A man has been hospitalised after a shark attack at the Bombie Surfing Spot near Exmouth in the State’s Gascoyne region.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development received a report of a shark bite about 12.30pm on Saturday.
A St John WA spokeswoman said paramedics were not called to respond to the incident and WA Police were first alerted when the man arrived at the local hospital.
A WA Country Health spokeswoman said the patient was in a stable condition.
Fisheries officers are working with local authorities to coordinate a response.
“Further information will be provided as it becomes available,” DPIRD said in a statement.
People in the Bombie area are advised to take additional caution and adhere to any beach closures.
There have been 24 other shark sightings reported to the government’s dedicated SharkSmart website across WA in the past 24 hours — 18 in the South West, three in the Perth Metro, and one near Esperance.
Conditions were sunny with a high of 33C in Exmouth on Saturday. A local surfer told The West that while it was a surprise to hear of an attack at the popular spot it was “all part of the game”.
The surf break on the North West Cape, about 19km from Exmouth, and known for its clean surfable and consistent waves.
The most recent sighting reported at the exposed reef break was almost a month ago — when a 3m tiger shark was spotted just 2m from shore on March 23.
In April 2020, Exmouth’s Lighthouse Bay was temporarily closed after a surfer had his board nudged by a 2.5 metre shark at Dunes surfing beach. He was not hurt during the incident.
The incident comes exactly a year after the small northern WA town was inundated by tourists during a total solar eclipse.
If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600.
Check www.sharksmart.com.au/news for current alerts and warnings.