"False sense of safety": More sharks spotted inside nets on popular beach
The effectiveness of shark nets is in question after two hammerheads were filmed inside the nets at Bondi Beach.
Footage shared on Instagram by Drone Shark App founder Jason Iggledenm shows two sharks moving through the water, even showing the pair circling each other.
“Two hammerhead sharks inside the shark nets at Bondi Beach this morning,” he wrote. “Great to see they diverted the nets safely.”
“There were no swimmers in the area as it was just before sunrise,” he added.
It is understood the sharks were safely chased further out to sea by Bondi Lifeguards. However, if this was a day earlier, the situation would have been more alarming with thousands hitting the water for the iconic Bondi to Bronte swim.
Many praised Jason, who named one of the sharks as a well-known local called Homer, for sharing the footage and a vital lesson.
“Good job getting this message out!” one person wrote. “So important to debunk the ‘barrier’ myth.”
“The fact these two were spotted on the beach-side of the net shows how outdated and ineffective this measure is,” Dr Leonardo Guida, a shark scientist and conservationist at the Australian Marine Conservation Society told Nine News.
Earlier this year, the mayor of Waverly called for the shark nets to be removed saying they “create a false sense of safety” but the bid was ultimately rejected by the NSW Government.
While the government says shark nets are not designed to create a total barrier between swimmers and sharks, it insists they are helpful in deterring sharks from establishing territories, thereby reducing the odds of a shark encounter.
Image: Instagram