Shark attacks: Expert's advice on how to coexist in NZ waters this summer

Following another tragic shark attack, Kiwis may be feeling a little uneasy about getting into the water this summer. Marine expert Riley Elliott spoke with Herald reporter Ben Tomsett about why understanding our role in the ocean is key, how we can make our beaches safer, and who faces the greater risk - humans or sharks.

In November, tragedy struck near the Chatham Islands when a great white shark fatally attacked 24-year-old commercial diver Jade Kahukore-Dixon.

In the past 20 years, there have been three fatal shark attacks in New Zealand.

In 2021, 19-year-old Kaelah Marlow, from Hamilton, was fatally mauled by a great white at Waihi Beach, and in 2013 Auckland film-maker Adam Strange was fatally attacked at Muriwai while training for a swimming race.

Despite shark attacks being exceedingly rare in New Zealand, with a historical average of less than one per year, ongoing discussions about safety and conservation remain important.

“It’s just tragic. It’s the worst thing that can happen to a family, a person, or a community,” said shark expert Dr Riley Elliott.

“While shark attacks are statistically improbable, they are always tragic and should not be undermined.”

Kahukore-Dixon’s death was different from the other recent fatal attacks, as it happened in the remote Chatham Islands, where there is a healthy seal population and, consequently, great whites around.

In New Zealand, shark attacks are exceedingly rare with fatal encounters even less common. Photo / 123RF

“There’s a huge difference between a commercial diver working in a place like the Chathams and the average New Zealander swimming at Whangamatā. Most popular swim beaches don’t have seal colonies or great whites,” said Elliott.

“Long story short, people in these environments are not naive. They’re aware of the risks and do everything they can to mitigate them, but it’s a wild environment, and you can’t control everything. You have to commend those who work in such conditions.”

A history of shark deaths

The country’s earliest recorded fatality was in 1852, when a young musician, John Balmer, was attacked by a great white shark in the Wellington harbour while swimming about 180m from shore.

In Dunedin, a memorial plaque at St Clair was installed by a shark attack survivor and dedicated to those ‘Taken by the Great White Shark on our Coast’ during a string of attacks in the 1960s.

Between 1964 and 1971, the region recorded five shark attacks, three of which were fatal.

The first occurred on February 5, 1964, when Les Jordan was killed at St Clair Beach in what was believed to be a great white shark attack.

Three years later, on March 9, 1967, Bill Black was fatally attacked at St Kilda Beach.

The following year, on September 15, 1968, Graham Hitt was killed at Aramoana.

A year later, Gary Barton survived a shark attack at St Clair Beach in 1969, and Barry Watkins, who donated the plaque, also survived after being bitten while surfing at St Clair in 1971.

A plaque on Dunedin's St Clair promenade is dedicated to the three people who lost their lives during a string of shark attacks in the 1960s. Photo / Supplied

Watkins has since spoken about the psychological and physical scars left by the experience.

His leg still aches occasionally and the attack is forever etched in his mind. While he used to have nightmares about it, he is pretty good-humoured about the whole thing now.

“I’ve actually learned to love the creature and take a great interest in what becomes of them and where they are,” he told the Otago Daily Times in 2021.

Shark nets were installed at some local beaches in response to the attacks. However, the measures drew criticism for their environmental impact, as they often ensnared other marine species without conclusively preventing further shark attacks.

Understanding an apex predator

The Dunedin attacks stand out in New Zealand’s otherwise rare history of shark-related incidents.

Elliott has dedicated over a decade to studying these apex predators.

His work focuses on understanding shark behaviour and migration and how that relates to conservation and interactions with people.

Elliot’s scientific career began with studying shark finning, particularly its impact on blue sharks, a species heavily targeted in the fin trade, which was successfully banned in 2014.

Riley Elliott regularly swims with sharks as part of his research. Photo / Amber Jones

Since then, his research has expanded to focus on great white sharks.

