Swimmers terrified of being menaced by sharks in Sydney waters are being urged not to panic: the flat-nosed beast staring back at you is likely to be a hammerhead and they don’t think you taste good.
Four beaches were evacuated on Sunday after three of the sharks were spotted and yesterday morning a hammerhead was herded out to sea by a boat after a close encounter with a lifesaver at Cronulla.
But shark sightings are down compared to last year.
"Human fat and human blood aren't anything like marine blood or fat ... hammerheads and other sharks don't like the taste of us," said shark biologist Vic Peddemors from the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Hammerheads, which can grow up to 6m long, were not designed to eat humans, he said.
"The teeth on a hammerhead shark aren't built for taking large chunks out of things — they're meant for holding onto fish, squid and other creatures."
Mr Peddemors said the Cronulla lifesaver, who was unaware he was swimming near the shark, was never in any danger.
"Surfers and swimmers see this Star Wars-like animal with its odd-shaped head coming at them and they get fearful but there's nothing to worry about," he said.
Mr Peddemors said the scorching temperatures experienced in the past week would have driven people to the beach, resulting in more reports of sightings.
"More eyes equals more sightings", he said.
Taronga Zoo marine biologist John West said there had only been a few cases of people being bitten by hammerhead sharks.
"In each case, people have been hand-feeding them in the Great Barrier Reef and the hammerheads have followed the scent of food to where the person's hand is," he said.
Mr West said if swimmers encountered a hammerhead, or any other shark, they should swim away slowly and to keep an eye on it.
"If a shark gets too close, gouge them in the eyes or hit them on the nose or gills," he said.
"It surprises them — they're not expecting to be attacked by their prey."
Surf Life Saving’s Craig Roberts said reports of shark sightings were down for the same time last year.
"There is always a spike that happens at this time of year and we put it down to the fact we have a lot more people in the ocean and the water being clearer and visible," Mr Roberts said.
"But compared last year, we're not seeing a significant increase."
Up to January 2007, there have only been 25 recorded fatalities due to shark attacks in Australia, according to the Taronga Conservation Society.
That number does not include the recent fatality of Perth man Brian Guest, who was snorkelling with his son near Rockingham, south of Perth, where he is believed to have been taken by a great white.
His body hasn't been found.
A 16-year-old boy was also killed in April last year while body boarding off Ballina's Lighthouse Beach in NSW.
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