Sydney: Dozens of beaches along Australia’s east coast, including several in Sydney, were closed after a series of shark attacks over the past two days. The closures followed four separate shark-related incidents, as days of heavy rain turned coastal waters murky, creating conditions that experts say increase the likelihood of encounters with sharks.
Beaches near Port Macquarie, about 400 kilometres north of Sydney, were shut after a man was bitten while surfing earlier on Tuesday. He was taken to the hospital and remains in stable condition, according to health officials.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales advised people to avoid the ocean and use swimming pools instead, saying water quality was poor and favourable for bull shark activity.
The latest attack came after a troubling run of incidents along the New South Wales coast. On Monday evening, emergency services rushed to Manly Beach in Sydney after a surfer in his 20s was bitten.
Witnesses said another surfer used a leg rope as a makeshift tourniquet to slow the bleeding until help arrived. The injured man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and was listed in critical condition.
Earlier the same day, a 10-year-old boy escaped without injury after a shark knocked him off his surfboard and bit into it. A day before that, another boy was left in critical condition following a shark bite at a city beach.
Police said all beaches in Sydney’s Northern Beaches council area would remain closed until further notice. Marine experts say the attacks followed days of intense rainfall that flushed runoff into the harbour and nearby beaches, creating brackish water conditions favoured by bull sharks. Reduced visibility in muddy water increases the likelihood of accidental encounters, while sewage runoff can attract baitfish that sharks feed on.
Australia records about 20 shark attacks each year, with fatalities remaining rare. Despite the recent incidents, authorities noted that drownings continue to pose a far greater risk on Australian beaches.
