Palm Beach closed after great white shark sighting

Palm Beach, where TV show Home & Away is filmed in Sydney’s northern beaches, is currently closed after lifeguards spotted what’s believed to be a great white shark.

A great white shark has been spotted at Palm Beach. Picture: Martin Lange

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Palm Beach and North Palm Beach are currently closed, following the sighting of what’s believed to be a great white shark this morning.

Lifeguards are using jetskis to search the ocean between the Palm Beach headland, where juvenile great white sharks have most commonly been sighted.

A great white shark has forced the closure of Palm Beach. Picture: Generic

Lifeguards spotted the shark near the northern end of Palm Beach during a routine patrol at 9.20am.

Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman Donna Wishart said the beach would re-open after lifeguard patrols ruled out the presence of the shark and declared the area safe for swimming.

She said shark sightings at the southern-end of the peninsula’s iconic beach were not uncommon.

“(Lifeguards) must have spotted something quite a bit larger than (a small reef shark) to close the beach,” she said.

“We do often see them at the very southern-end of the beach, near the ocean pool and kiddie’s corner; they’re usually small reef sharks that people see while snorkelling or swimming.”