‘So dangerous’: Man takes late-night dip in shark-infested waters
One daring Aussie has left the internet divided after his late-night antics in Sydney Harbour went viral.
One daring Aussie has shocked the internet after being filmed taking a late-night dip in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
The clip, which was posted to TikTok, shows a man completely submerged in the deep waters of the harbour, with just his head seen bobbing around on the surface.
A small boat with the swimmer’s friends hovers nearby, but appears disinterested in the bloke’s antics.
The act has left Aussies divided with many slamming the “dangerous” behaviour.
“This is giving me so much anxiety, it’s not even funny,” one commented.
“Sydney Harbour is filled with bull sharks, anyone who lives in Sydney knows this,” said another viewer.
“It’s prime bull shark feeding time,” commented a third.
“The amount of sharks I’ve seen around the same location is scary,” weighed in a fourth.
Some even posted photos of shark fins they had spotted lurking around the area.
Others were less concerned about the sharks, instead shocked at the state of the water quality.
“I would be more concerned about the disease swimming in that putrid water,” said one.
One commenter who claimed to be the man in question told viewers: “Hahahha yeah it was pretty scary, I had to pee & we had no toilet on the boat,” alongside an image on board what appears to be the boat in the clip.
The Department of Fishing and Primary Industries has tagged 264 bull sharks since 2009, with 87 of those located in Sydney Harbour.
According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, nearly all shark encounters in Sydney Harbour with humans involve bull sharks.
For bull sharks in the harbour, peak activity time occurs from around 6pm until 1am, and only in waters above 20 degrees.
Following a similar incident in 2023, Placemaking NSW said Sydneysiders and visitors who want to swim should head to approved swimming spots, such as Marrinawi Cove “which is safe and netted”.
“Water quality has been tested at Marrinawi Cove and it is safe for swimming, Darling Harbour has not been tested,” a spokesperson told news.com.au at the time.
“Marrinawi Cove is located at the northern end of Barangaroo Reserve where there is safety netting to enclose the swimming area, signage and shower facilities.
“Swimmers must take care at all times, follow safety signage and use suitable footwear.”
Aside from obvious risk, swimming in undesignated areas of Sydney Harbour is strongly discouraged, with fines exceeding $500 for violations.
Earlier this year, footage shared to Mosman Collective showed large bull sharks circling the water around the Spit West Marina during the daytime.
“Water temperature is a key predictor of their presence (20-26 degrees). When the temperature drops below 19, bull sharks leave Sydney Harbour and travel north to Queensland for the winter and spring,” the post wrote.
“Don't swim in murky water (especially after it’s been raining) and obviously, don’t swim around groups of baitfish.”
Last year, a 29-year-old woman was lucky to escape with her life after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour.
Lauren O’Neill was having an evening swim near a private wharf in Elizabeth Bay around 7:45pm when she was bitten on the leg by a suspected bull shark, screaming out to neighbours to help her.
Just yesterday, a woman in her 20s tragically died and a man was seriously injured after being mauled by a shark on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Emergency services were called to a beach at Crowdy Bay about 6.30am on Thursday after reports of a shark attack.
Witnesses tried to save the pair while waiting for paramedics to arrive, but the woman died at the scene.
In 2022, 35-year-old diving instructor Simon Nellist was tragically killed by a great white shark while swimming at Little Bay near Malabar.
The former Royal Air Force serviceman was reportedly training for Malabar’s Magic Ocean Swim when he was attacked 50 metres out from shore in front of horrified onlookers.
It was Sydney’s first fatal shark attack in over 60 years.
One of the most famous attacks occurred in 2010, when navy diver Paul de Gelder was attacked by a three-metre bull shark during a routine anti-terrorism training exercise off Garden Island.
He survived, but his hand was severed in the near-fatal mauling and doctors were later forced to amputate his right leg.
News.com.au has contacted Transport for NSW for comment.