“Up in the northeast of the North Island, we’ve been studying young great white sharks developing in the Bay of Plenty. This summer, we’re expanding that research to Stewart Island, tagging and taking genetic samples from the largely adult population that migrates there annually. These are generally thought to be the mums and dads of the juveniles we see further north.”

While estimating shark populations is challenging due to limited research, comparisons with Australian data provide some context.

New Zealand is part of the same Southwest Pacific population as Australia, with estimates suggesting 3000 to 5000 great white sharks in the region - but only a couple hundred of those are capable of breeding.

“That’s a small genetic pool, which is concerning.

“At a recent conference in Port Lincoln, geneticists highlighted that 200 breeding animals is not enough for a healthy population,” Elliott said.

“Sharks take a long time to mature, and 70% of large shark populations globally have been killed in the last 50 years. While protections have allowed populations to stabilise, we must monitor their size, migration, and interactions with people and fisheries to ensure their survival.”

The sharks that swimmers were most likely to encounter in New Zealand waters during the summer months were bronze whalers, Elliott said.

“These are coastal sharks that often school and have behaviour similar to dogs, learning quickly and targeting small prey like fish and stingrays. They don’t target seals or large prey akin to us,” he said.

“However, problems can arise when their food sources overlap with human activity, especially in murky water or during dawn and dusk.”

Improper disposal of fish waste was a major factor in shark-human interactions, he said.

Dr Riley Elliott's Great White App is a citizen-empowered project to help people co-exist with one of nature's greatest apex predators. Photo / Clinton Duffy

“When people clean fish and discard the frames into the water, sharks learn to associate that sound with food.

“It’s like feeding a dog under the dinner table; one day, a hand goes down and someone gets bitten.”

The best advice?

“Avoid discarding fish waste where people swim. Either donate fish heads to programmes like LegaSea’s fish head initiatives, bury them in the garden, or dispose of them in deeper water,” he said.

“We’re asking sharks to make a mistake when we create these conditions.”

Human activities like coastal development and pollution had significant effects on shark populations, including sedimentation from activities like mining, Elliott said.

“It disrupts the food chain, affecting everything from shellfish to top predators like sharks.”

In some cases, those disruptions led to increased shark attacks.

“In New Caledonia, sedimentation from mining coupled with fish waste dumping created murky waters,” he said.

“Sharks became more competitive for scraps, and when tourists jumped in after Covid restrictions lifted, incidents occurred. Our actions can literally come back to bite us.”

Elliott said there were about six fatal shark attacks a year globally - which was “statistically insignificant” when considering the billions of people who enter the water per year, he said.

Shark scientist Dr Riley Elliott says when it comes to coexisting with sharks, respect for their environment is key.

Nonetheless, each incident was a tragedy.

“They’re devastating for families and communities. But it’s important to remember that the ocean is a wild environment. Just as mountaineers face avalanches, entering the ocean comes with risks.”

In New Zealand, drowning is a far greater threat, with around 100 people drowning annually.

“We might see one or two shark attacks a decade. Education and understanding are the best tools for reducing fear and adverse interactions.”

When it comes to coexisting with sharks, respect for their environment is key.

“If you want to be safe in the ocean, swim between the flags. Lifeguards are there, and protocols are in place if sharks are spotted.”

For those venturing beyond, he urged informed decision-making.

“Understand the environment and the species present,” he said.

“Activities like fishing or spearfishing come with risks, just as skiing off-piste does. It’s about the level of risk you’re willing to take.

“Sharks are not the monsters they’re often made out to be.

“They’re vital to ocean ecosystems, and understanding them is the best way to ensure both their survival and our safety.”

Elliott also encouraged citizen science in shark conservation.

“If people see sharks, it’s super useful if they share that information with me through my website, through my Facebook, through my Instagram,” he said.

To engage the public in conservation efforts, Riley created the Great White Shark App, which allows people to “track and follow these sharks, learn about them, and make decisions about their recreation based on that information.”

Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.

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