Incident Report
Swimmer Injured by Wobbegong at Cocos (Keeling) Islands
cocos (keeling) islands, Western Australia·Australia
A 15-year-old male swimmer sustained minor lacerations to the calf after an encounter with a 1.5-meter wobbegong at Cocos (Keeling) Islands in July 2007.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In July 2007, a 15-year-old male swimmer was injured during a swimming incident at Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. The swimmer encountered a wobbegong, a small benthic shark species measuring approximately 1.5 meters in length. The interaction resulted in minor lacerations to the victim's calf. Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling sharks found in Indo-Pacific waters and are generally docile; incidents involving this species are relatively uncommon. The coastal location and shallow-water swimming activity provided conditions where an encounter with the bottom-feeding shark occurred. The victim's injuries were non-fatal and classified as minor, consistent with defensive bites from small shark species rather than predatory behavior.