Hundreds of sharks make unexpected appearance at famous Aussie beach
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Australia is home to a fascinating array of majestic creatures, and many enjoy closer encounters with such creatures. The sea, of course, is one such place—with its depths filled with life.
However, not all are as friendly as one would hope.
So, it’s understandable that a group of whale watchers found cause for alarm when they spotted a rather impressive school of sharks in the waters beneath them.
The beach where the sharks were spotted is known for its crystalline waters and powdery white sand—Orchid Beach is located on the southern end of K’gari (Fraser Island). It is one of Australia’s top tourist destinations.
Recent drone footage captured by resident Darcy Yarnold shows hundreds of sharks swarming just offshore.
'We were whale watching from the shore for about an hour when a big group of birds started to dive into the water, so I launched my drone and instantly saw so many fish, sharks and turtles,' the whale watcher said.
'There were, I think, about 200 sharks in the area chasing a huge ball of fish.'
He described them as 'very close', about 250-300 metres from the shore.
According to Daryl McPhee, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Bond University, the appearance was a timely reminder for beachgoers to stay out of the water on K’gari and described the island as a 'naturally healthy ecosystem with lots of marine life and sharks'.
'We know at this time of year, K'gari is renowned for sharks, and there are sharks on K'gari in big numbers all year round so the video is not surprising,' explained McPhee.
'This is the time of year large schools of tailor are still present on the island, and they provide excellent food for big shivers of sharks. The sharks are adept at finding their prey, and once they find it they'll keep using that prey until it disperses.'
Based on the footage, McPhee believed the sharks are of the whaler shark species, which are not considered as risky as great whites or tiger sharks.
'Those particular sharks aren't one of the big three responsible for most bites, which are tiger sharks, white sharks and bull sharks, but it's still ill-advised to go swimming with those sharks or swimming on the beach of K'gari in general,' McPhee explained.
'The only reason there are not many bites at K’gari is because people don’t normally swim there.'
'If we had the same number (of people) as we have in the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast swimming each weekend and each day, we'd have a lot more bites there.'
Members, have you ever seen a shark while out swimming before? What was it like? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
However, not all are as friendly as one would hope.
So, it’s understandable that a group of whale watchers found cause for alarm when they spotted a rather impressive school of sharks in the waters beneath them.
The beach where the sharks were spotted is known for its crystalline waters and powdery white sand—Orchid Beach is located on the southern end of K’gari (Fraser Island). It is one of Australia’s top tourist destinations.
Recent drone footage captured by resident Darcy Yarnold shows hundreds of sharks swarming just offshore.
Hundreds of sharks were spotted at Orchid Beach. Image source: vecstock on Freepik.
'We were whale watching from the shore for about an hour when a big group of birds started to dive into the water, so I launched my drone and instantly saw so many fish, sharks and turtles,' the whale watcher said.
'There were, I think, about 200 sharks in the area chasing a huge ball of fish.'
He described them as 'very close', about 250-300 metres from the shore.
According to Daryl McPhee, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Bond University, the appearance was a timely reminder for beachgoers to stay out of the water on K’gari and described the island as a 'naturally healthy ecosystem with lots of marine life and sharks'.
K’gari’s Orchid Beach is said to be a naturally healthy ecosystem with many inhabitants. Image source: Darcy Yarnold.
'We know at this time of year, K'gari is renowned for sharks, and there are sharks on K'gari in big numbers all year round so the video is not surprising,' explained McPhee.
'This is the time of year large schools of tailor are still present on the island, and they provide excellent food for big shivers of sharks. The sharks are adept at finding their prey, and once they find it they'll keep using that prey until it disperses.'
Based on the footage, McPhee believed the sharks are of the whaler shark species, which are not considered as risky as great whites or tiger sharks.
'Those particular sharks aren't one of the big three responsible for most bites, which are tiger sharks, white sharks and bull sharks, but it's still ill-advised to go swimming with those sharks or swimming on the beach of K'gari in general,' McPhee explained.
'The only reason there are not many bites at K’gari is because people don’t normally swim there.'
'If we had the same number (of people) as we have in the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast swimming each weekend and each day, we'd have a lot more bites there.'
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