A surfer has survived relatively unscathed from a close encounter with a shark on a stretch of coast north of Newcastle famous for being a great white breeding ground.
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Police said the 31-year-old man was bitten on the foot in the suspected shark attack while surfing at the popular holiday spot of Birubi Beach at Anna Bay, Port Stephens, about 9.30am on Saturday.
The coastline between Stockton in the south and Birubi in the north is well known as nursery for juvenile white pointers.
The boardrider managed to swim ashore and contact emergency services after being bitten by what he described as a shark about 9.30am.
NSW Ambulance Paramedics treated him for minor puncture wounds to his foot then took him to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital.
Birubi Beach was closed for several hours as a precaution.
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries officers are working in conjunction with police from Port Stephens Local Area Command to find out more about the incident.
A 46-year-old man also suffered minor cuts to his left foot and calf when he was bitten by a shark while surfing at nearby One Mile Beach in April this year.
CSIRO research has previously shown more than 200 young great white sharks can be living off the Hunter region’s coast at any one time.
Lifeguards have been forced to close Birubi Beach on at least two other occasions during the past two summer seasons due to shark sightings.
An international women’s surfing event, the Port Stephens Toyota NSW Pro, is due to be staged for the first time at Birubi from November 2 to 5.
