Multiple shark experts have issued warnings and offered advice after four shark-related incidents were reported across NSW in the past 48 hours.
A 12-year-old was left in critical condition after suffering a shark bite at Sydney’s Shark Beach on Sunday, before a second boy was attacked — but escaped uninjured — in a separate incident at Dee Why in the northern beaches on Monday.
Later that day, a third person suffered “life-changing” injuries and remains in critical condition following a Manly attack. Yet another incident was recorded in the mid coast earlier today, leaving a 39-year-old with non-life-threatening lacerations after surfing at Point Plomer.
While bullsharks are believed to be behind at least two of the attacks, the exact species of sharks involved has not been officially confirmed. The spate of incidents has nonetheless prompted stern warnings for surfers and swimmers this week.
Why have there been so many shark attacks in NSW?
Experts believe the heavy rains across Sydney over the weekend contributed to a heavier shark presence in the harbour and at beaches. The city experienced its wettest day in decades on Sunday, with USYD associate professor Chris Pepin-Neff saying the heavy downpours make swimming in Sydney Harbour a “terrible idea”.
That’s because heavy falls overwhelm Sydney’s sewage system, flushing out bacteria into the city’s waterways. The bacteria is fed on by bait fish, which in turn attracts sharks to areas frequented by swimmers. “It’s really important after a big storm to not swim in the harbour for about 72 hours,” Pepin-Neff told the ABC.
Heavy downpours also change what the water looks like and its salinity levels. Murkier water is ideal for hunting bull sharks, and so too is brackish water brought on by an influx of rains.
“We believe the combination of the brackish water, the fresh water, and the actions of the splashing may have made that perfect storm environment for that shark attack,” Marine Area Command commander Joseph McNulty said of the Vaucluse attack, per the ABC.
The conditions will only continue
The impact of the rainfall is expected to continue for at least the next few days, but experts say it’s one of multiple factors contributing to increased shark activity. Marine Life Rangers founder David Baxter said migration patterns, warmer water temperatures, and beach weather all heighten the chance of an attack.
“They’re cruising up and down our breaches,” Baxter told the ABC. “We know [in] the harbour, for example, we’ve got dirty water, then overcast rain, a lot of the run-offs from the creeks and the drains, and that it stimulates the curiosity of sharks.”
The patterns coinciding with summer weather, which attracts more people to the beach, does little to lessen the risk, which is why Baxter predicts more incidents. “We’ve had those two attacks in the harbour, and I’m predicting that there’ll be more,” he said. “If it doesn’t feel right, the conditions aren’t right, just don’t go in.”
Are shark attacks increasing?
While the recent spate comes directly after the shark-friendly downpours during a peak swimming season, there are as many as 40 factors that can be linked to the fourfold increase in shark bites reported across the NSW coast since 2000.
Climate change, coastal population growth, habitat depletion, uptake of watersports, and even the increased quality of wetsuits are all likely to have contributed to the increase across the state. However, while shark-related incidents like bites have grown, fatalities have generally remained the same since 2023, according to data.
“Even though it sounds like a lot, it’s still a very, very low number,” Professor of Marine Ecology at Macquarie University, Robert Harcourt, told 9News. “It’s only a handful per year, and we have a lot of other factors that are changing much more rapidly.”
How can you minimise the risk?
Experts have advised everyone to stay out of the water for at least the next week. “If anyone’s thinking of heading into the surf this morning, anywhere along the northern beaches, think again,” Life Saving NSW chief executive, Steven Pearce, told the ABC.
“We have such poor water quality that’s conducive to bull shark activity. We have two people critically injured in hospital. Just go to a local pool, because at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe,” Pearce added.
Swimmers and surfers are being advised to avoid swimming in murky waters, particularly at dawn or dusk, and to keep clear of schools of bait fish. They should also monitor shark warnings. But the best advice is simply to avoid swimming in open waters altogether and head to the local pool instead.
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