Two metre-long shark spotted in Silvermine Bay on Lantau South
Beach-goers warned to stay out of the water on one of the hottest days of the year
Swimmers hoping for a dip at Silvermine Bay beach on Saturday were warned off after a shark measuring up to two metres long was spotted lurking just outside the shark net.
The normally packed Lantau beach, a popular summer retreat for residents escaping Hong Kong Island, was deserted after lifeguards made public announcements that a “big fish” had been sighted.
But there were no shark warnings or red flags hoisted.
Police said they received a report at 12.50pm that a beach-goer had spotted what he thought was a shark at the beach when he was having lunch at a restaurant.
Officers from the Marine South Division then launched a search and spotted the shark outside the net.
Alex Kwok Siu-kit, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Lifeguards’ Union, said it was difficult for sharks to chew through nets but swimmers should avoid the beach.