05/10/2026
I've spent nearly 20 years in Australia diving and I've never seen a Hammerhead Shark here. I noticed this Scalloped Hammerhead when taking flight on Saturday.
Scalloped Hammerheads are usually seen in shivers (groups) of their kind so it was bitter sweet to see this one traveling all by itself.
This shark species is incredibly skittish and not a threat to humans. Globally they are classified as Critically Endangered due to overfishing, high demand for fins and meat, and vulnerability to commercial gillnets and shark control programs.
In Queensland, taking or possessing any hammerhead shark has been banned for commercial and recreational fishers. In New South Wales, the species is listed as Endangered.
This is one of the reasons why I am not pro-drumlines or use of shark nets because they are not targeted, instead they broadly kill many species of sharks and other marine animals and birds.
CASA Accredited drone operator. (Close shots are zoomed in in post production in Davinci).