
Of those, 87 have been captured in Sydney Harbour and as many as 18 have been seen in the Harbour at any one time – although the exact population is unknown.
NSW DPI shark scientist Amy Smoothey said there were two “hotspot locations” in Sydney, the triangle of water between Kirribilli, Garden Island and the Opera House, and up Parramatta River near Glades Bay.
“Bull sharks … have this physiological capability that allows them to swim readily through saltwater, brackish water and into the freshwater river reaches,” she said.
“There have been recent reports of juvenile bull sharks in the Hawkesbury, in lower numbers, but through time and increasing water temperatures, they’re spending a longer time … further south than they were previously.”
Veteran fisherman Al McGlashan said the summer months were “peak season” for bull sharks, which come down from the north to feed on pelagics – surface-dwelling fish like salmon, bonito and mackerel tuna – and “wander off by March”.
The predators are most frequently found “patrolling” the deepest parts of the Harbour, he said, including where the Lane Cove River meets the Harbour, and at the Harbour Bridge.
Sydney Institute of Marine Science shark tracker Yuri Niella said bull sharks lurked in 40m-deep “holes” in the Harbour before swimming up to the shallows in “hunting mode” at night.
“We found that Sydney Harbour is actually a big buffet – the fact they come back here every year is because they know there’s plenty of food,” Dr Niella said.
Water-loving Sydneysiders were undeterred by the gruesome attack yesterday, with Balmoral beachgoers Natalie Blakley and Kiran Aithala vowing they wouldn’t give up their ocean swims.
“It’s terrible that woman was attacked and I hope she is OK, but this isn’t a regular thing,” 26-year-old Ms Blakley said. “The chances of being attacked by a shark are so low, so why should we stop because of a possibility?”
Mr Aithala is a regular ocean swimmer, taking dips from Shelley Beach to Manly, and has never once had an issue with sharks.
“You have more chance getting hurt driving to the ocean than actually in the water,” he said. “I like to look at the sharks, when I’m swimming, so I won’t be going into the netted areas any time soon.”
Surfer and leading shark attack commentator Fred Pawle said shark conservationism had led to a culture of victim-blaming, where swimmers are made to feel it’s “their fault if something happens”.
“There is this emphasis now on the protection of sharks, not on the protection of people,” he said.
“Australians never used to think like that.”
While some swimmers were undeterred by Monday’s attack, Korean tourist Min Seung Gi said he “won’t swim outside the nets again” after learning of the attack.
“I didn’t know about the shark attack, its very scary,” the 24-year-old said.
“I won’t swim outside the nets again after hearing about the attack.”
Mr Seung Gi was among the small majority of swimmers that dared to swim outside the safety nets at Clifton Gardens on Wednesday morning.
“It was my first time snorkelling in this area,” he said.
“I went past the nets because I thought the fish would be better.”
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