SHARK SIGHTINGS ON THE RISE

AN EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID

- Courtney Greatrex

After 15 hammerhead sharks were spotted metres away from the shore at Sydney's Palm Beach, experts reveal beachgoers can expect to see even more this summer.

Worryingly, research has found that shark bites in Australia are on the rise.

There were 15 shark attacks in Australia in 2022. None of these incidents were provoked and tragically, one attack in Sydney's Little Bay by a 4.5-metre white shark was fatal.

But it's not all bad news. Dr Phoebe Meagher, wildlife conservation officer at Taronga Conservation Society, says we are more likely to die taking a selfie than of a shark attack! "When people read these numbers, they are quick to assume there are more sharks, when in fact the more likely answer is more people," she tells New Idea.

"The population's increased steadily over the past three decades, and so has technology and our ability to be able to share information.

"When shark population numbers are looked at, most are stable or in decline."