Incident Report
Young Child Injured by Wobbegong at Gnarabup Beach, Western Australia
margaret river, gnarabup beach, Western Australia·Australia
A 4-year-old boy sustained minor lacerations to his leg in a wobbegong encounter at Gnarabup Beach, Margaret River, Western Australia in December 1997. The incident resulted in non-fatal injuries.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In December 1997, a wobbegong shark incident occurred at Gnarabup Beach near Margaret River in Western Australia. A 4-year-old male sustained minor lacerations to his leg during the encounter. The victim was treated for non-fatal injuries. Wobbegongs (family Orectolobidae) are benthic sharks found in Australian coastal waters, typically docile bottom-dwellers. This incident remains part of the documented record of shark interactions in Western Australian waters, where such encounters involving the species remain uncommon relative to other shark types in the region.