Bull shark filmed hunting for prey in Noosa River, as crowd watches on

Video footage has emerged of a hungry bull shark lurking beneath the surface at Noosa River, sparking fresh warnings as the Christmas holidays begin.

Video footage has emerged of a bull shark hunting for prey in the Noosa River, as a safety plea is issued for swimmers ahead of the holiday period.

The video of the bull shark was shared to social media on Monday, December 4 by Jade Gowler.

Footage of the encounter depicts the dorsal fin and tail fin of a shark slightly above the surface of the river, as people watch on from the beach at sunset, when the predators usually hunt for prey.

Marine biologist at University of the Sunshine Coast Dr Bonnie Holmes said the Noosa River was well-known for being popular with bull sharks.

“It’s not uncommon to see sharks moving in and out of the Noosa River,” Dr Holmes said.

Dr Holmes, who is undertaking a first-of-its-kind bull shark tagging program on the Sunshine Coast, tagged several bull sharks in the Noosa River last week.

UniSC marine biologist and project lead Dr Bonnie Holmes with a bull shark.

“We tagged eight bull sharks in between about 1m and 1.6m in size,” she said.

“They were quite away up the Noosa River past Lake Cooroibah.”

A bull shark caught on the Sunshine Coast as part of a research project undertaken by the University of the Sunshine Coast.

The shark spotted at Noosa is one of several recent sightings on the Sunshine Coast, after a surfer reported a close call with a shark at Alexandra Headland on Friday, December 1.

In response to the recent sightings, a Surf Life Saving Queensland spokeswoman urged swimmers to be vigilant and swim in flagged areas.

“Beachgoers are reminded to swim between the red and yellow flags during patrol hours and to follow Department of Agriculture and Fisheries SharkSmart tips,” the spokeswoman said.

“If lifesavers spot a shark, they will sound a siren or ring a bell, put up the red flag and tell you to leave the water immediately. Always follow their instructions quickly.”

There have been multiple shark sightings on the Sunshine Coast reported this year, with Coolum angler Peter Hassett reeling in a bull shark measuring about 2.5m long near Noosa Sound in February, while Sunshine Beach at Noosa Heads was closed in June, when a 2m bull shark was spotted swimming close to the shoreline.

In September, a viral video emerged of a large great white shark being hauled behind a shark control program contractor’s vessel after it was caught on a drum line off Mudjimba Beach in August.