Shark rescued from swimming pool in Australia

A sign warning swimmers at the pool in Sydney's far north

A small shark has been rescued from a beachside pool in Australia after surprising swimmers.

The dusky whaler shark, found at Sydney's Palm Beach, was not considered dangerous because it was a juvenile.

Wildlife handlers caught the 3ft (90cm) shark with a net before returning it to the sea.

It is not known how the shark entered the pool, but locals speculated it may have been washed in by a high tide.

Local woman Jennifer Hill said she had been swimming laps before being alerted to the shark.

"One of the other regular swimmers was just about to get in, and he looked down and looked up, and said, 'there's a shark,'" Ms Hill told the BBC.

Wildlife handlers rescued the 3ft (90cm) shark using nets

"That little shark managed to hide herself from everybody."

Rita Kluge, who took photos of the shark, said it appeared to be "more scared of us than we were of it".

The animal was rescued easily using nets, said Kerrie McDonald, an aquarist from Manly Sea Life Sanctuary.

"She definitely wouldn't have been a risk to the swimmers, but they are very strong capable predators once fully grown," she said.

The species feeds primarily on bony fish and is common in waters off Australia.