A 31-year-old recreational diver from southern Tasmania is recovering after being bitten by a shark off Bruny Island on Saturday morning, in an incident police describe as isolated but are urging water users to stay alert.
The Incident
The man was diving with two companions at a depth of roughly eight metres, about 50 metres offshore from Coal Point in Adventure Bay, on the eastern side of Bruny Island, when he was bitten. Tasmania Police Inspector Darren Latham said the diver was able to make his own way back to shore, where fellow divers assisted him and contacted emergency services at around 9:10am.
He was treated at the scene for injuries to his lower forearm before being flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital by Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Police described his condition as stable and his injuries as non-life-threatening.
The Shark
Investigators believe the animal responsible was a broadnose sevengill shark, estimated at around two metres in length. Police were explicit that the shark had not been identified as a white pointer, or great white shark — a distinction likely to reassure divers familiar with Tasmania’s more feared resident predator.
The broadnose sevengill, once commonly called the mud shark or cow shark, is distinguished from most other shark species by its seven gill slits rather than the usual five. It is largely a bottom-dwelling species, spending most of its time cruising along the sea floor, with occasional trips toward the surface — behaviour consistent with an encounter at eight metres’ depth.
The Response
Following the bite, the police vessel Dauntless was deployed to patrol the waters around Coal Point. As of the latest update, there have been no further sightings of the shark in the area.
Inspector Latham characterised the bite as an isolated event, but police have reminded anyone planning to swim or dive around Adventure Bay to remain vigilant, follow local safety advice, and stay aware of their surroundings while in the water.
Context: A Pattern of Sightings
This is not the first shark activity reported near Adventure Bay this year. In March, a three-metre shark was seen near the boat ramp used by Bruny Island Cruises in the same bay, though no incident resulted from that sighting.
Tasmanian waters more broadly are home to a range of shark species, including great whites, bronze whalers, and sevengills, making occasional encounters a known — if statistically rare — risk for the state’s diving and water sports community.
No further details on the diver’s identity or recovery have been released by police at this stage.
Source: ABC Australia
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