Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old teacher who was attacked by a great white shark at Sydney's Coogee beach, is no longer in a critical condition and remembers the whole event in detail, according to her brother Joshua. In an update on a fundraising site, Joshua wrote that it was amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected and that his sister had been overjoyed to see her daughter for the first time since the incident almost two weeks ago.
Recovery and Injuries
Stewart remains in hospital recovering from surgeries, including an arm amputation. Her brother stated that her remaining arm has severe tendon and nerve damage, which will require further repair and intensive rehabilitation. She does not yet have use of her hand. Joshua added that Leah still has a long way to go, with an extensive recovery and rehabilitation process that will have her in and out of surgery through the coming weeks. He praised her strength, saying she is fighting to come back to her daughter August.
Shark Sightings and Beach Closures
Following the attack, Sydney beaches have been closed for three days in a row due to great white shark sightings. Bondi beach was briefly shut on Sunday and again on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after local authorities were alerted to great whites. Other beaches in the Waverley council area, including Tamarama and Bronte, were also closed on Thursday, along with beaches in the neighbouring Randwick council area, including Clovelly and Maroubra. Drone footage posted to social media by the Drone Shark App showed both great white and tiger sharks at Bondi.
Expert Insights on Shark Behaviour
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries said locals will have noticed increasing detections of white sharks on tagged shark listening stations but noted this is not uncommon at this time of year. Marine biologist and shark expert Rob Harcourt, a regular swimmer at Bondi, said it was the peak time of year when they swim past. He explained that they follow the Australian salmon, which migrate up the coast, and there are big balls of salmon off the beaches right now. Multiple shark species are coming in to feed on the salmon because they are big, fat, juicy, and full of calories.
Professor Culum Brown, head of the Fish Lab at Macquarie University, said most sightings or interactions with great whites involve juveniles, which typically move along the NSW coast in late autumn and early winter. Adults are often out in the ocean, travelling big distances and spending a lot of time offshore. Juveniles tend to be far more coastal and move up and down reasonably predictably. Brown added that after a certain growth period, juvenile sharks begin experimenting with their food sources, switching from a fish-oriented diet to incorporating things like seals and turtles, and unfortunately, occasionally they approach swimmers, snorkelers, divers, and surfers.
Local Reactions and Government Response
Eugene Tan, a photographer who has lived in Bondi for more than 30 years, said he has never physically seen a great white shark in the bay at Bondi during his three decades of taking photographs. He described seeing through the Drone Shark App that one has been visiting the bay every day for three days in a row as pretty crazy and unprecedented. Tan said that while his family has never not gone in the ocean, this week it feels like something's quite different, and the whole family is not in the ocean because the risk is just too high, especially with a white pointer.
The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, said the government would be rolling out world-leading shark drones across more of the state's beaches. He stated that they will be using technology that is available but hasn't been rolled out at scale anywhere in the world, including in California, Florida, or South Africa, and that they will be first. Professor Harcourt said that is a good thing and worth the cost, as it will not only make people feel safer but will probably ensure that they are safer. However, he noted that with more drones in the air, they will spot those sharks that were always there but just weren't seen before.
