Logo





  About us
  Advertising
  Privacy
  Terms
  Directory
  Submit Feed
  Analytics
  Trending
  Bias
  Trust Ranking
  API

The Guardian // World // Europe

Four shark attacks in 48 hours leave Australian surfer Matt more afraid of local beaches than world’s biggest waves

Tuesday 20th January 2026, 2:00PM

Spate of incidents involving sharks across Sydney and New South Wales have rattled even the most seasoned surfers and beachgoersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn a city of more than 100 beaches, swimming and surfing are part of Sydney’s lifeblood. But four shark bites in New South Wales in 48 hours – three of which were in Sydney – have rattled even some of the city’s most seasoned ocean users.On Sunday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after being bitten on a harbour beach in Vaucluse in Sydney’s east. On Monday morning, an 11-year-old’s surfboard was bitten multiple times at Dee Why in the city’s north, while that afternoon, a 27-year-old man was bitten while surfing in Manly, less than 5km away.

Full Story