EAST Beach in Port Fairy was closed on Monday following a shark sighting.
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A Lifesaving Victoria spokeswoman said the beach was closed at 2.41pm after lifesavers were informed a shark had been spotted.
“Lifesavers went out in an LSV vessel to go and have a look but they didn’t sight the shark.”
She said the beach was closed as a precautionary measure.
“The beach was closed for about an hour-and-a-half,” she said.
It is believed the shark was spotted by a fisherman about 400 metres from the shore.
When a patrolled beach is closed the red and yellow flags are taken down and a warning sign is displayed on the beach.
East Beach was reopened when there were no further sightings.
The shark sighting on East Beach is the third reported sighting in seven years.
The first time swimmers were warned to stay close to shore after several sharks were spotted off Port Fairy’s East Beach in February 2009.
On the next occasion the beach was again closed due to a shark sighting on January 23, 2012 when a two-metre-long shark was spotted near the old Port Fairy tip site north of the main beach.
Monday’s sighting also follows a week of 20 sightings of sharks on Victoria’s beaches, including at Anglesea and Lorne.
During January lifesavers patrol Port Fairy’s East Beach daily between 10.30am and 5pm
Shark sightings and beach closures are listed on the Vic Emergency website.