Shark Sighting Log

The sightings listed here are compiled from third parties. They are seldom verified or confirmed and PIRSA Fisheries take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information and do not guarantee that the information on this website represents all known shark sightings.

The shark sightings recorded on this site do not necessarily indicate the presence or absence of sharks in any particular area. Remember that sharks are mobile creatures; hence a shark sighting provided may not be specifically accurate, valid or useful.

Care should be taken when interpreting any information on the shark sighting log. Many of the sightings have not been verified and in some instances there may be multiple sightings of the same shark listed.

Some sightings are reported several hours, and in some cases days, after the actual observation. Although these sightings are listed, the usefulness of this information should be considered in this context.

PIRSA excludes all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from using this site and any information or material available on the site.


Identifier codes
P    Report from member of the public
R    Surf Life Saving South Australia (SLSSA) observation from rotary wing aircraft
F    UniSA/SES observation from fixed wing aircraft
S    Report from South Australia Police (SAPOL)
A    Report from Abalone Divers Association
W   White Sharks Count program (including sighting ID number) – these reports are provided some time after the sighting date

Listed below are the sightings reported to PIRSA since 1 July 2007. 

Shark sightings for the 2006 - 07 year, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 are also available.

Date of Report Time of Report Date of Sighting Time of Sighting Sighting Location Shark Species Identifier
11/5/12 12.09
 10/5/12
 15:00
 Coopers - reef 3k, south of Port Hughes Jetty, 16FT water
 White underneath and dark gray on top, large head
27/4/12
 Unknown
 26/4/12
 Unknown
 Dangerous Reef near Port Lincoln
 Great White Shark
27/4/12
 Unknown
 26/4/12
 Unknown
 Liguanea Island
 4 x Great White Shark (approx 3 to 3.5m in length)
30/3/12 10:25 28/03/12 Unknown Point Sir Isaacs (which is near Coffin Bay) Great White Shark (approx 12 ft in length)  
30/3/12 10:30 20/03/12 14:30 Maslins Beach, just south of car park Unknown (2-3m)  S
12/03/12 11:10 12/03/12 09:30 Stansbury - The Pole Great White Shark (4.5 m in length)  
10/03/12 16:02 09/03/12 13:00 Stansbury - off the pole (a beacon) White Pointer  
22/02/12  18:12  22/02/12  18:13  50 m off shore Southport Beach  Unknown. 2.5 m in length S 
22/02/12  11:40  22/02/12  11:40  50m of Brighton Jetty Unknown. 4 m in length  S 
21/02/12   14:25  21/02/12  14:25  50m off Moana   Unknown. Two sharks between 2.5 and 3 m in length   R S 
21/02/12  12:00  21/02/12  12:00  50m off Moana  Unknown. Two sharks between 2.5 and 3 m in length  R S 
20/02/12  16:55  20/02/12  16:55  50m off Moana  Unknown. 4m in length  R S 
19/02/12 unknown  19/02/12 unknown  Tennyson Beach near Moredun St  Pt Jackson   P
16/02/12 unknown 08/02/12 unknown 100 metres offshore from the Aldinga Surf Life Saving Club Bronze Whaler (2 metres) S
12/02/12 unknown 12/02/12 unknown  Tennyson Beach near Moredun St Pt Jackson P
31/01/12 08:22 28/01/12 10:00 Near Fishery Bay (which is near Port Lincoln) Great White, approx 8ft  
28/01/12 11:05 28/01/12 10:30 Sighted at rear of commercial fishing vessel between Seal Island and the Watchers at Elliston SA Great White  
23/01/12 17:21 22/01/12 19:30 Inbetween the river mouth and Triggs Bronze Whaler  P
23/01/12 16:48 22/01/12 16:00 Grange Tyre Reef Great White  P
23/01/12 15:10 23/01/12 14:58 Moana Beach. 150m offshore Unknown. 3m in length  S
23/01/12 08:22 23/01/12 08:10 Pt Willunga, South of Start of Greece. 350m-400m from shore Unknown  S
