tourist killed in shark attack off new caledonia

String of shark attacks in Nouméa, New Caledonia forces authorities to close some beaches for a year

An island beach environemnt with no one swimming

After weathering the COVID tourism slump, Alfred Nauka thought the worst was behind him.

But the New Caledonian tour operator could never have anticipated what was to come.

"If we want to go swimming, we have to travel about two hours up north," Mr Nauka told the ABC from his shop in the capital Nouméa.

"You can find a nice beach to swim but we cannot take our tourists up there, it's too far."

After a string of shark attacks in the lagoons surrounding the popular tourist city — the latest killing 59-year-old Australian tourist Chris Davis in February — local authorities decided to act.

That action came in the form of closing the capital's pristine tropical beaches for the year and enforcing a city-wide ban on beach swimming.

Mr Nauka, who has operated in the capital for 17 years, sympathises with the families impacted by the attacks.

But almost two months into the ban period, he believed the closure of the popular Baie des Citrons was too long, unreasonable and "negatively impacting" his tourism business — and others.

He said many tourists who booked with his company wanted refunds on beach tours.

The French island territory's relationship with sharks is long and complicated.

The island has recorded, on average, one shark attack every year since records began in 1958.

Local authorities removed tiger sharks and bull sharks from its protected species list in 2021 as part of a wide-ranging scheme to reduce attacks.

And in the month before the closure, a culling campaign killed 40 sharks near Nouméa's beaches.

But despite these measures there has been three attacks in the country so far this year, leaving many locals are questioning the sudden increase.

Talou Kesia works in a reef sporting goods shop at Anse Vata beach, just metres from the shoreline.

She said while the shark culling was sad, she believed it was necessary to combat rising shark populations.

When asked about the closure of the beaches just out the front of her workplace, the young New Caledonian wasn't as concerned.

"I think the ban is too long, but it has been put in place to protect us, so it's not that bad," she said.

'We won't be back'

The ban is proving divisive, with a protest against it drawing in hundreds of New Caledonians last month.

It came on the back of a petition against the culling, which has already gained over 40,000 signatures.

Despite the concerns of the scientific community, the local authorities in Nouméa have been standing firm, announcing nine upcoming capture-and-kill campaigns throughout the year.

But on Tuesday morning — after the ABC's story was published — Noumea's mayor Sonia Lagarde announced that until shark nets were installed, a special swimming zone would be opened in the Baie des Citron area.

She said the small zone would be under constant surveillance and restricted to swimmers in daylight hours.

In a further update on May 9, it announced the ban would now be lifted on November 30.

Nouméa resident Thierry Bernard has been windsurfing on the Baie des Citrons beaches for over 30 years.

He said the beach ban reminded him of the "COVID-era lockdowns".

"Everyone is going to swim in little corners of the city to hide, [it's] crazy," he said.

While Mr Bernard supported the initial response to capture and kill the sharks involved with the fatal attack, he believed the culling campaign had gone too far.

The city of Nouméa welcomes on average one cruise ship a week to its shores with tourists eyeing the crystal-clear waters and many tourists echo the sentiments of locals.

Sydney mum Nicole Plum packed her family's snorkelling gear for their New Caledonian cruise only to find the "strict ban" in place across Nouméa.

A mother and her four children, two sons and two daughters, smile for a picture with a beach and water in the background

"We came to an island to swim," she said.

"If the ban carries on, we won't be back."

Shark ban 'rash decision'

New Caledonia is ranked 13th in the world by the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File for number of shark attacks.

Eric Clua, a senior scientist and professor at the Paris École Pratique des Hautes études (Paris Practical School of Advanced Studies), has focused on shark ecology and behaviour for the past 15 years.

He told the ABC he believed the local council had made "a rash decision".

"The beach ban is a bad idea because it perpetuates fear [of sharks] among the public," he said.

Dr Clua said there was not enough evidence to suggest shark behaviours had significantly changed and, from a scientific perspective, more data was needed to understand if there was a problem.

"What is changing is the probability of an encounter," he said.

"We are changing our behaviour, not the sharks, and we need clever science aimed at improved management."

Dr Clua is not only concerned about the absence of science and data, but also the impacts on the surrounding ecosystems.

"Sharks play a key role in the natural system and culling campaigns will just [make that an unbalanced] ecosystem," he said.

