History of Shark Attacks on the Gold Coast

Are there sharks?

Well, in a nutshell, yes. But you're more likely to be attacked by lightning than a shark. A Shark Control Program run by the Queensland Government manages a range of nets, bait hooks and other preventative measures designed to keep sharks away from people swimming at the beach. There hasn't been a fatal shark attack in the waters off the Gold Coast since 1964 and only three other confirmed non-fatal shark attacks (ranging from small bites to decent wounds) have been recorded. Even shark sightings are rare on the open beach, with only one or two large sharks even being seen by average beach goers each year and if a shark is spotted (either by life guards or aerial surveillance), swimmers are quickly warned.

However, while your chances of meeting a shark in the ocean are slim, if you enter the water in the canal estates and salt water estuaries situated away from the ocean, you're in much more dangerous territory. Since 2002 there have been two fatal shark attacks in canals and lakes and local newspapers regularly run stories about the waterways are teeming with aggressive bull sharks.

If you want to swim, go to the beach, don't jump in a lake, and never paddle in the canals, especially at dawn or dusk when sharks are hunting. It's also advisable to not swim anywhere at night.

Gold Coast Shark Attacks - Statistics & 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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