WEB DESK: Dozens of beaches along Australia’s east coast, including Sydney, were closed after four shark attacks in two days. Recent heavy rains caused murky waters, attracting more sharks.
At Port Macquarie, 400 km north of Sydney, a surfer was bitten on Tuesday morning. He is hospitalized in stable condition. Surf Life Saving NSW urged people to avoid beaches due to unsafe conditions and poor water quality conducive to bull shark activity.
The closures occur during the peak of summer when Australian beaches are typically crowded. On Monday, a surfer in his 20s was critically injured by a shark in Sydney’s Manly. A fellow surfer used a board’s leg rope as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding before paramedics arrived.
In other incidents, a 10-year-old boy was unharmed after a shark knocked him off his surfboard, while another boy remained in critical condition after being bitten at a city beach the day prior. Beaches along Sydney’s Northern Beaches area will stay shut until further notice.
The increased attacks follow days of rain that washed runoff into the ocean, creating brackish water ideal for bull sharks. Experts suggest the muddy conditions reduce sharks’ visibility, potentially leading to defensive or curious bites. They may also be drawn by bait fish concentrated by sewage runoff.
Australia averages around 20 shark attacks annually, with less than three fatalities, though drowning rates far surpass these figures.
