A view from a wharf on Pitt Island, in the Chathams, where Jade Kahuokre-Dixon was a commercial diver.
Photo: AFP / Julia Thorne
A scientist says commercial diving is a risky venture, especially in places like the Chatham Islands, which is known to have one of the largest populations of great white sharks.
Commercial diver Jade Kahukore-Dixon was killed on Tuesday while diving.
He was attacked by what was believed to be a great white shark.
His grandmother Sandy told RNZ he was a happy go-lucky boy, who was as “tough as old boots”.
Marine scientist Dr Riley Elliot told Morning Report this is the first fatal attack in New Zealand since 2021 – it’s “super rare”.
“There’s been three great white fatal attacks in New Zealand over 20 years,” Elliot said.
It was a tragedy and his thoughts went out to the community and Kahukore-Dixon’s loved ones.
He said the Chathams have plentiful sea life, which is why divers are there.
“Chatham Islands is a small community of people who are largely ocean-going, commercial divers who put food on our tables and it’s a hard job, a dangerous job.
“This guy seemed to have loved the ocean, he was aware of sharks there, he wasn’t afraid of them because if he was he wouldn’t be in that occupation.”
People who work in this industry were not naive and understand sharks pose a risk, Elliot said.
“You understand there’s riskier locations to dive, times of day, water quality and these guys are professionals, they mitigate those as best as possible but it is a wild environment and you cannot control nature. But that’s what makes it thrilling and why these guys love the sea.”
Under most a circumstances great whites will determine a person is not its natural prey, he said.
Commercial divers, much like surfers, put themselves at a much greater statistical risk of running into a shark than swimmers.
What is the risk to the average beach-goer this summer?
Elliot said people need to remember the ocean is not a pool.
The shark everyday New Zealanders would run into this summer is the bronze whaler, he said.
“Very smart shark, always around people. They eat fish and crayfish and small things like that but we are not on the menu and we will not be mistaken for the menu.
“But if you dump fish carcasses then people go do manus off the wharf, you’re feeding the dog under the table and if it bites whose fault is that?”
The biggest thing people can do is not to swim near shark’s prey, like seal colonies.
“If you are going into a shark area, be educated before you go or don’t go there at all.
“While a shark attack is a super tragedy…it is rare, it is novel but 100 other Kiwi families might lose their loved ones this summer through drowning.”
It was important to swim between the flags, for boaties to wear life jackets and get a coastguard membership, he said.
The Department of Conservation says only 15 fatal shark attacks were documented in New Zealand in the 180 years before 2020.
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