Bondi Beach has reopened to swimmers after a shark sighting temporarily closed the iconic Sydney beach.

Bondi Lifeguards cleared the water of swimmers and shut the famous beach after sighting the shark near a “huge school of fish in the water” on Monday afternoon.

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Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman Donna Wishart told AAP the Westpac rescue helicopter then flew over Bondi at about 3pm.

She said what was believed to be a shark, about 1.5 metres long, was spotted from the air.

Lifeguards later went out on jet skis and didn’t see the shark, Ms Wishart added.

She said the beach had been reopened by 5.10pm (AEDT).

This latest shark spotting follows a shark sighting three days earlier which also led to the beach being closed for a few hours.