Fatal Great White Shark Attack on Scallop Diver in Tasmania

This case is exceptionally well-documented for a recreational diving fatality, featuring a detailed investigative report with precise GPS coordinates, bathymetric data, sea surface temperature, weather records, moon phase, and historical context on white shark captures in the region, giving it strong scientific and archival value; additionally, the victim was diving alongside his adult daughter, who witnessed the attack.

On Saturday, July 25, 2015, a fatal shark attack occurred in the Mercury Passage off Tasmania's east coast, approximately 750 meters northeast of Lachlan Island. The victim, a 46-year-old recreational scallop diver and father of two, had traveled from the township of Orford with his daughter in an open dinghy to take advantage of the final days of the scallop season. The pair anchored their 4.8-meter aluminum vessel in 12 meters of water and began diving using a twin-hose hookah (compressor-supplied air) system. After their initial dive, during which both divers successfully collected scallops, they returned to the boat to assess their catch. The victim then decided to make a second solo dive to gather additional scallops. Sea surface temperature at the time was 12-13°C (53-55°F), typical for Tasmanian waters, and both divers wore full-length wetsuits. When approximately 15 to 20 minutes elapsed without the victim resurfacing, his daughter became concerned and re-entered the water to search for him. She witnessed her father being attacked by a very large gray shark with notably heavy girth. She immediately returned to the boat, discharged a flare, and made an emergency mobile phone call. The attack site was characterized by open sandy seafloor subject to strong tidal currents. The area is known to attract white sharks due to its proximity to Isle Des Phoques (White Rock), located 29.5 kilometers away, which serves as a haul-out and former breeding site for Australian fur seals. Historical records indicate 13 white shark captures in the region since 1943, with estimated shark sizes ranging from 1.5 to 5.4 meters. The responding great white shark was estimated at 3.9 to 4.2 meters in length. This incident remains one of Tasmania's recorded fatal shark interactions and was subsequently documented by authorities as an unprovoked attack.