Shark Attack in Manly Leaves Man Critical: Beaches Shut Down for Safety

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A fourth person has been bitten by a shark in NSW waters in 48 hours, with calls for state and federal governments to rethink shark-related measures and do more to keep people safe.

The 39-year-old man was surfing at Point Plomer, near Crescent Head, on Tuesday morning when the shark bit through his board.

The North Coast Local Health District says the man was taken to hospital with minor cuts and grazes to one of his legs, and has since been discharged.

Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson has called on the federal government to provide more funding to combat the risk of shark attacks.

“This has again highlighted the urgent need for federal government leadership, starting with establishing a national summit of experts to drive shark risk education campaigns and provide better information and resources to the states,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Whish-Wilson said the government should invest in modern-day alternatives to shark nets and lethal drumlines.

Efforts to enhance safety and awareness at Australia’s beaches are gaining momentum, with a focus on various protective measures. Investments are being made in public education, the use of shark shield personal deterrent devices, shark spotter programs, eco-friendly shark barriers, and the development of bite-proof wetsuits. These initiatives aim to mitigate the risks associated with shark encounters and ensure a safer experience for beachgoers.

Meanwhile, NSW Opposition member Brendan Moylan called for the NSW government to commit to more drone surveillance of sharks.

“While it’s too early to know whether these are tragic coincidences or part of a more concerning trend, the NSW Government should immediately increase shark drone surveillance up and down our coastline to help manage the risk to swimmers and surfers,” he wrote on social media.

The attacks came after several days of rain in Sydney, and NSW Police on Monday urged people not to swim in murky, low-visibility water.

“I would recommend not swimming in the harbour or our other river systems across NSW at this time,” Superintendent Joseph McNulty told reporters before the Dee Why incident and Manly attack were reported.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce told the ABC that if anyone was thinking of heading into the surf anywhere along the Northern Beaches they should “think again”.

The situation is particularly pressing given the poor water quality in certain areas, which creates favorable conditions for bull sharks. Authorities are advising caution, suggesting that local pools might be a safer option for now, as some beaches are deemed unsafe.

It comes after a swathe of Sydney’s beaches have been closed after three suspected bull shark attacks in little more than 24 hours left two people in critical condition.

A man in his 20s was attacked at North Steyne Beach at Manly in Sydney’s north on Monday evening and underwent surgery for severe lower-leg injuries at Royal North Shore Hospital overnight.

That followed an attack on a 13-year-old boy who was swimming near a Sydney Harbour beach in Vaucluse in Sydney’s east on Sunday. He underwent surgery for injuries to both his legs.

In a recent incident highlighting the urgency of these measures, an 11-year-old boy had a close call at Dee Why beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. On Monday morning, a shark attacked the boy’s surfboard, leaving a noticeable bite mark, though thankfully, the young surfer emerged unscathed.

A white surfboard on sand. The board has a large bite-shaped hole on its side

This latest encounter underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to improve safety and awareness at popular beach destinations. As authorities and communities collaborate on these safety measures, the hope is to minimize risks and protect both residents and visitors enjoying Australia’s stunning coastlines.

‘Almost like an F1 pit stop’

NSW Ambulance acting superintendent Christie Marks said the man attacked in Manly suffered heavy blood loss and was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived.

He needed 13 units of blood on his way to hospital, which required highway police meeting the ambulance en route to drop extra supplies off.

“They said it was almost like an F1 pit stop of 10 seconds or less where they just opened the door, blood went in, and then they continued on,” Marks said.

“This is something that doesn’t happen a lot … that is going to give him the best chance of surviving.”

‘Perfect storm’ for shark attacks

All of Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been closed in response for at least 48 hours.

More than 30 SMART drumlines have been deployed along that stretch of coast, while shark listening stations and aerial surveillance have been ramped up.

Pearce said the “turbid and brackish” water created prime conditions for bull shark activity.

Police on Monday urged people not to swim in murky, low-visibility water after bucketing rain drenched Sydney and its surrounds at the weekend.

Extra fresh water in the harbour after recent heavy rain, combined with the splashing effect from people jumping off a rock face, created a “perfect storm” for Sunday’s shark attack, superintendent Joseph McNulty said.

“I would recommend not swimming in the harbour or our other river systems across NSW at this time,” he told reporters before the Dee Why and Manly incidents were reported.

Expert blames Sydney’s sewage pipes

University of Sydney public policy expert Chris Pepin-Neff, who has written a book on shark policy, suggested Sydney Harbour’s 100-year-old sewage pipes were likely to blame.

The pipes overflow with just 20mm of rain, far less than the 127mm Sydney received on Sunday.

“When the pipes overflow, when there’s more sewage, the bait fish eat the sewage and then the bull sharks come to eat the bait fish, and that draws them into the surface and into the shore,” Associate professor Pepin-Neff told the Australian Associated Press.

“Three shark bites in two days suggests to me there’s a unique environmental condition that is more than just the heavy rain.”

The primary industries department is working to identify the species of shark involved but initial reports suggest it was a bull shark.

The teenager injured in the Vaucluse attack remains in a critical condition at Randwick Children’s Hospital on Tuesday.

Multiple swimmers have been attacked by sharks in the harbour in recent years, including a young woman who was bitten on the leg at Elizabeth Bay in early 2024.

In September 2025, avid surfer Mercury Psillakis, 57, was fatally mauled by a shark at Long Reef Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Psillakis’s death caused the state government to pull a trial to remove a handful of shark nets off popular beaches.