Shark Safety
Over the weekend we heard some sad and really scary news. A diver was killed in a shark attack off the Tasmanian coast. The news comes just a couple of weeks after surfer Mick Fanning's dramatic brush with a shark during his World Surfing League final in South Africa. Both stories can leave you with the feeling that it's not safe to go swimming anymore. But what are the chances of actually being attacked by a shark? Matt found out.
MATTHEW HOLBROOK, REPORTER: It's the final of an international surfing event in South Africa, and Aussie, and three time world champ, Mick Fanning, is chasing another title. Then, this happens.
MICK FANNING, SURFER: I'm totally fine, got nothing wrong with me, there's a small depression in the board and my leg rope got bitten.
For Mick, it was the scariest moment of his life.
MICK FANNING, SURFER: I'm happy to never compete again, to walk away from that, I'm just so stoked.
But while Mick was lucky to walk away without a scratch, he was also very unlucky to get attacked in the first place. That's because shark attacks are actually really rare. Aussies make around 100 million visits to the beach each year. But in the past two decades, shark attacks have been responsible for around two deaths a year. So you're more likely to die from a lightning strike, or from bumping into someone, or even falling out of bed!
So experts say a fear of sharks shouldn't keep any of us out of the water. In fact, the group most at risk here is sharks themselves. Around 100 million sharks are killed each year. In many places, they're hunted for their meat and fins, and over-fishing has taken away a lot of their food, which has hurt them even more. But sharks are an important part of our ecosystem, which is a big reason why the Great White is protected here in Australia.
So we need sharks, but sharks don't really need us, because they don't actually see us as food. Experts say attacks sometimes happen when we're mistaken for other creatures that sharks do like to snack on like seals.
So, while it's really unlikely you'll ever have a close encounter with one of these guys. There are some simple things you can do that can help make you feel safer in the water. Avoid swimming at times when sharks might be feeding, like at dawn or dusk; don't swim by yourself or in murky water so you're less likely to be mistaken for food! And swim in patrolled areas, taking notice of any signs or warnings.
Mick Fanning's now back home in Australia, and while his experience was a huge shock, he's already returned to the water for his first surf since the attack.
MICK FANNING, SURFER: It's something I do to clear my mind, something I do that gives me peace.
And he says, really, it's up to us, to learn to share the ocean, with these impressive creatures.
- Matthew Holbrook | Reporter
- Surfer's lucky escape from shark: CBBC Newsround | weblink
- Shark Attacks: Behind the News | history
- Shark Attacks: Behind the News | history
- Shark Cull: Behind the News | history
- Sharks and Sting Rays: WWF | weblink
- South Africa | Map
- Shark Safety | Worksheet
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