Overview
- New South Wales Police closed all city beaches on Sydney’s north side until further notice after three attacks in the city within roughly 26 hours and a fourth on the state’s central coast within 48 hours.
- Recent cases include a 12-year-old injured at Vaucluse on January 18, an attempted bite on an 11-year-old at Dee Why, an attack on a 20-year-old at Manly, and a 39-year-old hospitalized at Point Plomer.
- Authorities activated enhanced monitoring through drone patrols and underwater listening stations that can detect shark movement within about 500 meters of popular beaches.
- Researchers report coastal waters topping 22°C have slowed seasonal movements, keeping potentially dangerous species such as bull, great white, and tiger sharks in Sydney’s harbor longer.
- Published 2025 tallies differ by source, citing either 18 attacks with four fatalities nationwide or 20 attacks with five fatalities.