But, as a seaman himself who worked as night watchman at the wharf for many years, Noel Smith said this was a “lot of hooey”.

“There was even a bronze whaler shark caught at The Barrier steps,” he said.

“Dolphins come into the river and past the smelters all right and sharks do, too.”

Mr Smith, who spent many years at sea, said was confident he knew the

difference between a dolphin and a shark, and that he and other watchmen had seen sharks in the harbour.

“I have definitely seen shark fins off the tanker berth and also fairly large fins right up to the swinging basin,” he said.

The first recorded shark fatality in local waters is reportedly that of the late Miss Warren on New Year’s Day of 1884 after a boating accident in the Port Pirie River.

Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) data confirms that the observation of large sharks is more frequent in the inshore areas of Upper Spencer Gulf between September and January. Shark sightings, where the shark poses a risk to life, should be reported to police.

PIRSA and the State Government have a shark response plan to provide a quick response to shark sightings. Where possible attempts will be made to move the shark away. Great White sharks have been protected in South Australian waters since 1997.

Recently, there was an unconfirmed report of a predator in the local harbour..........

Predator ‘threw’ man’s body out of water near jetty

Tales of Great White sharks are nothing new to Port Germein and one well-documented sighting has stood the test of time.

Back in February, 1937, while loading grain to the majestic sailing ship Barque “Penang” from the Port Germein jetty, just days after two men were feared drowned, sailors on

the Penang were reportedly

horrified to see one of the men’s bodies being thrown out of the water by a shark before being seized around the hips as the body fell to the water.