A SHARK has seemingly found "somewhere else to holiday" after it was spotted hanging out at a popular Newcastle beach over the busy long weekend.
Nobbys Beach had reopened by Monday afternoon after swimmers were evacuated on Saturday and then again on Sunday due to shark sightings.
Initial reports suggested a white shark was seen by a drone, followed by a bull shark the next day, but it may have been the same beast.
Surf Life Saving NSW Hunter president Henry Scruton said the "big fish" made itself known just an hour or so after swimmers had finished the Nobbys to Newcastle ocean race on January 27, which was rerouted back to Nobbys due to wild water conditions.
The alarm was raised after the shark was sighted by a drone - known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) - at Nobbys about 10am.
The drone picked up the shark on January 28 as well.
"Hopefully he'll find somewhere else to holiday," Mr Scruton said in the hours before the beach was reopened on Monday.
He told the Newcastle Herald the UAV technology had made a big difference.
"They're a wonderful asset for us as surf life savers, they can go out and monitor the location of the big fish without anyone being put into danger at all," he told the Newcastle Herald.
He said it could also capture footage to be analysed and followed up, to see if a particular animal was a repeat visitor.
Surf Life Saving NSW crews at Nobbys had been out on jet skis and the rubber boat on Monday combing the water for sharks.
Mr Scruton said if it was all clear, they would go out again after a break to check that it had stayed clear, then they could consider whether to re-open the beach to the public.
While the wildlife kept most people away from Nobbys, beaches between Tea Gardens and Catherine Hill Bay were packed with locals and visitors enjoying the sunny long weekend.
"All had terrific but busy, busy weekends," Mr Scruton said.
He said safety messaging appeared to be getting through to beachgoers, who did the right thing.
It's understood two ambulances were called to Nobbys for incidents that happened on the sand, and one person was rescued from a rip at Newcastle Beach on Sunday, but they did not require medical attention.
Extra Surf Life Saving crews volunteered to help with patrols along the Hunter coast, with the Australia Day weekend typically one of the busiest of the year.
Clubs also had a presence at the Newcastle Harbour Swim on Friday but all starters managed to safely exit the water themselves.
Mr Scruton reminded everyone to always swim between the flags and stay within their own abilities.
It has been a horror summer for drownings in the region, and the swimming season is not over.
