Incident Report
Snorkeller Injured by Silvertip Shark at Pyramid Dive Site, Coral Sea
east diamond islet, pyramid dive site, coral sea, Queensland·Australia
A 20-year-old snorkeller sustained minor arm lacerations during an encounter with a 1.5-metre silvertip shark at East Diamond Islet in October 2001. The incident occurred at the Pyramid dive site in Queensland's Coral Sea.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In October 2001, a snorkelling incident occurred at East Diamond Islet, home to the Pyramid dive site in the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia. A 20-year-old female snorkeller encountered a silvertip shark (Carcharhinus alumbis) estimated at 1.5 metres in length during recreational snorkelling in open ocean waters surrounding the island. The interaction resulted in minor lacerations to the victim's arm. The snorkeller received treatment for the non-fatal injury. Silvertip sharks are found throughout Indo-Pacific tropical and subtropical waters and are generally considered moderately aggressive species, though incidents remain relatively uncommon relative to the number of people who enter shark-inhabited waters.