A FISHERMAN has had the fright of his life after catching a bull shark at Thorneside.
David Fry threw his line out into Tingalpa Creek near the Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club on Thursday morning when he felt something tug.
"I waded out to about my knee and then I felt it move and saw a fin," he said. "There were a couple of guys down there in a kayak and they helped me bring the shark into shore."
It's the first time Mr Fry has seen a shark in the creek, let alone caught one.
"This was attempt number seven at catching something down there, but I've never seen a shark down there," he said.
Mr Fry said the shark was caught near a popular swimming spot, and the catch was an important reminder to be wary of murky water.
".. try to minimise swimming in canals and estuaries because that's where they tend to gather."
- Professor Craig Franklin
"When I went down there that morning, there was someone on a boogie board splashing around in the water," he said.
University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences academic Professor Craig Franklin said bull sharks were considered one of the world's most dangerous sharks because of their ability to swim in both fresh and salt water.
"They will live in rivers and estuarine areas, which is where a lot of our cities are built. As a result, we tend to share their environment and co-habitate."
The bull shark was caught a week after another one was spotted at Cleveland Point.
Professor Franklin said the sightings were probably due to either an increased number of people near the water during summer or the sharks moving closer to shore to reproduce.
"Try to avoid swimming at dusk and dawn when they're feeding.
"Also try to minimise swimming in canals and estuaries because that's where they tend to gather."
