Endangered mako shark washes up on K’gari

A photo of an endangered shark that washed up on K’gari has created a stir on social media with some suggestion it might provide an easy meal for dingoes. But they weren’t touching it.

An endangered mako shark washed up on K'gari.

An endangered mako shark has washed up on the shores of K’gari.

A picture of the shark was posted to Fraser Island (K’gari) 4x4, Fishing and Camping Facebook page this week.

Mako sharks are listed as endangered as a result of overfishing and ocean pollution, with the species facing the threat of extinction.

The post attracted plenty of comments, with some saying it would be a feed for the island’s dingoes.

“Dingoes get an easy feed,” Mark Wood said.

“Wonder if they like their flake crumbed or battered.”

Lauren Bennett said the dingoes had not touched it, however, as it was “rotting out” with maggots.

An endangered mako shark washed up on K'gari.

Kira Mason said the shark had “definitely been caught by someone and left it there”.

“Was up too high for it to be washed in with the tides,” she wrote.

Jay Graham said there were “millions” of sharks around the island.

“Death is a natural occurrence in the wild,” he wrote.

“Most will get eaten by other sharks before washing up on the beach.”

It comes after a rare whale shark was spotted off K’gari in February 2024.

K’gari has become something of a hotspot for shark fishing in recent times.

In August 2023, a large bull shark and a 2m tiger shark were caught off K’gari just weeks after a 400kg monster was caught on the opposite end of the holiday destination.

A 3m, 400kg tiger shark was caught by land-based fishermen on the east side of the island at the end of July.

Trying his luck on the western side, fisherman Jack Boyd paddled his kayak out about 150 -200m from the shore, where he hooked two large sharks.

“Some good sharks on the west coast just on dusk, the baits weren’t in the water for any more than 20 minutes before getting taken,” he posted on Facebook.

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