Sharks spotted, beaches closed but chopper patrols cancelled

SUMMER holidays are in full swing and swimmers are flocking to our beaches, but authorities are urging people to be "shark smart".

Shark sightings have closed a number of North Coast beaches this week.

ONE North Coast beach has been closed this morning after a shark was spotted, but authorities have been forced to cancel helicopter patrols due to bad conditions.

According to the DPI's Shark Smart Twitter account, Surf Life Saving NSW lifeguards sighted a shark at Casuarina and closed the beach about 9am.

It comes after the DPI said it was suspending helicopter surveillance of all beaches between Ballina and Tweed Heads due to "turbid water and storm cells."

The aerial patrols have spotted a lot of sharks off North Coast beaches this week.

This morning, before flights were cancelled, the DPI chopper crews reported two unidentified sharks at South Ballina.

Main Beach at Byron Bay was closed yesterday afternoon after lifeguards spotted several sharks.

Ballina's Shelly Beach was also closed for a short time yesterday after a shark sighting.

A 2.9m white shark was tagged and released from a SMART drumline at Sharpes Beach, East Ballina just after noon yesterday, and on Tuesday a 2.87m tiger shark was tagged and released from SMART drumline at South Ballina. 

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