Dozens of beaches have been closed, including several beaches in Sydney<\/a> where three of the attacks<\/a> took place.<\/p>\n The number of attacks is unprecedented. Experts say intense rainfall created the perfect conditions for the marine predators, while there is also some evidence that climate change<\/a> could be contributing to a rising number of shark attacks in Australia.<\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n What has happened in Sydney?<\/p>\n The first attack took place on Sunday afternoon when a shark bit the legs of a boy swimming with friends in Sydney. In a statement, his family said he remains unresponsive in a coma and is unlikely to regain consciousness.<\/p>\n On Monday, an 11-year-old escaped injury after a shark bit his surfboard. Later that day a 27-year-old surfer was taken to the hospital with \u201clife-changing\u201d injuries after his leg was bitten. Both incidents took place in the Sydney area.<\/p>\n On Tuesday morning a surfer was knocked off his board near Point Plomer Beach, 200 miles north of Sydney. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Is it safe to swim in the water?<\/p>\n All the attacks are believed to have been carried out by bull sharks, which are responsible for a quarter of all fatal bites, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJanuary and February are the months where bull sharks are most common around Sydney,\u201d said Daryl McPhee, a shark expert based at Bond University in Australia\u2019s Gold Coast.<\/p>\n McPhee explained that a \u201csignificant rain event\u201d had \u201ccreated murky water\u201d that attracts the fish that bull sharks feed on. <\/p>\n Robert Harcourt, a shark expert from Sydney\u2019s Macquarie University, said male bull sharks respond \u201cpromptly\u201d to high rainfall and move upstream to estuarine areas within a day a heavy rain in anticipation of the arrival of bony fish, which typically arrive a few days later. <\/p>\n \u201cSo the very high rainfall means the bull sharks are feeding inside the harbour in very turbid water \u2013 often in very shallow inshore areas \u2013 coinciding with where people swim and surf,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Dozens of beaches were temporarily closed in response to the attacks.<\/p>\n However, the likelihood of being bitten by a shark at Australia\u2019s beaches is still very rare.<\/p>\n In 2024, the most recent year for which there is complete data, there were 13 \u201cunprovoked\u201d\u2019 shark bites resulting in zero deaths. In the same year 150 people died from drowning off Australia\u2019s coastline.<\/p>\n Authorities recommend a number of actions to reduce the chance of falling victim to a shark attack. These include staying close to shore, avoiding swimming after heavy rainfall, and avoiding swimming around dusk or dawn when sharks are most active. <\/p>\n Are shark attacks on the rise?<\/p>\n Shark attacks are on the rise in Australia, particularly within the state of New South Wales.<\/p>\n In the decade to 2025 there were 262 attacks, the Shark Incident Database shows. It records both \u201cprovoked\u201d and \u201cunprovoked\u201d incidents, compared to 194 the previous decade.<\/p>\n A total of 82 incidents were recorded in the 1990s and 65 in the 1980s. <\/p>\n Since the 80s, Australia\u2019s coastal population has boomed, which could explain the increase in attacks, as well as better reporting standards. <\/p>\n Globally the evidence is less clear. In 2024, 47 unprovoked shark attacks were recorded worldwide, the lowest in nearly 30 years according to the International Shark Attack File<\/a>, compiled by Florida\u2019s Museum of Natural History. <\/p>\n There are still many limitations to the data, as reporting standards vary across countries and time, making it hard to identify long-term trends. <\/p>\n \t\tYour next read<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281275010.jpg\")
A view of rainfall over Shark Beach in Sydney the day before a shark attack (Photographer: Flavio Brancaleone\/Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"Jupiter,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281500214_ef4c95.jpg\")
The recent attacks in Sydney are believed to have been carried out by bull sharks (Photo: Joseph Prezioso\/Anadolu)<\/p>\n
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