Shark Feeding frenzy closes beaches

THEY may not have been a threat to humans but the sight of 50 or more black tip whaler and other sharks feeding on a dense ball of bait fish off the Perth coast was more than enough to close local beaches. The Surf Life Saving rescue helicopter spotted the shiver of sharks about 700m off Yanchep, in Perth's north, just before 10.30am yesterday. Surf Life Saving WA's operations manager Chris Peck said beaches were closed as a precaution, adding that they often saw sharks feeding on bait fish, but not usually this many. "You normally don't see them in this number," Mr Peck said. "Where there's bait fish, there's usually two or three of them." After viewing footage of the sharks, Department of Fisheries' shark researcher Rory McAuley estimated there were probably 50 or more 2m to 2.5m blacktip whaler sharks, various species of bronze whalers and even some tuna in the mix. "It's very natural behaviour that probably happens out in the ocean far more often than we know about," Mr McAuley said. "But it is quite unusual to see it so close to shore, and it is unusual to see it within the bounds of the major metropolitan area." He said they were fish eaters and not particularly dangerous. "Beaches were closed, which is a sensible precaution, but people don't need to be too concerned with having these species of shark off the coastline -- they're a natural part of a healthy marine ecosystem." The all-clear was declared by 11.30am and beaches were re-opened after it was determined the sharks had gone. There have been three fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since August.