Shark stalks washed-up dolphin carcass on Sydney’s northern beaches

Three bull sharks have been spotted near the site of a decomposing dolphin washed up on Sydney’s northern beaches, including one lurking in the shallows behind the carcass.

A Surf Life Saving NSW drone detected three bull sharks near Bungan Beach, Newport, on Sydney’s northern beaches about 12.40pm on Thursday, forcing its closure.

“Bungan is not a NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) shark management program location, however a SLSNSW drone pilot was deployed there when reports began coming through,” a Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman said.

Footage posted on social media shows the dead dolphin washed up on the shore, with a shark in the background.

“Thankfully the lifeguard at Bungan pulled me out of the water and told me about the 2.5m dolphin just up the beach being circled by a large (possibly) bull shark right on the shore,” Sydney photographer Cameron Bloom posted after sharing a video of the scene including the music of Daryl Braithwaite’s One Summer.

What remains of the dead dolphin shows bits of flesh on its exposed bones after what appears to have been several earlier bites, probably from sharks.

“Wouldn’t be surfing at Bungan today,” Asher Ginsburg wrote on social media alongside vision of the dolphin.

“Big shark following it in on the shore.”

Lifeguards are conducting additional patrols and will continue on Friday to check for any activity, a Northern Beaches Council spokesperson said.

“Bungan Beach is an unpatrolled beach Monday to Friday at this time of year, but in this instance council lifeguards are on site to keep people informed, as well as conducting jet-ski patrols of the area and of neighbouring beaches,” they said.

The council is also working to remove the dolphin carcass. The beach is expected to be closed at least until the end of the day.

Bull sharks, a territorial species that prefers brackish water and frequents Sydney Harbour in January and February, are suspected to be responsible for a number of recent attacks after a period of heavy rain.

Nico Antic, 12, died in hospital in January, days after being mauled by a bull shark after jumping off a rock near Nielsen Park, Vaucluse.

Andre de Ruyter, 27, lost a lower leg after being attacked by a shark at Manly on January 19, a day after Antic.

A shark had knocked an 11-year-old boy off his surfboard at Dee Why earlier that day.

Swiss national Livia Muhlheim, 25, was attacked moments after her GoPro captured her swimming with dolphins at Kylies Beach, south of Port Macquarie, in November. Her boyfriend Lukas Schindler, 26, was also mauled in the attack.

The NSW government abandoned a planned trial to remove shark nets at three beaches after 57-year-old Mercury Psillakis was killed by a shark at Long Reef Beach, near Dee Why, in September.

The spate of attacks in January also prompted consideration of additional warnings when conditions elevate the risk of people coming in contact with sharks.

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