Shark attacks in New Caledonia have nearly doubled since 2008, turning one of the South Pacific’s most beautiful islands into one of the world’s newest shark attack hotspots. Join shark scientist Kristian Parton as he breaks down the new research on the environmental and behavioural factors driving the surge.
In this Shark Bytes episode we break down the science behind the spike: why tiger sharks are moving into shallow urban beaches near Nouméa, how warming Coral Sea temperatures are raising sharks’ metabolic demands, why wing foiling and hydrofoils may be broadcasting the exact low-frequency signal of injured prey, how Rusa deer carcasses washing into the lagoons draw predators in, and the massive migration of giant tiger sharks from Norfolk Island where nearly two-thirds travel straight to New Caledonia.
From the fatal tiger shark attacks off Nouméa’s resort beaches to the controversial shark culls of 2023 and 2026, we look at who’s getting bitten, where, and why and whether New Caledonia’s shark attacks will keep risings.
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