A 4-foot shark trapped in a public swimming pool in Sydney wasn't enough to keep locals out of the water, The Daily Telegraph reported.
A dusky whaler turned up in the netted-off harbor pool at West Esplanade in Manly Cove, with swimmers noticing the animal around 10 a.m. Feb. 11.
The Northern Beaches Council quickly placed a "Shark Sighted" sign at the beach. That didn't stop at least 12 people from getting in their morning swim.
The shark moved back and forth along the netting, apparently searching for a way back to open water. Staff examined the enclosure for tears or gaps but came up empty, and nobody could explain how the animal had gotten inside.
This type of run-in between ocean predators and beachgoers has seemingly grown more frequent as waterfront construction, heavy harbor traffic, and booming coastal tourism push into spaces where marine life normally feeds and travels. Popular swimming spots in natural waterways can confuse sharks, guiding them into areas they'd typically avoid.
The incident followed a bite at Manly Beach that cost a surfer part of their leg. The day of the sighting, authorities shut down the beach at Queenscliff after several sharks showed up off the headland, the newspaper reported.
A crew raised the net so the animal could make its way out after three and a half hours.
People at the pool had plenty to say about their unexpected swimming partner.
"If you leave it alone, it will leave you alone," Frank Topham, who lives in Manly, told The Telegraph.
Tom, a visitor from Cyprus, got closer than most, swimming directly above the animal. "It looked a bit stressed and maybe a bit sick," he said. "It was just swimming up and down the edge of the net, looking for a way out."
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The Department of Primary Industries said the pool was safe for swimming.
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