Police are investigating whether a French student who plunged 40 metres off a cliff in the Royal National Park was taking or posing for photographs when he lost his grip and fell to his death.

The 23-year-old University of Wollongong student, known as Fabian, was hanging from a ledge in the park when the sandstone is believed to have crumbled under his fingers and he fell.

The man's traumatised girlfriend and six other friends were with him when he fell about 10.30am on Sunday. His family in France were notified of his death overnight.

The accident occurred on a section of The Coast Track near Wedding Cake Rock, a popular spot near Llittle Marley Beach where bushwalkers often stop to take and pose for photographs.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said police were investigating whether the man was taking photographs with his friends when the accident occurred.

"That is one line of inquiry that we are following up," she said.

"All indications at the moment are that it was an accidental death, there is nothing suspicious, but obviously police are taking witness statements from those people who were with him."

Police from the Sutherland local area command have launched an investigation.

Authorities attempted to reach the man's body early on Sunday but high winds and rough seas impeded recovery efforts, Inspector Mark Magrath said.

The State Emergency Service rigged anchor points into the bedrock and abseiled down the cliff to recover the man’s body about 6.30pm on Sunday.

The man's friends and girlfriend were taken to Sutherland Police Station for questioning and are being offered support.

Inspector Scott Deller, from the Rural Fire Service Sutherland branch, said the terrain around Little Marley Beach was "fairly flat" and was a popular walking spot.

"Particularly on a weekend it’s extremely popular for people to walk what’s referred to as The Coast Track," he said.

The cliffs along the escarpment pose the biggest threat to safety and "if you did fall off it wouldn’t be a very favourable outcome", Mr Deller said.

Jenna Mollross, 26, who was hiking at the cliff at about 11am on Sunday, said the 10-kilometre walk from Little Marley to Wattamolla was a well-known hiking trail with at least 20 metres between the path and the cliff’s edge.

‘‘There is no barrier but there’s a lot of space,’’ she said.