Twenty sharks were spotted along the Victorian coast on Monday, the Age has reported.

Point Roadknight – a beach in Anglesea – was closed for two hours at 2.45pm.

The sharks, which ranged in length from 1.5 to 3 metres, were all bronze whalers.

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

This is the same type of shark that forced the closure of St Kilda and Elwood beaches on Sunday. (One washed up on the shore of St Kilda beach). A number of bronze whalers were also seen near Lorne on the weekend, but the annual Pier to Pub ocean swim went ahead as planned.

Great whites have also been spotted on the surf coast this summer in the water between Fairhaven Beach and Lorne. Six great whites were in the water off Fairhaven last Friday. That beach was also closed on Sunday due to a shark sighting.

The number of shark sightings near the Victorian coastline this summer is markedly higher than in recent years, and Fisheries Victoria and other marine experts say that weather conditions – such as wind and rain – have likely brought higher numbers of bait fish closer to shore. This has attracted sharks that are already in the warmer-water areas for mating.