Shark expert says it's safe to swim off Sydney beach after attack

AAP

24 Feb, 2018 09:19 PM2 mins to read

A great white shark. A juvenile great white is believed to have attacked a woman at Botany Bay. Photo / AAP

Swimmers at a Sydney beach where a woman was bitten by a shark shouldn't have reservations about venturing back into the water when it re-opens on Sunday, an expert says.

Anna Shurapey, 55, survived the first shark attack in Botany Bay in at least 25 years after she was bitten on the leg at about 7pm local time on Friday, prompting the Randwick City Council to close nearby beaches for 24 hours.

Shurapey, who'd been swimming off Little Congwong Beach, was taken to St George Hospital where she's recovering after surgery to deep cuts to her leg.

A Department of Primary Industries biologist speculated the culprit was a juvenile great white of between 2.7 and 3.2m in length.

University of Sydney shark researcher Dr Christopher Neff said the nature of the injuries could suggest a juvenile was to blame.

"Juvenile sharks generally don't know what they're doing," he told AAP. "It's a curiosity injury rather than anything else."

Neff shut down calls for shark nets in the area, saying there was no data to back up their effectiveness.

He also believes beachgoers shouldn't be worried about a repeat attack because sharks move between 50 and 100 km a day. "They don't stay in the same area - that's a myth," Neff said. "There's no real science behind looking for the shark, that's more to ease public fear and to make people comfortable going back in the water."

Neff said while no swimmer was to blame for any shark incident, swimming at dusk and dawn can be hazardous because people are usually alone.

He said statistically two things are true about increased risk: that water temperatures below 20C can lead to an increase in white shark activity, and that shark behaviour is correlated to the lunar cycle.

"If there's a new moon, sharks come in closer to shore. You just want to be mindful."