Incident Report
Wader Bitten While Fishing for Whiting Near Geraldton
Cape Burney, Western Australia·Australia
A man wading at Southgates near Geraldton sustained puncture wounds to his foot when bitten by an unidentified shark while fishing for whiting in May 1923. Despite wearing boots at the time, the shark's teeth penetrated the leather.
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Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On May 23, 1923, an incident occurred at Southgates near Geraldton in Western Australia when a male wader was bitten by a shark while engaged in recreational fishing activities in the Indian Ocean. The victim was wading in shallow water searching for whiting when the unprovoked encounter took place. The shark attacked the man's foot, leaving multiple puncture wounds despite the protection offered by his leather boots. The force of the bite was sufficient to penetrate the footwear, indicating a substantial bite pressure. The injuries were classified as minor and non-fatal. Following the incident, local residents made an attempt to locate and capture the responsible shark, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The shark species involved was not identified in available records. The incident was documented in The West Australian newspaper on May 24, 1923, providing a contemporary account of this relatively early recorded shark encounter in the region. This incident reflects the historical reality of shark encounters along Western Australia's coastline, particularly in areas where recreational fishing brought people into regular contact with marine fauna in their natural habitat.