By Andre Slade – Owner, Ocean Swims. Written for the Out The Back newsletter (subscribe).

I know I’m at risk of spending a little too much time on this topic, particularly for those of you reading from parts of the country not directly affected.

I should also say that I don’t usually talk about sharks at all. I’ve always felt it’s best not to put that thought into another swimmer’s head unless they’ve asked, especially when they’re getting ready to head into the water.

Sharks have a way of filling the space after a difficult couple of weeks. But sometimes it’s worth pausing with a moment like this, rather than rushing straight past it.

The recent shark incidents felt different to many of us.

Not because sharks suddenly appeared in the ocean, they always have, but because this time it unfolded in Australia’s biggest city, the spiritual home of ocean swimming, in the middle of summer, during one of the busiest stretches of the swim calendar.

Even though those directly involved weren’t ocean swimmers as such, they were still in places many of us swim, train, gather, and feel at home.

And while the events themselves were centred in NSW, the feeling travelled well beyond that. Headlines and commentary have a way of quietly shaping how the ocean feels, wherever you happen to swim.

We owe it to ourselves, and to the ocean we love, to respond with care rather than panic.

Some events in the immediate vicinity, including The Big Swim and Sydney Harbour Splash, were cancelled, and the 6,000-strong Cole Classic was rescheduled to 22 February. At the same time, many other events around the country continued as planned, including harbour and ocean swims not far away in Newcastle. Different locations, different conditions, different decisions.

It’s also worth acknowledging that the past week reflects a convergence of seasonal, weather, and water conditions that are known to increase shark activity in this part of the ocean. These conditions don’t often align, and they don’t last forever. As they shift, the level of risk is expected to ease again, as it typically does.

The events themselves don’t change ocean swimming everywhere or forever. What they do offer is a chance to reflect (Julia Baird, ABC). To revisit what we actually know about shark behaviour in the places we swim, and how we think about timing and conditions when choosing when and where to swim.

Education and judgement matter here. Understanding how sharks behave helps us make calmer, more rational decisions. The same is true of ocean swimming more broadly.

Ask yourself honestly: how well do you really understand the ocean you swim in? Waves, currents, movement, energy? Marine life? Or have you mostly been winging it?

Education remains the way forward. Not fear, not avoidance, and not knee-jerk fixes, but understanding. It helps us think clearly ahead of time and in the moment, keeping us calm, confident, and able to make sensible decisions.

It’s a view shaped by years spent in the water and alongside thousands of swimmers, helping people build understanding, judgement, and confidence rather than fear.

The ocean hasn’t changed over the past couple of weeks. But how we choose to understand it, and how we choose to move through moments like this, absolutely can. Whether you dive straight back in or take your time finding your way back, you do you.