Near Fatal Tiger Shark Attack Caught On Film

Luckily, the diver survives without any serious injuries, save for some stitches in his head, but you don’t have to be born in Gen Z to realize just how traumatic something like this would be. Now, rather than just share this in the name of click and bait (pardon the pun here) we thought this would be a great opportunity to shed some light on proper shark diving protocol. We rang up  Madison “Pip” Stewart, aka Shark Girl Madison, to learn more about what’s going on in the shark world today. 

SURFER:What’s your background with sharks and how did you get into this field?
Madison Stewart: Well, I was raised on a sailboat on the Great Barrier Reef and I’ve been obsessed with sharks and the ocean since I was a little kid. I don’t why but I was always so attracted to sharks, like, I was the type of kid who cheered for the monsters in movies so I guess I always had a pull to the negative perception of sharks. 

When I was about 14 years old I left school on the Gold Coast to start homeschooling and dive more. It was then that I noticed the huge decline of sharks on the reefs and that realization is what led me to where I am today. 

I've been diving with sharks for more than 16 years, from Great Whites to Tigers I've not only had some incredible encounters but some hairy ones too, outside of my work in conservation I feel like I've known sharks like they were my siblings since I was young.

SURFER:What's happening in this video?
Madison Stewart: This is an incredibly dangerous situation, in my opinion, that all stems from the fact that we are normalizing access to these animals that shouldn’t be normalized. The tiger shark gives a little test and noms on the dive tanks and the diver’s head, luckily for the diver, the shark moves on quickly but he did require stitches. 

Eye contact is essential on shark dives, the diver shouldn’t have been alone and without someone spotting for him–this could have very easily have been a fatality.  The changes that have happened over the past 15 years have been insane. People without any background or respect for sharks are now getting into the water with apex predators in pursuit of social media posts. 

SURFER:Where is this? 
Madison Stewart: In the Maldives, at a known shark site. Tigers aren’t the expected species but they are very much known to be in the area. There are several legitimate dive outfits there but, if this diver was with a legit group, they would have been getting their divers out of there as soon as the Tiger showed up. Or, at the very least, utilizing safer diving habits.  

I dove this site a few months ago with a good operator, we had a tiger show up and as shark divers, we didn't take our eye off the shark and it kept its distance, never seeing an opportunity to sneak up on us. Tiger sharks are ambush predators.

SURFER:How many operations are out there like this?
Madison Stewart: So many operations out there like this nowadays, there’s simply no regulations. It’s ok for a diver to not have experience–you have to learn somehow. But it is not ok to be a “guide” and not have experience in safety and shark knowledge. A lot of operations are lying about baited shark dives too. Overall, what we are seeing is a lack of proper experience and safety protocols, most of these groups are responding to growth in popularity over the last few years due to social meda. 

SURFER:What makes for a positive shark tourism operation and how can people find them? 
Madison Stewart: Shark tourism is actually super important and can be a force for positive change if the crews are well trained and respectful. People need to realize the importance of sharks in the ecosystem and diving with them can be a great way to demystify what they have been told. Especially for surfers, if you’re going to be in the water all the time it can be immensely helpful to get below the surface and see them up close. For any surfers interested, I have a valuable resource called the surfing guide to sharks that is a compilation of loads of data.  

Trial and error…you’ll know after your first dive whether you want to do it again. Or even before you get in the water, you can ask questions before to see how they respond. Do they seem well prepared and that they prioritize safety?. Don’t just trust social media followings. Accept that it will never be 100% safe, you’re shark diving after all. Yet, it is still safer than driving to the beach in your car. 

Do your homework too. If you’re really interested in sharks, start by asking people you trust who have dive experience or anyone can always feel free to reach out and send me a DM. 

In an effort to spread awareness about shark safety and conservation, SURFER will be in regular communication with Madison. Check back soon for an in depth story on her latest project.