Scary Sharks!

I am sure like anyone else who watched Jaws when they were little (or big!), you might have a certain amount of trepidation when swimming in the sea when you can't see your feet...? Not helped of course by the fact that Australia is well known for its resident shark population. However, what you need to remember is that a shark attack is VERY unlikely.

The official sounding Australian Shark Attack File is kept by Taronga Zoo (the 'Zoo with a view' in Sydney — you can see across the Harbour to the Opera House while viewing the animals!), which states that on average each year (and some years it's none) that only 1 person in Australia is killed by a shark. Which arguably is of course 1 too many, but when you compare that to, say, fatalities as a result of road accidents in Australia — which has been more than 1600 each year in the past 2 years (according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau), then you can start to put the shark attacks into perspective.

Most major swimming beaches in Australia put up 'shark nets', which are off-shore and help prevent the sharks ever making it close to where you would be swimming or surfing.

One of the sharks we saw at Sydney Aquarium. Definitely less scary behind glass!

On my real life first encounter with a shark (snorkelling over a reef just off shore from Lady Elliot Island, Queensland), I do have to admit that when you're in the water then any shark looks like a scary shark! I did swim pretty quickly back to the boat (keeping an eye on the shark as I did, of course!) to be told by the snorkelling guide that I was very lucky to have a seen a (reef) shark as they aren't always about. Yes... lucky... that's exactly what I was thinking when I spotted it not 2 metres away from my face!! But I needn't have panicked — the shark was not interested in me or anyone else snorkelling.

My best advice for getting to see a shark up close and personal is to visit the Sydney Aquarium based at Darling Harbour. Although perhaps a bit of an obvious tourist attraction, it's a really great aquarium and has an impressive viewing tunnel when you can see those jaws in full detail if you want to keep dry. They also have an option to do a shark dive if you want to get wet! Er, maybe next time...!! The aquarium is open every single day of the year, so you don't have to miss out on all the beautiful Aussie marine life, even if you don't make it to the Barrier Reef on your trip.

Hopefully I've cured your fear of sharks now? Or at least allayed your fears...maybe a little bit :)