Shark sightings shut down iconic beaches in Sydney and on the Gold Coast with thousands of Australia Day revellers ordered onto the sand
Thousands of swimmers have been evacuated from Sydney’s iconic Manly Beach and Main Beach at Surfers Paradise after separate shark sightings.
It’s understood a hammerhead shark was spotted near the shore at Manly by the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter at 11.30am.
Swimmers were ordered out of the water as sirens blared at the popular tourist beach, while lifeguards encouraged people to move to the nearby harbour.
‘Beach is shut, thousands are packed on the sand like sardines,’ one Manly local told Daily Mail Australia.
Massive crowds of swimmers were also ordered out of the water at Main Beach in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Lifeguards were seen blowing whistles and refusing to allow surfers into the water.
It’s unclear if the shark spotted just after 11am was the same one as the two-metre bull shark seen at Main beach around 10am.
Huge crowds were ordered out of the water at Main Beach on the Gold Coast after a shark sighting
Thousands of swimmers were forced to the shore after a shark sighting at Manly
Swimmers were ordered out of the water as sirens blared at the popular tourist beach, while lifeguards encouraged people to move to the nearby Manly Harbour
