Young fishermen hook 2m bull shark in dramatic encounter on crowded pier
An amateur photographer was birdwatching when she captured the dramatic moment some keen fisherman bit off a little more than they could chew.
An amateur wildlife photographer was on the lookout for birds when she noticed a crowd building on a popular pier on the Fraser Coast.
Hervey Bay resident Maddie Stokes managed to capture the moment four fishing mates hooked more than they bargained for at the Urangan pier on Wednesday afternoon.
Ms Stokes said she was “about halfway down the pier” when one of the fisherman caught a 2m bull shark.
“People kept running past, and I was thinking, what are they doing?”
There was a “decent crowd” when she clocked what was happening and snapped the chaos.
“That’s a big shark!” Ms Stokes said she remembered thinking.
The photographer said the two in the group who freed the shark “were very efficient”, with the catch to release taking about five minutes.
“She was fantastic, everyone watched her slowly cruise back out (to sea).”
Ms Stokes posted some photos from the afternoon to Facebook, with some put off swimming in Hervey Bay waters.
Others expressed their amazement at the colourful scene.
“I was with my nephews and sister from Mackay and all the boys were so good with the big girl,” Anamique Dwight commented.
“It was so good to watch them release it back.
“And all the people there clapped when they let her go.
“You could tell this wasn’t their first rodeo!”
“Between stone fish and bull sharks, is it still safe to swim in Hervey Bay?” Lisa Kirkpatrick said.
“Asking for a friend.”
