Beaches in Sydney, Australia, remained closed indefinitely on Tuesday after four shark attacks were reported in the state of New South Wales over a 48-hour period.

A surfer suffered minor leg injuries after a shark attack Tuesday morning on the NSW coast, several hundred kilometers north of Sydney.

Another surfer at Sydney's Manly Beach suffered serious injuries and experienced cardiac arrest in a separate attack on Monday evening.

Earlier, a teenager was sent to intensive care following a shark attack inside Sydney Harbor on Sunday.

The sharks involved haven't yet been identified, but experts point to bull sharks as likely behind the attacks

What do we know about the latest shark attack in NSW?

In the latest attack on Tuesday morning, a surfer was knocked off his board by a shark in the state of New South Wales in Australia's east.

The surfer was "knocked off his board; his board has been bitten; there were multiple sharks in the water, according to reports from other surfers in the water," Steven Pearce, the head of Surf Live Saving NSW, the peak body for water safety in the state, told Sydney's 2GB radio.

The attack took place at Point Plomer in Limeburners Creek National Park, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) north of Sydney. Point Plomer was "known for a bit of shark activity," Pierce added.

At the hospital, the man was admitted "with minor injuries just to his leg," according to Pearce. "I believe they're just grazes or minor cuts, so he's extremely fortunate."

This episode is the fourth shark attack on the NSW coast in 48 hours.

What do we know about Monday's shark attacks in Manly?

On Monday evening local time, a 27-year-old man suffered serious leg injuries after being bitten by a shark at North Steyne Beach in Manly in Sydney's Northern Beaches.

The surfer was pulled from the water by members of the public, who commenced first aid before the arrival of emergency services, police said in a statement.

Young surfer has lucky escape after shark bites board

Earlier on Monday, an 11-year-old boy escaped injury after a shark repeatedly bit his surfboard off Dee Why Beach, which is near Manly.

Pictures published by the Manly Observer show a chunk of about 15 centimeters (6 inches) missing from the board. Several small bites are also visible on the board.

He walked away from the encounter on Monday morning unharmed, Surf Live Saving NSW said.

Why is Sydney seeing so many shark attacks right now?

Substantial rains have hit Sydney and its surrounding coastline in the past few days.

This not only makes the water murky, but it also results in raw sewage running straight into Sydney's harbor and coastline.

The nutrients in the sewage attract "bait fish and bring sharks toward the bait fish," University of Sydney associate professor of public policy Chris Pepin-Neff told the ABC.

How many shark attacks are there normally in Australia?

Australia normally only sees around 20 shark incidents with injuries per year, with 2.8 fatalities annually in the same period.

So having three shark attacks with injuries just in NSW so early in the year is unprecedented. 

But swimmers are still more likely to drown on the country's beaches than be mauled by a shark, with Australia recording 357 drowning fatalities in 2025.

Source: DW/AP/Reuters