Sunshine Beach closed after bull shark sighting near shore

Two separate shark sightings in recent days have been reported on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, with one forcing a popular beach to close. Watch the video

Two shark sightings have been reported on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa within hours of each other in the past 24 hours, with one forcing a popular beach to close.

Sunshine Beach at Noosa Heads was closed early on Thursday, June 15, when a 2m shark was spotted swimming close to the shoreline.

Noosa Shire Surf Life Saving Supervisor Rowan Simpson said the shark, which he believed was a bull shark, was spotted between 8.30am and 9am and forced the beach to close for one hour.

The shark had been enticed by a bait ball “a quarter of the size of a footy pitch” between the northern end of the beach and the surf club, Mr Simpson said.

Noosa Shire Surf Lifesaving Supervisor Rowan Simpson was on scene when the animal was spotted. The beach was closed for one hour, he said.

Bait balls form when small fish attempt to swim together to deter larger predators.

Mr Simpson said there were few swimmers in the water at the time, but a handful of surfers who weren’t aware of the sighting had to be called in.

In a separate incident, another shark was seen swimming in the shallows at Caloundra on Thursday.

Shane Dimech said he was out for a daily photography walk when he spotted the creature at the sand spit between Happy Valley and Bribie Island about 12pm.

Sunshine Beach, looking towards Coolum. Photo: Geoff Potter

He said he spent about 20 minutes with the creature and believed it was a grey nurse shark.

Mr Simpson said it was rare to have a shark come close to the shoreline and there had not been an increase in sightings, but there were a lot of sharks around.

Three Sunshine Coast and Noosa beaches were closed in March, with one bait ball at Coolum Beach drawing in 35 sharks.

Mr Simpson said anyone who sees a shark is encouraged to alert someone such as a lifeguard, or to call 13SURF (137873).

In February Coolum angler Peter Hassett reeled in a monstrous bull shark measuring about 2.5m long near Noosa Sound.

He said he feared it was a matter of time before a fatal incident took place in the Noosa River unless shark warnings were ramped up.

In March several Sunshine Coast beaches were closed due to massive bait balls moving in close to shore, with more than 30 sharks hunting them.

Originally published as Sunshine Beach closed after bull shark sighting near shore