Several popular Sydney beaches have been closed after shark attacks on dolphins in waters near the city.
After the attack, at least two bull sharks were spotted in the Shelley Beach area in northern Sydney and authorities closed all nearby beaches as a precaution.
The injured dolphin circled the deep waters but finally died on the shore.
Manly Open Surf, the weekend beach carnival, has been suspended.
Lifeguards doused people with water after the attack, which happened at 07:00 local time on Saturday (20:00 GMT on Friday).
Hundreds of people were to participate in the fair.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales (SLSNSW) spokeswoman Tracey Hairboyd said luckily no one was injured or involved in the attack.
SLSNSW said it was monitoring shark activity with a drone and urged people not to enter the water until it was deemed safe by lifeguards.
An eyewitness on Shelley’s beach told JEE News she was initially thrilled to see the dolphins swimming in the bay.
But he soon learns that there is a shark in the water and the swimmers are told to stay on dry land.
“We came back and saw that the dolphin was on the beach, which was really incredibly sad,” he said.
SLSNSW’s Ms Hare-Boyd said it was not yet clear whether the dolphin died from injuries sustained in the attack or was already sick and dying, which would have made it an easy target for sharks.
Beaches from Shelly Beach to Queenscliff Beach are closed and people are urged to be vigilant and follow shark safety advice.
Human deaths from shark attacks in Sydney are rare, with only two in the past 60 years.
Last February, British swimmer Simon Nilst died in the city’s first fatal shark attack in 59 years when he was mauled by a great white in the waters off eastern Sydney.
