We may be in the height of summer but Aussies are being warned to stay away from dozens of beaches around the country’s biggest city with the presence of two major threats under the water.
A total of 56 beaches around Sydney were contaminated with stormwater pollution on Friday after heavy rain, with experts telling Yahoo News swimmers could potentially be exposed to viruses and bacteria like E. coli.
All beaches in Sydney Harbour were marked as unsuitable for swimming, along with those in Botany Bay, Pittwater, the Port Hacking River, and the popular Bronte, Tamarama, Queenscliff and Malabar beaches. The pollution was recorded as far north as The Entrance channel on the Central Coast, and is infiltrating beaches as far south as Bundeena.
Some swim sites across the Sydney and Central Coast region may remain impacted by stormwater pollution this morning 🌨For more details, visit our website: https://t.co/XvqQ8ASUOBBefore you swim, check for signs of pollutionFor beach closures and conditions, contact lifeguards
— Beachwatch NSW (@BeachwatchNSW) January 9, 2025
Check if your local beach is safe here.
Stormwater runoff can carry viruses, faeces
Water samples are being tested by Beachwatch for E. coli as an indicator for faecal contamination. Exposure to the bacteria can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, along with skin, eye, ear and upper respiratory tract infections.
Young children, the elderly and people with compromised health may be more at risk.
“At beaches, people should avoid swimming during heavy rain and for at least one day after,” a spokesperson from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told Yahoo.
“At estuaries and inland waterways, avoid swimming for up to three days after heavy rain.”
The department also advised beachgoers to “check before you swim” by visiting the Beachwatch webpage.
The rain over Sydney is likely to continue over the weekend, with further storms and showers predicted.
Swimmers have been advised to avoid more than 50 beaches around Sydney due to pollution. Source: Beachwatch
Bull sharks attracted to rivers after heavy rainfall
If the worry of bacteria isn’t enough, the wet weather has also increased the numbers of bull sharks around beaches and waterways, as rain “stimulates” their feeding, Bond University environmental scientist Dr Daryl McPhee explained to Yahoo News.
“It’s the nutrient pulse which can create a good feeding environment for a range of fish. It’s also the muddy water. Bull sharks are very well adapted to feeding under very low light levels and in very dirty water, so they don’t rely on vision too much for feeding under those conditions,” Dr McPhee said.
“In areas affected by rainfall you generally do see more bull sharks but there’s often a lag from when the rainfall occurs in a catchment, to when the bull sharks are more prevalent,” he added.
Bull sharks thrive in murky water and are attracted to the nutrients in the water following heavy rainfall. Source: Getty
That lag could be anywhere from 10 days to two weeks, with swimmers advised to be cautious if the water remains murky.
“There’s still runoff occurring even when that rain has stopped.”
A bull shark was detected by NSW authorities off Bondi on Thursday afternoon as warming water lures the species south down the NSW coast. On Friday afternoon a great white was observed by surf lifesavers at the popular Mid North Coast beach of Crescent Head, and lifesavers also saw a bull shark at Yamba Beach in the Northern Rivers region. Both beaches were closed and evacuated.
Sharks not the scariest thing in the water
Dr McPhee said even with sharks being prevalent in the water, the biggest danger still lies in pollution.
“The biggest risk is still exposing yourself to poor water quality which can have E.coli and other stomach bugs and skin irritants potentially in it. The biggest risk is not from sharks, it’s from the general water quality in Sydney and surrounds,” he said.
“The Sydney area still needs to do a lot more in terms of improving water quality. Sydney Harbour is a jewel for Sydney but it is certainly tarnished due to stormwater runoffs and runoff from the upper catchments.”
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