Back at the Gare Maritime tourist centre, Mr Nauka said his team was doing its best to adjust to the wave of cancellations and refunds his company was experiencing.

Mr Nauka hoped the government would "reduce the length of the ban" so he could get his business back on track.

In the meantime, he said the challenge remained: attracting tourists on his tours without the prospect of swimming in New Caledonia's pristine beaches.

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Shark kills 59-year-old Australian tourist off crowded beach in New Caledonia

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A 59-year-old Australian man was killed by a shark when he was swimming near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia , just days after another person was injured in a similar attack.

The tourist was swimming about 150m from the shore of the popular Chateau-Royal beach in the capital Noumea on Sunday when he was attacked.

The man was bitten several times and suffered injuries on his arms and legs, AFP reported.

Two people who were sailing their boats nearby rushed the tourist back to shore, where civilians and emergency services tried to resuscitate him.

Despite the efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.

The attack led other swimmers to rush out of the water to safety as lifeguards evacuated the beach.

Paramedic Vincent Ouradou told local broadcaster La 1ère that the tourist had been bitten at least "three times" on his arms and legs. He added that first responders spent nearly 40 minutes trying to save the man.

“It happened so close to shore, the poor victim was face down in the water when the jet ski got to him,” a guest at nearby Hotel Chateau Royal told Daily Mail Australia .

“There was blood everywhere, we could see it from the beach. So many people were in the water at the same time and they’d only reopened the beach a few days ago.”

Mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and called for the capture of tiger and bull sharks in nearby waters.

Drones were deployed to locate the sharks, while the local police investigated the circumstances of the attack. Two sharks were reportedly spotted just before operations were suspended at nightfall.

The incident occurred less than a month after a 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack near the Chateau-Royal beach. A few days later, a surfer was also attacked by a shark but escaped without injury.

New Caledonia is located 1207km off Australia and ranks 13 in the world for the most number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Sonia Backes, the president of New Caledonia’s Southern Province, said her thoughts were with the dead man’s family and the people who witnessed the incident.

“There were young children who were shocked by what they saw,” she said on Nouvelle-Caledonie 1ere.

According to reports, Ms Backes announced a tiger and bull shark culling programme – a long-debated practice in the region. In 2019, the Noumea council delisted tiger and bull sharks from the protected species list in an effort to reduce attacks.

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News | World

Shark kills Australian tourist at crowded beach in New Caledonia

URGENT: 11770003 Aussie tourist is killed by a shark in New Caledonia just steps from crowded pontoon - as horrified witnesses recall watching the animal viciously attack the helpless swimmer

An Australian tourist died after a shark attack near a crowded beach in New Caledonia .

The man, 59, was swimming close to a pontoon around 150m from the beach in Noumea, the capital of the French Pacific territory, when he was attacked on Sunday.

Two people on their boat nearby rushed him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him. The man had major bite wounds on his leg and both arms.

He died at the scene despite the best efforts of medical professionals.

Many people were in the water at the time and witnessed the incident at the Chateau-Royal beach just south of Noumea.

There was a panicked rush back to the beach and police evacuated the area.

Noumea’s mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters.

Drones were deployed to track them and two were sighted before operations were suspended at nightfall, police said.

Local prosecutor Yves Dupas said an investigation would shed more light on the circumstances of the attack, which happened inside a zone watched over by lifeguards.

A 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured by a shark in January, also near the Chateau-Royal beach.

A surfer was also attacked by a shark a few days later, but escaped without injury.

New Caledonia lies south of Vanuatu and 1,200km east of Australia.

It ranks 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which has kept a tally of worldwide shark attacks since 1958.

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Australian man killed in shark attack at New Caledonia beach

The 59-year-old tourist was bitten several times, suffering major wounds to a leg and both arms, while he swam at a beach in the capital, Noumea.

Monday 20 February 2023 06:58, UK

The 59-year-old was swimming around 150m from the shore (file image). Pic: AP

An Australian tourist has been killed in a shark attack in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

The 59-year-old was swimming around 150 metres from the shore at a beach in the capital, Noumea, on Sunday when the shark attacked him.

He was bitten several times, suffering major wounds to a leg and both arms, local media reported.

