Sharks have been seen circling off beaches in Australia after a huge whale carcass washed ashore in Era in Sydney’s Royal National Park
Circling sharks have forced authorities to close popular beaches in Australia with swimmers warned to stay away out of the water.
A huge whale carcass washed ashore in Era in Sydney’s Royal National Park on Saturday causing sharks to hone in on the area.
Drones have been used to survey the sea for the predators and beaches between Garie and Burning Palms, including Wattamolla and Era, have all been shut due to the risk of attack.
READ MORE: UK snow maps show Brits to brace for 30-hour wintry blast as mercury dropsREAD MORE: Jet2 flight from Turkey declares mid-air emergency as it approaches Glasgow
The heavily decomposed whale carcass was first spotted by beach lifeguards on a rocky ledge early this morning and they raised the alarm.
Emergency services then carried out an aerial inspection of the area which led them to discover an increased number of sharks circling in the area.
On the discovery of the whale carcass, a New South Wales National Parks statement read: “This has resulted in heightened shark activity along the coastline, with large sharks sighted in the area.”
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Stephen Pearce told ABC: “Our warning is, ‘Don’t go in the water’. We can’t prevent people from going in the water, but knowing just how many sharks are there and the reports of larger white and bull sharks in the water, they’re not the fish you want to be swimming in the same water with.”
It is unclear what species of whale it is, but the carcass has been decaying for sometime. Mr Pearce said Surf Life Saving will now work with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to keep the beaches shut.
“National Parks will have to make arrangements to try and come in and determine what they’re going to do with the carcass. I think they’re obviously going to have to remove it,” he said.
More people were expected to visit the beaches this weekend because of an Australian bank holiday which has led to more emphasis given to the alert.
It comes after a wave of shark attacks in Australia, including one in January which killed a 12-year-old boy.
While in February a helicopter crew stepped in to rescue divers from a great white shark. The enormous 14ft shark was spotted circling two oblivious divers, who were alerted by a passing chopper. In the incident off Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, the shark was seen swimming closer and closer to the pair of divers as the crew circles overhead. Then, the staff members sound a loud siren, prompting the pair to flee on jet skis.
