Shark spotted rolling through Barwon Heads at back of trailer: See video

Barwon Heads locals have been left stunned after seeing a shark strapped onto the back of a trailer rolling through the town.

A shocked local has filmed the moment a shark was seen being towed on the back of a trailer through a busy Barwon Heads road.

Strapped in gliding around a roundabout next to Barwon Heads’ Hanoi Kitchen Restaurant, onlookers were left stunned as the shark was seen strapped onto a trailer driving through the coastal suburb.

According to the Victorian Fisheries Authority, it is legal to capture a shark in Victoria but must be kept whole or in carcass form until it is away from the water.

It is prohibited to catch Great Whites and Greynurse sharks.

Onlookers were left stunned as a shark was trailered through Barwon Heads.

It comes a Vic Emergency warning was put out for Sorrento following sighting of a huge great white shark near shore on Wednesday.

Swimmers at popular Sorrento beach were warned on Wednesday evening to get and stay out of the water after a massive and potentially dangerous great white shark was spotted close to the pier on Wednesday evening.

Vic Emergency warned at 6.40pm a great white about four metres in length had been sighted “close to Sorrento pier”.

The water surrounding Sorrento pier is a very popular swimming spot, well frequented by day-trippers and holiday-makers.

“The shark is a great white, around four metres in size. Any shark over two metres in length is considered dangerous,” Vic Emergency warned, adding people should report any sighting of the shark by calling triple-0 or notifying lifesavers.

Public shark spotting site Dorsal also posted a general warning about the Sorrento great white.

On Thursday, some Sorrento locals lamented the fact the shark had seemingly moved on, remarking that his presence may have kept tourist numbers down in the Mornington Peninsula beachside village over the Australia Day weekend.

Most, however, expressed relief and celebrated the shark’s departure.

Sorrento pier on the Mornington Peninsula is a popular swimming spot. Picture: Visit Victoria

Any great white shark over two metres in length is considered dangerous and this one is four metres.

It comes after a shark was seen at popular surfing spot Thirteenth Beach, near Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula earlier this month.

Two surfers and a person onshore saw the shark, reporting it to Dorsal.

A suspected hammerhead shark was also spotted 50m off shore at Torquay by an angler on January 3 and a surfer reported a close encounter with a bronze whaler at Point Addis on January 2.

The surfer, Noah, said the 1.3m shark “bumped” his board and then surfaced in front of him.

He also reported the incident to Dorsal, adding he was fortunate a wave came that he could catch to surf away from the area.

Jumping off Sorrento pier is a popular summer activity for many young people.

“I was on my surfboard and felt something bumped my board. I checked my surrounding and sighted a bronze whaler (which) surfaced right in front of me,” Noah said.

“Luckily a set of waves came and I took the first one and left the spot immediately.”

The January reports follow shark sightings at Torquay Point and Flinders late last year.

In December 2021 teenagers Jack Shaw and Tiarna Athanasiou were attacked by a bronze whaler shark off Ocean Grove.

Jack was able to fight off the shark to rescue himself and his friend.

“I turned around, it got me on the back and then I said, ‘swim’ and tried as fast as we could to get back into shore,” Mr Shaw said.

He suffered a centimetre-deep gash and bite marks to his back, while Tiarna suffered a cut to her hand and a wound to her leg, and had to undergo surgery.

Originally published as Shark spotted rolling through Barwon Heads at back of trailer: See video