Man seriously injured in shark attack on Australia's west coast

A man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a shark attack on the west coast of Australia.

The 56-year-old suffered serious injuries to his leg this morning (local time) on Glenfield Beach north of the city of Geraldton, as the Geraldton Guardian newspaper reported, citing the authorities. The region is more than 400 kilometers north of Perth.

According to Surf Life Saving WA, a shark was spotted about 40 meters offshore. The size and type of the animal were initially unknown. Authorities were investigating the incident and urged bathers in the area to take extra caution.

Four fatal attacks since January

There have already been four fatal shark attacks in Australia this year - two of them off the west coast. According to official data from 2025, there have been an average of around 20 shark incidents per year with injuries down under over the past ten years. On average, 2.8 deaths were registered annually. Three species native to the region are particularly dangerous to humans: tiger sharks, bull sharks and great white sharks.