Mystery Shark ‘Found’ 12 Miles Inland Baffles Sydney Locals

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 5:59 PM ET

It’s been just over a month since Sydney, Australia was struck with a spate of shark attacks – four within 48 hours – which has been attributed to heavy rains and bull sharks.

Since then, understandably, some folks have been a little bit on edge.

Many have been tuned to the Dorsal shark reporting app, keeping an eye on toothy activity. And on Sunday, a peculiar shark sighting was reported on the app. It came from Kellyville, a suburb about 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, from the ocean.

Local police posted a screenshot of the app sighting, along with a blurred image of the shark, appearing on a brick road, clearly out of the water. A puzzling situation, that’s for sure. Captioning the post, local police wrote:

“Interesting call this morning about a shark sighting - 20km inland at Fairway Drive Kellyville. Not sure how this shark ended up here?”

The strange shark sighting also comes as fresh warnings have been issued with rainy weather on the forecast. Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, said:

"If your local beach is closed due to the weather, shark sightings, or poor water quality, we ask beach goers, swimmers and surfers to not enter the water for their own safety.

"If you're on the coastline, by the harbor or on waterways, it's important to understand how the environment can influence shark behavior and to then take the necessary steps to reduce your risk of a shark interaction."

Surfers and swimmers are being urged to avoid waters with low visibility, which can lead to bull shark attacks, like the recent rash of maulings.

During the series of attacks, sadly, 12-year-old Nico Antic died from his injuries. Additionally, 27-year-old surfer Andre de Ruyter lost his leg during an attack.

As for the shark found in Kellyville, that one remains a mystery.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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