Shark bites diver’s forearm in waters off Bruny Island, Tasmania

A diver has been bitten on the forearm by a shark in waters off Bruny Island, Tasmania.

Tasmania Police said they received a report at about 9:10am today of an attack.

Inspector Darren Latham said “the man was diving with two other people at a depth of eight metres and approximately 50 metres offshore from Coal Point, Adventure Bay, when he was bitten by what is believed to be a two-metre-long broadnose sevengill shark”.

“The man was able to return to shore and was assisted by fellow divers, who contacted emergency services about 9:10am.

Police vessel Dauntless had patrolled the area, but there have been no further sightings of the shark at this stage, police said.

“While this appears to be an isolated incident, we are reminding anyone planning to swim or dive in the area to remain vigilant, follow local safety advice and be aware of their surroundings,” Inspector Latham said.

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Witness says diver was ‘retrieving’ speared fish when attacked

A man, who did not wish to be named, was at the scene when paramedics attended to the diver.

He told the ABC he was a “keen diver and I’m familiar with the area”.

He said the group of divers were “spearfishing on scuba”.

“The guy who was bitten had speared a fish and had been bitten by the shark while retrieving the fish on the spear,” he said. 

Fishing Tasmania advises the broadnose sevengill shark species is a “major predator of shark species” and that people “may hook a broadnose which has been scavenging on other sharks”.

Greg, who was with family at Bruny Island, said: “We were just having breakfast, talking about going for a bit of a cold plunge, and then we saw there’d been someone bitten by a shark.

“We don’t hear about shark attacks too often in Tassie, let alone Bruny.

“It’s a very low chance of getting bitten. I mean, we’ve swum our whole lives and we don’t really worry about it.”

Sharks ‘do not seek out humans to bite’, expert says

Chris Black, a shark researcher and author, said he knew the Coal Point location and has “dived there a number of times”.

“It is a rocky bottom, with kelp and cray-weed, and a popular shore-diving area. It has also been a popular fishing spot for generations.”

Mr Black said: “The same, less-severe bites, as those reported today, have been inflicted on divers in Tasmanian waters before by species such as sevengill sharks and bronze whalers, especially where fishing activity is occurring.

“They are merely trying to survive, and humans must accept responsibility when entering the shark’s dining room.”

Mr Black said there had been 15 historically verifiable shark accidents since European settlement in Tasmania, with six being fatal.

“Sevengill sharks are often encountered by Tasmanian divers, usually without incident. They are curious animals and will often investigate divers by slowly circling them,” he said.

Mr Black said sevengill sharks “are the most commonly encountered shark species in inshore waters such as the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Derwent Estuary and are ubiquitous in all Tasmanian waters”.

Anyone who sees a shark should report it to police on 131 444.

If the sighting presents an immediate threat, call Triple Zero (000).