shark cape town muizenberg 22

Photo: Shark Spotters / Twitter

Watch: Shark spotted lurking near Cape Town beachgoers

Cape Town locals received something of a shock on Friday, when a broze whaler shark came within metres of the shore at Muizenberg beach.

shark cape town muizenberg 22

Photo: Shark Spotters / Twitter

The shark spotting team in Muizenberg kept their eyes peeled on Friday – and noticed that a bronze whaler was lurking close to the coast. The curious creature was identified just metres away from the beach, forcing the Cape Town-based organisation to clear visitors from the waters.

Cape Town beachgoers ‘cleared from the water’

The incident took place on Friday, shortly after midday. The spotters were deployed and immediately raised the alarm, urging all surfers, paddlers, and swimmers to get out of the ocean immediately.

The video footage captures the shark’s movements from above. It moves close towards the shore before gradually pulling itself away from the shallow waters. A handful of people remained on the sand, but thankfully, they were out of harm’s way:

Watch: Shark spotted swimming near Muizenberg

Cape Town hot-spots

Muizenberg is a very popular spot for this type of shark. In fact, there was a sighting reported on Thursday as well. Officials have been unable to confirm whether this was a different shark from the one that features in the aforementioned video. The red flag was raised, despite the aquatic animal being reportedly seen outside of the water user area.

Fish Hoek beach, another popular venue for Cape Town locals, also gets its fair share of finned visitors. Sharks are often spotted in the False Bay region, and back in September, another type of ocean-based threat made headlines here: Several yellow-bellied sea snakes – all highly venomous – washed up on the sand. No injuries or fatalities were reported, however.