Incident Report
Tiger Shark Incident During Swimming at Gove Peninsula, 1989
gove peninsula, cape wirrawoi, Northern Territory·Australia
A 17-year-old male swimmer sustained minor lacerations to the leg after an encounter with a 2-meter tiger shark at Cape Wirrawoi, Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory, in December 1989.
Please take a moment to consider the human impact of this event on the victim and their loved ones. The data presented here documents real events that affected real people and families.
Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In December 1989, a swimming incident occurred at Cape Wirrawoi on the Gove Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory. A 17-year-old male swimmer was injured by a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) estimated at approximately 2 meters in length. The encounter resulted in minor lacerations to the victim's leg. The incident took place in a coastal environment. The swimmer survived the encounter with non-fatal injuries.