Sharks have long occupied a place of fear and fascination in Australian history, appearing in Aboriginal rock art and colonial encounters across the continent. The creatures continue to stoke primal fear among beach-goers, despite scientific understanding of them advancing.
More Australians drown at the beach each year than are killed by sharks, yet sharks remain deeply embedded in the public consciousness. A series of bites earlier this year triggered renewed calls for shark culls, shifting perceptions of ocean swimming and surfing.
Conservation efforts have faced obstacles as public anxiety threatens to override scientific progress on the issue.