Perth's popular City Beach was forced to close for an hour on Friday morning after a series of shark sightings prompted urgent safety actions from authorities.
Beach Sirens Sound as Sharks Approach
The familiar sound of emergency sirens echoed across City Beach and neighbouring Floreat Beach around 9am on Friday, 2 January 2026. The alert coincided with the arrival of a shark patrol helicopter, which signalled vigorously for all swimmers to exit the water immediately.
Lifeguards successfully cleared the beaches, and the area remained closed for approximately sixty minutes as a precaution. The beach was declared safe and reopened to the public by 10am.
Multiple Sharks Spotted Close to Shore
According to the Department of Fisheries' Shark Smart website, the primary concern was a large shark measuring an estimated five metres in length. This animal was seen as close as 15 metres from the shoreline, posing a significant risk to beachgoers.
The sightings were not isolated. A drone patrol had already identified a three-metre tiger shark in the area before 7am. Later, the helicopter crew reported a smaller hammerhead shark swimming roughly 400 metres offshore.
Tagged Sharks Active in Perth Waters
The activity off City Beach is part of a broader pattern of shark movements in the metropolitan area. In the past 24 hours, tagged bull sharks have been detected multiple times at Blackwall Reach and near East Fremantle in Perth's southern suburbs.
These detections are made possible by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's extensive Shark Smart program. Since its inception in 2009, the program has successfully tagged and tracked more than 860 sharks, providing vital data for public safety and research.
The incident serves as a timely reminder for beachgoers to remain vigilant, especially during the summer months when large crowds and warm weather attract both people and marine life to Perth's iconic coastline.
