Sharks

SHARKS

Given the nature of our sport it is inevitable that spearos are going to have run ins with sharks.  Luckily here in New Zealand there are few around and encounters while not rare are unusual.  Generally these encounters involve "taxmen" stealing fish and the most common is feeling a sharp tug on your floatline as a bitey takes your fish off your float.

Attacks are very rare but a few general guidelines will help keep you safe:

1.  Always iki your fish - Nothing attracts sharks more than struggling fish so dispatch them as quickly as possible.  Don't be concerned about the blood this may spill as blood will attract a shark from nearby whereas the vibrations of a wounded fish attract them from miles away.

2.  Never ever attach fish to your body - Keep your fish on your float.  The best way to transport your catch is in a plat; these are small boats that keep the fish right out of the water.  Another very good way is by using a fish stringer.  This is a spike with a bit of mono that keeps your fish on your float.  The main benefit of a stringer over threading your fish straight onto your floatline is that if a shark does take your fish the mono will snap.  This prevents a shark from taking off with your whole rig.

3  Look him in the eye - Like all fish, nothing scares sharks more than eye contact.  If a shark does turn up either you or your buddy need to eyeball him at all times.

4  Dive in schools - Never dive alone in sharky areas.  In high risk situations such as blue water or while berleying diving in groups is much safer as sharks are far less likely to attack a group of divers.

5  Don't shoot them - The best way to make a shark angry and lose your gear is to put a shaft into them.  If they get really close a good prod with your spear should scare them off.

6  Only dive in freshwater

Here are a few of the most common sharks seen in New Zealand:

BRONZE WHALER Carcharhinus brachyurus

VIDEO

The most common shark in New Zealand waters, the bronzie accounts for 99% of all shark sightings.  It is most easily recognized by geography: If you see a shark and you're diving in NZ waters, it was a bronzey.  Other than that it's a metallic, bronze colour on top  fading to a silvery white on it's belly.  While regarded as a man-eater in Australia, they are pretty tame here. Bronzies grow up to 4m in length 

MAKO Isurus oxyrinchus & paucus

There are two species of Mako shark in New Zealand, the long fin and the extremely rare, short fin mako.  Mako sharks are the fastest and most stremalined of all sharks.  A true open ocean fish you are highly unlikely to encounter this fish inshore which is just as well as they're known to bite. 

HAMMERHEAD Sphyrna mokarran

Instantly recognizable by their hammer shaped heads, the hammerhead is fairly rarely seen by divers.  There are several different species of hammerhead but the great hammerhead is the largest and most dangerous.

GREAT WHITE SHARK Carcharodon carcharias

The scariest and bitiest of them all:  While extremely rarely seen by divers it is suggested that you get out of the water if you do see one.