Senior lifeguard Grant Hudson said the alarm was first raised to them by Port Macquarie Marine Rescue.

He said the rescue organisation had been approached by a number of members of the public about the presence of the shark and lifeguards were told about the situation at about 5pm.

An on-duty lifeguard attended the scene of the supposed sighting and confirmed it was a shark although he was unable to tell the species.

As a result Town Beach was closed earlier than usual and lifeguards remained at the beach until after 6pm warning surf-goers of the danger.

Meanwhile, as the mercury peaks in the mid-30s today, swimmers in their thousands flocked to our beaches.

Mr Hudson said Town and Flynns beaches were the popular choice for those looking for relief from the heat.

He said despite the heavy crowds along the beaches and in the water there were very few incidents to report.

At about midday yesterday Mr Hudson estimated there to be 1000 people at each of the beaches.

"We have had some perfect beach conditions of late but there is a bit of a breeze was starting to pick up down there," he said.

"Everyone has been relatively well behaved so far.

"Most people seem to just be happy to be able to cool down a bit in the surf.

"He said the best bet to make sure your trip to the beach remains safe is to always follow the direction of the Lifeguards and swim in between the flags.

More information in tomorrow's Port News