Some swimmers at one of the most popular beaches in Melbourne had to rush ashore after a large shark was spotted in the water just metres away from them, but others weren't so concerned.
A 2.5m shark was spotted swimming around the pier at Brighton Beach this morning, about 5m away from where members of the local Icebergers club were bathing.
The shark was spotted by a woman running on the pier, who immediately reported the sighting to her personal trainer Christian Stewart.
Mr Stewart, the gym manager of the nearby Royal Brighton Yacht Club, said there were about four or five people in the water near the shark.
"It sort of appeared just next to the pier — about two and a half metres long — just cruising up and down as sharks do," he told ninemsn.
"I think he was just having a look around, but it was big enough that if it grabbed onto you, you'd be in trouble."
Mr Stewart said he suspected the shark was a bronze whaler.
The swimmers, who were unaware of the shark before it was pointed out to them, left the water unharmed.
For Brighton Iceberger John Locco, a shark lurking in the deep as he goes about his daily ocean swim is not a big issue.
"We see them all the time and we give them the same recognition as we would for a report of a car accident - we're over the phobia," the 60-year-old swim veteran said.
He said local shark spotters have described the shark as a white tipped "grazing shark" and not a territorial shark.
"It sounds as if it's come in for a feed of fish and then took off again," Mr Locco said.
"Free-range swimmers are aware of what they are doing and we swim on regardless."
Mr Locco said the shark was seen in the deep water off the dog beach at Brighton.
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