Sharks have been filmed prowling a tourist beach after a whale carcass washed up on the sand.
British wildlife photographer Tom Kavanagh caught two great whites in the shallows at first light.
Crowds gathered on a public holiday as the authorities closed down the beaches.
READ MORE: Man swept away in Portaloo as flash flood hits
Officials said the smell of the rotting carcass could keep drawing sharks for days.
The whale washed ashore at City Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Monday morning (28 Sep).
Kavanagh, 36, who comes from Birmingham and has lived in Perth for 11 years, told Need To Know: “A whale carcass washed up on shore and white sharks were attracted to the area and I was able to film it.”
“Because it was a public holiday, there were lots of people visiting the beach to catch a glimpse of the wild animals close to shore.”
He added: “The authorities are unsure how to deal with the situation and it’s causing a lot of tension because a man was eaten while swimming here a couple of weeks ago.
“Crazy really.”
He told local media: “There were some people milling around on the beach, and it didn’t take me long to find two decent-sized white sharks cruising around, riding the shallows.”
“They were obviously following the scent but they couldn’t get to the whale carcass because it was fully beached at that point, but they were coming in very close.”
Surf Life Saving WA reported the dead whale at about 7.30am.
It is thought to be a humpback about 20ft long.
It had been seen floating four nautical miles off Scarborough Beach on Sunday afternoon.
Whale Watch Western Australia owner Gemma Sharp said sharks were already feeding on it at sea, including a large tiger shark.
She said: “Hundreds of sharks could be attracted to the beach for a long time.”
“You might remove the carcass, but the oil, the scent, will remain in that sand.”
A Westpac rescue helicopter logged several white shark sightings.
Lifesavers later reported three great whites about 13ft long circling roughly 50ft from shore.
Town of Cambridge mayor Gary Mack closed the sand from Swanbourne to Floreat.
He said: “People and pets should stay out of the water as white sharks have been seen.
“Lifeguards and rangers are patrolling the area.
“This is not a time for taking risks.
“People should not swim in that area at all or even take their dogs out.”
He said the likely plan was to lift the carcass onto a truck on Tuesday and take it to landfill.
The scare comes after Greg O’Neill, 63, was killed by a great white at Sorrento Beach on 18 September while swimming about 50ft offshore.
Kavanagh also filmed a bronze whaler about 100ft off Scarborough, where swimmers and a surfer were still in the water.
READ MORE: Mayor under fire for putting woman over shoulder and spanking her behind