The man was brought to shore on a jet ski but died at the scene.

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tourist killed in shark attack off new caledonia

Authorities ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of sharks in nearby waters.

A 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack nearby last month, while a surfer was attacked by a shark a few days later but was not injured.

New Caledonia, which sits south of Vanuatu and around 750 miles (1,200km) east of Australia, is ranked 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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Fatal shark attack in New Caledonia captured on video

Footage of the attack in Nouméa was shared online

A large shark fatally mauled a tourist at a popular beach in New Caledonia on Sunday. The attack was captured in chilling video footage that was shared online.

The 59-year-old Australian man was swimming off Chateau Royal Beach in Nouméa, the capital of the French Pacific territory, 1,200km (750 miles) east of Australia. It was about 4pm local time and he was near a pontoon about 500ft from shore when the shark attacked him, ripping off his right leg and part of his torso.

The footage of the attack was broadcast by local news channels, showing heavy slashing not far from shore. The video then cuts to rescuers racing to the spot on a jet-ski and going back to shore, before going out again and

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Australian tourist, 59, dies in shark attack in new caledonia.

Australian on holiday in New Caledonia has been mauled to death by a shark

New details have emerged on the shocking shark attack in New Caledonia that left an Australian tourist dead.

The 59-year-old man was killed on Sunday, February 19, about 150m from Château-Royal beach, south of Noumea, according to Agence France-Presse.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australian on holiday in New Caledonia dies from shark attack.

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The man is believed to have been swimming near a pontoon when he was bitten several times by the shark, at around 4.10pm.

He was rescued by nearby jet skiers, local news outlet France 1 reports.

Emergency services called to the scene found the man had suffered serious bite wounds to one leg and both arms.

Paramedics performed CPR, however, the victim died at the scene.

Paramedic Vincent Ouradou told TV channel Nouvelle Caledonie 1ere that the man was bitten three times on his right leg and both arms and rescuers spent around 40 minutes trying to save him.

New Caledonia’s Southern Province president Sonia Backes told the same TV channel her thoughts were with the man’s family and those who witnessed the incident.

“There were young children who were shocked by what they saw,” she said.

Professor Culum Brown, from School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University told 7NEWS he suspects the shark was quite large.

“We’re talking about a very big shark,” he said.

“You know probably about three or four metres plus.”

Brown added he believes it was a tiger shark as it would be “unusual for a bull shark to be that big”.

The beach is believed to have been crowded at the time of the attack, as rescuers were spotted attempting to resuscitate the man.

Beaches in the area have been closed and drones have been deployed to track the shark.

It was the third attack in the bay near Château-Royal beach in recent months.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au it is “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who has died in New Caledonia”.

“DFAT offers its condolences to the family, who has requested privacy at this difficult time,” it said.

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Australian tourist killed by shark in New Caledonia weeks after another attack

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Australian tourist, 59, dies in shark attack off beach in Noumea, New Caledonia

Horrified beach goers reportedly rushed from the water after witnessing an Australian man being bitten by a shark in a fatal attack at an overseas holiday destination.

An Australian man was killed in a shark attack near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Sunday.

The 59-year old was swimming near a pontoon about 150 metres from the shore of Chateau Royal Beach, in the capital of Noumea, when the shark attacked.

According to local reports two men sailing nearby raced to assist the man, pulling him from the water after he was bitten several times by the shark.

Emergency crews tried to save the Australian, who suffered major bite wounds in his leg and both arms.

An Australian tourist has been killed by a shark in New Caledonia. Picture: Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Despite efforts to treat the man, he died from severe injuries at the scene.

Horrified holiday goers had witnessed the attack and rushed out of the water before police evacuated the entire beach.

Nearby beaches were also closed as Noumea's mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in surrounding waters.

Drones were deployed to assist with the search for sharks in the area until nightfall halted the operation.

Drones helped to search for the sharks until nightfall in beaches surrounding Noumea, New Caledonia. Picture: Getty images

An investigation into the attack will be conducted, especially given it occurred in an area watched over by lifeguards.

The death follows two separate shark attacks last month, with both a swimmer and surfer attacked near the Chateau Royal beach within days of one another.

Chateau Royal is a popular beach in front of a major hotel frequented by Australian tourists, with a record 4,144 flocking to the destination in December 2022.

