All Sydney beaches in the north of the city have been closed due to the high risk of shark attacks, police in the Australian state of New South Wales have said.
“All beaches on Sydney's north coast are closed until further notice and this decision will be reviewed on an ongoing basis“, the department said in a statement after the third shark attack. It happened on the evening of January 19 at Manly Beach, a city beach located in the north of the city.
It was also reported that the fourth shark attack on a person in the past 48 hours was recorded on the New South Wales coast on the morning of January 20. The incident occurred at Point Plomer Beach, located on the region's central coast, 400 kilometers north of Sydney. A 39-year-old man was taken to hospital with lacerations to his legs after the attack.
Previously, three shark attacks on people in Sydney were reported in 26 hours. On the evening of January 19, a shark attacked a 20-year-old man at Manly Beach, located in the city's north. A few hours earlier, a shark tried to attack an 11-year-old child at Dee Wye Beach. On January 18, a teenager was attacked by a shark at Sharkey Beach in the city's east.
In 2025, 20 shark attacks on people were officially recorded in Australia. Five of these attacks resulted in death. In and around Sydney, sharks attacked holidaymakers at least five times in 2025, with two fatalities.
In September 2025, a 57-year-old surfer died after being attacked by a great white shark at Long Reef Beach, located in Sydney's north.
In November, a 25-year-old Swiss national died while swimming at a rural beach. Experts note that the number of attacks by predators has increased in 2025 due to the growing population on Australia's east coast and the popularity of water sports.