‘People on top of people’: Sydneysiders flock to netted beaches and ocean pools after shark attacks

People sunbathe and cool off at Wylie's Baths in Coogee this week. It’s one of many ocean pools that have become crowded in the wake of Sydney’s recent shark attacks. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

At Wylie’s Baths in Sydney’s east, the blue and yellow-ringed upper deck has never been busier.

On the concrete below, towels are crowded together. In the water, regular lap swimmers have to contend with an onslaught of first-timers.