A man has been hospitalized after being attacked by a shark at a remote surfing spot.
He was bitten at Bombie Surfing Spot, near Exmouth, in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, about 12.30pm on Saturday.
Paramedics were not called to the scene and police were not alerted until the man showed up at the local hospital.
He is understood to be in a stable condition. At the moment his injuries are unknown.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development launched an investigation after the incident was reported to authorities.
A man is in hospital after being bitten by a shark at a popular surfing beach (file image)
The attack occurred off the north coast of Western Australia, where fisheries experts are on alert for further sightings.
The shark species remains unknown.
A local surfer was shocked by the attack at the popular spot, but told The West Australian it was “all part of the game”.
Fisheries officials have stepped up patrols on local beaches.
“More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the DPIRD said in a statement.
It was the first sighting on the exposed reef in almost a month when a three-metre tiger shark was spotted two meters offshore on March 23.
The surf area about 19km from Exmouth is known for its clean and consistent waves.
Beachgoers in the Bombie area have been advised to take extra precautions in the water and be aware of beach closures.
More than 20 shark sightings have been reported on the Washington state government’s SharkSmart website in the past 24 hours.
They included 18 sightings in the south-west of the state, three near Perth beaches and one near Esperance in the south of the state.
24 shark sightings have been reported off Western Australian beaches to the state government’s SharkSmart website in the last 24 hours (file image of a closed beach)