Anna Shurapey recovering in hospital after being bitten by a suspected juvenile great white off Little Congwong beach

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Botany Bay beaches that were closed after a woman was bitten by what experts suspect was a juvenile great white shark have reopened after the attack.

Randwick City Council on Sunday morning reopened Little Congwong, Congwong, Frenchmans and Yarra beaches at La Perouse following the shark attack on Friday evening.

The beaches were closed on Saturday as lifeguards, lifesavers and the Westpac rescue helicopter monitored the waters of Botany Bay.

“There have been no further sightings of the shark,” a council spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday morning when announcing the four beaches had reopened.

Anna Shurapey, 55, survived the first shark attack in Botany Bay in at least 25 years after she was bitten on the leg about 7pm Friday, prompting the Randwick City Council to close nearby beaches for 24 hours.

Shurapey, who had been swimming off Little Congwong beach, was taken to St George hospital where she was recovering after surgery to deep cuts to her leg.

Several beaches closed after ‘extremely rare’ shark attack in Botany Bay Read more

A Department of Primary Industries biologist speculated she was bitten by a juvenile great white of between 2.7 and 3.2 metres in length.

University of Sydney shark researcher Christopher Neff said the nature of the injuries could suggest a juvenile was to blame.

“Juvenile sharks generally don’t know what they’re doing,” he said. “It’s a curiosity injury rather than anything else.”

Neff shut down calls for shark nets in the area, saying there was no data to back up their effectiveness. He also believed beachgoers shouldn’t be worried about a repeat attack because sharks move between 50 and 100km a day.

“They don’t stay in the same area – that’s a myth,” Neff said. “There’s no real science behind looking for the shark, that’s more to ease public fear and to make people comfortable going back in the water.”

Neff said while no swimmer was to blame for any shark incident, swimming at dusk and dawn could be hazardous because people were usually alone.

He said statistically two things are true about increased risk: that water temperatures below 20C can lead to an increase in white shark activity, and that shark behaviour is correlated to the lunar cycle.

“If there’s a new moon, sharks come in closer to shore. You just want to be mindful.”