Swimmers were warned not to enter the water at a popular Sydney beach after a shark made its way inside the nets.
The shark was spotted at Manly Cove last night just metres from the shore, less than two weeks after another shark sighting in the same area.
It’s believed to be a one-metre long mild-mannered juvenile dusky whaler. Large adults of the species are potentially dangerous to humans due to their size, as they can grow up to 3.65m. However, they are not usually aggressive unless provoked.
The shark was located between the wharf and Manly Pavilion.
The beach was closed while attempts were made to coax it out of the netted swimming area and into deeper waters.
It swam away before 9am.
It’s not clear yet exactly how the shark managed to get inside the nets, however the high tide could have played a role.
The beach has since reopened to swimmers.
Some swimmers felt nervous upon learning about the unwelcome visitor.
“I come here because it has the net and I feel safe,” one beachgoer said.
“But it’s really dangerous if there was a shark here.”
“It’s a little worrying, we have a little boy so we won’t be going in the water,” Natalie King said.
Since shark netting began in 1937, deaths in NSW due to attacks have dropped massively – with only one fatal attack at a netted beach since then.
It came less than two weeks since Shelly and Manly beaches were evacuated after a shark attacked a dolphin close to shore.
The dolphin died despite the assistance of lifeguards and vets from Taronga zoo.
Competitors for the Manly Surf Open were preparing to hit the waves at the time the shark was seen.