SYDNEY (Reuters) - A woman swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack in Sydney Harbour and had been taken to the hospital in a stable condition, authorities said on Tuesday.
Police said they had been told the woman was swimming off the wharf when the shark attacked her.
While shark sightings along Sydney's ocean-facing beaches are common, attacks in its iconic harbour are rare.
Monday's incident took place near the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
"Shark bites are really rare ... the last incident that occurred in Sydney Harbour was in 2009," Amy Smoothey, senior shark scientist at the New South Wales department of primary industries, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.Based on the bite patterns and images provided, the woman was likely attacked by a bull shark, Smoothey said.
Persons:
Amy Smoothey, Smoothey, Renju Jose, Michael Perry
Organizations:
SYDNEY, Police, Opera, New South, Australian Broadcasting Corp
Locations:
Sydney Harbour, Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Sydney