Incident Report
Whaler Shark Incident During Swimming at Gold Coast Beach
gold coast, broadbeach, surfers paradise, Queensland·Australia
A female swimmer was injured by a whaler shark at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in April 1994. The incident resulted in teeth marks to the arm and hand.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In April 1994, a shark incident occurred at Broadbeach in the Surfers Paradise area of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. A female swimmer sustained injuries from a whaler shark while swimming in the coastal waters. The shark inflicted bite wounds to the victim's arm and hand, marked by teeth marks consistent with whaler shark dentition. The swimmer survived the encounter with non-fatal injuries. Whaler sharks (genus Carcharhinus) are relatively common in Australian coastal waters and typically inhabit areas from the surface to moderate depths near the continental shelf, making encounters with swimmers possible in popular beach areas like Broadbeach.