Shark is spotted at one of Sydney’s most popular beaches

A shark has been spotted – inside the swimming nets – just metres from the shore at a popular Sydney beach.

The shark is believed to be a baby Dusky Whaler and was spotted swimming in the netted area at Manly’s Cabbage Tree beach at about 9am on Friday.

The beach has been closed off to swimmers as authorities move the shark into deeper waters.

The baby shark was spotted swimming inside the shark nets at Manly’s Cabbage Tree beach

The cove has been closed off to swimmers this morning after a shark sighting

Adult Dusky Whaler sharks measure up to 3.65m and generally weigh between 158 to 185kgs.

As adults, they are regarded as potentially dangerous to humans due to their large size, but there are few attributable to it.

The species has a preference for shallow waters near the coast.

Since shark netting was erected in 1937, the number of deaths attacks has been drastically reduced in NSW – with only one fatal attack at a netted beach in that time.

The shark is believed to be a baby Dusky Whaler (pictured is a stock image of a Dusky Whaler shark)

In Queensland there has not been a fatal attack on a netted beach since nets were introduced in the 1960s.

In 2021 Australian authorities pushed to rebrand shark attacks as ‘negative encounters’ or ‘interactions’ to boost conservation efforts and alter perceptions of sharks as vicious.

Last year, a British swimmer was mauled to death by a Great White in Sydney’s first fatal shark attack in 59 years at Little Bay.