22/01/12 14:34 22/01/12 06:00 200m South west of Glenelg tyre reef White Pointer   P
22/01/12 08:40 22/01/12 08:20 2-3nm off Semaphore Unknown  S
20/01/12 18:49 20/01/12 18:45 100m South of Grange Jetty. 200m-300m offshore Hammerhead  S
20/01/12 09:17 19/01/12 12:00 North side of South Bank (Streaky Bay). 3 to 4 kms from shore Great White Shark approx 14 ft  
16/01/12 16:31 16/01/12 16:20 Port Willunga Beach. 100m offshore     P
15/01/12 18:39 15/01/12 18:30 Right hand side of West beach boat ramp Unknown  P
12/01/12 14:54 12/01/12 14:00 Hot spot which is a location 23 nm west of Elliston Great White Shark approx 12 ft in length  
07/01/12 18:05 29/12/11 12:52 Victor Harbour. 2 metre White Pointer approximately 50m from shore heading from Victor Harbor to Horseshoe Bay White Pointer  S
07/01/12 18:05 28/12/11 15:05 About 3-4 metre shark approximately 300m offshore about 1nm of Grange Jetty heading SW Unsure of species  
07/01/12 15:11 06/01/12 16:35 Port Willunga. 150 metres from shore Unknown  S
07/01/12 14:58 07/01/12 14:42 Torrens Outlet in ankle depth water with broken dorsal fin 2 feet Port Jackson Shark  
06/01/12 unknown 05/01/12 13:37 Christies Beach. 300 metres from shore Unknown  S
04/01/12 unknown 04/01/12 16:34 Port Willunga. 30 metres from shore Unknown, possibly a Bronze Whaler. 2.5 m  S
04/01/12 unknown unknown unknown Point Sir Isaacs near Coffin Bay Great White Shark  
04/01/12 unknown unknown unknown Reef Head near Coffin Bay Great White Shark  
03/01/12 unknown 03/01/12 unknown Hotspot (which is out from Elliston) 12 foot Great White Shark  
02/01/12 unknown 02/01/12 unknown Howards Rocks near Black Rocks, north of Thistle Island (Port Lincoln) 12 foot Great White Shark  
02/01/12 unknown 02/01/12 unknown Reef Head near Coffin Bay 12 foot Great White Shark  
24/12/11  06:00  24/12/11 unknown  Glenelg tyre reef  3.5 m Great White  P 
23/12/11 10:52 22/12/11 15:13 Pt Willunga 150 metres from shore Unknown 2 metres P
21/12/11  16:25  21/12/11  16:25  Maslins Beach  Unknown 3 to 4 metres  P 
21/12/11  13:56 21/12/11 13:56  100 metres off shore Aldinga Beach near Norman Road  Unknown 3 metres in length  S
21/12/11   13:00 21/12/11  13:00  5 metres off shore from West Beach  Unknown 1 metre in length  S
13/12/11 19:37 13/12/11 19:00 Willunga Beach 100 metres offshore Unknown S
09/12/11 17:02  9/12/11 17:24 Moana approx 30 metres offshore Unknown 2.5 metres in length S 
09/12/11 15:36  9/12/11 17:00 Aldinga Beach approx 70 metres offshore  Unknown 2.5 metres in length P
09/12/11 15:37  9/12/11 14:38 Aldinga Beach approx 150 metres offshore  not specified P
09/12/11 15:36  9/12/11 17:00  Aldinga Beach approx 40 metres offshore  Unknown 2.5 metres in length P
04/11/11 11:00 04/11/11 11:00 200-300 metres offshore from Henley Beach esplanade Great White P
23/08/11 10:00 23/08/11  not given  6 km from boat ramp at Fishermans Bay not specified P
09/04/11  14:00  08/04/11  not given Towards end of jetty at Beachport  Great White  P 
29/03/11  15:00  19/03/11  14:12  Clarries Fishing Spot at West Beach   Great White  P 
28/03/11  08:00  26/03/11  13:30  Fenelon Islands (near Ceduna)  Great White  P 
27/02/11  18:30  27/02/11  12:00  2km from shore. Towards Frenchman past Fence and Gallippoli Beach  Great White  P 
09/02/11  15:45  09/02/11 14:58 2m long shark at Maslins Outlet  not specified  P 
09/02/11  15:45  09/02/11  15:00  200m off shore between Maslins Beach and Large Point  not specified  P 
09/02/11  12:00  09/02/11  11:40  2km off Maslins Beach not specified  P 
01/02/11 11:30  31/01/11  16:00  Within 3km of coast between Point Drummond and Halls Bay  Great White  A 
03/01/11  N/A 03/01/11  N/A  4-5km off Brighton Beach Great White  P 
03/01/11  07:30  02/01/11  15:30  Anxious Bay Elliston 500 metres from shore  Great White  P