26 Aug 2025
Feature interview: The Bite Club you don't want to be part of
The first rule of Bite Club is that you don't really want to join. Dave Pearson started Bite Club about 12 years ago after surviving an attack by a three-metre-long bull shark off the coast of New South Wales. He found himself isolated and misunderstood. People make jokes and accused him of being cruel to sharks. So, he started the Bite Club for people who have lived through attacks by apex predators including crocodiles and lions. There are more than 500 members of Bite Club, including some Kiwis. Pearson reflects on what it takes to relearn to trust the ocean and each other.