- Battle again. Enjoying lifeless doesn’t work.
- Use your gear first: board, fins, speargun, something. Hold it between you and the shark.
- Naked arms final: go for the eyes and gills, then the nostril.
- Get out of the water the second it lets go, and press laborious on any bleeding.
- You received’t overpower it. The goal is to make it let go.
Males have a behavior of questioning whether or not they may beat an animal in a battle. We seemed on the man-versus-chimp battle that by no means occurred. Sharks are a extra sensible query: loads of Australians paddle, swim, surf and dive each week in water shared with animals which may take into account us a meals supply. As a clearance diver in my youth, sharks performed closely on my thoughts, particularly in zero-vis water. Within the “bin”, the widespread space, we’d speak about it for hours. Stab it, poke it, everybody had an opinion, however no actual concept.
And sharks have been laborious to disregard. 5 individuals have been killed by sharks in Australia this 12 months, the newest a swimmer at Sorrento Seashore in Perth on 18 September. On 1 November a shark sighting stopped the swim on the Noosa Triathlon. And in August, Coogee survivor Leah Stewart informed 60 Minutes it was like “combating a dinosaur”. Fellow clearance diver Paul de Gelder was rag-dolled by a bull shark.
So, may you beat a shark in a battle? No. However you’ll be able to survive one, and three individuals who did inform us how.
Leah Stewart threw a left hook at an awesome white
On 13 June, Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old instructor and mom, was ending a morning swim at Coogee Seashore in Sydney when an awesome white of round 3.5 metres attacked her, contained in the flags and fewer than 30 metres from shore. A champion paddleboarder and one other bystander dragged her out (The New Each day).
In her first interview, on 60 Minutes, she stated all of it occurred “in gradual movement”. With the shark’s mouth near her face she threw “a left hook”, and requested herself, “Which limb am I prepared to lose?” (The Guardian, through the Irish Examiner).
She survived. Her left arm was amputated, she spent weeks in intensive care and, by late August, had reportedly had 11 operations (The New Each day).
It’s tempting to show this right into a story about toughness. It isn’t. Stewart didn’t knock out a shark. She survived one, and combating again was a part of how.
Paul de Gelder discovered how unfair the battle is
If you wish to understand how a lot human power counts towards a shark, Paul de Gelder is as near a managed experiment as you’ll get. In February 2009 he was a 31-year-old Royal Australian Navy clearance diver, swimming on his again on the floor of Sydney Harbour throughout a counter-terrorism train when a bull shark got here up from beneath and took his proper hand and proper leg (InsideHook).
He fought. His left hand couldn’t attain the shark’s eye, so he went for the nostril. The shark shook him and took him underneath (Individuals). Then it let go. He surfaced, his staff pulled him into the boat, and he misplaced each limbs however lived.
No one would name de Gelder unfit. He was an elite navy diver, and towards an enormous bull shark, his power barely registered. “It was prefer it was all muscle,” he informed me in an interview a number of years in the past. His recommendation now, as a shark advocate and Shark Week presenter, is to push the shark’s nostril away fairly than punch it (LADbible).
Mick Fanning punched it within the again
In July 2015, three-time world champion Mick Fanning was sitting within the line-up within the remaining of the J-Bay Open in South Africa when a shark got here up behind him, stay on tv. He was knocked off his board and kicked and punched at it. “I punched it within the again,” he stated afterwards (AP, through Boston 25). His leg rope snapped, he swam, and the rescue boats obtained to him. He wasn’t bitten.
Did Mick Fanning beat a shark? About as a lot as you beat a closing practice door by getting by way of it. What he did was battle, make house and get out, which is the entire sport.
How you can survive a shark assault
Australian authorities give the identical recommendation (Victorian Fisheries Authority):
- Don’t play lifeless. Battle again.
- Use your gear first: surfboard, fins, digicam, speargun. Hold it between you and the shark.
- If it involves arms, go for the eyes and gills, that are probably the most delicate. The nostril is a final resort, and it places your hand subsequent to the tooth.
- Get out of the water the second you will have the possibility. You’re not there to win.
- Cease the bleeding: agency strain on the wound, and get assist to name an ambulance.
Combating again doesn’t flip an off swap. De Gelder hit the shark and it stored going. It’s about being laborious work for lengthy sufficient to get free. Typically that works. Typically it doesn’t.
How you can keep away from a shark assault
The percentages are already in your facet, and you’ll shift them additional (SharkSmart NSW):
- Swim between the crimson and yellow flags at patrolled seashores.
- Keep out at daybreak, nightfall and evening, when sharks feed.
- Keep away from murky water, and avoid colleges of baitfish or diving birds.
- Swim, surf and dive with somebody, not alone.
- Verify the SharkSmart app or your state’s alerts earlier than you go in.
- Spearfishing? Get your catch out of the water quick: three of this 12 months’s 5 deaths have been spearfishers.
Swimming within the ocean this summer season? Our ocean swims calendar and stinger season information cowl the remainder of what’s within the water.
Shark assaults in Australia in 2026
Deadly shark assaults in Australia in 2026, as of 8 November (listing of deadly shark assaults in Australia, from the Australian Shark-Incident Database). Non-fatal bites, together with Leah Stewart’s, aren’t listed.
| Date | Who | What and the place | Shark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep | Greg O’Neill, 63 | swimming, Sorrento Seashore, Perth (WA) | white shark |
| 6 Jun | Daniel Turpin, 35 | spearfishing, Michaelmas Island, Albany (WA) | white shark |
| 24 Might | Michael Jensz, 39 | spearfishing, Kennedy Shoal, Nice Barrier Reef (Qld) | bull shark |
| 16 Might | Steven Mattaboni, 38 | spearfishing, Horseshoe Reef, Rottnest Island (WA) | white shark |
| 18 Jan | Nico Antic, 12 | swimming, Shark Seashore, Vaucluse, Sydney Harbour (NSW) | bull shark |
So, may a man beat a shark?
No, however you may, confidently, get away. Might a median bloke overpower an enormous bull, tiger or nice white shark in open water? No. An elite Navy diver hit one and couldn’t cease it.
Might a human battle one off? Sure. Leah Stewart did, Paul de Gelder did, and Mick Fanning did on stay tv. That’s not proof we’re stronger than sharks. It’s proof that when the choice is being eaten, combating again issues.
Towards a chimp, don’t get within the cage. Towards a shark, don’t choose the battle. But when the shark has already picked it, begin swinging.
Shark assault FAQ
What must you do in a shark assault?
Battle again with no matter you will have, preserve your board or gear between you and the shark, goal the eyes and gills if it’s important to use your arms, and get out of the water as quickly because it lets go (Victorian Fisheries Authority).
Do you have to punch a shark within the nostril?
Provided that it’s all you’ll be able to attain. The eyes and gills are extra delicate. Paul de Gelder tried for the nostril and it didn’t cease the shark; his recommendation now could be to push the nostril away fairly than punch it (LADbible).
Might you beat a shark in a battle?
No, not if ‘beat’ means overpower. An enormous shark is way stronger within the water than any man. However individuals do battle sharks off: Leah Stewart, Paul de Gelder and Mick Fanning all fought again and lived.
Do most individuals survive shark assaults?
Most shark bites in Australia aren’t deadly, however the deaths are available in clusters: 5 individuals have been killed in 2026 by early November (listing of deadly shark assaults in Australia). Quick first support on the seaside, strain on the wound and an ambulance, is what saves most individuals.
How do you keep away from a shark assault?
Swim between the flags at patrolled seashores, keep out at daybreak, nightfall and evening, keep away from murky water and baitfish, and swim with somebody (SharkSmart NSW).