A shark attack at a popular Sydney beach on Saturday follows a horrendous summer during which NSW experienced its highest number of January attacks in the past decade, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database.
Australia has the second-highest number of recorded shark incidents globally, averaging 22 bites per year, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says.
SHARK ATTACKS IN NSW IN 2026:
* Woman in her 30s critically injured while swimming off Coogee Beach in Sydney
* Nico Antic, 12, fatally attacked by a shark near a popular swimming spot at Vaucluse in Sydney's east - the first fatal shark attack inside Sydney Harbour in more than 60 years
* An 11-year-old boy's surfboard bitten at Dee Why Beach in Sydney's north, with no major injuries
* A 27-year-old man bitten, sustaining critical injuries in nearby Manly
* A 39-year-old surfer attacked, escaping with minor injuries at Point Plomer on the state's mid-north coast
RECENT SHARK ATTACKS IN OTHER STATES:
* June: 35-year-old diver killed after being attacked by a suspected 4.5m shark while spearfishing with his family off the coast of Albany in Western Australia
* May: 38-year-old spearfisher killed in attack off the coast of Rottnest Island in WA
* May: another shark attack recorded in far north Queensland, where a 39-year-old spearfisher died
