Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email
Thank you for subscribing!
Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email
We have more newsletters
A group of researchers are calling for official advice to be changed after they found that shark attacks are actually more likely during a period that experts said was more safe.
The group from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Macquarie University have called for official Australian advice that recommends that water-goers avoid swimming and surfing at dawn and dusk be overwritten to reflect their findings.
Those times are apparently key for large bull sharks because “sharks can see you but you can’t see them”. This is when visibility for humans is poorest but sharks are more active.
READ MORE: Cocaine-fuelled sharks are attacking surfers after drug lords dump hauls in the ocean
But the researchers suggest that the presence of large bull sharks was greatest from midday to 4am. They found an increased possibility of the sharks being near to shore between 6pm and 1am.
The group also found that when the water temperature was higher than 20C, after heavy rain or when the water was murky, sharks were more present.
“These conditions are favourable for ambush predators like bull sharks,” Amy Smoothey, scientific officer and shark biologist at NSW DPI, told LiveScience.
“Be aware during periods of lowlight levels, as these are times when bull sharks are typically more active and you may not be able to see the approaching shark.”
Researchers tagged 233 bull sharks and tracked them along 21 coastal New South Wales beaches between 2017 and 2023 to garner their findings.
-
Brit crocodile expert who called dogs his 'f**k toys' was caught by leash in torture vid
News.au reported that bull sharks are involved in the vast majority of fatal attacks in Australian waters.
Smoothey said that while she and the researchers recommend an update to advice about shark safety, current guidelines are still important.
"We concur with the current shark smart advice that nocturnal swimming and surfing, especially in warm waters and when water visibility is poor, should be avoided for many reasons, not the least of which being the presence of bull sharks," she said.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
- Sharks
Source: Read Full Article