Man killed by great white shark in western Australia

A man in his 30s has been killed by a great white shark in western Australia, police and officials said.

The 38-year-old was bitten by the predator just before 10am local time off Rottnest Island near the city of Perth, police said.

"Sadly, the man was unable to be revived," Western Australia police said.

The state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the man had been bitten by a 4m long great white.

It urged the public to take "additional caution" in waters around the area, a popular tourist destination.

It is the first fatal shark attack in Western Australia since March last year, when a surfer was mauled off a remote beach.

There have been nearly 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 260 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators' encounters with humans.

Prior to today the most recent fatality was a 12-year-old boy who died after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour in January.

That attack was one of four recorded in the span of two days, which prompted officials to close dozens of the city's beaches.

It was the city's third recent shark-related death.

Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are swaying sharks' migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.