Overview

• A shark bit and split the surfboard of local rider Brad Ross at Cabarita’s Norries Headland on the morning of August 18, but he emerged uninjured.
• Surf Life Saving NSW and the Australian Lifeguard Service immediately closed Cabarita Beach, installed warning signage and deployed drones and aerial assets to search the area.
• SharkSmart confirmed that a five-metre great white was caught and released from a SMART drumline at Norries Headland just before 10 am.
• NSW Police have launched an investigation into the incident as lifeguards and Tweed Shire Council staff maintain coastal surveillance.
• Experts say increased shark encounters in the region are linked to humpback whale migrations that draw predators closer to shore, triggering repeat temporary closures this season.