On Saturday morning, 18 July 2026, a 31-year-old man was bitten by a shark off Coal Point in Adventure Bay on Bruny Island. He sustained injuries to his lower forearm which, according to police, were not life-threatening.
Tasmania Police said the man was diving with two other people at a depth of about eight metres, around 50 metres offshore. Police identified a broadnose sevengill shark about two metres long as the species suspected of being involved.
Diver returned to shore without assistance
Despite the injury, the man was able to return to shore under his own power. His companions provided assistance and alerted emergency services at about 9:10 a.m. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew him to Royal Hobart Hospital in a stable condition.
The police vessel Dauntless then patrolled the Coal Point area. No further sightings were initially reported. Police urged swimmers and divers nearby to remain vigilant and follow local safety advice.
ABC: Bite while retrieving a speared fish
ABC News later reported, citing a witness, that the group had been spearfishing with scuba gear. The injured man had reportedly speared a fish and was bitten while retrieving it.
This additional account was not part of the initial police release, but it is important for classifying the incident. If a freshly speared fish provided an immediate food stimulus, the context indicates a provoked encounter during scuba diving and spearfishing.
Species identification remains provisional
Police were deliberately cautious in their wording: a broadnose sevengill shark is suspected of having been involved. The species had not been conclusively confirmed in the initial reports. The estimated length of about two metres is also based on the early assessment after the incident.
The broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) is regularly found in Tasmania’s cool coastal waters. Encounters with divers usually pass without incident, but fish, blood or other food stimuli can alter the situation.
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More InformationNon-fatal shark bite off Bruny Island
The details currently confirmed by the authorities are therefore: a 31-year-old man, a non-life-threatening forearm injury, a water depth of about eight metres and a distance of roughly 50 metres from the Coal Point shoreline. The suspected species and the spearfishing context remain provisional.
No further details about the precise nature of the injury or a more reliable species identification were initially available. Based on the information available so far, this was a non-fatal, provoked shark bite during scuba spearfishing.
