The scars many whales bear throughout their lives resulting from shark attacks are more than sufficient evidence sharks will have a go if an opportunity arises.
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Articles on Great white sharks
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A pair of killer whales are hunting and preying on South Africa's great white sharks, forcing the sharks to flee.
A terrifying sight in ancient waters, the megalodon shark was once the most feared creature in the sea.
As the oceans warmed, great whites were more adaptable.
Researchers have discovered that great white sharks are more social than previously thought. Using specialized tags, they tracked six sharks and found that some stay close to each other when hunting.
The death of 57-year-old Paul Millachip at Fremantle’s Port Beach is a reminder that shark bites, though rare, can be tragic. New research aims to reduce the risk by understanding sharks’ vision.
Sharks grow slowly and produce few young compared to bony fishes. In many cases, this means that their populations are fished out faster than can be replenished if not well managed.
A high seas treaty could help rebuild populations – but time is running out.
You’re more likely to drown at a beach than be killed by a shark. But there are things people can do to reduce the already low risk even further.
How many shark encounters have there been at your local beach? Explore our interactive map to see 20 years of incidents between humans and sharks in coastal waters around Australia.
New research has used genetic analysis in a world-first effort to accurately estimate Australian and New Zealand white shark numbers.
Fatal shark bites are very rare. But the stats do suggest that the likelihood of an attack proving fatal is higher in Australia - probably because our waters are home to the “big three” dangerous species.
Sharks can’t sneeze like we do, but they can do other cool tricks – like making their stomach stick out of their mouth to get rid of unwanted stuff.
LIfeguards could potentially have a new ally in the fight to reduce shark incidents: drones that can spot when a shark swims nearby, and automatically alert authorities.
Shark nets are controversial, which is why the New South Wales government is investigating a host of other ways to keep humans and sharks apart – some more tried and tested than others.
If you do see a shark this summer, don’t panic – you just got lucky.
Independent tests show that a wearable electric deterrent called a Shark Shield does indeed seem to live up to its name.
The best way to guard against shark attacks is to study them, not kill them. Because while the alleged “shark boom” almost certainly not real, the more we know about sharks, the better.
Giant sharks did once exist in our oceans – many millions of years ago. But rumours persist that some may still be alive today.
How new technologies and changing attitudes are enabling people and great whites to live together.
Top contributors
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Lecturer in Public Policy, University of Sydney
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Doctoral School Programmes Manager, Nottingham Trent University
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Marine Biologist, South African National Parks (SANParks); Honorary Research Associate, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
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Shark biologist, The University of Western Australia
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Wen Family Chair in Conservation, The University of Western Australia
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Associate Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Macquarie University
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PhD graduate, University of Southampton
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Associate professor, Flinders University
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Postdoctoral Researcher in management and conservation of white sharks, Stellenbosch University
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Director, Florida Program for Shark Research and Coordinator of Museum Operations, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida
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Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
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Professor of Aquatic Biosciences, Nord University
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Winthrop Professor/WA Premier's Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences and the Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia
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Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Wollongong
