Papua New Guinea, often celebrated for its pristine beaches and thriving marine life, has recently seen a rise in shark attacks. This page offers updated details, refreshed weekly, about shark attacks in Papua New Guinea. While the breathtaking coastal waters lure tourists from around the globe, it’s vital to be informed and cautious. This ensures that both locals and visitors can continue to appreciate the beauty of the sea, while also understanding the challenges of human-shark interactions.
Recent Shark Attacks in Papua New Guinea
Date / Time | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12-26-2019 16h30 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Spearfishing | Kala Gerea | M /33 | FATAL | |
02-17-2014 Night | PAPUA NEW GUINEA | Sailing | OneDLL | M /21 | No injury to occupants, hull bitten | |
11-20-2011 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,East New Britain | Scuba diving | male | M | No injury, shark collided with diver | |
09-11-2011 Afternoon | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Kite Surfing | Thomas Viot | M /30 | Lacerations to right leg | Tiger shark, 2m |
06-13-2002 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Louisiade Archipelago | Arm severely lacerated, surgically amputated | ||||
06-13-2002 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Louisiade Archipelago | Attempting to retreive a dinghy | an elementary school teacher | FATAL | ||
05-21-2002 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Milne Bay Province | Collecting beche-de-mer | Billy Leonard | M /14 | Wrist lacerated | |
06-30-2000 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | male | M | FATAL | ||
05-07-2000 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Diving | male | M | FATAL | |
05-07-2000 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Standing | Adam | M /9 | Left leg & ankle bitten | |
02-09-1996 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | College student | Thigh | |||
02-09-1996 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | a father of six | M | FATAL | ||
02-09-1996 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Diving | schoolboy | /14 | Leg severed FATAL | |
01-01-1989 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland | Scuba diving, hand feeding sharks | Dinah Halstead | F | Thigh & calf bitten | 7' silvertip shark |
09-21-1988 Morning | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland | Diving | Andrew Brown Gori | M /27 | FATAL | |
01-01-1970 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Freediving | Mosley | M /15 | Lacerations to back | |
11-04-1968 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Wreck of the Storm King | male | M | Remains recovered days later from shark | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
05-01-1968 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Standing | Tamuk Gilaba | M /17 | Lower leg severely lacerated | |
04-11-1968 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Gulf Province | Swimming | Hukolapa Laiokeke | M /7 | FATAL Laceration to chest | |
01-17-1968 17h30 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Morobe Province | Swimming | Awin Ieromia | /13 | FATAL | |
12-21-1967 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Spearfishing | Bob Valentine | M /32 | No injury | Questionable incident |
09-07-1967 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Diving | Parang | No details, listed as PROVOKED INCIDENT | ||
09-06-1967 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Spearfishing | Parang | M | FATAL | |
09-01-1967 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Spearfishing | Tony Kamage | M /23 | FATAL | 3.7 m [12'] shark |
03-01-1967 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | black male | M /14 | Leg bitten | 3.7 m [12'] shark | |
10-30-1966 Morning | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Swimming | Ridel Pogias (female) | F /13 | FATAL | 3.7 m [12'] shark |
10-19-1966 09h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Bathing | Dakel (female) | F /8 | FATAL | 3.7 m [12'] shark |
07-14-1966 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Admiralty Islands, Manus Province | Swimming | Sasa | F /25 | FATAL | |
10-01-1965 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Wading | John Guge | M /27 | Toe severed | |
09-21-1965 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Spearing fish | Dabek Orou, male | M | Minor injury, speared shark lacerated his kneecap & leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | small shark |
09-12-1965 14h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,East Sepik | Fishing (rod & line) | Ilu | M | Leg & hand bitten by shark that had been speared by another fisherman PROVOKED INCIDENT | 0.9 m [3'] shark |
06-01-1965 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Near Bougainville (North Solomons) | Spearfishing | Mr. Belle Yang, a school teacher | M | Minor injury | |
12-10-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Bougainville (North Solomons) | male | M | Thigh severely lacerated | ||
12-09-1964 Late afternoon | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Bougainville (North Solomons) | Canoe swamped, swimming back to canoe | Soso, a male | M /28 | Survived | 2.1 m [7'] shark |
07-01-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Standing / fishing | Kambagil, male | M | FATAL, leg severed | |
07-01-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | canoeing | occupant: child | No injury to occupant, canoe struck several times by shark | ||
06-17-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Fishing | canoe, occupant: Herman Taman | M | No injury to occupant, shark lifted canoe's outrigger | 2.4 m [8'] shark |
04-07-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Fishing | Simon Kilaleg | M | FATAL | |
03-28-1964 Midnight | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Canoe capsized with 10 occupants, 8 survived, Hamilton swam off to seek help | Donald Hamilton | M /32 | Presumed FATAL | |
01-06-1964 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Fishing | male | M | FATAL | Tiger shark |
11-30-1963 14h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Gulf Province | Fishing / standing in waist deep water | Siara Ikui, female | F /18 | Left arm lacerated PROVOKED INCIDENT | Tiger shark |
