Man in his 30s mauled by 4.5-metre shark near Michaelmas Island as experts link rising encounters to changing ocean conditions

A diver has sustained critical injuries following a shark attack in Western Australia.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was attacked by a 4.5-metre shark off Michaelmas Island, southeast of Perth. Emergency services and the Western Australian government confirmed the incident.

The attack occurred at about 11:25 a.m. (03:25 GMT), coming just two weeks after a fatal shark attack in Queensland. It is the third serious shark incident recorded in Australia this year.

Meanwhile, Australian scientists say increasingly crowded coastal waters and rising ocean temperatures may be altering sharks’ migratory patterns, potentially contributing to more frequent human encounters.