Sydney weather: Bull shark at Palm Beach, great white at Narrabeen

In scenes reminiscent of cult film Sharknado, a 2.9m bull shark washed ashore in the weekend’s storm near to one of Sydney’s most famous beaches. It comes amid reports a possible great white was seen swimming around a northern beaches lagoon.

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The northern beaches had its very own Sharknado this weekend with a 2.9m bull shark found washed up at Palm Beach and reports of a great white spotted swimming around Narrabeen Lagoon.

A NSW Department of Primary Industries spokesman confirmed fisheries officers were advised of a 2.9m female bull shark washed up at Station Beach, the Pittwater side of Palm Beach.

A man pulls a dead shark to shore at Pittwater. It follows a weekend of heavy rain and winds. The DPI has identified it as a bull shark. Picture: Jac Shell.

The cause of death is unknown.

“A necropsy will be done at a later date to try and determine the possible cause of death,” the spokesman said.

Jac Shell, 33, of Freshwater, said she was walking at Pittwater at around 11am on Saturday when she saw a man pulling a dead shark ashore.

She got some pictures in the hope of identifying the species.

“I see dusky whalers at Cabbage Tree Bay and this was heaps bigger,” she said.

“It was in the shallows and a man pulled it closer to shore.

“Some people were saying it was a bull shark.

“Although I took some pictures I didn’t want to get too close in case it came alive again, you never know.”

A man pulls a dead shark to shore at Pittwater. It follows a weekend of heavy rain and winds. Picture: Jac Shell.

Rob Townsend, Displays Manager at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium said the shark could have died as a “result of run-off from this weekend’s high volume rainfall”.

Meanwhile at Narrabeen Lagoon, a video was uploaded and posted on social media titled “Great white spotted in Narrabeen Lagoon”.

The website Dorsal Watch, which lists shark sightings around the world, featured a report at 7.23pm from North Narrabeen of a “fin spotted from shore”.

“Lagoon was opened up to the ocean due to storm and flood warnings,” the report read.

Kids had earlier been spotted swimming in the lagoon after rigging up a tarp to slide in.

However, a caller into the ABC suggested it may just eb a surfboard with the fin sticking up.