Surfers should get out of the water if they see a lot of baitfish around them, shark experts say. <\/p>\n
They believe warm water and runoff from rainfall is attracting small fish, which in turn attract sharks. <\/p>\n
The warning comes after 41-year-old Tadashi Nakahara was killed by a shark that tore his legs off at Shelly Beach, near Ballina, northern NSW. <\/p>\n
It was Australia's fourth fatal shark attack in five months. <\/p>\n
Marine ecologist Dr Daniel Bucher says the shark, believed to be a great white, could have been following a food trail that led it close to the shoreline. <\/p>\n
Dr Bucher, from Southern Cross University, says recent rainfall meant food for fish was washed out from rivers to the ocean, drawing them in. <\/p>\n
\"Don't swim if you know there are plenty of baitfish around, especially if they are breaking the surface,\" he said on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
\"It usually means something is chasing them from below.\" <\/p>\n
Dr Bucher said dusk and dawn were notorious for shark activity and also warned swimmers to avoid river mouths and stormwater drains after rain. <\/p>\n
Shark expert Vic Hislop said heavy fishing was thinning out the ocean, leading sharks to hunt for food close to shore. <\/p>\n
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Hunt for shark that killed NSW surfer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Surfers should get out of the water if they see a lot of baitfish around them, shark experts say. They believe warm water and runoff from rainfall is attracting small fish, which in turn attract sharks. Continue reading