Follow these tips to stay safe.
- Do not have fish near your body. Tow your catch in a float well behind you.
- Aim to kill your fish quickly. Bring your catch to the surface and quickly remove it from the water.
- Always spearfish with a buddy or group.
- Have a plan with your buddy. Agree on hand signals and how to enter and leave the water.
- Avoid spearfishing at dawn or dusk.
- Spearfish in clear water where you have good visibility.
- If it looks fishy, it could be sharky. Stay away from schools of bait fish or diving birds.
- Be careful of steep drop-offs where sharks may feed.
- If you see a shark, stay calm, release your catch and leave the water. Move to a new site if continuing spearfishing.
- Do not feed, touch or provoke sharks.
- Consider first aid training and have a first aid kit.
Swim in clear water away from people fishing
Some sharks (like bull sharks) prefer to hunt in murky waters where they rely less on vision and more on their other senses to ambush their prey. Avoid swimming near river mouths, estuaries and canals, especially after rain when the water is particularly murky.
Always swim in clear water where you can see what is around you, and leave the water if conditions change.
Don’t swim near people fishing, as fishing activities can also attract sharks.
Last updated: 16 Apr 2024