Breathtaking drone footage has captured a two-metre-long shark gliding in shallow waters just metres from a whale carcass on the coast of City Beach.

Local wildlife photographer Tom Kavanagh first recorded stunning footage of the apex predator — believed to be a bronze whaler shark — swimming just 30m offshore in Scarborough about 6.15am on Monday.

Several swimmers and a lone surfer could be seen wading in the water as the shark cruised in the shallows just past the wave break.

Mr Kavanagh said he tracked shark activity on SharkSmart, Dorsal and Surf Life Saving WA, and drove straight to Scarborough Beach once he received the alert.

“There was a report of a shark not too far from where I live, so I went down and had a look . . . I found that shark and some swimmers in the water,” he said.

Less than one hour later, a giant whale carcass was found beached on the shore of City Beach — just 4.5km south of Scarborough Beach — attracting several large sharks.

Mr Kavanagh also shot drone footage of two large sharks prowling just beneath the surface towards the dead mammal. He said it was unusual to see sharks that close to shore.

“There were some people milling around on the beach, and it didn’t take me long to find two decent-sized white sharks cruising around, riding the shallows,” he said.

“It was pretty cool to see, it’s a bit sad with the whale as well, obviously, but I guess that’s just the circle of life.

“The sharks were cruising up and down (the beach), they were obviously following the scent but they couldn’t get to the whale carcass because it was fully beached at that point, but they were coming in very close.”

City Beach has been closed, with more than 100 locals flocking to the beach to catch a glimpse of the decomposing carcass.

Mr Kavanagh immigrated from the UK to Perth about 11 years ago and said he was fascinated by sharks.

“There’s definitely a pro-shark camp and anti-shark camp, which I’ve seen opinions fly around ... especially with what happened in Sorrento a couple of Fridays ago,” he said.

“I do appreciate them as animals, I think they’re beautiful creatures, but I also understand that there’s a lot of political differences of opinion on how to manage them and what’s safe and what’s not around the Perth region.”

It comes less than two weeks after Perth father Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a shark just metres off Sorrento Beach.

The 63-year-old was swimming with a mate just 15m offshore when he was attacked about 10am on September 18.

His body has not been found since.