Incident Report
Whaler Shark Incident During Spearfishing Off Bremmer Island
nhulunbuy, bremmer island, Northern Territory·Australia
A 20-year-old male spearfisher sustained head injuries from a 2-meter whaler shark near Bremmer Island in April 2005. The incident resulted in non-fatal injuries with teeth marks to the head.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In April 2005, a spearfishing incident occurred in the waters off Bremmer Island near Nhulunbuy in Australia's Northern Territory. A 20-year-old male was bitten by a whaler shark estimated at 2 meters in length while engaged in spearfishing activities in open ocean waters adjacent to the island. The shark inflicted teeth mark injuries to the victim's head. The incident was non-fatal, and the individual survived the encounter. Whaler sharks (Carcharhinus species) are known to inhabit Australian coastal and island waters and are capable of defensive or investigative biting behavior when in close contact with humans in their marine environment.