Incident Report
Wobbegong Bite Injures Swimmer at South Rosedale Beach
batemans bay, south rosedale beach, New South Wales·Australia
A 54-year-old female swimmer sustained minor lacerations to her foot and ankle in a wobbegong encounter at South Rosedale Beach, Batemans Bay, New South Wales in October 2022.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In October 2022, a swimming incident occurred at South Rosedale Beach in Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia, involving a wobbegong shark. A 54-year-old female swimmer received minor lacerations to her foot and ankle during the encounter. The wobbegong, a bottom-dwelling species of carpet shark commonly found in Australian coastal waters, is generally considered docile but will bite defensively when threatened or disturbed. This incident resulted in non-fatal injuries and was consistent with defensive behavior typical of the species when surprised in shallow coastal environments.