It’s summer in Australia right now. Especially now many surfers and bathers visit the Palm Beach in Sydney. However, when a dozen hammerhead sharks cavorted in front of the popular beach, the authorities sounded the alarm. A swimmer died in a shark attack in 2022.
Moment of shock on a popular beach in Sydney: After more than a dozen hammerhead sharks were sighted near Palm Beach, the authorities raised the alarm – and asked all bathers in the water to come ashore as soon as possible. The beach was initially closed, as reported by the broadcaster 9News. The sharks made their rounds only about 200 meters in front of the bathing zone marked with flags. It’s summer down under right now.
Three species of hammerhead sharks roam the waters of Australia. However, according to experts, only the great hammerhead shark with a size of up to six meters is considered dangerous for humans. However, attacks are relatively rare.
It was initially unclear what species it was on Palm Beach. The picturesque beach is a good hour’s drive north of Sydney city centre. Affectionately called “Palmy” by the residents, it is also often used as a backdrop for film and television.
In 2022, a swimmer was killed by a shark in the sea off Sydney for the first time in decades. The attack occurred in the southeastern suburb of Little Bay. An eyewitness told 9News that he heard screams and saw a great white shark more than four meters long in the water. A fisherman standing on a rock nearby said the attack lasted a long time. “The shark just wouldn’t stop. It was awful.” According to the newspaper “Sydney Morning Herald”, it was the first deadly shark attack in the metropolis of Sydney since 1963.
However, serious injuries from shark attacks do occur from time to time. It was only in 2021 that two teenagers – a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy – narrowly survived a shark attack in south-east Australia.
