Gold Coast teen hauls in ‘urban myth’ — a 1.5m bull shark in canals

AFTER spending eight years living on Gold Coast canals without seeing a shark, local man David Hornsby said he thought the stories were an urban myth. Until last night ...

AFTER spending eight years living on Gold Coast canals without seeing a shark, local man David Hornsby said he thought the stories were an urban myth.

But that was until 10pm last night when Mr Hornsby’s son, Jamie, hauled a 1.5m predator out of the water from his backyard in Burleigh Waters.

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“I’ve always thought, is it an urban myth to keep people from drowning, because you never see anyone swimming in the canals,” Mr Hornsby said.

“Where there’s water, there’s drownings, I thought it could have been a ploy by council to keep people out.

“But now we’ve seen a few in the past week.”

Jamie Hornsby with his catch from Lake Heron.

Mr Hornsby said the sightings included spotting a shark swimming in a canal off Christine Ave in Burleigh Waters and seeing a fin while fishing from a kayak in the same waterway.

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The keen fishermen said they decided to try their luck catching a bull shark with using a piece of mullet in Lake Heron after the sightings.

Mr Hornsby said it took a few hours standing in the rain but his 13-year-old son managed to land a 1.5m shark and a 71cm trevally.

Heath Simmons with a bull shark he caught at Burleigh Lake. Photo: Facebook.

After taking a photo of the catch last night, Mr Hornsby said the animal was released in “perfect condition” to “fight another day”.

Scientists and anglers have suggested Gold Coast canals are likely to be teeming with hundreds of sharks.

Last summer, Bond University biologist Dr Daryl McPhee said each of the city’s canals — part of the Gold Coast’s 400km network of waterways — was likely to get a visit from at least one shark during the warmer months.

A bull shark spotted swimming in a canal in Burleigh Waters. Photo: Teagan Billingham.

“In every canal there could be a shark swimming, I would estimate there are hundreds,” he said.

“These range from small to quite sizeable animals — a 1.5m shark is a good fish.

Dr McPhee said bull sharks feed in deep holes in the canals.

QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT SHARK SAFETY TIPS:

• Do not swim in or near mouths of estuaries, artificial canals and lakes.

• Swim or surf only at patrolled beaches and between the flags.

• Obey advice from lifesavers and lifeguards, and heed all sign and safety warnings.

• Leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted.

• Do not swim or surf after dusk, at night or before dawn when sharks are most active.

• Do not swim or surf in murky waters.

• Do not swim near schools of fish or where fish are being cleaned.

• Do not swim with animals.

Source: Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.