The surprising appearance of hammerheads hunting off a popular Gold Coast beach is the most significant shark activity seen in the area for more than 15 years, according to prominent marine biologist Olaf Meynecke.
Dr Meynecke from Griffith University's Coastal and Marine Research Centre said about 40 scalloped hammerhead sharks have been swimming off Burleigh Heads since late March.
"We actually have juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks right next to the beach, we're talking about 40, 50 metres from the beach," he said.
"I literally pay thousands of dollars to swim with sharks in other places around the world and here we have them at our doorstep and in two metres of water."
Dr Meynecke said the group of sharks, most about one metre in length, were attracted to the area by warm sea temperatures.
"Temperatures have been quite stable, around the 25 to 26 degrees, and hammerheads definitely like the warmer temperatures — especially the younger ones. It's good for growing faster," he said.
"Their main source of food is usually rays.
"They hunt on the bottom — that's why they have this bizarre-looking head shape."
Swimmers catch a glimpse
Dr Meynecke said he swam with the sharks off Burleigh Heads over the weekend, alongside "close to 100 people".
"Those juvenile ones don't actually present any danger unless somebody tries to grab the tail and flip it around and kiss it," he said.
"Anything that small are generally scared of people."
But he said people should still maintain a safe distance, even as the sharks migrate north ahead of winter.
"The biggest problem from the shark's perspective is they're losing energy by trying to escape those snorkellers," Dr Meynecke said.
He said nearby shark nets posed a threat and that at least 625 scalloped hammerheads had been killed in nets or drum lines since 2001.
"The whole idea of living with the ocean and in respect, living together with the ocean is what we need to get to," he said.
"Interactions like this, where people get to know the marine environment a bit better, really helps with that.
"Someone who's got that experience will see a picture of a caught animal or a dying shark in a different way."
Meanwhile, large schools of bait fish have been swimming off the coast, attracting other shark species closer to shore.
"We did have one of those years where reproduction was pretty good, so that's why we're seeing such huge numbers," Dr Meynecke said.
Gold Coast regional operations manager for Surf Life Saving Queensland Nathan Fife said the bait balls attracted sharks.
"Don't go swimming in it or paddle or surfboard near them," he said.
"One of those sharks could think that you're a fish."
In 2020, a man was killed by a shark while he was surfing near bait fish at Greenmount Beach on the southern Gold Coast.
