Shark sightings have prompted lifeguards to evacuate one of the Gold Coast’s busiest beaches multiple times in the past week.

Now, aerial vision just off the headland at Burleigh Heads has confirmed that sharks have been cruising in the shallows.

We asked a biologist what it all means.

Is it unusual to see sharks off Gold Coast beaches?

Not really.

Shark expert Daryl McPhee said it was not unusual to see small species, such as whaler sharks, in the summer months.

“It’s a seasonal thing; we expect to see them,” Dr McPhee, an associate professor at Bond University, said.

A change in the number of cameras trained on the water has also contributed.

Dr McPhee said it meant people were getting better at spotting sharks.

“What we are doing though is we’re getting much better at spotting them, particularly in a coastal and beach zone where lots of people are swimming,” he said.

“Drones have been very effective at spotting sharks. That really has been the technological leap.”

If I’m going in [the water], I normally like to say hello to the lifeguard to see if they know where the sharks are, and if they’re out there, pick another beach.

Source
ABC News