A skipper was taken aback when he encountered a two-metre great white shark at Marina St Vincent, situated south of Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Jarrod Glaister, who owns and operates Southern Fishing Charters, was performing boat maintenance when he noticed what he initially thought was a dolphin. Upon closer inspection, he realised it was a sizeable shark, estimated between six to seven feet.
This unexpected visitor swam alongside the docked boat and near a rocky edge of the marina. Glaister, who has been running his charter service from Wirrina Cove for four years, mentioned that he had never seen a shark venture so close to the marina before. “We do see sharks often, but they are usually further out in the open water,” he remarked, expressing his surprise at this close encounter.
Interestingly, Glaister observed that the shark appeared unwell. He suggested that an ongoing algae bloom was impacting water quality, depriving the shark of oxygen and prompting it to seek refuge in the marina’s waters. He feared that without intervention, the shark may not survive, highlighting its deteriorating condition. “It wasn’t healthy one bit,” Glaister noted.
The algae bloom, which has persisted since March, has been causing discoloured water and foam along parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, and the southern coast of Yorke Peninsula. This phenomenon has led to significant marine life casualties washing up on the beaches, alarming surfers and locals alike. Although the algae isn’t harmful to humans, exposure can result in temporary skin irritations and respiratory symptoms.
Experts attribute the bloom to rising sea temperatures—recorded at 2.5 degrees higher than average—and calm weather conditions. Government agencies are closely monitoring the situation, but unfortunately, they have indicated that no natural methods exist to mitigate or dissipate the bloom. The last occurrence of a similar magnitude took place in Coffin Bay back in 2014, highlighting the unusual nature of this environmental event.