Beachgoers in Australia are on high alert following four shark incidents in New South Wales in 48 hours.

On Tuesday, the 20th of January, a surfer was bitten by a shark at Point Plomer, on the state’s mid-north coast. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to one of his legs.

This came after a man was bitten by a shark on Monday evening, while surfing at Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches. He suffered major wounds to his leg and was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

Shark attacks in Sydney

A fourth shark attack has been reported on a 39-year-old man surfing at Point Plomer on the New South Wales Mid North Coast on Tuesday. He escaped with minor injuries.

Only a few hours earlier, a shark knocked an 11-year-old boy into the water at Dee Why — just north of Manly — and bit a chunk out of his surfboard. And on Sunday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy was bitten by what authorities believe was a bull shark while swimming at a popular beach in Sydney Harbour. He is still in a critical condition in the hospital.

It can be tempting to blame these incidents on sharks alone. But there’s emerging evidence that the pollutants, pesticides, and parasites we send into the ocean from land could shape not just where and when sharks and people cross paths — but also shark behavior.

Recognizing this bigger picture helps shift the focus from blaming sharks to addressing human impacts, supporting smarter policies that protect both public safety and ocean health.

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