Great white shark sighting closes Cottesloe beach

UPDATE The massive great white shark that terrorised swimmers at Cottesloe this morning has returned, prompting the beach’s closure for the second time today.

The update comes after earlier news Cottesloe beach was evacuated this morning after a surf lifesaving helicopter spotted a massive white shark off shore.

The 5m-long shark was spotted at 9.32am, just 300m out from the popular North Cottesloe beach.

At 9.35am, Surf Life Saving WA tweeted that the beach had been closed.

While it was reopened for a few hours the shark’s return has closed the beach to the public once again.

The tiger shark was detected on multiple occasions overnight between Scarborough and Leighton beaches.

Halfway between Fremantle and Perth, Cottesloe beach is one of WA’s most famous — and busy — beaches.

The beach has seen shark attacks in the past.

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In October 2011, 64-year-old swimmer Bryn Martin disappeared while swimming off Cottesloe after a suspected shark attack.

His swimming costume was later found on the seabed several hundred metres from the shore.

In 2000, local Ken Crew was attacked and killed at North Cottesloe Beach by a great white shark.

The Perth man had been swimming in water that was just waist-deep.

The town of Cottesloe installed a shark net last year to help protect swimmers.

It was removed in June for the winter months, but was returned in November.

In recent months, WA has seen a spate of shark-sightings and attacks.

Today’s sighting comes just days after surfer Sam Heseltine’s board was bitten by an unidentified shark at Broome’s Cable Beach.

The lucky surfer was uninjured, but was left with bite punctures on his board.

Tragically, 58 year-old local Charles Cernobori died after being bitten while swimming at the same beach in late November.

Mr Cernobori was just 40m offshore when the 3-4m bull shark attacked him.

And in January, Esperance local Gary Johnson was killed by a great white shark while diving near Cull Island off the south coast.