A three-metre tiger shark has swam alarmingly close to bathers at a popular Perth beach as school holidays draw hundreds of families to the coast.
Filmed by beach lover Sarah Hutchinson on Whitfords Beach in Hillary’, witnessed by her two young sons aged 11 and 8, the creature appeared to launch itself through the waves four meters from shore.
Alerted by lifeguards at around 10.15am as her children swam in knee-deep water, Sarah said the beast “was so close, it was unbelievable”.
The shark sighting prompted the closure of nearby Mullaloo Beach at 10.10am, with the beach reopening at 11.17am.
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For five minutes, the video shows children running alongside the shark as it streamlines the shoreline.
Camera icon A three-metre tiger shark has swam alarmingly close to bathers at a popular Perth beach as school holidays draw hundreds of families to the coast. Credit: Sarah Hutchinson/Supplied
“They loved it, they were screaming and clapping,” Sarah described her children’s reactions to the unexpected event.
Accompanied by a friend whose children also admired the beast, the mother described the beach intruder as “brilliant to watch”.
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The sighting comes as several shark sightings disrupted Perth swimmers in recent days.
Mullaloo Beach was closed on Monday after a 2.5m shark swam ashore as horrified onlookers watched from the safety of the sand.
Both Brighton and Scarborough beaches were closed last Saturday after swimmers were ordered out of the water as a shark was spotted 150m offshore.