Are there sharks at Coogee Beach, Sydney?

Shark attacks at Coogee Beach are extremely rare, but great white sharks do pass through the waters around Sydney. Shark nets and shark alarms help protect swimmers and surfers.

Australia is home to some of the greatest beaches on the planet – and Coogee Beach in Sydney is one of the most visited in the country.

But before diving into the surf at Coogee Beach, you might want to check what’s in the water with you. An average of two to three people per year are killed by sharks in Australia.

So… are there sharks at Coogee Beach?

Sharks at Coogee Beach

The bad news is that Coogee Beach is in shark territory. Great white sharks are regularly spotted along the coast of New South Wales.

If you go swimming or surfing in the ocean off the New South Wales coast, you can never absolutely guarantee there are no sharks nearby.

There have also been shark sightings at Coogee Beach in the past. You have to go back to the 1920s for the last serious shark incident at Coogee Beach, though.

The last fatal shark attack in Sydney was in 2022, at Little Bay. However, this incident was the first shark attack fatality in Sydney since 1963.

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Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
(🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.

How to avoid sharks at Coogee Beach

The good news is that shark attacks in Australia are relatively uncommon. This is largely because great white sharks aren’t interested in eating humans. We don’t make for tasty snacks, it seems.

The vast majority of shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity – often surfers in wetsuits mistaken for seals. Either that or the shark feels threatened or provoked.

Sharks can come surprisingly close to shore when feeding. Studies have shown that they can be 15 to 30 metres from the shoreline, but they generally stay beyond the breaking waves.

The majority of shark contact incidents in Australia involve swimmers and surfers who are further out than the breaking waves. They’re often swimming out from rocky headlands rather than the beach itself, too.

The vast majority of beach users, splashing in the shallows and playing in the breaking waves, are in no danger at all.

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Sydney Cricket Ground – behind the scenes secrets tour.
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Coogee Beach shark netting and shark alarms

Shark nets are installed at Coogee Beach. These underwater mesh nets don’t fully stop sharks getting close to shore, but evidence suggests they do deter some sharks.

The waters around Coogee Beach are also carefully monitored by surf lifesavers – and sometimes by drones and helicopters, too. If a shark is spotted, a shark alarm is sounded, urging swimmers to get out of the water.

You can go for a dip at Coogee at the end of the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk.