MARINE experts say sharks responsible for three fatal attacks in the last month may be inhabiting the waters around Po Toi Islands, off southern Hong Kong, and cruising along the Sai Kung and Clear Water Bay coast at dawn and dusk.
But Shek O beach, which the pack is thought to swing past twice a day in their search for food, has yet to hoist shark warning flags to warn swimmers of the threat lurking offshore.
The Swire Institute of Marine Science, on the southern tip of Cape D'Aguilar near Shek O, has taken seriously the presence of sharks.
The threat is disrupting research, including an artificial coral reef project: the institute has banned its researchers from the waters off the Cape, even though all this year's attacks have taken place off Sai Kung on the east of the Kowloon peninsula.
The threat has disrupted research at the institute, including a multi-million dollar artificial coral reef project. Last night was the first time in the year when the coral spawn and the only time researchers could collect new coral for the project.
Institute director Brian Morton believes the sharks are attracted to Sai Kung by the fish blood and guts dumped by mariculture farmers.