Wednesday 21/January/2026 – 05:58 AM
Yesterday, Tuesday, the Australian authorities closed a 30-kilometre-long coastal strip in the city of Sydney, after recording the third shark attack in just two days, prompting the competent authorities to take broad precautionary measures.
Sydney closes 34 beaches indefinitely
The Northern Beaches Council said in an official statement that all 34 beaches in the region will remain closed until further notice, calling on swimmers and surfers to follow closure updates and check the condition of the beaches before heading to them.
The decision came after a man was attacked by a shark last Monday evening while surfing at Northstein Beach in the suburb of Manly, where members of the public rushed to pull him from the water and provided first aid before emergency services arrived. New South Wales Police confirmed that the injured person was taken to hospital in critical condition after sustaining serious injuries to both legs, noting that the nature of the injuries is consistent with an attack by a large shark, without determining its type yet.
In a separate incident, a boy’s surfboard was bitten by a shark at nearby Dee Why Beach earlier Monday, and on Sunday another attack targeted a 13-year-old boy while he was swimming in shallow water near Shark Beach in eastern Sydney.
According to official data issued in 2025, Australia has recorded an average of about 20 incidents of shark attacks annually during the last decade, with an average death rate of 2.8 cases per year, which brings to the fore the growing concerns about the safety of beaches during the swimming season.
