Within 48 hours starting on Jan 18th, four separate shark attacks in Brisbane Australia have caused warnings to be issued saying to keep out of the water. Unfortunately one of the four victims was killed while one was seriously injured.

The first victim was a 12 year old boy who was swimming in the Sydney Harbor. The next day a 15-centimeter bite was found in the surfboard of an 11 year old’s surfboard. Later that day a 25 year old tourist was gravely injured after being attacked on North Steyne Beach. Shortly after another man was surfing at Point Plomer when he was attacked– according to CNN he was treated for minor injuries, and released from the hospital, (Whiteman Jan 25th).

Safety measures such as closing the northern beaches have been implemented to keep people. NSW Surf life saving have deployed drones to scan waves as well as a helicopter to check the coastlines, (CNN Whiteman Jan 25th.)

According to BBC News, a professor from the University of Sydney states “This is the closest – in both proximity and in time – series of shark bites that I’ve ever seen in my 20 years of research,” (BBC Butler Jan 24th). While some call for immediate action to be taken experts have been attempting to figure out why the sudden surge in shark attacks is happening.

Rebecca Olive a researcher at RMIT University claims it’s due to a heavy rainfall. BBC News reports her saying “Bull sharks thrive in warm, brackish water, which most other sharks flee,” (Butler Jan 24th). To add on all the attacks were after days of heavy rainfall. It is believed that due to the rain an attractant in the water has summoned the sharks to the beaches.