11-05-1963 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Wading | Tule | M | Thigh lacerated | 6' shark |
06-01-1963 Morning | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Fishing | Au Kila (male) | M /30 | Hooked shark bit his nose, arm and leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | 1.8 m [6'] shark |
02-27-1963 11h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province | Swimming | Joseph To Toba | M | Right shoulder bitten | |
08-30-1962 Midday | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Northern District | Fishing | Enigo Setiro | M /49 | Posterior lower left leg lacerated by netted shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | A long thin brown-colored shark |
08-01-1962 17h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province, Bismarck Archipelago | Spearfishing | Tarara, a male | M | FATAL, right thigh severely bitten, right ankle lacerated | |
06-10-1962 Midday | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang Province | Washing | boy from Aitape, West Sepik | M | FATAL, chest & leg bitten | Possibly a bronze whaler shark |
03-24-1962 Late afternoon | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang | Swimming | Kes, a native boy | M /10 | FATAL, calf bitten, other leg severed below knee | Possibly a bronze whaler shark |
02-23-1962 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Swimming along a row of nets | Hitola Hekure | M | Torso lacerated | 1.2 m [4'] shark |
01-11-1962 12h00 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,10ºS, 142ºE | Spearfishing | Yagirua Agiramon | M /24 | Left leg & buttocks bitten | White shark |
08-01-1961 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Sandaun Province | Fishing, two large sharks passed. He speared one and it bit him | male | M | Thigh lacerated PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
06-01-1961 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Admiralty Islands, Manus Province | Fishing, speared shark upset canoe & man fell in water | Marik-Pokas | M /19 | Left thigh severely bitten, but he regained the canoe, then shark bit canoe PROVOKED INCIDENT | 2.7 m [9']shark |
11-01-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Fishing | male | M | FATAL, severely bitten genitals & thighs | |
10-01-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Collecting shells | M /26 | Injuries to leg & foot | ||
08-22-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Milne Bay Province | Free-diving | a native | M | Lost left arm | |
07-27-1960 P.M. | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Milne Bay Province | Spearfishing | John Klaso | M /25 | Arm severed, torso severely lacerated | |
07-02-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang | Fishing | an Aid Post orderly | M | Right buttock slashed | |
05-01-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang | Anonymous | FATAL | |||
02-19-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Central Province | Spearfishing | Doas Hehuni | M /26 | FATAL, legs bitten | Tiger shark, 3.4 m [11'] captured |
01-30-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang (WO) | Upad, a boy | M | Lower left leg bitten, surgically amputated | 3.5 m [11'6] shark captured | |
01-01-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,West New Britain Province | Fishing | male | M /20 | Slight lacerations to leg | |
01-01-1960 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang | Spear fishing, removing fish from spear | Sek | M /16 | FATAL, foot severed, hip bitten | |
12-26-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Rigo subdistrict | Swimming underneath house on pilings | Manama Mari | /13 | FATAL, right leg severed | |
11-01-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Britain | Fishing | male | M | Both hands bitten while helping companion land speared shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
10-05-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Madang | Anonymous | Thigh bitten | |||
02-16-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Kikori River mouth | Fishing | male | M | Arm bitten by shark that he thought was dead PROVOKED INCIDENT | 3.7 m [12'] shark |
01-01-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,New Ireland Province, Bismarck Archipelago | Pasinganlas | M | FATAL, abdomen & leg bitten | ||
01-01-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,West New Britain Province | Spear fishing | male | M | Minor injuries | |
01-01-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,West New Britain Province | Fishing | male | M | Minor injuries | |
01-01-1959 | PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,Morobe Province | Fishing | male | M | Penis bitten while trying to drag speared shark to beach PROVOKED INCIDENT |
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What precautions should I take to avoid shark attacks while in Papua New Guinea?
When you’re taking a plunge in Papua New Guinea, make sure to stay clear from known shark hangouts, especially during early morning and late evening hours when sharks tend to be more active. Trust the local advisories—they’re your best pals in ensuring a thrill-filled, yet safe swimming experience in this wondrous aquatic paradise. Stay alert, stay informed, and remember, the beauty of Papua New Guinea’s waters is best enjoyed with a dash of caution.
How has Papua New Guinea responded to the issue of shark attacks?
Papua New Guinea has taken the issue of shark attacks quite seriously. The country has been proactive through implementing a range of safety measures, investing in research to better understand shark behavior, and ensuring the public is well-educated about shark safety. It’s been a comprehensive, thoughtful approach that shows Papua New Guinea’s commitment to balancing human safety and marine conservation.
Which regions in Papua New Guinea are more prone to shark attacks?
In Papua New Guinea, certain regions are particularly prone to shark attacks. These areas chiefly include the Madang Province and the waters surrounding New Ireland, where interactions with these marine creatures occur more frequently.