Large bull shark spotted at popular Sydney swimming spot

A large bull shark has been spotted lurking just metres from shore at a popular Sydney swimming spot.

A large bull shark has been spotted at a popular Sydney swimming spot.

In an eerie video taken by locals the animal can be seen swimming just metres from residents’ moorings near the Gymea Bay baths on Sunday.

It eventually began cruising back out into the main waterway.

The area is a very popular spot for swimmers and bushwalkers.

The footage comes after microbiologist Lauren O’Neill was mauled by a bull shark back in January during her usual evening dip at a private wharf in Sydney Harbour.

The 29-year-old underwent a massive operation that same night in order to save her leg.

After the attack, Sydneysiders were warned to “stay out of the water” as sharks were said to be “rife”, feeding off surface-dwelling fish like salmon, bonito and mackerel tuna.

In the day they lurk in 40m “holes” in the harbour before coming up to the surface to feed at night.

The most dangerous time to swim is at dusk, dawn and night time, when bull sharks are most likely to be hunting in the shallows.

In a statement provided to media, Ms O’Neill said she was “taking a short dip close to the shore” when she was bitten.

“She wishes to thank her heroic and very kind neighbours for the critical assistance they provided her,” the statement from St Vincent’s Health Australia says.

“Lauren is also immensely grateful to the NSW Ambulance paramedics and Kings Cross Police for their swift and caring actions at the scene.”

There are many bull sharks in the waters around Sydney. Picture: iStock

She also thanked the specialist surgical teams who worked through the night to help her, as well as her “beautiful family, friends and colleagues” for their care and support.

University of Sydney shark management expert Christopher Pepin-Neff said there is no evidence that the population of bull sharks in the harbour has grown but warmer temperatures does mean that shark activity is higher.

The shark was spotted at Gymea Bay in Sydney. Picture: Sutherland Shire Council

“Shark bites often happen in clusters, so we need to be very careful for the rest of the summer,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“On hot summer days, baitfish come to the surface of the water, and the bull sharks follow.

“Water temperatures are high and this is a warning to make sure that we don’t have a cluster.

Queensland-based environmental scientist Daryl McPhee said swimmers should wait to swim outside the nets until they are advised it is safe by the government.

“While the risk of a shark bite is extremely low, I advise people to stay out of Sydney Harbour waters until further notice by the government,” he said.

The last fatal shark attack in Sydney was British expat Simon Nellist in 2022.

Shark attack survivor Lauren O'Neill. Lauren was attacked by a bull shark in January. Photo: Supplied

Nellist, a 35-year-old diving instructor, was killed by a shark while swimming at Little Bay near Malabar in February 2022.

Nellist’s death was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in nearly 60 years.

In 1963, actress Marcia Hathaway was attacked while wading in Sugarloaf Bay near Middle Harbour.

One of the most famous attacks in Sydney Harbour occurred in 2010 when navy diver Paul de Gelder was attacked by a three-metre bull shark during a routine anti-terrorism training exercise off Garden Island in 2010. He survived, but his hand was severed in the near-fatal mauling and doctors were later forced to amputate his right leg above the knee.