History of Shark Attacks on the Gold Coast

Gold Coast shark attacks - statistics and related information

Since the instigation of the Shark Control Program by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in the 1960s, sharks are rarely sighted on open surf beaches (perhaps once every six months) and there has not been a fatal shark attack off a Gold Coast ocean beach since 1964. However, shark sightings in the canals are very common and since 2002 there have been two fatal shark attacks in canals and inland lakes.

The following table shows the number of recorded shark attacks on the Gold Coast, where the attack took place, the nature of the injury, what the person was doing at the time, the time of day, species of shark and other relevant information where available.

Please note that shark attacks have not been listed where it was clear that the shark was provoked (for example there have been a number of incidents where shark fisherman have been bitten while trying to remove sharks from their nets), or where it has not been proven that a shark was at fault (there have been incidents where people have gone missing and it has been presumed that a shark took them, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm the details).

Unprovoked shark attacks on the Gold Coast: 1905-2007

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