New Caledonia is known for its beautiful beaches, reefs and rich marine life.

It is less than a four hour flight from the east coast of Australia and is located south of Vanuatu.

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Travel Updates

‘Shoot it!’: Aussies describe chilling attack just weeks before fatal shark mauling in New Caledonia

Just three weeks ago, couple Lance and Jane Rae witnessed a horrific shark attack in the same spot an Australian tourist was killed on Sunday.

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Mortifying details of a previous shark attack in the same spot where an Australian tourist was killed on Sunday have been revealed by a shaken first responder.

Lance and Jane Rae were on a holiday in Noumea, New Caledonia, when on January 29 they opted for a relaxing walk along the beach.

Their serenity was suddenly interrupted by “the most awful screams” imaginable coming from the water near the jetty — the same spot where a 59-year-old Australian man was fatally attacked on the weekend.

“It was something like you would never want to hear in your life,” Mr Rae told news.com.au.

He immediately ran down the jetty and got as close to the screams as he could, and instantly realised his initial suspicion of a drowning was wrong.

A shark had viciously attacked 49-year-old local school teacher, Brigitte Soulard.

“It was only when I looked down that I realised she had been attacked. She had extensive wounds,” Mr Rae said.

A man on a stand-up paddle board was nearby at the time and had managed to pull the woman onto his board.

As he paddled her into shore, the “massive” shark swam circles around his board, following the heavy trail of blood.

Mr Rae’s wife Jane Rae and top Australian surgeon Professor Gary Hoffman were waiting in knee-deep water, but the panicked man was worried the shark might attack them.

Splashing could be seen in the water at the time of the attack on Sunday. Picture: francetvinfo

“The shark was still circling, and I just thought ‘I’ve got to get them out’,” he said.

“Police had arrived but no one was helping. I had to run and get clothing to make a tourniquet.”

Mr Rae was so terrified the shark would attack someone else that he asked a responding police officer to execute it.

“I could see the shark was coming in, and it was really big, so I said to one of police ‘shoot the shark’, but he wouldn’t,” he recalled.

“I said, ‘give me your gun and I’ll do it’ … it kept coming in and I just couldn’t believe how big it was, but he wouldn’t shoot it.”

Mr Rae managed to grab the front of the paddle board and pull it into the sand, safe from the shark.

“It was the most horrific thing. It’s something you wouldn't want to witness,” he said.

Given the extent of her injuries, having had a large bite taken from her buttock and losing an enormous volume of blood, he said it was incredible she had survived.

Mrs Soulard was understood to have since been transferred to Westmead Private Hospital in Sydney where she has been receiving treatment for her extensive injuries.

Mr Rae was in disbelief at how close in proximity Sunday’s attack was to the tragedy he witnessed just three weeks ago.

“I was absolutely shocked it happened exactly at the same place, about 20 or 30 metres from where the lady was attacked,” he said.

He has advocated for shark threats to be better advertised in high risk areas, particularly those popular with tourists who otherwise would be unaware of the shark attack history.

“People value the tourism and shark attacks damage the tourism, but people need to know,” he said.

Restaurant regularly tossed food into the water

The shark that killed the 59-year-old Australian tourist over the weekend may have been attracted to the crowded beach by food tossed into the water from a nearby restaurant’s viewing platform.

The man was killed on Sunday in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, authorities said, while swimming close to a pontoon about 150 metres from the beach in Noumea.

He was reportedly bitten several times before being brought to shore where emergency services tried to save him.

The jetty is close by to a restaurant where guests and staff throw food into the water off a viewing platform — known locally as a “feeding platform” because it is used to feed fish and often attracts sharks.

The beach had only reopened to the public three days earlier after a 49-year-old teacher lost her leg in a shark attack there on January 29.

A few days later, a shark reportedly charged at a man on a hydrofoil but he made a lucky escape.

In the wake of both incidents, locals were surprised the beach was reopened, with some saying they felt it should have stayed closed.

Shocking footage taken of Sunday’s attack appears to show splashing in the water near the pontoon – just metres away from other swimmers.

The man killed, who has yet to be identified, was understood to have been to have been travelling alone and was staying at nearby Le Meridien Hotel.

“It happened so close to shore, the poor victim was face down in the water when the jet ski got to him,” a guest at nearby Hotel Chateau Royal told Daily Mail Australia .

