The popular swimming spot where 'literally hundreds' of bull sharks are lurking
A group of fishermen have revealed they’ve been pulling out bull sharks from a popular Sunshine Coast swimming spot on a regular basis.
Beaches which line the opening of the Maroochy River are a hotbed for swimmers by day.
But by night, Rob Johnston and friend Michael Jackson are just a handful of locals who frequent the area, exposing the hidden dangers lurking in the popular waters.
The pair, along with other angling enthusiasts, have pulled out a series of bull sharks on the north side at Mudjimba dog beach which are capable of causing significant damage.
One disturbing photo shows Mr Johnston posing next to one of their sizable catches last week.
“That one was a little over two metres,” he told Yahoo News Australia.
Mr Johnston said they’ve caught even bigger ones, with a terrifying population present in the river.
“Bullsharks are always there. There’s literally hundreds,” he revealed.
While he said most of them rarely approach swimmers and dogs who enjoy nearby Mudjimba dog beach, there was still a risk of attacks and would never risk his own safety swimming in the river.
“Most will leave swimmers and dogs alone but sometimes they will bite,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want to be part of that small percentage.”
Shark awareness must improve, expert warns
AWARE shark conservation expert Tony Isaacson previously told Yahoo News Australia that the Maroochy River is regularly full of bull sharks, especially after heavy rain.
"They’ve always been there, always will be there and are always going to be there in the future,” he said.
Mr Isaacson warned there needs to be a change in approach to ensure the safety of the public.
"There needs to be a community awareness program with proper signage," he said.
"They need to make people aware this is bull shark territory and there are ways of co-existing with these animals."
He said the conditions become dangerous for people in the water due to the murky conditions.
"When the conditions are inclement following rain with zero visibility, [the bull sharks] will bump something to see if it’s edible."
Mr Isaacson insisted he wouldn't let anyone under his care into the water in such conditions.
"If we don’t educate the public that this is bull shark territory there may be an incident."
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