REMEMBER WHEN

SWIMMERS and boogieboarders defied the dangers to frolic in the surf as hundreds of sharks menaced a school of bait fish less than 100m offshore.

The shark alarms sounded at Southport and Narrowneck beaches at first light as schools of pilchards, tuna and tailor hugged the coastline.

Further south, North Burleigh beach was closed after several sharks were spotted stalking a smaller school of bait fish.

Lifesavers refused to open most beaches, but some swimmers took the risk and swam close to the water’s edge.

“It’s still dangerous,” said one surf lifesaver.

“We’ve ordered them out of the water for a reason, because there is a real danger. After a while, they just think it’s safe, I guess.”

Lifesavers in boats and on jetskis rode through the Southport school of sharks in a bid to herd them away from the shore.

The lifesavers reopened the beach at Main Beach at 11am only to close it again 20 minutes later when yet another shark was sighted. As the bait fish moved slowly south, the sharks, some as big as 2.5m moved even closer to the beach.

Adam Hill, who moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney only three weeks earlier, spent about half an hour bodysurfing just south of Narrowneck and was stunned when he emerged from the water and was told about the danger.

“I didn’t know they were out there at all,’’ he said.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me? I saw the bait fish but didn’t see anything bigger so I thought it would be OK.’’