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.
Estimating shark numbers is extremely difficult and very contentious.
Elias Levy/Flickr
Plankton has a chemical fingerprint that reveals where it came from. Scientists have now used this to track sharks at the opposite end of the food web.
A Senate committee has recommended an end to sharks culls and nets. According to surveys, the public is on board with the idea of ending policies that are lethal to sharks.
White sharks’ ability to stay warm in cold water makes them efficient long-range hunters.
Denice Askebrink
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.
Hey, what about us? Whale shark (spotted) and manta ray, a close shark relative.
Justin Henry
As the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Wild unleash a week of dueling shark programs, a biologist advises viewers to take what they see with a large grain of sea salt.
Great white photobomb.
George T. Probst/NOAA/Flickr
Professional surfers have called for culling sharks to reduce the risk of attacks. A shark biologist explains why culling will not work and surfers should accept risk when they enter the water.
Helicopters hover over Bondi Beach after spotting a shark.
AAP Image/NEWZULU/TOM CASKA
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.
Ballina, one of the northern NSW beaches that had a deadly shark attack in 2015.
AAP/Dave Hunt
Marine Biologist, South African National Parks (SANParks); Institute for Communities and Wildlife, University of Cape Town, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity