Popular Sydney beach shut after up to 15 hammerheads sighted

Authorities were forced to close Sydney’s Palm Beach today after spotting more than a dozen hammerhead sharks circling off shore.

As temperatures soared past 25C shark sirens rang out over the golden sands, urging ocean-goers to leave the water.

The warning broadcast said 10-15 hammerheads were spotted around 200 metres from the flag area of the beach, which is located on the northern beaches.

Oceangoers evacuated the water once shark sirens rang out over Palm Beach in Sydney. (Supplied)
Palm Beach was closed after 10 - 15 hammerheads were spotted circling close to the flag area.
The beach was closed after 10 – 15 hammerheads were spotted circling close to the flag area. (Supplied)

Lifeguards took to the water on jetskis to patrol the ocean.

Palm Beach is a popular spot made famous by soap opera Home and Away, as it’s the outdoor location used for the fictional town of Summer Bay.

Three species of hammerheads are found in Australian waters.

It’s unclear what species of hammerhead were sighted at Palm Beach. 

A stunning image of Schooling Hammerhead Sharks that congregate in large numbers of Malpelo and Cocos Islands
FILE: According to the Australian Museum, hammerheads possess the largest and most complex brain of all sharks. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Only the great hammerhead is considered dangerous, although attacks by the animals are relatively rare.

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