Perth’s City Beach closed after 3m hammerhead sighted near shore

A popular beach has been forced to close after an enormous shark was spotted near the shore.

One of Perth’s most popular beaches has been closed after an enormous shark forced swimmers out of the water.

Surf lifesavers closed sections of City Beach early on Monday evening after a three metre hammerhead shark was sighted close to the shore.

#CLOSED Lifesavers have closed City Beach from CMB25 (near Floreat SLSC) to BEN Sign CMB45 (north of Bodmin Ave) due to a shark sighting. pic.twitter.com/epEBmGJnxf

— Surf Life Saving WA (@SLSWA) February 27, 2023

The hammerhead was sighted by a Surf Life Saving helicopter at 2.45pm, circling about 300m offshore.

Surf lifesavers subsequently shut down the beach, flagging the closure on social media at 5.45pm before announcing it had reopened an hour later.

#UPDATE Lifesavers have reopened City Beach. Remember to #swimbetweentheflagspic.twitter.com/xo3mp48qiX

— Surf Life Saving WA (@SLSWA) February 27, 2023

This comes after a 16-year-old schoolgirl was killed by a shark earlier this month.

Stella Berry was swimming with friends in the river at North Fremantle after jumping off a jet ski when she was mauled by what is suspected to have been a bull shark on February 4.

The teen had sustained critical injuries to her legs and despite the best efforts of paramedics she could not be saved, making the incident the first fatal shark attack in Swan River in a century.

The huge hammerhead is believed to have measured three metres in length. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

Various bull shark sightings in the same river earlier in February also forced the closure of multiple beaches in Fremantle and Mosman Park areas.

The state government has since announced plans to install a swimming enclosure in Swan River.