Swimmers warned as shark spotted at Melbourne beach

Swimmers got a surprise at a Melbourne beach on Saturday morning when a 6ft shark was spotted swimming in the shallows.

Witnesses reported the shark sighting at around 8.30am at Elwood Beach, just south of St Kilda.

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No lifeguards were on patrol, but swimmers were warned not to go in the water, reports the Herald Sun.

Nine News managed to capture footage of the shark and shared images of the scene on Twitter.

One beachgoer shared a picture of the animal's dorsal fin on Twitter, and wrote: "Literally just saw a shark at Elwood beach. #expatlife."

The Herald Sun reports that the shark was captured and moved further out to sea.

Life Saving Victoria general manager Paul Shannon told the Age: "The shark hasn't really posed a threat to anybody. Hopefully that will be the last we see of sharks this season.

"But you can never say never."