“There was blood everywhere, we could see it from the beach. So many people were in the water at the same time and they’d only reopened the beach a few days ago.”

An employee of the hotel said locals were nervous following the incidents and argued “something has to be done’.

The beach was closed immediately after Sunday’s incident and has not been reopened.

The man had major bite wounds in his leg and both arms, local prosecutor Yves Dupas told AFP.

He died at the scene despite receiving cardiac massage.

An Australian man has died after being attacked by a shark in New Caldedonia. Picture: France1

Many people were in the water at the time and witnessed the incident at the Chateau-Royal beach just south of Noumea.

There was a panicked rush back onto the beach and police evacuated the area. Noumea’s mayor, Sonia Lagarde, ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters.

Drones were deployed to track them and two were sighted before operations were suspended at nightfall, police said.

The prosecutor said an investigation would shed more light on the circumstances of the attack, which happened inside the zone watched over by lifeguards.

Crowds of beachgoers were on the beach just metres from where the attack unfolded. Picture: France1

More Coverage

New Caledonia lies south of Vanuatu and 1,200 kilometres east of Australia.

It ranks 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which has kept a tally of worldwide shark attacks since 1958.

— With AFP

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Tourist killed in shark attack off New Caledonia

By Kareem El Damanhoury and Mia Alberti, CNN

An Australian tourist has died after being attacked by a shark in waters off New Caledonia in the South Pacific, according to public broadcaster New Caledonia 1 TV.

The 59-year-old man was swimming near a pontoon at Château-Royal beach in the capital Nouméa when a shark attacked him around 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, New Caledonia 1 reported.

Two people rescued the man on a jet-ski and CPR was performed, but he didn’t survive his injuries, according to the broadcaster.

In response, authorities closed beaches in Nouméa, a popular destination for international tourists in the French overseas territory.

“Swimming and nautical activities are closed in a 300-meter coastal band until further notice,” Nouméa City Council said in a statement. A shark culling was also activated following the attack, New Caledonia 1 added.

This was the second attack in less than a month in the same location. In late January, a 49-year-old woman suffered multiple injuries after being attacked by a bull shark while swimming at Château-Royal beach, according to the Global Shark Attack File.

Nearby beaches were closed after that attack and only reopened last Thursday, according to local media reports.

The number of international visitors to Nouméa, known for its clear blue water and idyllic beaches, dropped sharply during the pandemic, according to World Bank data , but the industry is slowly recovering.

New Caledonia’s tourism website warns visitors to be wary of sharks and to only swim in monitored areas, where authorities carry out patrols and monitor shark alerts.

The archipelago is ranked 13th on Florida Museum’s list of unprovoked shark attacks , with 19 attacks since 1580, but it trails well behind the US, with more than 1,600 during the same period. The US is followed by Australia, South Africa and Brazil.

The most recent fatal attack in New Caledonia was in February 2021, when a tiger shark is believed to have attacked a yachtsman in Maître islet, according to local news reports.

The French territory sits to the east of Australia’s coast, north of New Zealand, and most tourists visit from September to November.

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Shark kills Australian tourist in New Caledonia

NOUMEA - A shark killed a 59-year-old Australian tourist on Sunday near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, the authorities said.

The man was swimming close to a pontoon around 150m from the beach in the capital Noumea when the shark attacked, biting him several times, they said.

Two people on their boat nearby rushed him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him. The man had major bite wounds on his leg and both arms, local prosecutor Yves Dupas told AFP.

He died at the scene despite receiving cardiac massage.

Many people were in the water at the time and witnessed the incident at the Chateau-Royal beach just south of Noumea.

There was a panicked rush back to the beach and police evacuated the area.

Noumea’s mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters.

Drones were deployed to track them and two were sighted before operations were suspended at nightfall, police said.

Mr Dupas said an investigation would shed more light on the circumstances of the attack, which happened inside a zone watched over by lifeguards.

A 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured by a shark in January, also near the Chateau-Royal beach.

A surfer was also attacked by a shark a few days later, but escaped without injury.

New Caledonia lies south of Vanuatu and 1,200km east of Australia.

It ranks 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which has kept a tally of worldwide shark attacks since 1958. AFP

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