Manly latest beach now off limits

At Manly, a member of the public is believed to have raised the alarm after spotting an unspecified type of shark. Photo / Thinkstock

'You don't get a second chance with these things,' says local cop who believes the shark could cut someone in half

A shark sighting has led to Sydney's Manly beach becoming the latest to be declared a dangerzone, with lifeguards urging people to get out of the water on yesterday afternoon.

But despite the warnings, many remained in the sea, according to Surf Life Saving New South Wales. The alert comes as Newcastle's beaches remain closed for a record ninth consecutive day and are expected to do so into next week.

At Manly, a member of the public is believed to have raised the alarm after spotting an unspecified type of shark.

The sea off Newcastle was first declared a no-go area when a 5m great white shark was seen at Merewether Beach on January 10. A helicopter crew spent yesterday scouring the ocean for signs of the fearsome predator, nicknamed Bruce, along with a 3.5m shark that lunched on a dolphin last week. The tiger shark took a chunk from the dolphin's back and then lunged forward for a second bite from its tail. The shark then reportedly waited for the dolphin to die before feeding on it.

Neither have been spotted since Friday but Surf Life Saving NSW said no decision on reopening the beaches would be made until today. Lifeguards were also stopping people from going in the water at Port Kembla and Windang beaches near Wollongong. The Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman said this was due to a dead seal and injured shark that had both been attacked by what was believed to be a much larger shark.

And on Friday a 17-year-old youth was bitten on the hand by a 1.5m shark at Mollymook Beach, about 200km south of Sydney. Sam Smith tried to film the shark while spear-fishing.

It is believed the sharks may be coming closer to Australian shores because of warmer water temperatures. So far, the NSW Government has indicated it would consider a cull only if public safety was at risk.

Rachel Kulk, a 22-year-old surfer from Newcastle, has seen the great white. She said it was "as round as a car" with a fin "more than half the size of my surfboard".

- Telegraph Group Ltd, AAP