Diver fights off hammerhead shark with a GoPro after the predator lunged at him on Queensland reef

Incredible moment spear fisherman fights off a six-foot hammerhead shark using his GoPro after the predator lunged at him during a solo dive

  • Dion Creek fought off a six-foot shark at Magpie Reef on the Cape York Peninsula
  • Fisherman was forced to use his GoPro camera and pole mount to push it away 
  • Mr Creek said the horrifying experience has changed his outlook in the water

A spear fisherman has captured the horrifying moment a hammerhead shark charged at him while diving off the coast of far north Queensland.

Dion Creek captured incredible footage of the six-foot long shark lunging at him at Magpie Reef in Princess Charlotte Bay on the Cape York Peninsula on Thursday.

The Coen man was alone in the water diving for crayfish when the shark ambushed him on the reef.

‘I was about to adjust the camera I just caught the shark coming out the corner of my eye,’ he told 9News.

Dion Creek fought off a six-foot hammerhead shark (pictured) at Magpie Reef on the Cape York Peninsula

The spear fisherman was forced to use his GoPro camera and pole mount to push the shark away

The spear fisherman was forced to use his GoPro camera and pole mount to push the shark away

Mr Creek was filming with a GoPro camera mounted on a pole, which he was forced to use as a weapon after the shark charged at him three times.

‘I pushed the first time, it came at me again. I hit it the second time and I pushed it away the third time, just to push away from it,’ he said.

Luckily, Mr Creek was able to escape the aggressive shark without injury.

Despite getting away unscathed Mr Creek said the experience has changed his perspective in the water.

He plans to never dive alone again and has put more safety measures in place in case of an emergency. 

‘Looking back on it I’m actually quite lucky, but at the time it didn’t faze me,’ Mr Creek said. 

Mr Creek (pictured) said the horrifying experience has changed his perspective in the water

Mr Creek (pictured) said the horrifying experience has changed his perspective in the water

HAMMERHEAD SHARKS

Hammerhead sharks have distinctively flat shaped heads which assist them with finding prey 

Their wide-set eyes give them a better visual range than most sharks

They are found in temperate and tropical waters around the world and are known to swim both far out at sea and near coastlines

Hammerheads often seek out cooler waters in mass migration groups 

They are gray-brown to olive-green in appearance and are easily identified by their extra tall and pointed dorsal fin

The sharks have an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years in the wild

Adult hammerheads can grow between four to six metres in size 

Most hammerheads are fairly small and are considered harmless to humans

Source: National Geographic