A swimmer has died after a shark attack at Sorrento Beach, a popular swimming spot about 20 km from Perth's city centre. Western Australia Police were called to the scene at around 10.30 a.m. local time on Friday after reports that a male swimmer had been bitten while swimming along the coast. An extensive air and sea search followed, but authorities confirmed the man did not survive.

The local council moved quickly to close all beaches under its jurisdiction, and a 5-metre white shark was reported on the SharkSmart monitoring site at Boyinaboat reef, near Sorrento, shortly after midday. Officials have not confirmed whether that animal was involved in the attack.

The incident is the latest in a string of shark encounters in Western Australia in recent months. Just days earlier, on Monday, a surfer lost his foot in an attack at a beach in Geraldton, roughly 400 km north of Perth, and suffered serious leg injuries. In June, a 35-year-old man was killed while spearfishing off the state's south coast, and in May a 38-year-old man died in an attack off an island near Perth.

For travellers heading to Western Australia, the practical takeaway is awareness rather than alarm. Attacks remain rare given how many people swim on the state's beaches every day, but local authorities operate a well-established safety system worth using. Beaches may close at short notice after sightings or incidents, and alerts are published through the SharkSmart app and website. Patrolled sections of popular beaches are safer bets than remote stretches, and avoiding dawn and dusk swims — when sharks are more active near shore — is standard local advice.

Sorrento Beach itself is one of Perth's most loved swimming spots, part of the string of white-sand beaches along the Sunset Coast north of the city, and it draws families and open-water swellers throughout the warm months. If you're planning a coastal holiday around Perth, keep an eye on closure notices, swim between the flags where patrols are present, and check signage at beach entrances before getting in the water.

The story is a reminder that Australia's coastline is wild as well as beautiful — and that a little local knowledge goes a long way.

Sourced from Japan Today.