SHARKS have again raised their fins along the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie coast.

During the weekend 10 shark sightings were reported between Stockton and Swansea.

Beaches were closed along the popular strip for the designated 24-hour window.

The beaches had only re-opened the previous Monday after unprecedented 10-day closure due to sightings of great white sharks from Stockton to Redhead.

The largest was estimated to be five metres and 1700 kilograms.

Later in the week the sharks were making their presence felt with the cancellation of the annual Newcastle Harbour Swim planned for Australia Day.

The organisers, Stockton Surf Life Saving Club, made the decision on Wednesday due to the increased shark activity off the coast and the harbour's murky water conditions.

On Thursday, experienced paddler Damien Rider encountered a shark off Bar Beach with a Stockton Surf Club paddler on his trip to Sydney from the Gold Coast raising child abuse and neglect awareness.

They were paddling about 800m offshore, about 200m on the ocean side of the shark nets off Bar Beach, when a shark started to stalk them.

The pair decided to come in at Merewether Beach and the shark followed.

They estimated it to be between 3 and 3.5 metres.

The shark alarm was sounded at Merewether and Dixon Park beaches, with both beaches already closed due to rough surf.