Swimming with the sharks: sightings at Point Vernon, Urangan Pier

A swimmer has reported spotting a shark close by as residents and an expert weigh in following a spate of recent sightings across Hervey Bay.

A tiger shark was recently spotted by a swimmer at Point Vernon. Picture: File

Longtime Point Vernon resident Christina Eason was unknowingly swimming with a shark recently, as an expert has explained why residents should “be alert, not alarmed”.

Ms Eason was swimming at Esa Park one morning last week when she spotted a two to three metre tiger shark close by.

“I have been swimming there for 15 years and this is the first time I’ve seen one so close to where I was swimming,” she said.

Two hours earlier Sue Heggie also spotted a tiger shark while she was walking along the beach after a swim.

She has also been swimming at Point Vernon for the last 20 years, and has “never seen one there before”.

“I came out (of the ocean), walked along the beach, and saw a large shark right close in heading in the direction I had just come from,” she said.

Ms Eason posted the sighting on the Hervey Bay Community Notice Board (Facebook).

Hervey Bay woman Jessica Lee commented on Ms Eason’s social media post saying, “there’s a deep gully running around the point, they call it Shark Alley”.

Another person commented “they rest in the deep channels between the rocks and the tidal change”.

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Bull sharks have also been sighted across at Urangan Pier recently.

Lynette Best caught a 2m bull shark last Saturday night, and a few weeks ago, Karen Melrose and her son, Jesse Smith filmed a bull shark which was caught off Urangan Pier.

All sharks caught were released back into the water safely.

Last month there were also multiple sightings of bull sharks in the Burrum River and tiger sharks at Woodgate.

Bond University shark researcher Dr Daryl McPhee said given it was turtle nesting season he was not surprised by the increase in sightings.

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Dr McPhee said tiger shark sightings were common particularly in turtle nesting season.

“December to March is turtle nesting season, and turtles are the tiger shark’s favourite food and Urangan Pier has an abundance of bait fish, so bull sharks are often spotted there as well,” he said.

“There is more bull shark sightings in the summer because it’s breeding season (December-April), and the Mary river (20km south) is where they breed.”

“Be Alert, not alarmed”, he said.