Spearfisher killed by shark off Western Australia, third fatal attack in Australia in under a month
A 35-year-old man died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing near Michaelmas Island, Western Australia, on Saturday. It is the third fatal shark attack in the country in four weeks.
The attack
A 35-year-old man was killed by a shark on Saturday morning while spearfishing with family off Michaelmas Island, near the port city of Albany in Western Australia. The attack was reported shortly before noon local time. The victim was brought ashore by boat to Albany, where paramedics were waiting, but he could not be revived and died from his injuries.
This is a tragedy and my thoughts are with the victim's family and friends, as well as the first responders.
Authorities suspect a 4.5-metre (14.8-foot) shark was responsible for the attack. While some reports identify the species as a great white shark, others state the species has not been officially confirmed. A shark of that size was spotted by a member of the public near Michaelmas Island, a nature reserve that receives few visitors. State authorities have urged people in the area to exercise heightened vigilance and to heed any beach closures.
A spate of fatalities
Saturday's death is the third fatal shark attack in Australia in less than a month, a sequence described by multiple outlets as extraordinary for a country that averages just under three shark-related deaths per year. On 24 May, 39-year-old spearfisher Michael Jensz died after suffering severe head injuries in an attack on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeast coast. Bull sharks had been sighted in the area. A week earlier, on 16 May, a 4-metre (13-foot) white shark fatally mauled 38-year-old spearfisher Steve Mattabonni near Rottnest Island, northwest of Albany.
- Steve Mattabonni, 38, killed by a 4-metre white shark near Rottnest Island, Western Australia
- Michael Jensz, 39, killed by a shark while spearfishing on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
- 35-year-old man killed by a 4.5-metre shark near Michaelmas Island, Western Australia
Broader context
Australia records around 20 shark incidents involving injuries each year, according to official data, but the vast majority are not fatal. Over the past decade, the annual average has been 2.8 deaths. The three species considered most dangerous to humans in the region are tiger sharks, bull sharks, and great white sharks. The only other fatal shark attack in Australia this year occurred in January, when a 12-year-old boy died in hospital days after being attacked by a bull shark in Sydney Harbour.
Possible factors
Some Australian scientists have pointed to the growing number of ocean users and rising ocean temperatures as factors that may be altering shark migration patterns, potentially contributing to an increase in attacks. The Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Regional Development has called for increased caution in the area and advised the public to stay informed about shark sightings.
